Ahhhhhhhhh! Relief from the Burden of Guilt!

In my last 2 blogs, I’ve given you 8 steps on how to release your burdens. Now I want to specifically address one type—the most important one—Guilt.

My guilt has overwhelmed me like a burden too heavy to bear. (Ps 38:4)

Relief from the Burden of Guilt

Did you know there are 2 kinds of guilt? False guilt and good guilt. How can guilt ever be good? We need to first ask, “Where does guilt come from?”

Guilt is the state of having committed a wrong or the feeling that you have.

The fact is we are all guilty before God—even if we’re not aware of it (Rom 3:23). Now there has to be a penalty for that wrongdoing if justice is to be had (Rom 6:23). That penalty was paid by our sinless innocent Savior on the cross. Jesus took our burden of sin and therefore our guilt.

If you have accepted this free gift of eternal life, you are no longer condemned. You have been made right with your holy God. The judgment you deserved was taken care of by Jesus Christ.

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. (Ps 32:5; see also Is 6:7)

In our key passage of Matthew 11:28-30 we see 2 invitations and 2 types of rest.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me… and you will find rest for your souls….”

The 1^st is an invitation to eternal rest—the removal of the judgment of sin. The 2^nd to a rest in the here and now; rest despite the difficulties of life.

When you sin again after being saved (and you will), you will feel guilty. That’s good guilt. It’s the conviction of the Holy Spirit letting you know you are not right with Him; that there’s been a breach in your relationship. To regain that peace all you need to do is to confess with godly sorrow and repent (i.e. commit to not doing it again with all your heart). Then the rest for your soul will return. If you confess with half-heartedness, then don’t expect peace in your heart.

If you still feel guilty after you have sincerely repented of that sin, that is false guilt. A lie from the devil.

There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. (Rom 8:1)

Your guilt, as well as your sin, has been removed. Jesus’s payment was sufficient to cover those sins as well. (1 Pet 3:18)

We need not go around heavy laden with the burden, or guilt, of sin—or any other type of load.

Are you still heavy laden after reading these last few blogs? Then ask yourself:

Are you trying to carry the weight alone—without God and others?
Are you saying “Here, God, take my burden.” But you haven’t gotten into His yoke; wanting only for Him to wave His magic wand and make it disappear?
Are you not willing to change from your old ways; unrepentant of your sins?
Are you listening to the lies of Satan?

Examine your heart with the Holy Spirit and He will lead you into all truth and freedom from your burdens no matter what they are.

Ahhhhhhhhh! What a relief!