The Plague of Guilt
A guilty conscience needs no accuser.
No longer a virgin? Are you ensnared in pornography? Are your lips a fountain of lies? Can't stop drinking? You feel dirty. You feel guilty. Guilt can be crushing, and it is the preferred weapon of the evil one. Guilt is a plague that can halt confession and repentance, increase offense, and encourage inaction. Guilt is so very powerful.
Grace changes everything. Grace is the lethal dose that kills guilt. The Apostle John wanted the Christ-followers in the late first century to understand this amazing grace. In I John 3:19-20, he writes, "By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before Him; for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and He knows everything." He says, be reassured. God is greater than your guilt.
The conscience is an echo in the human mind, the God-given guilt-producing mechanism. But the conscience must be informed by Biblical truth and guided by the living Spirit of God. Your conscience was never meant to be an independent gauge of morality; it must be informed and trained.
John uses a Greek word we translate as "reassure," but interestingly enough, it carries the idea of a tranquilizer. In other words, even when your conscience condemns you, you can be "tranquil in the presence of God" because He already knows what you did, and He is ready to supply the needed grace. He is more significant than your guilt.
You see, the residue of guilt cannot coexist with grace. Unhealthy guilt means not accepting the reality of God's forgiveness because you will not believe in God's grace. His forgiveness takes away all guilt, punishment, and sin. That is God's grace. There is a higher court than your conscience, and it is called the supreme court of God's grace.
An old French proverb says, "There is no pillow so soft as a clear conscience." Here is a soft pillow. Inform your conscience with Hebrews 10:22, "Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water."
Confess, repent, accept God's forgiveness, and face any consequences with His grace. You are forgiven - no "buts," just forgiven.
