Forgiveness is not guilt
But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. 1 John 1:9 NLT
I got to share this verse in Sunday School a few weeks past. We were going through a series about feelings and this week was guilt. I love it when my lessons to the kids impact me just as much as them!
I asked for a student volunteer to help illustrate. I had him wear a backpack where we then loaded it up with “guilt”: water bottles, bean bags, a tub of pretzels, etc. He walked towards the stage, hunched over, slowly walking, keeping his balance, and walked up to the cross. I asked him to take it off and lay it there. He was able to stand up straight again, he was back to the way he was before. Free.
I continued to explain to the class, and myself, that guilt weighs us down, pressures us, as David said in Psalms:
“When I refused to confess my sin, my body wasted away, and I groaned all day long. Day and night your hand of discipline was heavy on me. My strength evaporated like water in the summer heat. Interlude
Finally, I confessed all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide my guilt. I said to myself, “I will confess my rebellion to the Lord.” And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone. Interlude” Psalms 32:3–5 NLT
Our guilt kills us, doesn’t it? It kills me. I can be driving in the car with my family, and then it hits. I get into my own head: think about where I’ve failed, where my righteousness lacked, where my good deeds weren’t good enough, where I should’ve been a better dad, husband, friend. That guilt can overwhelm. By the time we get to where we’re going, I’m all grumpy and moody. That’s not of God, that’s not conviction of my sin, that’s pure shame and guilt.
John & David share the same truth in these verses. They get it. We need to get this, we have to. I have to. My guilt is not of God. My shame is not of God. When I’m diving in deep, feeling shameful, pushing guilt on myself, I am denying God’s forgiveness. I deny his love for me in that moment.
Our prayer should be daily, for God to not only forgive us, but to also help us to look at us as he looks at us. If you fall victim to self guilt, throw it away, give it to Christ, and pray his truths that you are forgiven, you are sanctified, righteous, made clean!
