Tag: False Guilt

Shining the Light of Jesus in an Endarkened Culture

Time is short, and the pace of change is accelerating as our nation and the world are hurtling toward the end times described in the Bible. This sense of urgency compels us as Christians to be the salt and light we are called to be by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

One of the ways to do that is to write letters to the editor of local newspapers, where we publicly participate in discourse on issues of the day – issues that impact all of our lives. Of course we will receive flak, as the forces of darkness seek to overwhelm the forces of the Light. But we are not to worry – they are defeated and we are victorious:

“Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10

These letters to the editor address a wide variety of topics, all from a Biblical world view. They were directed to editors, columnists, and other letter writers, and have received various responses. But we are not to be concerned with the responses; we should seek to carry out the Lord’s will and leave the consequences to Him. We should do no more and no less than what the Holy Spirit would have us do.

Some of the letters: Zinger of the Year – Living in a Universe Without Design, Columnist Leaves Out God, George Washington’s Secret to Success, Tin-Hat Conspiracy Theorists, True Guilt vs. False Guilt, The American Holocaust, You Don’t Know What Happens When You Die, When Religion Fosters Evil, Political Solutions to Spiritual Problems, Religion and Science – TAKE THE QUIZ, We Are All One and We Are Divine, and Humanism Has Greater Faith and Is More Challenging.

You can see them here:

Shining the LightDownload

Action Steps: We were born to live in this very time. So let us seek the Lord and His calling upon our lives, sharing His truth and love with all He brings across our path, all to His glory, knowing that He will never leave us nor forsake us.

Life is short. God is great. Walk with the Lord.

Mark Peterson

LifeintheSpirit.net

GUILT – OUR WORST ENEMY OR OUR BEST FRIEND

How to Get Rid of Guilt

“If you have guilt in your life, just get rid of it so you can get on with your life,” stated a vice president of a midwestern state university, giving a pep talk to faculty about life and careers. Although this high-ranking official recognized how detrimental guilt can be in our lives, she did not mention repentance as a way to get rid of it.

None of us like to feel guilty – the realization or belief that we have done something wrong, and the feeling that we will suffer consequences for our actions. And yet we will all experience guilt in our lives because of our fallen, sinful nature – our propensity to sin and our inability to keep the law perfectly. Thanks to Jesus, we can become free of guilt, but we must be able to distinguish between TRUE GUILT and FALSE GUILT.

We experience TRUE GUILT when we commit true sin, because the Holy Spirit convicts us of that sin – an offense against God and probably our fellow man. When we repent, we are forgiven, and restored to a right relationship with our Lord. Our Lord then wipes that sin off of the books, for He is merciful and loving:

“The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in mercy… He does not treat us as our sins deserve, nor punish us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His mercy for those who fear Him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.”  Psalm 103:8-12

Of course there may be temporal consequences to our sin. If we rob a bank, even if we repent, we may go to prison. (Our governmental legal system is not as forgiving as our gracious Lord.)

We experience FALSE GUILT when we feel badly because someone – perhaps a loved one, a friend, our boss, or the culture, wants us to do something that is unnecessary or even wrong. Perhaps they claim you need to purchase a new car, a bigger house, a fancy vacation, etc. because your neighbors (the Joneses) have one, and that you are A BAD AND UNCARING PERSON if you do not comply with their wishes.

Another example of false guilt is the notion that white people should feel guilty of racism because four hundred years ago white people enslaved black people in this nation. Although we should try to make amends for past atrocities and injustices, we cannot be guilty of something we did not do.

Guilt Can Become Our Worst Enemy When:

  • FALSE GUILT – We feel pressure from others to do certain things that are unnecessary or wrong, but do not have the discernment and courage to reject it because it is false and often a manipulation. So we give in to their wishes, or resist and live a life of guilt, condemned by their (Godless) value system.
  • TRUE GUILT – We experience true guilt, but are unwilling to repent to get rid of the sin in our lives (which would eliminate the guilt).

Guilt Can Become Our Best Friend When:

  • We know the difference between true guilt and false guilt and just dismiss false guilt, for it is fake, and a reflection on our loved one, friend, boss, or culture.
  • We realize true guilt is like a flashing warning sign that we are about to step off the narrow path that leads to Heaven, onto the wide path that leads to the Lake of Fire. So we repent, make things right, and get back on the narrow path. If we ignore the warning signs, or can’t distinguish between true guilt and false guilt, we will be on the wrong path, headed for perdition.

Not sure if what you are experiencing is true or false guilt? Hold it up to our Lord:

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6

Given how our culture has become increasingly post-Christian, pressures will increase on Christians to conform to a godless culture. Therefore, it is critical that we spend time with our Lord each day so that we will be discerning and able to cope with true and false guilt.

Everyone we meet has to deal with guilt, and are doing so with varying degrees of success. So let us help them with their struggle to discern and dismiss false guilt, and repent of true guilt, so they may be free from the shackles of sin and experience the joy and love of our Lord.

To God be the glory

Lifeinthespirit.net