In 1969, Simon Wiesenthal wrote a book called "The Sunflower" - an autobiography of his life as a Jew during the 2 nd World War. There are very few writings that have captured such raw emotion as this as he outlined the agony he personally experienced in Nazi concentration camps.
His theme - the unexplainable struggle we as human beings have with guilt. I'll read how Ravi Zacharias relays a story from Wiesenthal's book. ("Cries of the Heart" - P.91-92)
The Sunflower reveals what those 32 wrote back - 26 affirmed his choice to not forgive and only 6 suggested he should have given the pardon and relieved the guilt.
What an incredible whirlwind of human emotion swirls around this subject of guilt..
Families wrestle with it. Courtrooms battle over it, psychologists argue about it and churches preach about it..But mostly we just feel it - as it roots deeper and deeper into our souls. Some professional counselors have gone as far as to say that guilt is the cornerstone of all neurosis. Whether it is a Shakespearean tragedy..Like Macbeth (as we saw a scene from today) and a while later in the story when we hear those famous words.from Lady Macbeth as she stares at her blood-stained hands."Out damned spot - out I say.Here's the smell of blood still - all the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand..oh-oh-oh."
There is a great line in that play where the doctor observes her guilt and simply says, "This disease is beyond my practice." That word disease very aptly describes what guilt does to our lives..It leaves us in dis-ease . Again, Ravi Zacharias describes guilt like this: Guilt: "The suffering of one who is no longer at ease in the flesh because of the torment of the soul."
From as far back as mankind's beginnings, guilt has been the cause of much dis-ease. In fact, Adam and Eve, after they had been tempted by Satan into that first sin and they chose to walk away from God's design for their lives. It's interesting to see their response to guilt..they covered themselves. They hid from God - and tried desperately to hide their guilt.
The story of Adam and Eve is a great story to reread if you haven't for a while..and look at God's response. He simply says - Where are you? And it's not a question of place - as much as it is condition. God knew where they were physically.But He wanted them to realize where their choices had taken them. They found themselves lost in guilt by the consequences of their own actions..And God is still asking the same question today - Where are you? And what are you doing with your guilt?
Now - I hesitated today to talk too much about the causes of guilt because I desperately want us to focus on alleviating it from our lives. But bear with me for just a moment..because there are some foundational issues we must understand about guilt and sin before we go on.
The first being this.."We're all in it together." King David put it like this."If you O Lord kept a record of sins - who of us could stand?" The Apostle Paul put it like this."For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." - Romans 3:23. Isaiah the prophet said "We all like sheep have gone astray." Now - most of us don't need reminding of this.because our sin hangs in front of us every day. But this is a key theological truth to understand if we're ever gonna deal with guilt in our lives. " We're all in it together. " Every one of us is sinful - always have been - always will be..Whether it's eating too much or working too hard - or sleeping too little or gossiping too much or wanting what someone else has or looks like - or fudging on your taxes..You take your pick. Oh I missed a few - how about not doing all the good things that we're supposed to do.That's a long list too. Like serving other people selflessly. Like taking care of the poor. Like loving everyone equally and unselfishly.That's a tough list and probably the most challenging list in our society today are these.How about lustful thoughts or pornography or giving in to any one of those damaging addictions that overtakes our lives.
I read these stats in a book called "Winning the Values War" by Leith Anderson this week: "If we estimated an average of 100 sins a day, we would reach 36,500 sins per year. By age ten a person is already up to 365,000 sins. At thirty years old the total is 1,095,000. Those who live to age eighty tally almost 3,000,000 sins."
Folks, we're all prone to sin. Whether we choose out of rebellion to go against God, or whether we simply fall into it because of the brokenness within us - whatever the case may be - we have stains on our hands..And if we actually take time to look inside, those stains cause some dis-ease..Folks that's the most elementary theological truth to grasp..
Every one of us.whether it's your first time in church in 20 years or if you were born here - we're all a bunch of sinners.. We're all in it together .and that at least is some consolation.
