Living Guilt-Free in Christ
Adapted from Managing Your Emotions
Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord.” And you forgave the guilt of my sin.
Guilt is the sense of responsibility we feel when something painful or negative happens to us personally or when we’ve done something to hurt or cause difficulty for someone else. It is a feeling of regret over something we have done or perhaps some- thing we failed to do. Guilt is a terrible feeling to bear, and we are not built to carry it inside of us. It affects our personalities, damages our souls, steals our peace, and dampens our joy. It can become like a prison without a door. Guilt leaves us feeling we somehow need to compensate for the wrong we committed or think we committed. The burden of guilt, combined with the feeling that we have to make up for what we have done or not done, leads to a difficult and unhappy life.
The good news of the gospel is that Jesus has paid for every sin we will ever commit and for every wrong we have done. According to Romans 8:1, there is no condemnation for those who are in Him. We don’t ignore our sins. We confess them, as we read about in today’s scripture. And when we acknowledge our sin to God and repent, He forgives us instantly. When the sin is gone, we have no reason to feel guilty. The feeling of guilt may not go away immediately, but we can say, “I am forgiven, and the guilt has been removed.” When we make the decision to trust the forgiveness and the cleansing Jesus has purchased for us, our emotions will eventually catch up to our decision.
Prayer of the Day: Thank You, Jesus, for paying the price necessary to forgive my sins and set me free from guilt. Today, I choose to walk in what You have provided for me.
