The Gospel in Focus

Guilt

Guilt is an aftermath of sin.

For you to even feel guilt, it means you are remorseful of your sins. And you must be glad, for it means that God's mercy is not far from you.

The first step to repentance is acknowledgement of our sins. The simple fact that you acknowledge you have wronged God means your conscience works.

What is this Conscience?

The general definition of Conscience is that it is a moral compass that tells us what is right and wrong. But, it is much deeper than that. Conscience is the voice of our spirit; that part of us that sincerely wants to serve God. Matt 26:41, "...the spirit is indeed willing, but the flesh is weak." And the spirit in us is the spirit of God, and so, it will disturb us whenever we do anything contrary to the God's will. Some even say that Conscience is the voice of God, but it is not. It is however a gift from God. As you read on, you will find why I have said so.

Conscience plays many roles in our Christian journey. It helps to keep us in check; burdens us when we are in sin, and is pleased with us when we are in Christ. It gives us compassion; that is why we can feel bad when we wrong, hurt or cheat others. The list goes on, but it is not the topic at hand, neither is the topic about repentance, but it is about what mostly happens ater we have repented.

In truth, it is not as easy as some sermons and dare I say, even the Bible puts it. We do not automatically live happily ever after, once we have confessed our sins. In fact, that is when another battle begins, the battle against GUILT.

As said earlier, our Conscience is like a moral compass, it tells us what is right and wrong, and it burdens us when we are in the wrong. But what happens after repentance? Does the burden stop? No, it doesn't. Well, that is what the devil wants us to believe.

Allow me to break it down, our Conscience is a moral compass that burdens us when we do wrong and is pleased with us when we do right, right? So why does the burden continue now that we are in the right? Why do we still accused even after repentance? Why do we still guilt even after our sins has been forgiven? Why does our Conscience continue to point fingers at us, even now that we are in Christ?

The answer takes me back to why I disagree with that Conscience is the voice of God. God does not condemn, accuse, guilt trip nor point fingers at us. Even our Conscience can only do that when we are in sin, and not after repentance, or on our way to repentance. Because neither God nor anything from him can do evil. So when the condemnation persist, know that it is the devil, the accuser that is tormenting you, throwing at your face all your past sins, so that you may feel unworthy of God's mercy and love.

Have you noticed that it is in the moment when you want to pray, that suddenly, all your past sins begin to swim in your face, jabbing at your chest, mocking you, teasing you, making you feel hypocritical for wanting to talk to your father? It happens to me too. In fact, brothers and sisters, I am writing from experience. There are countless times when I try to pray and I can't because I feel so silly for trying to talk to God, because how do I expect him to listen to me when I have done this, and done that, etc.

Guilt makes you feel disconnected from God. And the devil knows this. That is why he pokes his ugly face, every time we want to pray, reminding and accusing us of our sins, so that we may feel inadequate, unworthy, filthy, so that we may wallow in shame and hide ourselves from God. And whenever this happens, we are deceived to believe it is our Conscience that is judging us, but that. is. a. lie from the pit of hell. How can a gift given to us by God condemn and accuse us?

1 John 3: 20-21 says, "If our Conscience condemns us, we know that God is greater than our Conscience and that he knows everything. And so, my dear friends, if our Conscience does not condemn us, we have found courage in God's presence.

Adam and Eve felt guilty and hid themselves from God for fear of his wrath, because they doubted God's mercy and love. What the devil doesn't want us to know is that God's love is so strong that he forgives us even before we sin. The devil doesn't want us to know that God's mercy is so generous that he forgives the world 7x70 times a day. The devil wants us to believe that God is a ruthless, wicked dictator, when he is actually everything but.

In fact, it is when we are struggling with our sins that we need God more. The truth is, we sin according to our weaknesses, these weaknesses God gave to us so that no one will be perfect as he is. And those weaknesses can only be supplemented by God. Take for example: Pharmaceutical scientists, they will never produce drugs that will cure you completely, else, you will never need them again. And it is the same with God. We need him to supplement our weaknesses, and to draw strength for this journey of our faith.

After repentance, there is nothing the devil can use to seek us out, so he comes in form of guilt, and because your Conscience is a reliable voice, he disguises himself as your Conscience, and begins to remind you of your sins so that you will doubt the love and mercy of God, so that you will feel ashamed and hide.

Today, I am here to remind you that God hates sin, and not the sinners. It was the sinners he sent his son to die for, and not the righteous. Haven't you heard that there is joy in heaven when one sinner repents? You are that sinner. Don't you know that you are that sheep that the shepherd goes in search for even when he has the other 99? Don't you that Jesus was referring to you when he begged his father on the cross, that he should forgive you for you know not what you are doing? Why then are you letting the devil guilt trip you? Why do you doubt God's mercy?

That sin the devil told you is unforgivable has already been forgiven. But you must believe it too, so that the chain of guilt and shame in your life will be broken. And of course, you must forgive yourself too, that way the accuser will only waste his spit, and his words will have no effect on you.

Christ died for you and for me. He died so you may triumph over satan and death. So pray, so that you may not be deceived by the devil who has disguised as your Conscience, and also as friends and family who tease you for wanting to follow Christ.

Remember always, that your Conscience is a gift from God that is meant to work for you, not work against you. I pray that God will grant us the spirit of discernment so we may be able to tell them apart.

Amen.