“Hooked on a Feeling” Guilt Hebrews 10: 1-25

A. Grasping Guilt 1. Fact of guilt: “The fact or state of having committed an offense, crime, violation, or wrong, especially against moral or personal law.” Webster’s College D. From a biblical perspective we might use the category of SIN

A. Grasping Guilt It carries the idea of a verdict James 2:10 2. Feelings of Guilt: “a feeling of responsibility or remorse for some offence, crime, wrong, etc. whether real or imagined.” Webster’s College

A. Grasping Guilt 2. Feelings of Guilt 1 Sam. 24:5—David was “conscience striken” 1 John 3:20—Our hearts “condemn us” Acts 24:16—keeping a “clear conscience” 1 Tim. 4:2— a “seared conscience”

A. Grasping Guilt So far we have established: We can really be guilty, yet not feel guilty We can be innocent and yet feel guilty We must make an effort to deal with feelings of guilt in a constructive and biblical way.

B. Grouping Guilt Complex problems need to be broken down 1. Forensic Guilt—True state of guilt before God. He has established standards of right and wrong, and when we violate those we stand guilty Romans 3: 9;19

B. Grouping Guilt 1. Forensic Guilt All feel this somewhere along the way Romans 2: The Holy Spirit has come to put these things together properly Romans 16: 7-11

B. Grouping Guilt Some say ignore, repress or cast off guilt feelings over moral codes. The error in this is that it ignores God the creator. To ignore or suppress this is foolish for God is trying to speak to us through it.

B. Grouping Guilt 2. False Guilt Overly sensitive conscience (1 Sam. 24:5) Trauma Wrongly trained conscience (Philip Yancey)

C. Guiding Guilt We need to take it to one of three places To the throne—We must carry false guilt here and trust in His sovereignty To the cross—We must take forensic guilt here for it is here we find the remedy

C. Guiding Guilt To the cross Non-believer (Heb. 10: 12-17) Believer (Heb. 10: 10,22; 1 John 3: 19-20) To the Word

Warning If you never feel guilt over sinful matters, then you need to pray for mercy 1 Tim. 4:2