How Do You Deal With Guilt?

Guilt has a nasty way of seeping into our bones.

We can forget whatever awful thing we did for days, months, or even years. All the while, guilt lies dormant, hidden deep beneath the surface. Waiting. Then out of nowhere when we least expect it, guilt strikes. And it goes right for the heart.

Just like that, memories of what we did come rushing back, fresh and vividly painful. Everything we did, everything we felt, and everything we experienced—it’s like it just happened all over again.

Guilt is vicious. It’s one of the best and deadliest tools at the devil’s disposal for getting us to look away from the cross and to look to ourselves in shame, disgust, and despair over the things we’ve done. And the longer we live on this sin-filled earth, the more awful ammunition the devil has to use against us.

We sin daily. Constantly. We sin so much that we can’t even recall the vast majority of our sins. But there are always ones that remain burned in our minds no matter how hard we try to forget them. They won’t go away; nor will the overwhelming feelings of guilt.

Dear Christian, how do we deal with guilt?

How did all of the Christians who came before us? We know they struggled with guilt too. For that matter, how do you suppose our first parents, Adam and Eve, dealt with their guilt?

We’re told in Genesis chapter 5 that Adam lived for 930 years. (We don’t know from Scripture how long Eve lived, but it’s safe to assume that she lived a longer life than most—certainly longer than any of us will live on earth.) Those 930 years were a long time for guilt to gnaw away at Adam’s heart, viciously reminding him that he was the one who brought sin into the world. He brought death into the world. Not just for himself, but also for everyone—including you and me.

I can’t even imagine shouldering the weight of that guilt, shame, and condemnation. Adam certainly couldn’t shoulder it. He couldn’t deal with his guilt on his own. He was just a man. But he looked to the God who promised that he would shoulder this guilt for Adam—that God would deliver Adam from his sin.

That was exactly what our Savior Jesus did. He took all of Adam and Eve’s guilt, shame, and condemnation—and not just theirs, but yours, mine, and the whole world’s—and bore it on the cross. For us. He took it all away, and God filled the pages of Scripture until they overflowed with reassurances to his people:

“The Lord will rescue his servants; no one who takes refuge in him will be condemned” (Psalm 34:22).

“[God] forgave us all our sins, having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross” (Colossians 2:13-14).

“There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1).

How do we deal with guilt?

Dear Christian, we don’t. We can’t. No, we look to God. We look and see him deal with our guilt for us.

He promises us in his Word and sacraments, “Look—you are not condemned. You are not guilty. You are in Christ Jesus! You are my dearly loved child, in whom I delight. All of your sins are forgiven.”

We need to hear God’s amazing, undeserved promises every day—over and over again—until the day he calls us home to him or Jesus returns. We’re sinful people. Undoubtedly, we’ll struggle with guilt our whole lives. But the promises of God are right there too. Cling to what he says in his Word. No condemnation. None at all. God has dealt with your guilt. He has taken it away in Jesus. You are forgiven and set free.

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