Living Guilt-Free

1 John 3:19-21 “And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him. For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things. Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God.”

There was once a young boy who became excessively fearful during the great New York blackout of 1977. When his parents questioned their son, he confessed that at the exact moment the lights went out, he had kicked a power line pole. As darkness engulfed the city, he thought he was to blame and would be punished.

This boy had been living with the guilt of starting this blackout. As children of God, God wants us to live guilt-free. He wants our hearts to have peace, knowing that we are right with Him. The only way we can have such peace is if we have a conscious free of guilt.

First John 1:4 says, “And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.” Christ wants our joy to be full. Our joy cannot be full if we are constantly feeling guilty! John 14:27b says, “Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” God says not to be troubled, but any time we are feeling guilty about something, our hearts will be troubled!

Friend, we should not go about our lives feeling guilty. If we have done something wrong, God wants us to confess it and let Him forgive us and remove the guilt from our hearts! When we confess our sins to Christ, we can become more fruitful Christians!

In the Old Testament, the Ark of the Covenant was placed inside the temple. One thing inside the Ark of the Covenant was the Ten Commandments. This was to serve as a reminder of when Israel fell and sinned against God at Mt. Sinai. But over the Ten Commandments was the Mercy Seat. This was to be a reminder that God has mercy on those who ask His forgiveness.

What a great picture! Even though we sin against Him and don’t deserve forgiveness, Christ shows us His mercy and will forgive us if we will ask Him. Psalm 103:1-3 says, “Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases.”

God has provided forgiveness for our sins, but we must first ask Him for forgiveness. We can live with guilt over sin in our lives, or we can give it to God and let Him forgive us.

Is there guilt in your life over sin that you have not confessed to God? Why live with such guilt? God wants you to live a fruitful, Christian life, but you cannot do that if there is guilt in your heart. Confess your sin to God and let Him replace the guilt in your heart with His perfect peace today.

by Dr. Paul Chappell