How to Be Free From GuiltSample

Overcoming the Confusion between Guilt and God’s Discipline

As Christians, we struggle with guilt when we ponder our human sinfulness. To experience God’s forgiveness, we need to know the difference between the feeling of condemnation and the knowledge of God’s displeasure. When we accept Jesus, God becomes our Father. This means that He deeply loves us. This also means that we may experience His parental approval or disapproval. 

The Scripture describes our Heavenly Father as a good father. As such, He disciplines His children. There are several aspects of God’s discipline that the Bible highlights. First, the Scripture tells us not to be discouraged when we are rebuked by the Lord. This means that we are His legitimate children. In other words, we have to accept God’s discipline as a sign that we have been adopted into His family.

Another truth we need to understand about God’s discipline is its purpose. The Bible says that children accept discipline from their imperfect earthly fathers and respect them for it. Yet, parents might be wrong in their decision to discipline their children, or might discipline them in excessive anger. God, however, is a perfect Father. He only disciplines us for our good, so that we can be transformed into the image of Christ and can partake in His holiness. 

Finally, we need to understand that God’s discipline is never condemning. Our Father can be displeased with us, as earthly parents are when their children fail. Yet His displeasure is always manifested in the context of fatherly love, fatherly ambition, and fatherly goals. His discipline is always for our good, and it is always full of hope. God does not give up on us or puts us away. When He rebukes us, He always shows us a way to repentance and gives us the power to change. 

When you sin, the difference between the feeling of God’s displeasure and Satan’s condemnation is hope. Do you feel like running closer to God? Do you know what to do to get out of your sin and escape the burden of guilt? Then it is the Lord speaking to you through your conscience. Do you feel unloved, unforgivable, ugly, and even depressed because you sinned? This is the devil accusing you. God’s discipline leads you to repentance and change. The devil’s condemnation leaves you hopeless in guilt. Once you know the difference, you can respond accordingly: repent before God and rebuke the devil.