There is a lot of fuzzy thinking about guilt. It is a favorite theme of the playwrights, novelists, and poets, and even a popular conversation piece at cocktail parties.
What is guilt? It should be noted that there is a difference between guilt and a “sense of guilt.” A sense of guilt ordinarily accompanies guilt, but not necessarily. It is possible to commit a crime and be guilty without feeling guilty. The courts encounter this every day. It is also possible to feel guilty about something without being guilty. The psychiatrists encounter this every day. A sense of guilt is only imaginary. Real guilt is a permanent hangover of sin. In Romans 2:12-15, Paul says that God has written his law in hearts of all peope and down in their hearts they know right from wrong. This is the work of conscience. Sometimes it accuses us and sometimes it acquits us. Guilt is the gnawing consciousness that we have done wrong against God.
Guilt is also a painful wound. As John Large said, “The most painful wound in the world is a stab of conscience.” It haunts us and makes life miserable. We imagine that everyone knows our sin. Proverbs 28:1 says, “The wicked flee when no man pursueth: but the righteous are as bold as a lion.”
How can guilt be overcome? Some try to lower their standards. Some try to balance their wrong with good works. Some try to escape from reality by alcohol or drugs. Some blame other people for their failures.
What can be done? Nothing! If you are guilty, the guilt can’t be removed. You can’t unscramble eggs or unbreak a glass. “Self-help” techniques are futile. We cannot solve this problem by taking up a hobby or going to Florida. We can do nothing and we are hopeless unless God himself should do something. Turn to him. He will forgive those who are truly sorry for their sins. Millions have found freedom from guilt on the cross. As a Beverly Hills psychiatrist said, “What most of my patients need is an old-fashioned experience with God.”