Guilt and forgiveness

by Richard Fox 

Worrying about what others think of you? What if they knew about some of your darker secrets?

Hurtful and selfish things we have said or done in the past often leave us feeling guilty and can make us ashamed of who we are, especially when we are reminded of our failures.

Thankfully, there is hope with Jesus Christ, who deals with our guilt and shame and sets us free from them. Thanks to his death and resurrection and the forgiveness that he freely gives, we are saved and restored to a right relationship with God. We can now have peace knowing that what gives us guilt has been dealt with by Jesus Christ and his saving love.

A RANGE OF READY RESOURCES TO HELP

Your Messages of Hope has many resources to help you and people you know deal with guilt and shame.

Online at www.messagesofhope.org.au/guilt, you’ll find videos, podcasts, booklets and PDFs sharing stories about guilt, shame and regrets, and the hope and freedom we have in Jesus Christ.

You can watch a range of videos about coping with guilt or listen to podcasts entitled ‘Karl’s dark secret’, ‘Freedom from shame’, and ‘Why did I do it?’. And you can read booklets titled ‘Forgiveness’, ‘Unlocking the prison of guilt’, and ‘Regrets, reality and restoration’.

As Martin Luther said, ‘So when the devil throws your sins in your face and declares that you deserve death and hell, tell him this: “I admit that I deserve death and hell, what of it? For I know One who suffered and made satisfaction on my behalf. His name is Jesus Christ, Son of God, and where he is, there I shall be also!”’

Richard Fox is Director of Lutheran Media.