GUILT: "It's Power and It's Remedy"
. By Pastor Paul Fedena
TEXT: I Jn. l:9
INTRO: A. In a message entitled "God's Answer To Your 4 Biggest Problems" I suggest that the answer to Fear is Faith, the answer to Worry is the Word, the answer to Pressure is Prayer and the answer to Guilt is Grace. It is GUILT we want to focus on tonite.
B. Too many Christians live with unnecessary guilt. They array burdens which God's grace should (and will) take care of. It was His wonderful grace which took care of our sins at Calvary when we came to Him for salvation and it is His wonderful grace which will take care of all our guilt for sins and wrongs if we will just take Him at His Word.
I. GUILT FOR SINS:
A. Grace for Guilt: I Jn.1:9
l. Sin scars the soul and healing must take place.
2. Guilt requires forgiveness and pardon.
3. Pollution requires cleasing...Grace cares for both.
NOTE: Confession of sin is never connected by John with the acquisition of eternal life, which is always conditioned on faith. Salvation is obviously also "by grace" but it is also "thru faith." Forgive ness of the believer's sin is purely an act of grace, it is received by faith.
In order to receive forgiveness and cleansing (which is by pure grace), we must trust God's promise in His Word. I Jn.l:9 deals with "familial forgiveness" i.e., it is only natural for a son to go to his father and expect forgiveness for his faults realizing that his position in the family is never in jeopardy.
4. God's forgiveness is absolutely assured (God is "faithful") and is in no way contrary to His holiness (He is "just").
B. Restoration for Guilt:
Ps. 51:1-2 1 Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.
2 Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.
l. The 3 verbs David used here are figurative:
a. "blot out" = records being erased.
b. "wash me" = washing clothing (viewed as an extension of the person).
c. "cleanse me" = purified for temple participation
NOTE: David acknowledges that he has been experiencing guilt for a long time. It had been nearly a year since his sin with Bathsheba. He had probably rationalized and covered his sin...but the guilt was "ever before" him. The baby died about a week after his confession. David recognized this was an act of God's grace also. The baby went to heaven and he could start out clean without the constant reminder of his sin.
Guilt is an unnecessary burden we bear. We need to go to God for His grace and cleansing. Why not accept it today?! Quit carrying the load of the guilt of your sin. Let go and let God...
II. GUILT FOR WRONGS:
II Cor. 12:13 For what is it wherein ye were inferior to other churches, except it be that I myself was not burdensome to you? forgive me this wrong.
A. Grace for Wrongs:
NOTE: A "wrong" is distinguished from a sin in that no violation of Scripture in involved and no immoral act has been committed.
Many are carrying guilt for "wrongs" they have committed against others and need to ask forgiveness as Paul did in the above text.
l. The need to ask for forgiveness.
2. The need to receive forgiveness.
3. The need to forgive yourself.
NOTE: It may be that after you have asked for forgiveness, the person you have offended refuses to give it. You must then trust that the Lord has seen your heart and receive His grace. Then simply forgive yourself. Cf. v.13-15
a. Failure to forgive oneself leads to frustration, anxiety, self-depreciation, overcompensation, etc.
b. The cure is a recognition of all that God's grace is and does.
ILLUS: Grace is God's loving acceptance of us totally apart from our worthiness. Grace is no longer grace if it must weigh our worthiness. Someone said "Grace is the face God wears when He meets our imperfection, sin, weakness and failure." Grace is what God is and what God does when He meets the sinful and undeserving.
III. GUILT FOR BLESSINGS:
I Tim. 6:17-18
17 Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy;
18 That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate;
ILLUS: Remember when your mother told you that you had to eat everything on your plate because of the "poor starving children in India"? That's "guilt for blessings". You are supposed to feel guilty because you have been blessed with many things while others have so little.
A. Grace for Blessings:
l. God's grace is manifest in our blessings.
2. These blessings may be spiritual or material.
a. It is only when we abuse or misuse the blessings God gives us that we should feel guilty.
ILLUS: If God has given us a healthy appetite for food (or sex) we shouldn't feel guilty unless we abuse that appetite. Abuse is sin and sin brings guilt, appropriately, and must be confessed so we can experience God's grace.
b. We don't have to feel guilty for God's blessings and give them away because others have so little.
c. Surely we should not live in excess while others are hurting and we should cultivate a giving, sharing spirit. "willing to communicate..."
CONCL: The answer to guilt is grace! Why go thru life loaded with guilt when you can trade in your guilt for God's grace?
