Guilt

As we're looking at ourselves and all the preparation that went past over in the days of 11 bread, there's so many different facets and different meanings that we can draw from from this time of the year. And as I was thinking about what am I talking about today, there's a whole other facet that sometimes can come into play that seems to become maybe more evident this time of the year. And some of us are plagued with this all the time, and something that we have to constantly deal with. Others of us, maybe it just shows up once in a while, but it's one of those things that when it shows its ugly head, it is a terrible thing. And I think it's something that oftentimes comes to the forefront of our minds and wants to put a wedge between us and God. And maybe even during these special times of the year, it can even become more evident. And I think, well, what am I talking about? This has been sometimes called the tormentor of the soul, and it is guilt. Guilt can be one of those things that at this time of the year we examine ourselves, and we should examine ourselves. But can we get beyond the guilt in order to be in the place where God would want us to be? Because sometimes, even though we're striving to please God and do what we need to do, and follow those scriptures that say, yes, we need to examine ourselves and look at ourselves, yeah, we recognize we're not perfect. We have our shortcomings. But oftentimes that can turn into, what would you do? What were you thinking? You have the nerve to think that a perfect God would forgive you? I mean, look at them. They're a good Christian. They are doing what they're supposed to be. How could you be among this group of God's people and be the kind of person that thinks the kind of things you're thinking? And those kind of thoughts can come into our minds. And as we consider those kinds of things, we can see how that can begin, then, to separate us from God. And I think that is such a terrible characteristic of this concept of guilt, that it can separate us from God. And it's amazing how many times, biblically, we see this concept come up throughout the Psalms.

And he'll turn with me over to Psalm 40, verse 12. We see a whole group of guilt that David encountered. And it seems to be one of those things that David often dealt with. The challenges that came from seeing himself with all of his shortcomings. And when he recognized that, oftentimes, he wasn't sure what to do. In fact, he oftentimes wondered where God was. Sometimes, we've even criticized God. It's like, God, I'm running around here in the wilderness. Where are you? What are you doing? What's going on? You know, my sins are ever before me. He says so many things like that. And you can begin to see how this guilt was just plaguing him. And when you look at Psalm 40, verse 12, he says, Inumerable evils have surrounded me. So he even puts it into kind of an illustration, a picture imagining this. Not just Saul and his army surrounding him, but evil all around him. He says, my iniquities have overtaken me. My lawlessness. My sins, in other words. And as a result, what does he say? So that I'm not able to look up.

Of course, envisioning the fact that God is on his throne. And we imagine God in the third heaven sitting on his throne. But where is David? I can't look up. I am so over-ridden with guilt. I've got my face to the ground. I can't overcome this. He says, these sins that have overtaken me, they're more than the hairs on my head. Therefore, my heart fails me. Boy, when that begins to happen. We can see how our own thinking, our adversary works against us. When we come into that kind of frame of mind. Because, yeah, we've got our challenges. We've got our difficulties. But when that begins to separate us, we don't look to God. And we feel so over-ridden with guilt. And oftentimes it's because, well, I knew better. How did I do that? I shouldn't have done that. I knew better. It's that same old thing that keeps cropping up. And yet, in a moment of weakness, temptation, there it is. And David's a great example of that. A good, bad example, you might say. Because it happens so oftentimes throughout his life. Now, as we look here, we see him looking down to the ground. I can't look up. And oftentimes, that kind of is a reflection of this idea of leavened bread that we came out of. We come out of unleavened bread. And we recognize that yeast that got in there began to spread, began to grow. And now, not only can't I look up, now I'm ashamed of myself. Now, that guilt has kind of gone to another level that I'm ashamed. And I, how can I go to God and ask for forgiveness when I knew better? And that begins to put that wedge in there. And of course, when that begins to happen, now what? Well, looking down at the ground, I really can't talk to God because I shouldn't have done this. I shouldn't have done this if I knew better. Or maybe it's that same old thing that keeps cropping up all the time. Or maybe it's just this doubt or this fear that I have. And now, I'm kind of apart from God. I'm a little bit isolated from God. And without the right kind of contact, wow, that separation that comes in, now puts a wedge between our God who can forgive and wants to forgive.

