Not Guilty!
Guilt is everywhere around us and in us.
Most of us were raised under the heaviness of guilt-induced shame (a form of manipulation used to control another person). Parents use guilt to motivate their children when they say things like, "You should be ashamed of yourself!" or "I've told you a hundred times, and you're still not cleaning your room!" or "Can't you be more responsible!" or "You shouldn't be so hateful," or "After all we've done for you, this is how you repay us?" We grow up hearing such things on an almost daily basis, and somehow it gets woven into the very fabric of our souls. We begin to believe that we will never measure up.
And this pattern and process is passed down from parent to child. Children soon learn to dish guilt right back: "All the other parents are letting their kids go ... why can't I?" or "Everyone else gets to stay out late" or "You never let us do anything!" Sound familiar?
Guilt seems to follow us our whole lives. Older parents say, "Why don't you call more often?" Husbands complain, "This house is a mess ... what in the world did you do all day?" Wives respond, "You should spend more time at home." And in the inner dialogue of our own hearts, we inflict guilt on ourselves throughout the day: "I'll never measure up," or "Now, what have I done," or "I should be doing more at the church." I should this, I should that ... most of us are masters of self-condemnation.
And yes, the church uses guilt to try and motivate believers to action saying things like, "You will be here on Sunday, right?" or "If you don't teach this class who will?'' or "At least you're in church somewhere."
OK, now that we're all feeling guilty about feeling guilty, there's hope for us: to a guilty world, to those burdened excessively by parents who controlled them and who are still controlling them by shame, to those who seek now to control others and motivate them by guilt, God sent His Son. And His Son died on a cross, but He lives today. And to all those who believe in God's Son, God has spoken a word of hope to dispel the condemnation of guilt: "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus" (Rom. 8:1). Therein lies freedom from guilt.
What is guilt? Paul's gives us a good definition. He agonized over his own guilt, his own horrible, internal discord and struggle when he measured his behavior against who he should be. Paul defined guilt in Rom. 7:19-24:
"For the good that I wish, I do not do; but I practice the very evil that I do not wish. But if I am doing the very thing I do not wish, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me. I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wishes to do good. For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man, but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind, and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death?"
In other words, Paul says: "Guilt-riddled man that I am! Who will set me free from the guilt that is killing me?"
Each of us needs to stop for a moment and consider how guilt follows us around like some invisible cloud. Each of us gets lost for a while in a fog of guilt and self-condemnation every time we sin. We sin, then we heap guilt on our own heads, burying ourselves for a while until the Lord resurrects us to grace once again. Many of us admit that at the end of the day, we review the day and have to admit one more time, "I failed again today!" Each night, many of us go to bed beneath a blanket of guilt. Many say, "I always feel guilty that I'm not doing enough, well enough, for enough."
Every one of us has a secret area of past or present sin that is crushing us with guilt. Maybe you discover in your marriage that though you desire to truly love your spouse, you are actually a very selfish person. Maybe you feel you are losing the daily struggle with your thought life, that a private sin of lust or fantasy constantly entraps you. Perhaps you've never recovered from the guilt of past sexual sins, because of how you handled an unexpected pregnancy. Maybe you feel as though you never measured up to what your parents thought you should be. Maybe you feel as though you never fulfilled your own hopes and dreams. Maybe you feel as though you are a constant disappointment to God, who tolerates you because He is longsuffering. Maybe you feel that what you have done in the past is so horrible you can never forgive yourself. God might ... but you never could. Maybe you cannot accept a compliment or word of praise because your guilt has convinced you of your unworthiness. Maybe you sabotage your own success in relationships, or business, or whatever, because you are convinced in your heart that you don't deserve success. Guilt has a thousand faces, but every face looks down and frowns at you. And deep down, many of us believe the one face frowning most at us is the face of God.
But when Paul saw the face of Jesus Christ, he discovered exactly the opposite!! There he discovered the face of absolute forgiveness, the face of amazing grace, a smiling face of joyful and eternal acceptance. Paul found in the face of Jesus Christ freedom from guilt, and his heart leaped to praise: "But thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh, the law of sin. There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." All debts of guilt are cancelled for those who are in Christ Jesus!
Beholding the face of Christ, finding eternal acceptance and love there, Paul tells us the bold truth that cancels out guilt forever: There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus!