. By Pastor Paul Fedena
TEXT: I Jn. l:9
INTRO: A. In a message entitled "God's Answer To Your 4 Biggest Problems" I suggest that the answer to Fear is Faith, the answer to Worry is the Word, the answer to Pressure is Prayer and the answer to Guilt is Grace. It is GUILT we want to focus on tonite.
B. Too many Christians live with unnecessary guilt. They array burdens which God's grace should (and will) take care of. It was His wonderful grace which took care of our sins at Calvary when we came to Him for salvation and it is His wonderful grace which will take care of all our guilt for sins and wrongs if we will just take Him at His Word.
I. GUILT FOR SINS:
A. Grace for Guilt: I Jn.1:9
l. Sin scars the soul and healing must take place.
2. Guilt requires forgiveness and pardon.
3. Pollution requires cleasing...Grace cares for both.
NOTE: Confession of sin is never connected by John with the acquisition of eternal life, which is always conditioned on faith. Salvation is obviously also "by grace" but it is also "thru faith." Forgive ness of the believer's sin is purely an act of grace, it is received by faith.
In order to receive forgiveness and cleansing (which is by pure grace), we must trust God's promise in His Word. I Jn.l:9 deals with "familial forgiveness" i.e., it is only natural for a son to go to his father and expect forgiveness for his faults realizing that his position in the family is never in jeopardy.
4. God's forgiveness is absolutely assured (God is "faithful") and is in no way contrary to His holiness (He is "just").
B. Restoration for Guilt:
Ps. 51:1-2 1 Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.
2 Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.
l. The 3 verbs David used here are figurative:
a. "blot out" = records being erased.
b. "wash me" = washing clothing (viewed as an extension of the person).
c. "cleanse me" = purified for temple participation
NOTE: David acknowledges that he has been experiencing guilt for a long time. It had been nearly a year since his sin with Bathsheba. He had probably rationalized and covered his sin...but the guilt was "ever before" him. The baby died about a week after his confession. David recognized this was an act of God's grace also. The baby went to heaven and he could start out clean without the constant reminder of his sin.
Guilt is an unnecessary burden we bear. We need to go to God for His grace and cleansing. Why not accept it today?! Quit carrying the load of the guilt of your sin. Let go and let God...
II. GUILT FOR WRONGS:
II Cor. 12:13 For what is it wherein ye were inferior to other churches, except it be that I myself was not burdensome to you? forgive me this wrong.
A. Grace for Wrongs:
NOTE: A "wrong" is distinguished from a sin in that no violation of Scripture in involved and no immoral act has been committed.
Many are carrying guilt for "wrongs" they have committed against others and need to ask forgiveness as Paul did in the above text.
l. The need to ask for forgiveness.
2. The need to receive forgiveness.
3. The need to forgive yourself.
NOTE: It may be that after you have asked for forgiveness, the person you have offended refuses to give it. You must then trust that the Lord has seen your heart and receive His grace. Then simply forgive yourself. Cf. v.13-15
a. Failure to forgive oneself leads to frustration, anxiety, self-depreciation, overcompensation, etc.
b. The cure is a recognition of all that God's grace is and does.
ILLUS: Grace is God's loving acceptance of us totally apart from our worthiness. Grace is no longer grace if it must weigh our worthiness. Someone said "Grace is the face God wears when He meets our imperfection, sin, weakness and failure." Grace is what God is and what God does when He meets the sinful and undeserving.
III. GUILT FOR BLESSINGS:
I Tim. 6:17-18
17 Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy;
18 That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate;
ILLUS: Remember when your mother told you that you had to eat everything on your plate because of the "poor starving children in India"? That's "guilt for blessings". You are supposed to feel guilty because you have been blessed with many things while others have so little.
A. Grace for Blessings:
l. God's grace is manifest in our blessings.
2. These blessings may be spiritual or material.
a. It is only when we abuse or misuse the blessings God gives us that we should feel guilty.
ILLUS: If God has given us a healthy appetite for food (or sex) we shouldn't feel guilty unless we abuse that appetite. Abuse is sin and sin brings guilt, appropriately, and must be confessed so we can experience God's grace.
b. We don't have to feel guilty for God's blessings and give them away because others have so little.
c. Surely we should not live in excess while others are hurting and we should cultivate a giving, sharing spirit. "willing to communicate..."
CONCL: The answer to guilt is grace! Why go thru life loaded with guilt when you can trade in your guilt for God's grace?
