All those who have put their faith in the crucified and risen Jesus, and follow him as his disciple, have had their status changed from guilty to not guilty. But, so long as we live in the flesh, it is likely that we will continue to fail on occasion. And when we do, we are guilty of sin and may experience feelings of guilt.
What is guilt, and what place does it have in the life of the believer?
Having guilt and being guilty have to do with committing some offense. And these words can be used both for a state of being and for the feelings that accompany that state. I am guilty of sin when I act in a way that is contrary to God’s will for me. This is a state of being; I am guilty. And I might feel guilty if my action causes some negative emotional response within me.
This article will examine the second of the two questions asked above. What role should guilt play in the life of the believer? Am I still guilty? What if I sin after coming to faith? Are feelings of guilt appropriate? How should I deal with guilt in my life? Can I be so guilty that God will not forgive me?
Our Sin Nature
Before looking at how we should deal with guilt as believers, it is appropriate to look at the source of guilt and what provision God has made to deal with it.
There are a variety of views concerning human nature. But most of them seem to agree that at least most people are periodically guilty of acting in ways that cause hurt to other people. They are guilty. But the Bible goes beyond this idea of some people being sometimes guilty, claiming that all people are guilty of living in disobedience to God’s righteous standard. Our default position is guilty. All of us are sinful and are facing God’s judgment (Rom. 3:9-23).
And, since we are universally guilty of living in rebellion against God, a time of judgment is coming. And at the judgment seat of God, we will hear him pronounce his verdict. Guilty! And the sentence is eternal destruction with no possibility of parole.
Justified
But, because God loved the world, he gave his Son for us. And everyone who believes in him will have their record purged. Instead of hearing our judge declare us guilty, we will be pronounced justified.
Justified is a legal term that means we have been declared guilt-free. It is essentially a declaration of not guilty. This is an over-simplistic description of the doctrines of atonement and justification. But what matters for this article is that all those who have put their faith in the crucified and risen Jesus, and follow him as his disciple, have had their status changed from guilty to not guilty.
But, so long as we live in the flesh, it is likely that we will continue to fail on occasion. And when we do, we are guilty of sin and may experience feelings of guilt.
The rest of this article will look at several character studies from the Scripture that deal with guilt and feelings of guilt. These will help us to answer some of the questions about guilt introduced in the opening paragraphs.
Gerasene Demoniac
Before looking at guilt as a believer, it is appropriate to first look at the guilt of unbelievers. Specifically, is it possible that the life of an unbeliever might be so bad that God would or could never forgive them? The following two examples from the Scripture would indicate that fear is unfounded.
Mark describes a man Jesus encountered in the land of the Gerasenes (Mark 5:1-5). A multitude of demons possessed the man. He was uncontrollable and seemed to have been a danger to the people who lived in the area. He lived alone among the tombs and would fill the air with his cries.
What was this man’s guilt? We might rightly blame any offense he committed on the multitude of demons that were controlling him. But those demons did not choose him at random. Whether he initially invited them in or not, his guilt lay in the life that opened him to this possession.
It is hard to imagine a person in a worse spiritual condition than this man. But Jesus freed him from what had bound him. And when the townsfolk came to see what the commotion was about, they found him dressed, in his right mind, and sitting at Jesus’ feet.
If God could love a man like that, surely he could love you and transform your life.
Saul of Tarsus
Saul was a young man when first introduced to us in Acts 7:57-8:1 during the stoning of Stephen. It is said there that Saul approved of what was taking place. The account goes on, in Acts 8:3, to tell us that Saul began to destroy the church dragging men and women from their homes and putting them into prison. Later, in 1 Timothy 1:15-16, Saul, later called Paul, identified himself as the worst of sinners (1 Tim. 1:16).
Yet, during his persecution of the church, Jesus stepped in and changed his life. This one who later called himself the worst of sinners, who was guilty of trying to destroy the church, became the greatest champion of the faith that the world has known.
No matter how “bad” your life might be, it is hard to imagine that you can top these two—men who were forgiven and then lived productive lives as believers.
