If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
(1 John 1:8-9 NIV)
The truth is plain: “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). So, what do we do with the guilt that’s associated with our sin? What if our guilt feels like an enormous eighteen-wheeler bearing down on us? What if, regardless of how fast we run or where we try to hide, we can’t escape our guilt?
Guilt means that we are still carrying the weight of our sin on our shoulders. We are failing to believe that we truly have been forgiven. Truth asserts that Jesus bore the full weight of our sin on Calvary. He declared, “It is finished.”
Jesus died to forgive us and set us free from the penalty of our sin—set us free from guilt. We need to walk in this truth by forgiving ourselves and leaving our guilt at the foot of the cross. We do not have to hide our guilt; it shouldn’t rule our lives. God has made a provision for it through His only Son, Jesus.