True Guilt/False Guilt How to Tell the Difference & How to Get Rid of Them

Conscience an inner feeling or voice viewed as acting as a guide to the rightness or wrongness of one's behavior.

Can You Trust Your Conscience? Do we ever feel guilty when we’ve done nothing wrong? Do we ever feel innocent even though we’ve done something wrong?

1 John 3:20 NLT 20 Even if we feel guilty, God is greater than our feelings, and he knows everything.

1 Corinthians 4:3-5 NLT 3 As for me, it matters very little how I might be evaluated by you or by any human authority. I don’t even trust my own judgment on this point. 4 My conscience is clear, but that doesn’t prove I’m right. It is the Lord himself who will examine me and decide.

Guilt Guilt Feelings When I have sinned and have not repented of (turned my back on) the sin and been forgiven. When I feel responsibility or remorse for some offense, crime, wrong, etc., whether real or imagined. When I have true guilt, I may or may not FEEL GUILTY. When I FEEL GUILTY, I may or my not have TRUE GUILT.

What Triggers False Guilt? Others’ expectations: Others blame us, or we feel like we’re not living up to the others’ expectation (dead or alive) Poor emotional boundaries: Feeling responsible for other people’s feelings or actions Not owning God’s forgiveness: Continuing to feel guilty for things from our past God has already forgiven us for. Shame: The feeling that we are unworthy of love or belonging (which comes from wounding)

1 Corinthians 4:3-5 NLT 3 As for me, it matters very little how I might be evaluated by you or by any human authority. NOT: What do other people think/expect? How do I feel? BUT: What does God think? I don’t even trust my own judgment on this point. 4 My conscience is clear, but that doesn’t prove I’m right. It is the Lord himself who will examine me and decide.

How Do We Get Rid of Guilt Feelings? Unhealthy Strategies Blame Minimize Make excuses Rationalize—redefine wrong as right Bury

How Do We Get Rid of Guilt Feelings? Healthy Strategies First, determine if your guilt feelings come from TRUE GUILT or FALSE GUILT. Is the thing you are feeling guilty about a sin you committed? Or are your feelings from something else? If you are not sure, ask a spiritually mature person(s) to help you discern Pastor/shepherd Counselor/therapist Mature spiritual friend

How Do We Get Rid of Guilt Feelings? If it is TRUE GUILT Confess your sin to God (agree with God about your sin). Forsake your sin Make amends 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 KJV People who conceal their sins will not prosper, but if they confess and turn from them, they will receive mercy. Proverbs 28:13 NLT Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift. Matthew 5:23-24 NIV

How Do We Get Rid of Guilt Feelings? If it is FALSE GUILT Name the lie that the Accuser (Satan) is using to make you feel guilty “You are responsible to meet others’ expectations.” “You are responsible for others’ feelings or choices.” “You are not forgiven for your past, even though you have asked forgiveness, turned away from your sin, and made amends.” “You are not worthy of love or belonging.”

How Do We Get Rid of Guilt Feelings? If it is FALSE GUILT Ask God to show you his truth in the place of the lie. If you have asked forgiveness for a sin, but don’t feel forgiven, confess it to your triad, house church, shepherd, etc., and ask them to pray for you. They can say, “In the name of Jesus Christ, I pronounce you forgiven.” “Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.” James 5:16 NLT

How Do We Get Rid of Guilt Feelings? If it is FALSE GUILT If your guilt feelings are rooted in shame—a feeling that you are not worthy of love and belonging—seek healing for your wounds, replacing the devil’s lies about you with how God sees you. Many people have found healing through… Counseling Reading biblically-based books about their identity in Christ Memorizing Scripture about their identity in Christ Prayers for inner healing All of the above

Why Does This Matter? 1 John 3:19-22 NLT 19 Our actions will show that we belong to the truth, so we will be confident when we stand before God. 20 Even if we feel guilty, God is greater than our feelings, and he knows everything. 21 Dear friends, if we don’t feel guilty, we can come to God with bold confidence. 22 And we will receive from him whatever we ask because we obey him and do the things that please him. God wants us to live—and pray—with bold confidence. False guilt robs us of our confidence and short-circuits our prayers.

1 John 3:20 NLT 20 Even if we feel guilty, God is greater than our feelings, and he knows everything.

Table Sharing Which triggers for false guilt have you struggled with? Others’ expectations: Others blame us, or we feel like we’re not living up to the others’ expectation (dead or alive) Poor emotional boundaries: Feeling responsible for other people’s feelings or actions Not owning God’s forgiveness: Continuing to feel guilty for things from our past God has already forgiven us for. Shame: The feeling that we are unworthy of love or belonging (which comes from wounding) Something else? If you are struggling with feelings of guilt right now (either true or false guilt), what is a next step you can take to deal with them in a healthy way?