This also brings home the freedom Paul says Christ has purchased for us:
We are free from sin (Romans 6),
We are free from the law (Romans 7),
We are free from guilt (Romans 8).
We are free from guilt! Guilt does not come from God, as most of us incorrectly believe. God, through the Holy Spirit, often convicts us with a godly sorrow over our sin, He often asks us the quiet, urgent questions that reveal our sin, but He never ministers in guilt. God pronounces His verdict: there is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus! No condemnation - no guilt. Instead, grace abounds! God pours out His grace, over and over again, to all who are in Christ Jesus. He doesn't condemn us, because guilt kills - Jesus payed that debt. He graces us, because grace gives life. Guilt is gone forever for believers in Christ Jesus, and grace abounds forever in Christ Jesus.
But then we ask, "What about our legitimate struggle against indwelling sin, just like Paul struggled? Don't we still struggle?" Yes, we do struggle against sin, and we will struggle with sin all the days of our lives. But how the struggle effects us is what counts: if I struggle and then condemn myself because I failed yet again, I isolate myself from God to wallow in self-centeredness. We must realize that guilt is just another side of self-centeredness. And the most deceptive nature of guilt is that it drives me to hide from God and others, just as Adam and Eve in their guilt hid from God in the garden. But how amazing to think that God pursued them and found them, even though they were hiding and clothed them in their nakedness!
By contrast, if I accept my struggle as a part of the normal Christian life, embracing Christ and allowing His grace to cover my sin, then the struggle leads me right where I need to go: into His arms. We begin to realize that the struggle is with us as long as we are in these earth bodies: but we can either let the struggle propel us into the gracious arms of Jesus, or we can feel guilty and let the struggle isolate us from Christ and His body, the church.
Understanding our feelings is crucial to this whole process. Guilt attacks us as a subjective, soul-produced feeling: when we sin, we feel guilty, we feel what we perceive to be God's wrath, we feel ashamed, so immediately we run for cover instead of running to His covering. But over and far above these feelings is the FACT and truth of God's verdict: There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. God's verdict is true whether we believe or feel that it is true.
The good news is that There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
We are always trying to find our own ways of ridding ourselves of our guilt. Some try to forget it. Most simply try to avoid the whole subject. They don't want to think of their guilt. But do you remember how David said he felt when he tried that pathway? These are his words from Psalm 32:
When I declared not my sin, my body wasted away through my groaning all day long [It affected him physically]. For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. (Ps. 32:3-4)
This is what unacknowledged guilt will do. It will dry up your life, will reduce it to a shallow, superficial level of living in which you have to be caught up endlessly in some diversion in order not to think about your relationship with God. And forgetting will never work either.
At this point it is important that we address the process of God's grace. All of the five offerings in the Old Testament (the burnt offering Lev. 1:1-17, the grain offering Lev. 2:1-16, the peace offering Lev. 3:1-17, the sin offering Lev. 4:3 and the trespass or guilt offering, Lev. 5:14) were fulfilled in one act in the life of Jesus - his death on the cross. All of them point to that. From the death of Jesus, as the fulfillment of these offerings, flow to us their corresponding New Testament counterparts; love, joy, peace, and forgiveness - all the blessings of these offerings. But when we think of the death of Christ we almost always think only of the sin and the trespass offering. The forgiveness of our sins is what we concern ourselves. But that is not where God starts! He began first with the provision and not the perfection whereas we often times begin with the perfection of the saints as opposed to the provision. To see this clearly, we must review the Book of Hebrews as it correlates to the Old Testament pattern, or shadow. The writer of Hebrews shows us that Jesus' ministry, as the High Priest, is so much more superior to the ministry of the Jewish priests that, by it, the old system is done away, replaced by the absolute, eternal, and perfect priesthood of Christ (Heb. 8:1-6). Jesus' ministry, as should be every born-again saint of God and every church, is performed under the covenant of God's grace, wrought within the mind and hearts of believers by the power of the Holy Spirit. As a result, God establishes a new personal covenant relationship with His people, based not on a compelling force from without, but on an impelling power from within. This point is so absolutely needed today. Grace and mercy characterize the new covenant replacing the inadequate first covenant. As such, grace and mercy should also characterize every believer and church.
