Overcoming Guilt, Key to Powerful Living:
(Rom 8:31 KJV) What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us,
who can be against us?
(Rom 8:37 KJV) Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors
through him that loved us.
This sounds great but what can keep us from Powerful Living?
The answer is GUILT!
But is Guilt all bad? It can be positive.
Guilt can be a merciless taskmaster that drives us far from God. Or,
guilt can gently lead us back to a right relationship with Him, more
fully convinced than ever of the Father's love. How we respond to guilt
today can determine our success in life for years to come. It can even
determine where we will spend eternity.
I. Listening To Our Guilt
A. The Bible says we are created in God's image and His glory.
1. This wonderful privilege of bearing His image also requires
that we live righteous lives.
a. When we do something wrong, an alarm goes off: we feel
guilty.
b. Sin separates us from God.
B. It is important to listen carefully to your guilt.
1.Listen to your heart. (This is the spirit man.)
a. Determine to find out what's causing your guilty
conscience.II. Guilty As
Charged
(Rom 3:23 KJV) For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of
God; All of us have sinned and has only been one and that person is
Jesus.
A. Guilt can arise from things we say and do that directly
violate God's law. Even if we are not familiar with a specific Bible
passage, God has given us a law that is written on our hearts and helps
us know when we have sinned (Rom 2:15 KJV) Which show the work of the
law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and
their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;)
B. True guilt is God's way of warning us to repent and turn
away from our sins so He can forgive us, cleanse us and make us entirely
guilt-free. Another passage says, "the Scripture has shut up all men
under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to
those who believe" (Gal. 3:22).
C. Guilt is a fact of life because sin is a fact of life. And
our sin has the consequences of death (Rom 3:23 KJV) For all have
sinned, and come short of the glory of God; (Rom 6:23 KJV) For the wages
of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus
Christ our Lord.
D. God has made a way to break free from our sin and guilt. .
(John 8:36 KJV) If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be
free indeed.
III. God's Answer For Guilt is coming
to Jesus.
(John 6:44 KJV) No man can come to me, except the Father which hath
sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.
(John 6:45 KJV) It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all
taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of
the Father, cometh unto me.
(John 14:6 KJV) Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the
life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
(Rom 8:28 KJV) And we know that all things work together for good to
them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
(Rom 8:29 KJV) For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be
conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among
many brethren.
A. God works through everything that happens in our lives,
including guilt, to draw us to Jesus No matter what you have done, God
has made a way home - through His Son, Jesus Christ.
B.
All you have to do is repent an turn your life over to
Jesus (Acts 3:19 KJV) Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your
sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from
the presence of the Lord;
1. This is what the Bible calls being "born again" of the
Spirit of God (John 3:3,5).
IV. Guilt-Free Living This is God’s Will for all of us.
This cleansing is not just a one-time event. Every time the Holy Spirit
prompts our spirit that we have sinned, we can return to His throne of
grace to receive mercy (Heb 4:16 KJV) Let us therefore come boldly unto
the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in
time of need.
(1 John 1:7 KJV) But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we
have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son
cleanseth us from all sin.
(1 John 1:8 KJV) If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves,
and the truth is not in us.
(1 John 1:9 KJV) If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to
forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
V. Taking On The Accuser
At times, the enemy of our soul, Satan, uses guilt to keep us from the
Lord.
A. The Bible describes Satan as the "accuser of the brethren"
who appears before God day and night with accusations against believers
(Rev 12:10 KJV) And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come
salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of
his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused
them before our God day and night. Thus, "there is therefore now no
condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus" (Romans 8:1).
B. Confront the accusations with God's Word. As Jesus said,
"If therefore the Son shall make you free, you shall be free indeed"
(John 8:36). Walk in that freedom.
VI. As You Pray Fully accept God's
forgiveness and cleansing:
(Remember the Lord’s Prayer, “forgive us as we forgive others”.
VII. God's Word On Guilt says:
"Since therefore, brethren, we have confidence to enter the holy place
by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He inaugurated for
us through the veil, that is His flesh, ... let us draw near with a
sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled
clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water."
(Heb. 10:19,20,22)
A. God's faithfulness to forgive 1 John 1:9 KJV) If we
confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to
cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
B. No remembrance of sin (Jer 31:34 KJV) And they shall teach
no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know
the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the
greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and
I will remember their sin no more.
1. When God forgives He forgets!
C. Belief in Christ delivers from sin (John 1:12 KJV) But as
many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God,
even to them that believe on his name: (John 5:24 KJV) Verily, verily, I
say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent
me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is
passed from death unto life
D. Freedom from sin and guilt
(Rom 6:18 KJV) Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of
righteousness.
(Rom 6:22 KJV) But now being made free from sin, and become servants to
God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.
(Rom 8:1 KJV) There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are
in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
God bless you and yours!
On behalf of this generation,
Your friends in the service of Christ,
Tony
and Marge Abram
Abundant Life Crusades
If we could be
of more help or if you want more information please visit:
www.tonyabram.com or
www.abundantlifecrusades.com
