Unhealthy or Healthy Guilt?

Have you ever felt as though you did or said something for which you can never be forgiven? If you haven't forgiven yourself, this could be the crux of your guilt?

Guilt is a weapon Satan tries to use to try to separate us from God and cause us to live a life of torment even after we’ve been set free, by making us think that we still have a death sentence. It’s a weapon the enemy wields to turn us away from Christ.

What don’t we understand about freedom in Christ? God sacrificed his own son [filled with all the fullness of the Godhead] for us. In order for us to be free to love him, he first loved us.

Why did God make us so imperfect that we would have to suffer a life of guilt? He didn’t. Sin entered in. God gave us free will. We were free from the beginning to choose right or wrong, good or evil.

There’s no mistaking the difference between good and evil. Evil steals, destroys, and kills; it leads to spiritual death. Good builds up, judges rightly with long term perspectives, and is not selfish as it considers God’s will; it leads to eternal life.

If in our free will, we gave/give ourselves over to sin what can we do to shake that awful feeling? Did you ask God for forgiveness? Have you forgiven others? Have you received the sacrifice that He provided for your sins through Jesus Christ? If so, read on.

5 Biblical tips to overcome guilt:

1. Know who you are in Christ. The enemy [Satan] cannot take that away from you.

1 Corinthians 6:11  ¹¹And such [sinners] some of you were [once]. But you were washed clean (purified by a complete atonement for sin and made free from the guilt of sin), and you were consecrated (set apart, hallowed), and you were justified [pronounced righteous, by trusting] in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the [Holy] Spirit of our God.

2. Keep away from self-righteous hypocrites.

Colossians 2:8-9 See to it that no one carries you off as spoil or makes you yourselves captive by his so-called philosophy and intellectualism and vain deceit (idle fancies and plain nonsense), following human tradition (men’s ideas of the material rather than the spiritual world), just crude notions following the rudimentary and elemental teachings of the universe and disregarding [the teachings of] Christ (the Messiah).

Matthew 22:18 But Jesus, aware of their malicious plot, asked, “Why do you put Me to the test and try to entrap Me, you pretenders (hypocrites)?”

Luke 6:42 How can you say to another believer, ‘Friend, let me take the piece of sawdust out of your eye,’ when you don’t see the beam in your own eye? You hypocrite! First, remove the beam from your own eye. Then you will see clearly to remove the piece of sawdust from another believer’s eye.

3. Read the word daily. Trust what God says.

Romans 10:17 So faith comes from hearing the message, and the message that is heard is what Christ spoke.

Revelation 3:10 “Because you kept my Word in passionate patience, I’ll keep you safe in the time of testing that will be here soon, and all over the earth, every man, woman, and child put to the test.

4. Forgive others–forgive yourself. If guilt still plagues you after you are sure of your salvation, it’s possible that YOU didn’t forgive you. Remember salvation is for all those who receive it by faith. No condemnation to those who are in Christ. Romans 8:1

Luke 6:37 “Stop judging, and you will never be judged. Stop condemning, and you will never be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.

Luke 1:37 But nothing is impossible for God.”

Philippians 4:13 I can do everything through Christ who strengthens me.

Proverbs 16:3 Entrust your efforts to the Lord, and your plans will succeed.

5. Turn to God. Ask him for his grace and help to live with yesterday’s events so that guilt will no longer have a stronghold in your life, so that you will be able to live free from sin asking the Lord for forgiveness whenever a sinful thought or past action surfaces, and the sting of sin will no longer hurt.

Colossians 2:9 For in Him the whole fullness of Deity (the Godhead) continues to dwell in bodily form [giving complete expression of the divine nature].

Have you received your free copy of Biblical Solutions for Cultural and Social Issues in the World Today study guide? Ask for your free copy today. [written by Pola Muzyka]

Our time on earth is a fraction of eternity. Our earthly bodies are dust.  The glorified body, given to those who receive Christ, will be our eternal, non-corruptible, heavenly body, able to be present with God without guilt.

Written by Christian author, Pola Muzyka

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Conquering the Stronghold of Distress

Have you ever wondered why distress never seems to leave us even though we pray for healing, blessings, peace, and well-being?

Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul. 3 John 1:2

We need to check our thoughts, deeds, and words quickly at the door. What is occupying our time, our money, and our attention? What words are we speaking? Have we been spending more time thinking about or giving room to curses over ourselves or our family than to believing God for blessings, guidance, help, and healing? A simple threat might be spoken with good intentions, but a threat spoken over us even by our own mouths can set a chain reaction in motion for distress and eventual destruction. In other words, we could possibly bring on our own distress just by concentrating on what MIGHT go wrong. How you say?

When we speak words of defeat or fearful, in effect, words of destruction over ourselves or our children, we are speaking curses. (Anything that goes against the word of God and His will for us.) Curses cause fear and distress. When distress takes over, it builds a stronghold and invites other strongholds. Strongholds of pain, sickness, fear, worry, and many others soon join it.

Thinking we are doing well we may say, “My son/daughter will never amount to anything.” Our intent may be to have them prove us wrong. In effect, we have just set their lives up for a spirit of distress to enter and if this continues they will eventually begin to believe those words. Every day we are capable of speaking curses out of our mouths that can lead to a life of hardship, failure, and defeat for us or others.

In your own hands through your own words.

Have you ever owned a sickness? A stupid habit? A dumbness? A bad attitude? It has become a way of life and part of our personality to simply say, “my cold”, “my troubles”, “I’m always doing that”, “I’m all thumbs”, “you’re not gonna get me to change now”, and so forth. When we own a problem we invite that problem to linger, or worse, to stay indefinitely.

Does that problem really belong to us or to the enemy? How can we change the way we think and act so that we see and experience the good and the blessings more than the problems?

Luke 21:34 But take heed to yourselves and be on your guard, lest your hearts be overburdened and depressed (weighed down) with the giddiness and headache and nausea of self-indulgence, drunkenness, and worldly worries and cares pertaining to [the business of] this life, and [lest] that day come upon you suddenly like a trap or a noose;

Which master are you serving?

5 Biblical truths to overcome the spirit of distress:
1. Give your life over to God. DO NOT rebel against what he tells you to do.

Luke 11:28 Jesus replied, “Rather, how blessed are those who hear and obey God’s word.”

2. Read the word of God (the will of God) and follow his instructions. The word of God is the will of God.

Ephesians 2:1-3 You were once dead because of your failures and sins. ² You followed the ways of this present world and its spiritual ruler. This ruler continues to work in people who refuse to obey God. ³ All of us once lived among these people and followed the desires of our corrupt nature. We did what our corrupt desires and thoughts wanted us to do. So, because of our nature, we deserved God’s anger just like everyone else.

3. Do not give in to thoughts of destruction, sickness or failure.

Psalm 77:11-13 I will remember the deeds of the Lord. I will remember your ancient miracles. ¹² I will reflect on all your actions and think about what you have done. ¹³ O God, your ways are holy! What god is as great as our God?

4. Keep a distance from anyone who is feeding you bad thoughts.

Romans 13:10 Love never does anything that is harmful to a neighbor. Therefore, love fulfills Moses’ Teachings.

5. Watch your words. Be careful of the words that come out of your mouth. This may take some time, but it is well worth the effort.

Matthew 12:37 By your words you will be declared innocent, or by your words, you will be declared guilty.”

Written by Christian author, Pola Muzyka.