Lifting The Burden Of Guilt

Randall Caselman
Bella Vista Church of Christ
August 18, 2002 p.m.

Lifting The Burden Of Guilt

Psalm 51.1-17

Our Sunday evening series is titled... Hearts Fit for The Journey.

We are what we think... We are what we are in here... In our heart. So, if we are to enjoy the JOURNEY OF LIFE, we must prepare our hearts. All too often we cannot enjoy the journey because of all the baggage we are carrying.

With this series of lessons... We are learning to TRAVEL LIGHT. We are learning how to jettison the everyday psychological baggage which...
- Burdens our hearts...
- Drags us down...
- Exhausts us physically...
- Tries our patience...
- Depresses us...
- Makes us weary of the journey...

EVER BEEN THERE??.. Of course we have... We all have!!

Guilt... What a burden to bear!.. What a heavy load to tote. Guilt is one of the most active tools Satan uses to rob us of joy in the journey. Unresolved guilt takes away our...
- Peace...
- Happiness...
- And emotional stability.

You see... Guilt is not a new problem. It has been around since the beginning of time.

- It was guilt that robbed Adam and Eve of their joy... And caused them to hide when God came walking in the cool of the evening.
- It was guilt that caused David to say... When I kept silent, my bones wasted away.
- It was guilt that caused Isaiah to cry out... Woe is me for I am a man with unclean lips.
- When the Pharisees brought the woman caught in adultery, Jesus said... If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone. It was guilt that caused them to drop their stones... And walk away.
- It was guilt that caused Judas to take his own life after betraying Jesus.

Mankind has struggled with guilt from the beginning. And our guilt continues to haunt us, burden us and make us weary of the journey.

Guilt... We need a definition...

Personally... I think a study of guilt from a Biblical perspective presupposes that God created man with a conscience...
- And that our conscience can be...
- And should be educated.

Guilt is a result of sin... Or what we perceive to be sin. Guilt is the feeling of shame when we've done something wrong, or failed to do right.

I believe the Bible to teach that there are two kinds of guilt...
- Objective guilt... Theological guilt...
- And subjective guilt... Guilt that is felt.

FIRST... OBJECTIVE OR THEOLOGICAL GUILT.
You see, when we sin, we are guilty whether or not we know it... or feel it! Paul was found opposing Jesus... And yet he said... "I have lived in all good conscience before God." Even though he did what he did in ignorance, he was still guilty... RIGHT?... Even though he felt no shame.

So, sometimes we experience objective guilt... Guilt that we do not feel... Because we sin and do not know that it is sin... Sin that we are ignorant of. This kind of guilt can also become a reality, not only because of ignorance, but because our conscience has been calloused... seared... To the point that sin no longer pricks it.

SECONDLY... THERE IS SUBJECTIVE GUILT.
Subjective guilt is a result of feeling guilty...
- Either because we are guilty...
- Or because we perceive that we are.

So, you see, guilt is a consequence of wrong doing... Whether we feel it or not. Of course, both objective and subjective guilt must be properly dealt with. I want you to take these two thoughts... And just set them aside... Let them soak... And we'll return to deal with them again later.

OK... Notice with me now... Some wrong ways we try to deal with guilt.

Some people RATIONALIZE their guilt.

A newspaper once reported that a man was arrested for stealing a car parked at a cemetery. When he stood before the judge, the thief said... Since the car was parked at the cemetery, I just assumed that the driver was dead... That's rationalizing our guilt.

Now, before we laugh too much at this attempt at rationalizing, I wonder if some of our excuses sound just as silly to God when we attempt to rationalize our sin?

I believe King Saul is a good Biblical example of rationalizing guilt. Saul was instructed by Samuel to destroy all the Amlikites along with all of their property. Instead he decides to bring King Agag and a good portion of his possessions back to Israel. So, when Saul was confronted by Samuel concerning what he had done, he rationalized by saying... Well, I brought all this home so that the people could witness the killing of the king and we'll offer these sheep and livestock in worship to God. Then Samuel said... Saul, obedience is more pleasing to God then sacrifice.

Trying to rationalize and excuse our guilt is not a proper way to get rid of it.

SOME TRY TO DENY THEIR GUILT.
This was the sin of Cain, wasn't it?
Me?... Who me?... Why, I am not responsible for the safety of others.. I'm not my brother's keeper.
Listen to me church!
- Denial of the sin...
- Denial that the act was a sin...
- Or denial of the feelings of guilt...
All add up to the same lie... And it does nothing to remove our guilt.

