Question What brings us the greatest sadness in life? GUILT

Dealing With The Guilt Of Sin

The knowledge that we have sinned and stand in need of forgiveness!

Introduction Forgiveness is one of the most precious things in life When we are under the pressure of guilt, we feel it in the depths of our soul

Ps. 32:3-4 When I kept silence, my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long. For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me: my moisture is turned into the drought of summer.

Ps. 32:5 I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the LORD; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin.

Ps. 32:1-2 Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile.

I. Feeling Guilt We may feel guilty when we are not ---- (accidently run over a child who wandered in the street) The N.T. teaches that God does not want us to feel guilty when we are not!

I. Feeling Guilt Some are so loaded with guilt that they begin every sentence with “I’m sorry”. There is true guilt when one violates the law of God

Acts 2:37 Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?

Acts 2:37 “they were cut to the heart” NKJV “pierced to the heart” NASV

II. Unresolved Guilt Judas Mt. 27:5 “And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself.”

III. Seared Conscience – Feel No Guilt 1 Tim. 4:2 “having their conscience seared with a hot iron;”

IV. People Are Guilty Of Sin Every person who reaches the age of accountability must recognize the guilt of his sin Rom. 3:23 “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God”

1 Jn. 1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

1 Jn. 1:10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

V. People Cannot Remove Their Own Guilt Adam blamed Eve and Eve blamed the serpent King Saul wanted to blame the people People blame their parents Parents blame their children

V. People Cannot Remove Their Own Guilt People blame their circumstances, their spouse, the weather, “bad luck”, and some even blame God God expects people to acknowledge their sins, forsake them & seen his forgiveness!

V. People Cannot Remove Their Own Guilt Alcohol, drugs, desertion of family, anger, self-pity, immorality, lying etc. The Value Of Guilt

2 Cor. 7:9-10 Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance: …For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.

2 Cor. 7:10 For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death. (NKJV)

VI. God’s Remedy Is Forgiveness Through The Blood Of Jesus ONLY THE BLOOD OF CHRIST CAN CLEANSE SIN! Eph. 1:7 “In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace”

Rev. 1:5 Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,

We Contact That Blood In Baptism Rom. 6:3-4 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?

[4] Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life

Acts 22:16 And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.

God Provides Continual Cleansing For His Children Acts 8:22 Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee.

1 Jn. 1:7-10 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

Forgiveness Is The Victory Over Sin God faithfully forgives The Lord fully forgives The Lord forgives freely Rom. 3:24 “Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:

Forgiveness Is The Victory Over Sin “We have nothing to offer, no way to pay ourselves out of the debt of sin. If we were to demand a fair trial with God, we would lose. It is not justice we need, but MERCY!”

Forgiveness Is The Victory Over Sin “I owed a debt I could not pay He paid a debt he did not owe. I needed someone to wash my sins away Christ Jesus paid the debt I could never pay”

2 Great Goals 1. Train our conscience according to the Word of God 2. Live a holy life because God is holy

“But guilt that hangs upon the soul like a dark cloud can be debilitating. It can rob you of sleep at night and take away the zest of the day. It can stalk you like a ravenous beast

Until you can scarcely tolerate living Until you can scarcely tolerate living. The Christian should never allow guilt to move in and become his companion. Get rid of it!” (Wayne Jackson, The Bible and Mental Health)

Is. 1:18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

References Proclaiming Christ –Called Unto Salvation, Lesson 16, Dealing With The Guilt of Sin, Phil Sanders, Southwest Church of Christ Lectures 2010. http://swcofc.org/lectureship/ The Bible and Mental Health, Wayne Jackson, 1998 http://www.christiancourier.com/search?q=bible+and+mental+health The Victorious Life…WINNING, Mac Layton, (Grace Publications, 1990)