An Unnamed Believer
As believers, we are also subject to sin and the guilt that comes with it. An example of this is found in 1 Corinthians 5:1-5. Here we see a man who was a church member at Corinth. And he was guilty of having a sexual relationship with his father’s wife, an affair that even the godless pagans of Corinth did not condone.
Paul advised the church to hand him over to Satan for the destruction of his flesh so that his spirit might be saved. What is meant by handing someone over to Satan is hotly debated and unimportant here. But whatever it was, it appears that the church followed Paul’s direction.
In 2 Corinthians 2:5-8, Paul seems to refer to this same man. And there, Paul told the church that the punishment they inflicted on him resulted in sorrow and repentance. So, Paul encouraged the church to reaffirm their love for him.
This man was guilty of sin. But he repented of it in great sorrow. And he was restored. As believers, our sin cannot be swept under the counter. It needs to be dealt with. But there is forgiveness available.
Peter
Peter was one of the original twelve disciples of Jesus – and not just one of them. He, along with James and John, formed the inner circle. But that did not make him immune to failure and guilt.
On the night Jesus was betrayed, he told his disciples that they would all fall away. Peter declared his allegiance, that no matter who else might fall, he never would. Yet, before the night was out, he had denied he knew Jesus three times (Mk. 14:66-72).
Once he realized his guilt, that he had denied knowing Jesus, he went out and wept bitterly. But he did not give up. He stayed with the other disciples, even when they believed Jesus was gone. We have no record of it, but surely he repented and sought Jesus’ forgiveness after his resurrection. And he was restored to his place of service (John 21:15-19) and was used greatly after that.
David
The final example is David. David was a King of Israel – a king whom all later kings were compared against. A man after God’s own heart (Acts 13:22). David did many good things, but he also failed spectacularly.
One time, when his army was off fighting and he stayed behind in Jerusalem, he had an affair with the wife of one of his best soldiers. She got pregnant, David had her husband killed, and then married her. Guilty of adultery and murder. Not what you would expect from a man after God’s own heart.
David seemed to have gotten away with it. Until God sent a prophet to confront him. A broken David confessed, repented, and sought the Lord’s forgiveness. And he was forgiven. But David was not freed from the consequences of his guilt. He suffered from family turmoil for the rest of his reign.
David serves as a good example of God’s forgiveness, but also that we are not freed from the consequences of our sin. Even though we may be restored to a good relationship with God, we may still suffer for our actions.
Dealing with Guilt
As unbelievers, we were guilty of living as God’s enemy, living as if he did not matter. We were guilty whether we acknowledged our guilt or not. Once we recognize our guilt, we can make several different responses. We could ignore it. We could assume that it was too great. Or we could confess it and seek the Lord’s forgiveness.
The first choice will leave you in a state of alienation, with judgment coming. The third will lead to justification and a renewed heart. The second can result in a life of misery. But it does not have to. The story of the demoniac and Saul should demonstrate that no matter how great your guilt might be, forgiveness is available.
Ezekiel 18:21-23 gives us insight into the mind of God concerning unbelievers. And in verse 23, God says, “’Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked?’ declares the Sovereign Lord. ‘Rather, am I not pleased when they turn from their ways and live?’” This is mirrored in 2 Peter 3:9, where we are told that God desires that all come to repentance and life. Even the most wicked can repent, turn from their sin, and be forgiven and saved.
As believers, even though we have been justified, we can still be guilty of sin. While it may not lead to judgment, that guilt does need to be dealt with. 1 John 1:9 tells us to confess our sins. And that, if we do, he will forgive us. This confession and forgiveness will result in a restored union with God and our brothers and sisters in the church.
But as a believer, can I sin so badly that there is no hope for me? The examples above demonstrate that adultery and acts of other sexual immorality, murder, and denial can all be forgiven along with restoration. So never allow feelings of guilt to deprive you of the joy of your salvation. Confess your sin, repent, and experience God’s forgiveness. Be aware, though, that forgiveness is not the same as removing the consequences of your sin. You may, like David, deal with the consequences for the rest of your life.
And it is important to note that just because forgiveness is available, we should not believe that it is OK to satisfy the desires of our flesh. We are called to be holy. And that should be the desire of our hearts. When we fall short, there is forgiveness. But we should always strive toward godliness and holiness.
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