"Guilt and Shame"

  They were down and depressed. Their past seemed to haunt their lives. They had made some terrible choices and they paid a great price. People had told them that they needed to learn to forgive themselves! When they came into my office sharing this with me, I asked, "How does one forgive themselves? If we  have the ability to do that, we don't need Jesus!"

  Guilt does terrible things in the heart People have so much difficulty with their past and it is affecting their present, even their health. Recently speaking with a psychologist that lives in town (I've known them for years and ran into them at a store), she made the most startling statement: "I like it when guilty people come see me. They make me a lot of money!" She knows about the lives of guilty people and she teaches people how to control their guilt while living with it and never how to overcome it! She doesn't know how.

  We need to realize that we are spiritual being. We have a body, a soul and spirit (I Thes. 5:23). It's the soul and spirit side where everything takes place. Our conscience is on our spirit side (Rom. 2:15). We are created in the image of God, who is Spirit. If we could realize that all defilement takes place on our spirit side, that's the part of our being we would take care of. But many live for the body side which is passing away. Our memories (conscience) are from the spirit side of us and that's why guilt cannot be escaped because it happens on the spiritual side. When guilt raises its head, people try to find things to keep them busy on the physical side so their mind cannot be occupied with the feeling of guilt and shame. They avoid any situation that might make them think of their guilt. The final thrust of guilt is one cannot serve the Lord in guilt!!

  What's the answer? The death of Jesus on our behalf. Faith in the death of Jesus will solve all guilt problems. Does God know we have failed? Sometimes miserably? Jesus went to a cross bearing my sins and the shame of my sins. We need to place our faith in the cleansing blood of Jesus. The Hebrew writer speaks: "How much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God."(Heb. 9:14) The blood of Jesus is to cleanse the conscience from dead works. When one is guilty, the works they perform are from death because they are trying to alleviate the pain. You see it when people say they will study more, pray more and attend services more just to find freedom from guilt. Jesus' blood is the cleansing agent and faith in His death on your behalf is the answer.

  How did Paul, who murdered so many innocent people in the name of God, find the ability to move forward in his life? Through the death of Jesus! How did Peter, swearing he would die for Jesus only to end up walking away from Him, even using profanity that he didn't know Jesus, find the forgiveness to overcome? It was through the blood of Jesus.

  Guilt is on our spirit side and if we are going to overcome, it must come from spiritual answers. "And corresponding to that, baptism now saves you, not the removal of dirt from the flesh but an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ." (I Pet. 3:21) The inner cleansing is upon baptism. Baptism wasn't removing dirt from your flesh. It was to cleanse you internally. You and the blood of Jesus came together in baptism as you appealed to God through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. You want freedom from guilt and shame? It can be found only through Jesus!