How to Live Guilt-Free

By Greg Sanders

I have a problem with sweets. The problem is that I love them. I love chocolate and I love peanut butter, but I especially like them together. Every time I drive by a Sonic, I think, “A Reese’s peanut butter blast would be so good.” But the bathroom scales tell me that I have been yielding too much to my desire. Therefore I feel guilty about stopping there. I want the joy of eating it without the guilt. Yarnell’s has solved my problem. They have guilt-free ice cream. Weight Watchers has low fat ice cream bars so I can have joy without the guilt attached to it.

We all have activities we have engaged in that haunt us. Guilt is like carrying water in a metal bucket. You can only carry it around for only so long and it will start to rust and weigh you down. Way too many believers are walking around paralyzed and weighed down by the guilt of yesterday.

God wants you to know that you can live guilt free.

1 John 1:9 But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.

I want to give you three ways you can embrace guilt-free living.

1. Living guilt-free starts with confession.

1 John 1:9 But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.

God cannot forgive what you will not confess. One of the problems I see people make in their relationships is that they think that if you ignore an argument or ignore an injustice that life will just get better. Freedom from guilt does not come from coving things up or pretending things are not there. Freedom comes by confessing that there is an issue in which I am struggling. James said in

James 5:16 “Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.”

Notice that James said that part of the key to receiving healing is tied to our willingness to confess and pray for one anther. Confession frees us from our guilt.

“Before I confessed my sins, my bones felt limp, and I groaned all day long.” Psalm 32:3 (CEV)

2.Living guilt-free is based on His work and not ours.

1 John 1:9 But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.

Let me ask you a couple of questions. Is God’s Word true? Is God true to His Word? The Word says when we confess He is faithful to forgive. When you doubt your forgiveness you actually doubt God’s faithfulness. “He is faithful to forgive.” God is faithful. You can count on Him to forgive you.

Romans 8:1 “There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus

Guilt defined is: Awareness of wrongdoing, fact of wrongdoing, responsibility for wrongdoing, legal culpability

3. Living guilt-free comes as we turn our guilt to gratitude.

1 John 1:9 But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. 

We have two choices. We can live in regret to what we have done or in gratitude to what He has done. He cleansed us.

Awareness of being wrong or doing wrong in the past does not equal being guilty of that sin today!

Paul said long after his Damascus road experience…”I am the chief of sinners.”

Paul knew he was cleansed of his guilt while keeping the memory of his sins close at hand.

1 Timothy 1:13 even though I was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent aggressor. Yet I was shown mercy because I acted ignorantly in unbelief; 14and the grace of our Lord was more than abundant, with the faith and love which are found in Christ Jesus. 15It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all.

We all remember the deeds we have done. Remembering the wrongdoing of our past leads us to one of two responses: guilt for what we have done or gratitude for what He has done.

Today’ Challenge: Allow God to handle your guilt by confessing to Him. Trust His completed work on the cross. Live a life of gratitude for His all-sufficient grace.

Blessings.

Greg

To hear this teaching in its entirety go to www.camdenfirstassembly.org and look for the sermon titled “Guilt Free Living.”