And the relationship that we have with Him. And once that's short-circuited, how do you feel about that? Now I'm down. Now I'm discouraged. Now how am I ever going to ever get out of this? And so when we have this separation that comes in, it's like, well, what am I supposed to do? I'm so discouraged about it. Now, how do I recover? You can see this step-by-step progression that takes us a little bit farther away from God. And we feel like, well, now how can God help me? Because I don't see a way out. And in fact, as you look at this Psalm here, David expresses that very thing. He talks about this separation that's come into play, because he's isolated himself from God, because he doesn't look up to God. And that guilt can certainly do that to us. And if you take that to its logical conclusion, it's not good. Because now we get so depressed and discouraged, we're ready to give up. And unfortunately, that seems to be the way of the world these days. There's so many connections that we can make with this concept of guilt, and a lot of the challenges that so many are facing, not necessarily spiritual challenges, but just challenges with mental illness, and discouragement, and depression, and a lot of it comes back to guilt. And so when we look at this from a spiritual perspective, we know we're facing our own selves, and we're facing our enemies, the spiritual forces that we're battling, that would love to have us that frame of mind, would like to lock us up in that kind of thinking, so that we continue to move away from God.

But that's not what God wants for us. He doesn't want us to get locked into that guilty perspective that brings shame and isolation. There's a beautiful passage over in the book of Colossians. If you look what Paul wrote to God's church in Colossae, the very beginning here of Colossians, he writes something interesting. In chapter 1, notice chapter 1, verse 19 of Colossians.

Here is, in a sense, an answer to David's dilemma, where he says, I'm surrounded and I can't even look up, because these things have just seemed to overtaken me. And yet here Paul writes to Colossae, to God's people there. He writes to us. And he makes, I think, such an important point here. Notice what he says. He says, it please the Father that in Him, talking about Jesus Christ, all the fullness should dwell, and by Him, to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him. Whether things on earth, things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross. So he makes this gigantic point. All things should be redeemed through Christ. Everything. God's going to reconcile and bring us into agreement with God. But what about me? Because I'm the one that's guilty, I'm the one that's ashamed, I'm the one that feels like giving up. Well, verse 21. He says, and you, who were once alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, which, boy, that sounds like David back in Psalm 40, doesn't it? I had so many challenges and so many difficulties, I can't even look up. Well, that's being alienated. You and all of us. When we become separated from God, we are sort of alienated. Yeah, that's not where God wants us. It says, yet now He has reconciled. He's brought us back. It says, in the body of His flesh through death to present you holy and blameless and irreproachable in His sight.

Wow, those are pretty powerful words. Going from being ashamed and discouraged and down, isolated, here we see, through the sacrifice of Christ, we're holy. We're supposed to be blameless. So do you think God wants us to carry around all this guilt, all this blame?

I don't think so. Now, of course, as we read on here, there is a disclaimer, so we don't misunderstand. It's not that we can stay in our sins. That's not the case at all. Verse 23, He says, if indeed you continue in the faith, rounded and steadfast, not moved away from the hope of the gospel. Well, that's a disclaimer. We've got to be faithful.

We've got to recognize this isn't the place to be. We don't want to be there. God doesn't want us there. And He made a way out. So that we don't have to feel overwhelmed with shame and guilt and feel like somehow I can't come to God. In fact, it's just the opposite. That God's made a way. God's made a way through Jesus Christ that we can be brought back together. That our sins can be forgiven. And so, when you read these things, you often look at this and go, well, how holy do I feel, anyway?

