GUILT KEEPS THE DOOR LOCKED

“For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death.”—2 Corinthians 7:10

I once read a survey that asked 500 people what emotions that they felt when experiencing guilt.  The answers really touched my heart.  People reported feeling punished, depressed, worthless, rejected, and isolated.  A general sense of low self-esteem overwhelmed the people who responded to the survey.  There was no joy, no hope, and no vitality.  In a sense, it is as though the feelings of guilt had completely blotted out everything else in their lives. 

These are the same emotions that many who are imprisoned in the penal systems around the world feel.  Prisoners tell me that they feel especially guilty about their families and what they are going through.  I ministered to a prisoner, I will call Joe (not his real name), who was a member of a vibrant Bible teaching congregation before he was sentenced to twenty years for shooting a man while committing a robbery.  Joe was a broken man, both spiritually and physically when I met him.  The open door to the root cause of Joe’s many physically aliments: Guilt.  Through much personal ministry, Joe began to discover where his guilt was coming from.

 

Are you dealing with intense feelings of guilt right now?  If so, consider one simple question: Where does your guilt come from?  

Joe began to understand that God was not mad at him and was not holding anything against him.  Joe discovered where his guilt was coming from—the enemy and himself.  Although he attended a lively church, he never devoted any of his time to personal spiritual growth, and fell back into his old habits and old friends.  He was plagued by personal guilt, and an Assaulting Spirit of Guilt by Satan.  This spirit would come into his cell at night and physically assault him leaving scratches and bruises.  I bound this spirit from assaulting Joe, until he was strong enough spiritually to stand against it when he was alone.  When Joe was strong enough, I cast the spirit out and the many others associated with it.  When I first met Joe, he was not strong enough spiritually to stand on his own against this spirit that is why I did not immediately cast this spirit out.  Jesus said, “When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he says, I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when he comes, he finds it swept and put in order. Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first” (Luke 11:24-26).

In 2 Corinthians 7:10, we see two forms of guilt.  One is a sorrow that comes from God.  This call to repentance is a tool that the Lord uses to draw unbelievers to Himself through salvation in Christ.  It also motivates believers to confess any wrongs causing “hindrance’” in their fellowship with Him.

A second form of guilt is the dark emotion that plagues people, like Joe, with remorse and the reactions mentioned on the survey.  Such sorrow is not from God at all, but from the world.

If you have received Jesus’ free gift of salvation but still struggle under the assault of guilt, let Scripture assure you; these feelings did not come from God.  He is not attacking you.  Rather, He holds the key to unlock the door to your freedom.  Do not fall victim to the Enemy’s lies.  In Christ, you are forgiven and fee.  Walk free today!

 

Prayer—Father I thank you for setting me free from guilt and shame.  Today, I will not allow the enemy to steal my freedom from me with feelings of guilt and hopelessness.  Thank You that You love me and believe in me and that You are not holding anything against me and that the Enemy’s power has been broken over my life in Jesus Name. Amen.