Overcoming Guilty Feelings

Have you ever done or said something you wish you had never done or said?

If so, you are probably thinking about it right now.

That question was like a mind trigger that unlocked a memory you would rather forget.

The Lord has allowed a couple of these mind triggers to hit me in the last few weeks.  Not because He holds anything against me, though.

Perhaps He just wants me to write about it because some of you are struggling with the same issue.

Mind Triggers.

We wish we could lock the negative ones up and throw away the key, but it seems like someone always manages to find the key and unlock that embarrassing memory all over again.

We’ve told God we were sorry again and again, and we believe that He died for our sins so we can be forgiven.  But here comes that unwelcome feeling of guilt again.

We’ve gone to the person whom we offended, and they have forgiven us, but still we can’t seem to let it go.

Revelation 12:10 tells us that there is an accuser of the brethren who “accuses them before our God day and night.”  Jesus called this accuser of the brethren a liar (John 8:44), and if we look back to his tactics in the Garden of Eden, we see that he throws bits of truth into his lies to make them more believable.  But, they are still lies.

So, what is the truth in our dilemma?

• “If we confess our sin, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”  1 John 1:9
• I acknowledged my sin to You, and my iniquity I did not hide; I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the LORD’; and You forgave the guilt of my sin.”  Psalm 32:5 NASB
• “As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.”  Psalm 103:12  NASB
• How much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?  Hebrews 9:14 NASB
• I will be merciful to their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more.”  Hebrews 8:12 NASB
• “You will cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.”  Micah 7:19 NASB
• “…He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us,…and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.”  Colossians 2:13b,14 NASB
• “there is…one mediator between God and men,…Christ Jesus.”  1 Timothy 2:5

Neither you nor I could ever be  the only one whose sin is so bad that Christ’s blood is not powerful enough to wash it away.  We must banish pride and believe His word.  We must stand on His rock solid Word!

Do any of the above Scriptures touch your heart with the assurance of God’s love and mercy toward you?  I encourage you to memorize it and use it as your Spiritual armor (Ephesians 6).  Next time the enemy of your soul comes with his accusations, quote God’s truth at him like Jesus did when He was tempted in the wilderness (Matthew 4, Luke 4), and feel the relief of freedom as the enemy goes running away from that powerful Sword of the Spirit.  He’ll likely be back later to try again, but keep that sword ready.

Feel free to copy and paste any part of this into a word document to print it for your own personal use, so you can have it on hand when you need it.

Also, maybe some of you have some other verses that I didn’t mention here that help you in this type of situation.  Feel free to leave it in the comment section so others can benefit from what God has shown you.

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