However, instead of talking to others about God's grace and mercy, we say, "You're a sinner! You need to be forgiven!" And sometimes we thunder away with hell-fire and damnation at people in order to get them "under conviction," or, in other words, to make them feel guilty about their sins so that they might come to Christ. It is true that God wants to talk to man about his sin. Man can never solve his problems until he solves that problem. But that is never where God begins. He starts by talking about love and joy and peace (the burnt offering, the grain offering, and the peace offering). He provides that first and then he says, "Now let's get at the heart of the problem which is separating us."
You remember that, in the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve at first were walking in full fellowship with God. There was no fear in their hearts toward God. In the cool of the evening (cool is the same word translated as "Spirit") God would come and walk with them, and they were in perfect communion. Then they made the choice to obey the tempter's voice instead of God's. The first sign of the effect of that disobedience was that they hid from God when he came to walk in the garden. And man has been hiding from God ever since because he has a deep sense of guilt in his life. Guilt always alienates. It always divides and severs a relationship. This is why men everywhere, universally, have this sense of restraint and of fear toward God. Yet, God's Word majestically proclaims that "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9)
Confession is supposed to free us to enjoy fellowship with Christ. It should ease our consciences and lighten our cares. But some Christians do not understand how it works. They feel so guilty that they confess the same sins over and over; then they wonder if they might have forgotten something. Other Christians believe that God forgives them when they confess, but if they died with unconfessed sins, they would be forever lost. These Christians do not understand that God wants to forgive us. He allowed his beloved Son to die just so he could offer us pardon. When we come to Christ, he forgives all the sins we have committed or will ever commit. We don't need to confess the sins of the past all over again, and we don't need to fear that God will reject us if we don't keep our slate perfectly clean. Of course we should continue to confess our sins, but not because failure to do so will make us lose our salvation. Instead, we should confess so that we can enjoy maximum fellowship and joy with him.
True confession also involves a commitment not to continue in sin. We wouldn't be genuinely confessing our sins to God if we planned to commit them again and just wanted temporary forgiveness. We should also pray for strength to defeat temptation the next time we face it.
If God has forgiven us for our sins because of Christ's death, why must we confess our sins? In admitting our sins and receiving Christ's cleansing, we are: (1) agreeing with God that our sin truly is sin and that we are willing to turn from it, (2) ensuring that we don't conceal our sins from him and consequently from ourselves, and (3) recognizing our tendency to sin and relying on his power to overcome it.
"Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective." (James 5:16)
Christ has made it possible for us to go directly to God for forgiveness. In the Old Testament economy, the temple had three main parts - the courts, the Holy Place (where only the priests could enter), and the Most Holy Place (where only the high priest could enter, and only once a year, to atone for the sins of the nation - Leviticus 16:1-35). A heavy curtain hung in front of the Most Holy Place, a place reserved by God for himself. Symbolically, the curtain separated the holy God from sinful people. The room was entered only once a year, on the Day of Atonement, by the high priest as he made a sacrifice to gain forgiveness for the sins of all the people. When Jesus died, the curtain was torn in two, showing that his death for our sins had opened up the way for us to approach our holy God. And it was torn from top to bottom, showing that God had opened the way (see Hebrews 9). Now all people are free to approach God because of Christ's sacrifice for our sins (see Hebrews 9:1-14; 10:19-22). But confessing our sins to each other still has an important place in the life of the church. (1) If we have sinned against an individual, we must ask him or her to forgive us. (2) If our sin has affected the church, we must confess it publicly. (3) If we need loving support as we struggle with a sin, we should confess that sin to those who are able to provide that support. (4) If, after confessing a private sin to God, we still don't feel his forgiveness, we may wish to confess that sin to a fellow believer and hear him or her assure us of God's pardon. In Christ's kingdom, every believer is a priest to other believers (1 Peter 2:9).
Quoting Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset and David Brown in their Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871), "The oldest authorities read, "Confess, THEREFORE." Not only in the particular case of sickness, but universally confess: faults - your falls and offenses, in relation to one another. The word is not the same as sins. Mth. 5:23, 24; Luk 17:4, illustrate the precept here. Confession is desirable in the case of (1) wrong done to a neighbor; (2) when under a troubled conscience we ask counsel of a godly minister or friend as to how we may obtain God's forgiveness and strength to sin no more, or when we desire their intercessory prayers for us ("Pray for one another"): "Confession may be made to anyone who can pray" [BENGEL]; (3) open confession of sin before the Church and the world, in token of penitence. Not auricular confession (told privately).
