Guilt

Guilt, over apparently small things, has troubled me for years so I've been exploring what the Bible has to say on the issue. As my earlier post explored the issue of worry, I find they normally go hand in hand.

The issue of 'sin' in the Bible links to the concept of 'guilt'; if we keep 'the whole law and yet stumble at just one point' we are 'guilty of breaking it all' (James 2:10). There are no 'levels of sin', if we commit one, we are as guilty as someone who has committed two or more. I've always found this to be very unfair but an amazing illustration of God's grace. The Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard highlights this further when Jesus shows the workers who appeared last and completed less hours of work still get paid the same amount as the workers who have worked all day (Matthew 20). Grace works this way, no matter how late someone comes to Christ, no matter what they have done, they will have the same amount of grace and love from God as someone who has been brought up in the faith and been a Christian all their life. This seems unfair but actually shows the amazing love and generosity that God has for His people and how He is slow to anger and full of compassion (Exodus 34:6).

The author of Hebrews writes that we should have our hearts cleansed 'from a guilty cnscience' (Hebrews 10:22) and literally have 'our bodies washed with pure water' suggesting baptism as we are in the hope of new life by 'the blood of Jesus'. In Psalm 103 it is written that as 'far as the east is from the west so far has He removed our transgressions (sins) from us' (verse 12) which I love to hear - He no longer looks at our sin, we can leave it at the cross where it belongs. But us humans are quite keen to keep a hold of our guilt and be seen carrying it around!

My vicar has used this analogy a few times in his sermons and it links very well: we think we 'delete' our sin from our hard drive but just like a computer has a recycle bin we think 'deleting' our sin or asking for forgiveness, entitles us to keep going back to it, keep restoring it. When the psalmist wrote that our sins are far away from us he doesn't mean that we are able to access it, get it back, bring back the memory of it to cherish. We shouldn't be allowing ourselves to remember our sin and feel continually guilty for it; it is past and forgotten. Sometimes the consequences of our sins will be still around and prayer and forgiveness will be needed but generally when we sin and ask for forgiveness it is forgotten and dealt with.

I have been so used to feeling guilty or worried about what people say or think of me that I haven't spoken or acted, just in case! Once we are free in Christ nothing should hold us back, no worries or guilt is needed.

But what about justified guilt? What about when we genuinely do something wrong and offend or hurt people? I can feel guilty for days about things I've said or done but what should I being doing about it? I can pray and ask for forgiveness from God and the person I've hurt or offended but is this enough?

I remember a sermon by a rector at a church I attended for three years in Aberystwyth that really made me think about this. He said that he was driving past a car accident and did not stop and that this affected him for days. The guilt bothered him and no amount of praying for forgiveness would help. The issue, he said was that he should be affected by his guilt, that it should make him think about his actions and change his ways. He prayed that he would never willingly drive past an accident again or come up with excuses not to stop and help. Repentance should mean a 180 degree turn around, that we shouldn't keep making the same mistake twice or more. When he was in the same situation again he was pleased that he was able to stop and help.

So my prayer is now not just for forgiveness but if I'm in a similar situation again that I would be able to act differently and ask for God's help in this. Guilt is ultimately useless but it often leads us to assess how we can change and become more Christ-like. We shouldn't feel weighed down by guilt but completely free in the knowledge that Jesus died so we can know true freedom, without guilt.