A guilty conscience? Hurts, doesn't it? The pain of shame and guilt that follow doing wrong are as common as a
cold. In a moment when our resolve is weak, we make a fateful choice. A cruel
word can be uttered, an immoral choice made in just a moment’s time, but the
memory is indelibly burned into our mind.
“Why did I do it?” we ask; “What was I thinking?”
“Why did I do it?” we ask; “What was I thinking?”
Not far behind those thoughts comes the fear of discovery. “If I’m
found out, what then?” Have you ever experienced that kind of torment? It takes
away sleep at night, robs us of the ability to appreciate the most beautiful
day, makes song like scraping of fingernails on a chalkboard in our ears.
King David, a man who loved God and he became an adulterous murderer! Even before his sin was exposed, he was tormented. "When I
kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and
night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of
summer." (Psalm 32:3-4, NIV)
Guilt is God’s gift that calls on
us to come back to right living. There is false guilt. Our conscience can
be damaged, made too sensitive by constant criticism or scarred into
uselessness by constant abuse. But, if our conscience is functioning in a
healthy way; if it is responsive to the Holy Spirit of God and informed by the truth, we
should thank the Lord for the pain that comes after we sin against others and/or Him.
That ache that David felt was only relieved when he made another
important decision. "Then I let it all out; I said, “I’ll
make a clean breast of my failures to God.” Suddenly the pressure was gone— my
guilt dissolved, my sin disappeared. These things add up. Every one of us needs
to pray; when all hell breaks loose and the dam bursts we’ll be on high ground,
untouched." (Psalm 32:5-6, The Message)
Confession is so hard, yet so
liberating! It opens our heart to God’s forgiveness. Often sincere
confession will also win the forgiveness of another person, even those we have
wronged in the most serious way.
Confession must be followed by something that seems largely
absent in our culture of tolerance and relative standards: repentance.
I find that many desire the release from guilt and even
regret their actions because of the negative consequences, but they feel little
need to change their ways! The ancient people of God disobeyed the Lord,
knew they were estranged from Him, confessed, but often failed to turn back to
Him! They only wanted release from the consequences of their sins. They had no
hunger for righteousness, no appetite for real holiness.
The prophet Joel tells us that we need to let ourselves feel
sorrow for our sins and then to make real change in our lives. Read his
call. "Come, spend the night in sackcloth, you who minister before my
God; … (Joel 1:13, NIV) “Even now,” declares the Lord, “return to
me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning.” Rend your heart
and not your garments. Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and
compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending
calamity." (Joel 2:12-13, NIV)
Is guilt over sins past plaguing you?
Are you alienated from the Lord who gives you peace, from His
church that is your home?
Spend some time truly mourning your disobedience, but do not
stay there! Go and own up to your sins, without excuse, without
self-justification. Accept forgiveness, then take the steps that will produce
real change of repentance. "God, the Master, The Holy of Israel, has
this solemn counsel: “Your salvation requires you to turn back to me and
stop your silly efforts to save yourselves. Your strength will come from
settling down in complete dependence on me. " (Isaiah 30:15, The
Message)
_________________
We bow our hearts,
We bend our knees.
Oh Spirit, come make
Us humble.
We turn our eyes
From evil things,
Oh Lord, we cast down
Our idols.
Give us clean hands,
Give us pure hearts.
Let us not lift
Our souls to another.
Give us clean hands,
Give us pure hearts.
Let us not lift
Our souls to another.
Oh God, let us be
The generation that seeks,
Who seeks Your face,
Oh God of Jacob.
Oh God, let us be
The generation that seeks,
Who seeks Your face,
Oh God of Jacob.
Give Us Clean Hands
Hall, Charlie
© 1997 Generation Productions
CCLI License No. 810055
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