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Do You Want to be Guilt Free?

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Do You Want to be Guilt Free?

Show Notes

Step 1: Understand the Problem – Observation and Identification of the Problem (PROBLEM)

1.      Introduction – What is Guilt?

a.      Guilt lives in the courtroom where you stand alone before the judge. It says, “You are responsible for wrongdoing and legally answerable.” “You are wrong.” “You have sinned.” And need forgiveness. “Do not forget that your sensors for guilt and for shame are fallible. They can be silent when they should say something, and they can sound false alarms. But, false alarm or not, when we hear them we must do something. They do not turn off automatically.”[i]

b.      Guilt is a feeling of deep regret or remorse caused by feeling responsible for a failure or loss[ii]

c.       Guilt and shame intersect when you sin or others sin against you.

d.      There is a significant difference between subjective guilt (feeling guilty) and objective guilt (being guilty)

e.      If a moral law has been violated, the person is guilty regardless of whether or not they feel guilty.

f.        On the other hand, just feeling guilty does not mean that a moral law has been violated. There is a significant difference between true guilt and false guilt.

g.       True guilt is caused by our sin and it is how God calls us to repentance and restitution. True guilt comes from having committed a breach of conduct that violates God’s righteous standards. A person experiences true guilt when they become aware of violating God’s moral law as revealed in his word. This awareness comes from the convicting work of the Holy Spirit and from the conscience God has placed within each person

h.      False guilt is a burden of responsibility and blame that we place upon ourselves for failure to live up to our own or someone else’s expectations. It is an emotional state of guilt without valid foundation. False guilt results from not accepting God’s forgiveness or forgiveness of others. It may stem from feelings of unworthy of being forgiven or inappropriately taking blame and responsibility.

Step 2: Biblical Hope – Biblical Instruction and Encouragement (PROMISE)

1.      Good News: Justification is by grace alone through faith alone because of Christ alone.[iii]

a.      Justification is an act of God’s free grace unto sinners (Romans 3:22–25; 4:5)

b.      In justification, God not only pardons all of a person’s sins, but also accepts that person as righteous in His sight (2 Corinthians 5:19–21; Romans 3:22–28)

c.       Justification is not based on the character or conduct of the justified person but is strictly “according to His mercy” and based on Christ’s righteousness and “redemption through His blood” (Titus 3:5–7; Ephesians 1:7)

d.      In justification, the merit of Christ’s righteousness and obedience is “imputed” or credited to the account of the person who is justified, who receives this imputed righteousness as a free gift of God (Romans 5:17–19; 4:6–8; 2 Corinthians 5:21)

e.      Christ fully and completely satisfied the Justice of God on behalf of those who are justified (Romans 5:8–10, 19; 1 Timothy 2:5–6; Hebrews 10:10; Matthew 28:20; Daniel 9:24–26; Isaiah 53:4–6; 10–12; Hebrews 7:22; Romans 8:32; 1 Peter 1:18–19)

f.        The only condition of justification is faith in Christ alone (Romans 3:24–25). Faith in Christ is itself a gift of God to the believer (Ephesians 2:8)

g.       Redemption and forgiveness are matters of God’s free grace, it is an unmerited gift of God’s love (Ephesians 1:7)


[i] Welch, Edward, Shame Interrupted[ii] Biblical Principles of Counseling, Clinton[iii] Adapted from Westminster Larger Catechism

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