Some Christians are troubled by guilt; memories of past sins continue to haunt them even though these sins have been confessed and repented of most sincerely. Many times it will be the sins committed after we became Christians that bother us most. We know that when we received the Lord Jesus as personal Saviour, we were cleansed by His Blood. During our Christian lives we can be tempted to discouragement by an insistent reminder of times of failure/disobedience, even though we have brought them to the Cross and asked God to cleanse us from all sin.
In some cases the pain has gone on for years. Why does this happen?
Who is doing it to us?
Romans 8:1 - There is no condemnation! If that is really true, why do we feel so condemned? Romans 8:33-34 - Who brings a charge against us?
Who condemns us? Revelation 12:10 - The devil, the accuser of Christians, brings charges against us day and night before God. It is not God! He does not condemn us! It is Satan -- he cannot damn our souls so he tries to destroy our joy and victory. We need to discern the difference between guilt and conviction. Initially they may seem similar. Guilt with condemnation cloaks me with a heavy blanket of depression, gives me a sense of "What's the use" and feeling that I might as well give up. The source of all that is Satan and I have Kingdom authority to reject it. When I do sin, I am convicted by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit's conviction leads me to confess my sin and receive God's full forgiveness. The Holy Spirit always shows the way up and out. With condemnation everything is pressing down. With conviction everything is leading up.
When Jesus commissioned Peter, after breakfast on the shore, if Peter has allowed guilt over his horrendous denial of Jesus to cripple him, to reject the truth of the total cleansing power of the Blood of Jesus, to excuse himself from obedience and going on ... how different church history might have been. Confessed sin (1 John 1:9) is instantly cleansed and forgiven because God is JUST! Jesus Christ has fully atoned. My sin was required at His hand and God would not be JUST if He required it again at my hand. Let's take a look at the truth about my sin. Zechariah 3:1-5 – Joshua and/or I am brought before the Judge Who is Almighty God Himself. The prosecuting attorney, Satan, is right there beside me. I know that he is a liar but this time he has no need to lie, this time he speaks the truth. He has prepared a list of all my sins -- he has overlooked nothing. He is well prepared and has come armed with lists of all my sins -- thoughts, words, motives, attitudes, deeds, every vile, lustful, self-seeking, ugly, damaging instance. The accuser knows just how to attack each specific individual -- whether to flood his mind with the whole gamut of wrongs or to twist the knife relentlessly in one deeply troubling sin. Everything he says about me is true – I can deny nothing of all the just charges against me. Then my Defense Counsel, Jesus Christ the Righteous (1 John 2:1) stands to speak. I wonder what He can possibly say that might influence the Judge on my behalf.
First He acknowledges that everything the prosecutor has said about me is true. Then He goes on to speak, not about me at all but about Himself. He directs the Judge's attention to a Cross where He died as my Substitute. On that Cross my sin became His and His death became mine. The wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). This law is irrevocable. Those wages must be paid. Those wages were paid in full on the Cross. Full payment was made at Calvary; Jesus took it all. Therefore sin owes Him nothing and since I am crucified with Christ (Galatians 2:20), sin owes me nothing. My Advocate went on to say that there could be no condemnation. The guilt is genuine and deserved when an account is outstanding and overdue but there is no need for guilt and there is neither room nor reason for condemnation when the bill is paid. He said, "I bore the sin of this sinner and I bore the wrath of outraged Holiness. This prisoner's defense is My atoning sacrifice on his/her behalf." The Judge looked down at me with a wonderful expression of amazing love on His face. He sternly rebuked the prosecuting attorney who slunk away. The Judge declared, "This account is settled forever, it is paid in full." Then, looking at the Cross, he added, "IT IS FINISHED!"
Then He beckoned me to come close to Him and as I stood trembling, He put His arm around me and called me not sinner but saint! He ordered my soiled clothes to be exchanged for rich garments and I was clothed (1 Corinthians 1:30) in the resplendent robe of Christ's righteousness. After this He said to me, "You have been reconciled to God by the death of Jesus (Romans 5:10) and you are victoriously and continually saved by His indwelling resurrection LIFE. Now you are fully accepted (Ephesians 1:6) because you are in the Beloved."