Now..what we do with that sin is a great dilemma. A great dilemma indeed..See - I'd like to say we're getting smarter over the years, but truth be known - I'm not sure we are..
Adam and Eve, when they felt guilt for the very first time, did what seemed to be a natural thing..They hid from God and from their guilt. Well, a few thousand years later, not much has changed.
We are still searching for that elusive clear conscience à but the waters are muddied by guilt - and so we must get rid of guilt any way we can.There's an old song that says there must be 50 ways to leave your lover..Well an article I read this week suggests at least 15 ways we try to relieve ourselves of guilt..Some people:
- Deny their sin.
- Excuse their sin.
- Redefine sin.
- Run from their sin.
- Ignore their sin.
- Pretend they have not sinned.
- Lie about their sin.
- Cover up their sin.
- Justify their sin.
- Blame others for their sin.
- Drown their sin.
- Look for ways and for people who will make them feel comfortable with their sin.
- Try to pay for their sin.
- Destroy their conscience.
- Various forms of religion.
See folks - we're still hiding. The only thing that's changed is that we're just better at it..So - great - We're all in this thing together and we've all tried at least one of those 15 wrong approaches to deal with our guilt. So what's the right approach? That's the question we're asking God this weekend. How do we deal with a guilty conscience? Let me give you 3 thoughts on this.
1. Address the Guilt Yourself.
Psalm 139:23-24: "Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting."
What David was saying was this..Getting rid of guilt and sin starts inside - it starts with inviting God to probe into our lives and help us do a true self-evaluation and examination to see what's truly at the root of all the guilt..Because we've decided we're not gonna run and hide from it anymore. Now..for anyone who has been through a 12 step program like A.A. or G.A. or N.A. - you'll have heard about Step 4. Step 4 is what the program calls taking a fearless moral inventory..and it involves just one action, but a whole lot of faith and hope.
Here's the action: Take a pencil and paper and make a list of all the things that you've done that have been wrong or caused harm to yourself, to other people, and to God. Simply write each one down as it comes to mind..
Now, I can only tell you what I have seen to be very true.as I have walked beside a few people through Step 4 and 5. Making the list is not simple. It takes courage and energy and honesty..and should never be attempted without much prayer and faith surrounding it..God will give you the strength you need à But before a list like that can be made and guilt can begin to be erased, we have to come to terms mentally with one word - acknowledgment - and that is a humbling word when it comes to sin.
Acknowledgement of our sin is about becoming ready to take appropriate responsibility for what we have done.
John Ortberg puts it like this."We must become ready to own up to the fact that our behavior wasn't the result of bad parenting, poor genes, or a chemical imbalance from too many twinkies.Any or all of those factors may be involved. Human behavior is a complex thing.But acknowledgement means saying that somewhere in the mix was a choice, and that choice was made by us (a choice to sin), and it does not need to be excused, explained or even understood - the choice needs to be forgiven. The slate has to be wiped clean."
That acknowledgment process is the beginning of getting rid of guilt..and it starts with a pen and a paper and a prayer..
Here's Step #2:
2. Address the guilt with God.
In the Bible, the Old Testament tells many a great story...Some with great endings, some end in tragedy. One of my favorites is found in 2 Samuel 12.
Nathan the prophet and spiritual advisor to the king has learned that King David has done something horrible...Not only has he slept with Bathsheba - another man's wife...but he has had Uriah, her husband, murdered.by ordering him to the very front lines of battle..and he then has taken Bathsheba into the palace.
SO...What should Nathan do? He thinks and prays for a long while and then approaches the king using a parable
(Read 2 Sam.12:1-9)
Now - can you imagine the incredible guilt David is feeling as Nathan lays out so clearly his sin? David here doesn't need to do Step 1 - Nathan does it for him..He clearly establishes who is responsible for the wrong..and David knows it. He is guilty.
And he also knows what to do with the guilt - he repents of it. That's the word for Step 2 - Repentance. Which means a change of mind, a turning, a metamorphosis, a transformation. I'll let Psalm 51 tell you how David dealt with that sin.
