Guilt is the universal moral feeling of condemnation from having committed an offence, crime or wrong and having to face the penalty of doing so.

2 Samuel 11 - 12

FOUR WAYS YOU CAN RESPOND TO THE GUILT IN YOUR LIFE

1. YOU CAN BURY YOUR GUILT

You can bury it. You can hide it. You can pretend you are not guilty.

We know this strategy well because we have all done it.

David spends a great deal of energy trying to bury his guilt over his taking Bathsheba and his murder of her husband Uriah.

2. YOU CAN CARRY YOUR GUILT:

But when you choose to carry the guilt you need to know that it will eat at you.

David writes this about carrying the guilt in Psalm 38:4

My guilt has overwhelmed me like a burden too heavy to bear.
Psalm 38:4 NIV

When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy on me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer.
Psalm 32:3-4

3. YOU CAN ADDRESS YOUR GUILT

A. Admit Your Guilt (V. 5)

"Then I acknowledged my sin to you"
Psalm 32:5

B. Confront Your Guilt (V. 5)

“and did not conceal my iniquity"
Psalm 32:5

If we don't deal with our guilt, then our guilt will deal with us.

It affected David . . .

Emotionally - "When I kept silent, my bones became brittle from my groaning all day long" (Psalm 32:3).

Spiritually. "For day and night Your hand was heavy on me" (Psalm 32:4).

Physically - "My strength was drained as in the summer's heat" (Psalm 32:4).

C. Confess Your Guilt (V. 5)

David said, "I will confess my transgressions to the LORD" (Psalm 32:5).

Confession is not telling God something he doesn't already know. Confession means "to agree with." When we confess our sins to God we agree that we have rebelled against his authority. We agree that we have missed the mark or standard set for our lives. We agree that something twisted in us needs to be straightened out.

When we confess our guilt to the Lord, he promises to forgive (v.1). This means that he takes it away, like a burden lifted. He covers it over (v. 1). In other words, he hides it from his sight. He does not count it against us or clears our record (v. 1). The debt is paid or cancelled.

"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" 1 John 1:9

1 Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. 2 Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. 3 For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me.
Psalm 51:1-3

D. Forget Your Guilt (vv. 1, 5). (trust God’s cleansing)

". . . and You took away the guilt of my sin"
Psalm 32:5

This is what David did before God but he also needed to confess his sin to Bathsheba and to others in the circle of his sin. In fact, he confessed before the entire nation of Israel as evidenced by the fact that we read of it here in the bible.

4. YOU CAN RESURRECT YOUR GUILT

You let false guilt have a grip on you when . . .

You fail to accept God’s forgiveness.

You have false guilt about things you are not accountable for and have no control over.

As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.
Psalm 103:12