Illegitimate Guilt

I asked the Jehovah’s Witness man at my door, “How do you handle guilt?” Clearly taken aback with the question, he replied, “I don’t have any guilt?” I said, “Yes you do. Everyone has guilt; you’re no exception. What do you do with your guilt?” Religious or not, I like to ask people that question; it’s the perfect opportunity to share with them what I’ve done with mine. “It’s on the cross of Jesus!” Following that declaration, I  share the gospel of Christ with them. Provided it is the Holy Spirit speaking through me at that moment, I know I have an attentive ear whether that’s admitted or not.

Were it not for guilt, depression, oppression, obsession and demonic possession would not have the foothold each one has on people across the globe. Were it not for guilt, doctor’s waiting rooms and hospital beds would not be filled every moment of every day with sick people. And no, I’m not a psychiatrist or a psychologist, but the Lord Jesus Christ is, and His diagnoses, remedies and solutions for such sicknesses are far superior to theirs. How can that be so? Jesus goes to the very core of where these problems lie, which is the human spirit. Psychiatrists and psychologists are not qualified to go there, which is why guilt still troubles most of their patients even after years of therapy. The root cause of all guilt is sin; the greater sin is ignored or denied, the greater the guilt!

So what is sin? Without going in too deep theologically, sin is transgression of the law of God. Sin is lawlessness 1 John 3:4. Sin offends God; sin is rebellion towards God. For those who deny this reality, there’s nothing God can do for them. Guilt will plague them at the last; if not in life, certainly in death. And for countless thousands, guilt plagues them on their deathbed but they are unable to repent of their sin. So what is the gospel? Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures….. 1 Corinthians 15:3-4. All those who freely receive Christ’s gospel and stand in it are reborn in their spirit; they become new creations; old things pass away 2 Corinthians 5:17.

So how does one freely receive the gospel? 1). Agree with God that you are a sinner. 2). Agree with God the need for you to repent of your sin and turn from it. 3). Believe that you are forgiven by God. 4). Believe God’s promise to you that from thereon, There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the (Holy) Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death Romans 8:1-2. Do you see it? We have two choices only; we either live under the law of the Spirit of life in Christ or we live under the law of sin and death. The former promises freedom from guilt, the latter promises slavery to guilt.

There was an additional reason for me asking the Jehovah’s Witness man about his guilt. Jehovah’s Witnesses deny the deity of Jesus Christ; in doing so they deny God the Father. Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father either;….. 1 John 2:23. They also deny God is a Trinity – Father, Son and Holy Spirit. So altogether, they are most definitely living under the law of sin and death. All of that is such a tragedy, for they are more committed to the task of spreading their word than we Christians are to the task of spreading ours. They put us to shame! If they can be so dedicated with their message which we know is godless, what could they do with our message which we know is godly?

The guilt I’ve spoken of so far can be classed as legitimate guilt. We are born in sin Psalm 51:5, and Jesus Christ is the way out of sin; there is no other way out of it. The guilt I want to speak of now, is illegitimate guilt. If you have gone to Jesus and have had your sin washed away in His blood, any guilt you now suffer is illegitimate. Psalm 103:4-5 declares, For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is His mercy toward those who fear Him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us. 1 John 1:9 declares, If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. When these truths move from our head to our heart, we’re on our way!

But sooner than later along the way we’re going to encounter our adversary, Satan the devil. Whether we encounter him through our mind or through the mind of others, unlike God who is the ultimate Forgetter of our sin, Satan is the ultimate Reminder of our sin; and he uses God’s Scriptures to reinforce his reminders. So then, we must do the same to him. This is a spiritual battle we’re in so we must use spiritual weapons to put him down, not carnal weapons. The three most powerful weapons God has made available to us are: the name of Jesus, the blood of Jesus and the word of God. Satan reminds you of some past sin, you remind him that, “In Jesus name, Satan, that’s illegitimate guilt!” You are a liar; the blood of Jesus has taken care of that.”

And to reinforce that reality, quote the word of God to him. One of my favorites is, Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage Galatians 5:1. Look at those two glorious words, liberty and free. That’s what comes with the gospel of Christ – spiritual liberty from guilt and spiritual freedom from guilt. You’re no longer a prisoner to sins of the past that have been confessed and washed in Jesus’ blood. No matter what gets thrown at you, no matter how often it gets thrown, it’s illegitimate guilt; it belongs to Satan not to you. No more entanglements, no more yokes of bondage. Yes, sin will be with us till the day we die, but not its dominion and not its damning power.

As Bible Christians, we have spiritual liberty and freedom from the present. At least, it’s there for the taking, which means we need not be entangled with a yoke of bondage the “politically correct” Cultural Marxist crowd seeks to place upon us. They are the ones entangled, not us. Look at them; they have no mind of their own, there’s not an original thought or idea coming from any one of them. Go to Google Images and type in, ‘Lemmings over the cliff’ and note the images as you scroll down. That’s what’s happening to these people. Forget their anti-Christ, anti-Bible, anti-Christian rhetoric. Forget their infantile sneers, judgments, persecutions and condemnations. After all, they’re Satan’s people. That’s the limit of their creativity.

We have spiritual liberty and freedom from this same crowd with regards their gospel of lies called “Climate Change.” If ever there were a people entangled with a yoke of bondage, it is these people. Again, take a look at them: joyless, grim, dismal, fearful, morose, miserable, somber, humorless, depressed, oppressed, possessed, despondent, angry, bitter, critical and emotionally unstable. In addition to this, they are a crowd of manipulative, intimidating and controlling bullies, every bit as mad and deluded as the puppets of Hitler and Stalin were. Cast aside all their guilt trips; it’s illegitimate guilt. While the earth remains, seedtime, and harvest, cold and heat, winter and summer, and day and night shall not cease Genesis 8:22.

As Bible Christians, we have spiritual liberty and freedom from concern about what lies ahead. We are the only people who can say that because we’re the only ones who know what’s ahead. There will be wars and rumors of wars…… For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines and pestilences and earthquakes in various places Matthew 24:6-7. It is true that every generation has experienced these in some measure but this is nothing in comparison to what lies just around the corner. Presently we see the birth pangs of it all but wait until it all comes down at once. This will be the time when God’s wrath is poured out on those guilty of transgressing the law of God; legitimate guilt that certainly will be!

I have known Christians to be needlessly entangled again with a yoke of bondage. I’ve been one of them, often. But the Holy Spirit draws my attention to Galatians 5:1 every time and so it’s my prayer He will do the same for you when illegitimate guilt comes upon you. God will allow it to happen often, but only so as we can learn to discern that which is from Him versus that which is from our adversaries. God is faithful; He stands for us and with us always. Remember too, that which Moses spoke to Israel, Jesus also speaks to us: Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the LORD your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you Deuteronomy 31:6. My peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you…. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid John 14:27.