Guilt: What you need to know

Guilt can be a heavy burden to bear whether or not you have been saved. Studies show guilt can build up to the point that it causes stress and health problems. Removing guilt is not difficult if you follow the biblical process to do it.

Guilt/GuiltLess/Guilty: Bible Verses

Confessing Guilt:
Leviticus 26:40 If they shall confess their iniquity, and the iniquity of their fathers, with their trespass which they trespassed against me, and that also they have walked contrary unto me;
Leviticus 26:41 And that I also have walked contrary unto them, and have brought them into the land of their enemies; if then their uncircumcised hearts be humbled, and they then accept of the punishment of their iniquity:
Leviticus 26:42 Then will I remember my covenant with Jacob, and also my covenant with Isaac, and also my covenant with Abraham will I remember; and I will remember the land.
Guilt and asking God's forgiveness by His Grace:
Ezra 9:5 And at the evening sacrifice I arose up from my heaviness; and having rent my garment and my mantle, I fell upon my knees, and spread out my hands unto the LORD my God,
Ezra 9:6 And said, O my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face to thee, my God: for our iniquities are increased over our head, and our trespass is grown up unto the heavens.
Ezra 9:7 Since the days of our fathers have we been in a great trespass unto this day; and for our iniquities have we, our kings, and our priests, been delivered into the hand of the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity, and to a spoil, and to confusion of face, as it is this day.
Ezra 9:8 And now for a little space grace hath been shewed from the LORD our God, to leave us a remnant to escape, and to give us a nail in his holy place, that our God may lighten our eyes, and give us a little reviving in our bondage.
Guilt through family bloodlines:
Matthew 23:30 And say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.
Matthew 23:31 Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets.
Matthew 23:32 Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers.
Not Guiltless:
​Exodus 20:7 Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.
The Lord does not condemn the guiltless:
Matthew 12:5 Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are blameless?
Matthew 12:6 But I say unto you, That in this place is one greater than the temple.
Matthew 12:7 But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless.
Matthew 12:8 For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day.
Guilty
Joseph's brothers felt guilty for selling him into slavery
Genesis 42:21 And they said one to another, We are verily guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the anguish of his soul, when he besought us, and we would not hear; therefore is this distress come upon us.
All the world may become guilty before God
Romans 3:19 Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.
Guilty are those who do not keep the whole law
James 2:10 For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.

Biblical Commentary About Guilt

Guilt, repentance, confession, and forgiveness go hand in hand. Guilt can build up and grow inside you over time causing stress and health problems. Holding onto guilt can open doors for satan. Letting go of guilt will reduce your stress levels and cleanse you. The Lord is faithful and just. If you confess your sins and ask for forgiveness God will forgive you and  cleanse you from all sins.
  • If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us [our] sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. I John 1:9
​You are not alone because everyone has sinned and fell short of God's glory
For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Romans 3:23
God is faithful and will not put on you more than you can bear
There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God [is] faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear [it]. I Corinthians 10:13
Repent 
Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee. Acts 8:22
Jesus Christ is our advocate with the Father
My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: I John 2:1
God will wipe away all tears
And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. Revelation 21:4
Whoever calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved
For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. Romans 10:13
When you repent, you are converted, and your sins are blotted out
Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; Acts 3:19
The Lord is compassionate and if you repent He will cast all your sins to the depths of the sea
He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea. Micah 7:19
The Lord is loving, kind, and truthful
Withhold not thou thy tender mercies from me, O LORD: let thy lovingkindness and thy truth continually preserve me.  Read Psalms 40:11-12
God loves you so much that He gave His only Son so you can have everlasting life with Him
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16
  • For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. John 3:17
You can do all things through Christ who will make you strong
I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. Phil. 4:13

The Lord is patiently waiting for you
The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. 2 Peter 3:9

Confess your sins with your mouth, believe in your heart that God raised Jesus from the dead and you will be saved
That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. Romans 10:9

After you repent and are saved you should be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ
Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. Acts 2:38

Jesus died to save the whole world from sin
And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for [the sins of] the whole world. I John 2:2

Related Topics

Confession: Bible Study

Forgiveness: Bible Study