(Psalm 51:1-8, 16, 17) Let me tell you about that confession.
That is no cheap two-bit process. That is repentance at it's finest..David - at the worst of his wrongdoing and at the highest point of guilt finds relief and forgiveness and peace..
How? By understanding the depth of his own sin.
(acknowledgement) and then (repenting) - turning from it and receiving the cleansing touch of God. His guilt was eradicated completely..Now that's David.But what can we do? We must also - not only acknowledge - but release our sin to God..
"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." - 1 John 1:9
Here's what I would suggest.Go over your list one by one (fearless moral inventory) and then simply ask God to wipe these sins clean from your conscience..and an amazing thing will happen. God will do just that. The apostle Paul says it like this."Be transformed by the renewing of your mind." That's what confession and repentance is all about. It's taking that sin and guilt and giving it to God - all of it.
Now - there's the challenge. Some of you have already done that. And some of you haven't and you'll get a chance to respond yet today..
One more thing.some of you have already asked for forgiveness.You know God has forgiven you - but you're stuck. You can't forgive yourself. Here's a couple of thoughts on that..because it's a huge subject and I don't have all the answers. Here's step 3..
After acknowledgement and repentance.
3. Address the guilt with someone else.
Here I'm talking about 2 words. Confession and restitution.
James 5:11 says this: "Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed."
Steps 5 to 7 in the 12 step process are life changing steps because they walk you through a spiritual process. And part of that process is confession not only to God but to another human being. There is something very powerful and spiritually freeing about human confession. I have had the opportunity to listen a lot in my life and be part of the healing process of releasing guilt.
Here's a thought (if you're serious about this deal) - Find a mature, wise elder in this church or another church and simply talk to them - confess the things you are feeling guilty about. Sometimes that's a small group leader. Sometimes it's someone on staff. Sometimes it may be a professional Christian counselor. Whoever it may be..they will help you discern the source of the guilt and God will use that exercise to further the process of healing in your life. Confession that leads to healing.
Here's another word - restitution. When I was in High School, I had a stealing problem. I took money from people.and it was wrong. But in the 3 to 5 years that followed my guilt was enormous. And step 1 - acknowledgement and step 2 - repentance - hadn't helped. I didn't steal anymore and I knew that God had forgiven me..What to do - I prayed and prayed and very clearly..when I listened - God said make it right. Make restitution and your guilt will be gone. And so I did. And my guilt was relieved.
Folks - I don't know all there is to know about clearing a conscience..but this I do know..it's the most quoted line in the Bible.
"For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him." - John 3:16-17
The reason Jesus went to the cross - the reason He suffered - the reason He bled and died..was so that you and I might know forgiveness. So you and I could be relieved of guilt. So you and I could have a clean conscience. And if you're carrying sin and guilt with you and it's getting heavy..or if you've been trying to hide it or run from it or deny it or excuse it..and it's still there..
"Not all the perfumes in Arabia" said Lady Macbeth."can remove this spot." "This disease is beyond my cure," says the doctor.
People it is only Jesus that can relieve you of your guilt. Go to the cross with guilt-stained hands..Only there is the guilt eradicated completely. Only there will your sin be washed - washed by the blood of another..by the blood of Jesus.
Response.
How do we forgive ourselves? Regardless of how long we have been in bondage, we can be free if we follow 3 clearly outlined Biblical steps:
Step 1: Recognize the problem
We must recognize and acknowledge that we have not forgiven ourselves. We must come to grips with the fact that we still hold ourselves in bondage. Our sin is very real.
Step 2: Repent of sin.
We must turn away from that sin for which we cannot forgive ourselves. We must tell God that we realize that our unwillingness to forgive ourselves is not in keeping with His Word. And we must thank Him for His forgiveness as we confess our sin to Him. Turning/repentance - this may also include confession to someone else and restitution.
Step 3: Confess freedom and choose to receive it.
See, the reality is - when God has forgiven us, He remembers our sin not more. It's gone. We must confess our freedom and choose to receive it freely.
Let's pray. |
