Guilt.  What a force for destruction! Every single person who reads this has sinned, the person who is writing it has too.  The question for today’s reflection is this: Do we torture ourselves with guilt over our sin, or are we forgiven?

I don’t know why, but I often run into people who are Christians and who have a terrible time getting past feelings of guilt for their sins, even to the point of questioning their faith.  Every time I hear this, I am surprised by it for some reason!  Why would a Christian be filled with guilt over their forgiven sins?  Didn’t Jesus give His life on the cross to set us free from all that?  Yet within Christianity there are some who teach in a way that centers on guilt. I do not question the faith of these people, nor do I criticize their motives, for they are repeating what they have been taught.  I guess all I can really say is that I grieve for them, because this is so hurtful and damaging to those they teach.

A Christian has already been forgiven for their sins, even the ones they haven’t quite committed yet.  God knows our weaknesses, but He loves us anyway: This is simply a fact. Yes, we all mess up sometimes, but God has taken that into account:

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

1 John 1:9

If we believe the Word of God… no, let’s say it this way: If we believe God, then when we come to Him and confess our sins, He forgives them. Period.  So why the guilt?  We are forgiven, the slate is clean, we have been justified by our faith.  End of subject. Wouldn’t we be more appropriate if we responded with thanksgiving and praise, rather than with guilt? After that, our response might be to serve Him with joy and gladness for all that He has done for us.

May we all ponder and reflect on these things, and pray for our brothers and sisters who find them hard to cope with, asking the Lord to open their eyes to the reality of all that He has done for His children.