From the Book of James we are also reminded that mutual confession and prayer bring healing, both physically and spiritually; these free us from the heavy burdens (physical and spiritual) of sin not dealt with, and put us in line with the powerful workings of the Holy Spirit. Confession to another in the body of Christ is needful, because sin will demand to have us to itself, isolated from all others; confession breaks the power of secret sin. Yet, confession need not be made to a "priest" or any imagined mediator; we simply confess to one another as appropriate. Sin should especially be confessed where physical healing is necessary; it is possible (though by no means always the case) that a person's sickness is the direct result of some sin that has not been dealt with, as Paul describes in 1 Corinthians 11:30.
Quoting Matthew Henry's Commentary on James 5, "the confession here required is that of Christians to one another, and not, as the papists would have it, to a priest. Where persons have injured one another, acts of injustice must be confessed to those against whom they have been committed. Where persons have tempted one another to sin or have consented in the same evil actions, there they ought mutually to blame themselves and excite each other to repentance. Where crimes are of a public nature, and have done any public mischief, there they ought to be more publicly confessed, so as may best reach to all who are concerned. And sometimes it may be well to confess our faults to some prudent minister or praying friend, that he may help us to plead with God for mercy and pardon. But then we are not to think that James puts us upon telling every thing that we are conscious is amiss in ourselves or in one another; but so far as confession is necessary to our reconciliation with such as are at variance with us, or for gaining information in any point of conscience and making our own spirits quiet and easy, so far we should be ready to confess our faults. And sometimes also it may be of good use to Christians to disclose their peculiar weaknesses and infirmities to one another, where there are great intimacies and friendships, and where they may help each other by their prayers to obtain pardon of their sins and power against them. Those who make confession of their faults one to another should thereupon pray with and for one another. The 13th verse directs persons to pray for themselves: Is any afflicted let him pray; the 14th directs to seek for the prayers of ministers; and the 16th directs private Christians to pray one for another; so that here we have all sorts of prayer (ministerial, social, and secret) recommended."
Confession is good, but must be made with discretion; an unwise confession of sin can be the cause of more sin. The one who hears the confession should have one response: loving, intercessory prayer; not human wisdom, gossiping, or "sharing" the need with others.
We humble ourselves when we turn away from sin and admit our sins. Humbling ourselves means recognizing that our worth comes from God alone. To be humble involves working with his power according to his guidance, not with our own independent effort. Although we do not deserve God's favor, he reaches out to us in love and mercy and gives us worth and dignity, despite our human shortcomings. We often worry about our position and status, hoping to get proper recognition for what we do. But the Bible tells us to remember that God's recognition counts more than human praise. God is able and willing to bless us according to his timing. We are to humbly obey God regardless of present circumstances, and in his good time--either in this life or in the next--he will lift you up.
"Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time." (1 Pet. 5:6)
So it is that we learn that God, in His matchless, eternal, imminent way, inaugurated and has made available to us a means of covering. Guilt only remains if we choose so. The entire system of Old Testament sacrifices could not help a sinner unless he brought his offering with an attitude of repentance and a willingness to confess sin. Today, because of Christ's death on the cross, we do not have to sacrifice animals; Jesus as our priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek, made a sacrifice for sin "once for all when He offered up Himself" (Heb. 7:27). Still, it is vital to confess sin, because confession shows that we realize our sin, are aware of God's holiness, are humbled before God, and willing to turn from our sin (Psalm 51:16, 17).
Father we come to you thanking you that we may now come freely and boldly into your presence. We thank you for your Son Jesus who perfectly fulfilled the requirements of high priesthood and He understands and sympathizes with us in our struggles. We confess that we have not understood your ways. We confess that we are works in progress and have not been characterized as gracious and merciful. We ask your forgiveness and now, by faith, appropriate that which has always been available; the atoning work of Christ Jesus to our lives to remove the burdens of our sin, the law, and our guilt as we have been set free by Jesus' ministry. We ask this in your Son's precious name, Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.
Live Christ Deliberately!
Doug Morrell
Director, CORE Discipleship Group Ministries
This article is based on excerpts from the CORE Discipleship Group Manual. Copyright 2003 by Doug Morrell, CORE Discipleship Group Ministries, http://www.coregroups.org. You may copy this article for free and distribute as long as you do not change the content, make sure this copyright statement is included, and you distribute for free. Scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, New International Version. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers. |
