How Should Christians Deal With Sin and Guilt?Sample
Repentance – A Lifetime Experience
The core message of the Bible is that all humankind has sinned and is destined for hell. But God loved the world and sent His Son to save the world from eternal damnation. Nevertheless, many Christians are not enjoying the fruit of their salvation because of their guilty conscience.
The New Testament continues to explain the Gospel to people who have received the Gospel because we have a hard time remembering what God has done for us. Romans 8:1 says, “there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” The Bible is unequivocal, “Am I to continue to sin so grace may abound? May it never be. How shall we who died to sin continue to live in it?” (Rom. 6:1–2)
Repentance didn’t just occur the day I was converted. Repentance is a lifetime experience for the Christian. For the believer, repenting means to heed the words of God. We live lives that reverence, honor, and respect Him. We love, listen, and submit to Him. We change our ways, not just our words. Wherever we’ve been sinning, we bring it out into the open before the Lord. We don’t hide it, defend it, justify it, or cover it―we confess our sins. We recognize that sinning is not going to satisfy our hearts. The Lord Jesus satisfies our hearts.
How do I deal with a guilty conscience? I confess my sins; I repent of them. I do it knowing what God has done for me in His Son.
Sanctification is learning what is pleasing to the Lord. It involves the confession of sin. 1 John 1:9 teaches that if I don’t confess my sins, I’m not forgiven―I’m not a believer. Show me someone who doesn’t confess their sins, and I’ll show you someone who hasn’t been saved.
I have the Word of God and the Spirit of God to remind me to confess my sin daily.
Christian maturity is turning and repenting from our sins, pursuing a good conscience in the sight of God, and at the same time, knowing we are fully forgiven, and that we stand before God, completely accepted in His Son.
I’m not overwhelmed with guilt, because I’m justified, but I don’t take sin lightly because I’m learning what is pleasing to God, and I’m confessing my sins as they occur. God, who is my Father, lovingly disciplines me for my sins and puts my feet on a safe, solid, and sound pathway.
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The New Testament continues to explain the Gospel to people who already received it because, as humans, we have a hard time remembering what God has done to save us. We have peace with God the Judge because Christ took our condemnation upon Himself. Yet God the Father still disciplines His children. As a Christian, how do I deal with a guilty conscience? I confess and repent of my sins.
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