SOME PEOPLE TRY TO RUN FROM THEIR GUILT.
Nowhere do we see this anymore than in the life of Jonah. But when the storm came, and the sailors asked, "What have you done that your God is so angry with you." Jonah admitted his sin. Jonah was still carrying his guilt even though he was far from where his initial sin was committed.

In our culture... Drugs and alcohol are frequently used to try to escape guilt.
Bella Vistians flock to the liquor stores in an attempt to escape years of guilt.
Folk... It can't be done...
- Judas ended up on the end of a rope.
- Jonah ended up in the belly of a fish.
- Peter ended up in tears and remorse.
- Simon the Sorcerer was in the gall of bitterness... As a result of his guilt.
You see, the problem with running from our guilt is that it follows us wherever we go.

OTHERS TRY TO CONCEAL THEIR GUILT FROM GOD AND OTHERS.
David attempted to hide his adultery with Bathsheba. To conceal her pregnancy, he had her husband brought home form the front lines, so he would sleep with her. When he refused to go home to his wife, David had him killed. And sure enough, nobody knew the sin except WHOM?... You bet... God and David! David is sure proof that we cannot hide our guilt in our own heart, without some ugly, harmful consequences..

You see... We can...
- Cheat on our taxes...
- Cheat on our spouse...
- Embezzle funds from our employer...
- Like Ananias & Sapphira... lie to the church..

But, let me tell you, there is something worse than the IRS... Your spouse... Your boss... Or the elders finding out... YOU & GOD will always know. IT IS CALLED GUILT!

Listen to David as his guilt eats away at his joy of the journey... Blot out my transgressions... When I kept silence my bones ached... Though I tried to keep busy all day long... My sin was always before me.

SOME PEOPLE THINK THEY CAN ATONE FOR THEIR OWN GUILT.
I spend a good amount of my time counseling with people who think like this...
- I'll work harder down at church...
- I'll be a better person...
- I'll read my Bible more... Pray more... Give more...
- I'll tell the Elders that I'll teach a class... Or go on a foreign campaign.
Self-righteousness... personal good works... individual piety... Can never... never... never forgive or make up for sin... Any sin!!... Not a single one!! Scripture tells us that when it comes to forgiving sin and removing guilt, all our good works are nothing but a pile of filthy rages.

Well... What do these so-called solutions to guilt have in common?
Most significantly... They don't work. Some us know first hand that what I am saying is true, because we've tried it... RIGHT?

OK, as CHILDREN OF GOD... How Can We Scripturally Rid Ourselves Of Guilt?

FIRST, WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT HIS FORGIVENESS IS ABSOLUTE, COMPLETE.
When God forgives our sins, it is just as if they had never happened.

Listen to these scriptures which help explain how complete God's forgiveness really is.
Psalm 103.8-14... The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; he does not treat us as our sins deserve... Nor does he repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him;.

Micah 7.19... You will again have compassion on us; you will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea.

Jeremiah 31.33-34... This is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after that time, declares the LORD.... For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.

Isaiah 1.18... Come now, let us reason together says the LORD... Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow. Though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.

I don't know a better way to say this than in the words of David... As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgression from us.

Church... How far is the East from the West? Aren't we glad David didn't say... As far as the North is from the South? This would place a limit on God's grace... God's forgiveness.

I want you to know that God forgives seventy times seventy. These verses tell us that His forgiveness is without limits. When, like David, we bring our sins to God with broken contrite hearts... begging Him to wash away our iniquity and cleanse us from our sins.... HE WILL!!... HE WILL!!

SECONDLY... WE MUST LEARN TO ACCEPT GOD'S FORGIVENESS.
Now, here is the problem... Although people receive God's forgiveness, some of us never accept His forgiveness for our sins. We walk around forgiven by God, but we are still guilt ridden. We feel guilty for all the sins that we have ever committed in the past. No wonder we are not enjoying the journey... RIGHT???

I hear people say... Well, you need to forgive yourself. No, technically that's not possible. We don't really have the resources to forgive sins. The only thing that can forgive sins is the BLOOD OF CHRIST.

Now... What we can do, must do, is accept God's forgiveness... Let loose of the guilt!! Even though we may have done some terrible... ugly things, when we are forgiven by God, we have nothing to fear! We must accept... believe... and trust in the forgiveness of God. So, you see church, UNRESOLVED GUILT IS A LACK OF FAITH ON OUR PART.

Have faith in... trust in these scriptures and their promise of forgiveness...
- In Him we have redemption through His blood... The forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace.
- When you were dead in your sins, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins.
- Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
- You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless Christ died for the ungodly. For God demonstrates His love for us in this... While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through Him!

