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I Feel Guilty
Guilt is a powerful emotion. It may feel like it’s eating at your stomach. That regret gets a foothold in your mind and seems like it won’t let go. At times, it’s almost unbearable. You try to avoid it and push it out, but it lingers and you just feel worse.
The problem is not your guilty feelings. Your guilt is kind of like a medical thermometer that tells you something is wrong. It’s a tool used to identify a problem. Guilt occurs when you have done something wrong and you need God’s forgiveness. No matter how much you hide or suppress your guilt feelings, you still are guilty of doing wrong and you need to deal with the cause.
God made this world so some things are morally right and other things are wrong. When we go against His rules for living, we are guilty of breaking His laws. God made us with a conscience so that when we do wrong, we know it and can sense it. This is one of many attributes that separate us from plants and animals.
Why did God make us so we would have feelings of guilt when we disobey Him? One reason is so we would realize we need Him. When you put your hand on a hot surface you immediately feel pain. God gave you the ability to experience that pain so you would move your hand and not hurt yourself.
Guilt is similar. It is a type of “pain” that God gives us when we sin. We realize what we are doing is not only wrong but it will hurt us. Its purpose is to drive us from sin and help us realize we need God.
Have you ever faced your own need for God? You need His forgiveness for your sins. This is why God sent His only Son, Jesus Christ. On the cross, Christ took upon Himself the burden you are now carrying—the burden of sin, guilt and shame. The Bible says, “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed” (1 Peter 2:24).
There’s no greater joy than knowing your sins are forgiven and being released from your feelings of guilt.
Step 1 – God’s Purpose: Peace and Life
The Bible says:
"We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ."
Romans 5:1
"For God so loved the world, that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life."
John 3:16
"I [Jesus] came that they may have life and have it abundantly."
John 10:10
Step 2 – The Problem: Sin Separates Us
The Bible says:
"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."
Romans 3:23
"For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."
Romans 6:23
The Bible says:
"There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death."
Proverbs 14:12
"But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear."
Isaiah 59:2
Step 3 – God’s Remedy: The Cross
The Bible says:
"For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus."
1 Timothy 2:5
"For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that He might bring us to God."
1 Peter 3:18
"But God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."
Romans 5:8
Step 4 – Our Response: Receive Christ
The Bible says:
"Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with Me."
Revelation 3:20
"But to all who did receive Him, who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God."
John 1:12
"If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved."
Romans 10:9
Here is how you can receive Christ:
- Admit your need. (I am a sinner.)
- Be willing to turn from your sins (repent) and ask for God's forgiveness.
- Believe that Jesus Christ died for you on the cross and rose from the grave.
- Through prayer, invite Jesus Christ to come in and control your life through the Holy Spirit. (Receive Jesus as Lord and Savior)
We suggest a prayer like this one:
"Dear God, I know I am a sinner. I want to turn from my sins, and I ask for Your forgiveness. I believe that Jesus Christ is Your Son. I believe He died for my sins and that You raised Him to life. I want Him to come into my heart and to take control of my life. I want to trust Jesus as my Savior and follow Him as my Lord from this day forward. In Jesus' Name, amen."
Did you pray this prayer?