THIRDLY... CONTINUE TO ACKNOWLEDGE AND CONFESS OUR SINS.
According to 1 John 1.9... It is very important that we confess our sins to God. Because, when we do, we receive forgiveness. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

You see church... This is why it is so foolish to try man-made ways to deal with sin... Like denying them... hiding them... running from them... blaming them on others... etc..

For the Christian... Sins are forgiven in confession... in acknowledgment.
Like David, we must come to God with a broken contrite heart. We must come to Him in genuine sorrow for our behavior... With a heart set on repentance.

Church... No wonder some of us feel guilty...
- Because we have not come clean...
- We have not admitted our sins...
- We have not acknowledged our sinful ways... our sinful tendencies.
I believe the Bible teaches that confession plays a major part in our feelings of guilt.

Does this mean that our unconfessed sins are not forgiven, and will result in eternal guilt and condemnation? No, you are not hearing me say that we must name every sin to be forgiven of it. Remember objective guilt... theological guilt?... That sin that we are guilty of that we don't know it? They need to be forgiven also, and they are when we, in humility, acknowledge our sinfulness before God.

Listen to 1 John 1.7... But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another; and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin

The word translated as purifies in the New International Version is translated cleanseth in the King James and cleanses in the New American Standard means that it is an ONGOING EVENT!!

John is saying... That if we are living faithful lives, then all of our sins are being forgiven through the blood of Jesus... Both our OBJECTIVE AND SUBJECTIVE guilt is CONTINUALLY removed. Then, two verses later he tells us that confession is a part of walking in the light.

When Jesus died on the cross, He didn't just die for the sins we committed before our conversion, but He also died for all the sins we commit after conversion.
- He not only forgives what we were.
- He keeps forgiving what we ARE.

Now, we must keep in mind that God doesn't want us to think that this continual cleansing offers some kind of license to live godlessly.

After telling us of the remarkable, continual forgiveness, John pauses to say, "My dear children... I write this to you so that you will not sin." Paul puts it in these words in Romans six... "What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning, so that grace may increase? By no means! God forbid. For we died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?"

We must never use God's amazing grace as a license to continue in sin.

Church... Do you want to know about some real therapy for GUILT?
- Not only are we told to confess our sins to God...
- But we are also to confess them to one another. "Therefore, confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective."

Let me give you my personal thoughts here... And that is what they are... So, don't go home saying that preacher said the Bible said. This is my personal thought: I believe that forgiveness is based upon our confessing... acknowledging our sins... not to others... but to God... both known sins... and unknown ones. But the feelings of guilt, the burden of guilt is eased, even removed, when we confess our sins to one another. And when we ask for the prayers of one another.

You see, some people are allowing the burden of guilt to ruin their journey, because they are trying to hide their sins...
- From their loved ones...
- Their friends...
- From their church family.
Church listen to me, hiding sin only results in MORE guilt. God says... Confess it one to another and experience total, absolute guilt-free living.

THEN FINALLY, TO GET RID OF OUR GUILT, WE MUST STOP ENGAGING IN SIN.
The adulterous woman was told... Go enjoy the journey... Go sin no more. I believe that a part of walking in the light is trying our best to forsake that sin that so easily besets us.

One of the many benefits we enjoy from the Holy Spirit is that He convicts us of sin. Jesus tells us in John 14... When the Spirit comes, He will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin... righteousness... and judgment to come. When we sin, the Holy Spirit is gracious enough to tell us about it.
- By pricking our hearts...
- By sending us guilt.
So, we understand that GUILT CAN BE GOOD!! Guilt is good, because it is designed to help come to grip with our sins.

And God promises us that He will help... "And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it." Church, God promises to help us overcome, conquer, forsake our sins

Well... We must stop here, but first let me tell you how to have a guilt-free life.

You see... At the base of the cross are countless bags... All filled with innumerable... unmentionable sins. Calvary is the compost pile for our guilt. Perhaps you would like to leave yours there tonight. You can by faith, repentance and New Testament baptism, immersion in water for the forgiveness of all your sins. All guilt will be gone. You will be holy... pure and spotless. The blood of Jesus will have set you free.

As a child of God, if you are experiencing guilt because you are blatantly doing some things that God does not want you to do, then confess it and stop it! It is amazing how guilt disappears when the sin disappears.

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. Though your sins be as scarlet they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool."

The invitation to guilt-free living is yours.
Will you come?