Sounds kind of strange when you think of it that way. Do you feel holy today? I did when I tried to put on my socks this morning and I noticed there was a hole in your butt. Well, sometimes that's the length of it, right? But to feel holy and blameless, He's saying we should feel that way. We should feel that way. When we've come before God and He forgives us, we shouldn't carry guilt. That's not coming from God. Coming through the Passover, the Days of Unleavened Bread, it speaks to this whole idea of what Colossians 1 is all about.

That we have a Savior, we have a Redeemer, we have the One who's reconciled. So all the baggage, we can leave it on the little carousel, let it go around and around and around. We don't want to pick that back up again. We don't want to carry that baggage. And we don't have to. And God doesn't want us to. And so we can let that go.

And God says, we're not blameless. He's justified us through Christ. And sometimes that sounds like such a spiritual sounding word. We're justified. Well, what is justification anyway? The easy way to remember it is, just as if I never sinned. It's just as if I never sinned. Through Christ, I'm truly repentant and ask God to forgive me.

It's just as if I've never sinned. And so we don't want to pick up that baggage anymore. And so we've got to let that go and not let that guilt come back. Because God doesn't want that at all. Now, of course, many people these days are feeling very guilty because we just got through tax time. And there are a lot of people that are pretty guilty out there about their taxes. You may have heard about the fellow felt very guilty about his taxes. He wrote a letter to the IRS. He said, I can't sleep.

My conscience is bothering me. He closes a check for $50. He says, if it continues, then I can't sleep anymore. I'll send you the balance later. Okay, I didn't feel that guilty. Now, if you look down, look to the next chapter here, chapter 2. Colossians 2, verse 13. It says, Being dead in your trespasses and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, he's made alive together with him. So the guilt and the death goes along with the sin and is gone. Now we're alive. And it says, Having forgiven you, all trespasses. So when it's sincere and we go before God, he doesn't hold back.

He says, well, I only forgive a part of that. No, and we're truly sorry, truly repentant. It's gone. And he puts it in this frame, verse 14. Having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. Well, what is this handwriting of requirements? And some people get it all backwards and think it's the Sabbath or the Holy Days or the Law, all of that sort of thing. No, that's not it. He's blotted out or wiped out something that was against us. Well, what stands against us?

Yeah, our sin. Sin stands against us. He wipes out our sin because that's contrary. And it says, He's taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. So through the sacrifice of Christ, that's what removes our sin. So he takes this, well, literally this handwriting, an IOU, that because of our sins, we deserve death.

But he took that debt out of the way, that certificate of debt, that IOU of our life, and he paid with it, with the life of Christ. And so now, those principalities that lord it over us, the wickedness that comes against us from high places, verse 15, says He's disarmed those principalities of powers and made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.

And so we can have triumph, we have the victory, and not allow that way to continue to be upon us, because that is not what God wants. He's wiped it out. And there's kind of an interesting little connection here, especially when you go back to the first century, when they would write on papyrus or the paper of the day, way back in Paul's time.

The ink that they used was not like, you know, a magic marker, that once it's on there, it's indelible, it's never coming off.

The kind of inks that they had at that time, you could actually blot it back out again, wipe it off, and start over with the paper. You kind of recycle the paper and write something else on there. Well, that's the idea that Paul's giving here, that these sins stood against us, just like they were written down.

But through the sacrifice of Christ, they've been removed, they've been blotted out. Now we've got a clean slate, clean peeps of paper.

So we can't look at that and think, oh, this is vanishing, reappearing ink.

That, oh, it's gone, and then we look again, oh, there it is, came back, and God's not doing that.

You see, we have a tendency to do that. We look at that paper that he's blotted out, and boy, we think it's reappearing all over again.

But we can't allow that to happen. God says, no, that is not reappearing ink.

When it's blotted out through the sacrifice of Christ, it is gone. It is a clear slate.

He even takes it to the level of disarming the powers that are against us.

We read yesterday Ephesians 6, where it talks about the armors of God, the armor of God that we put on, because we're battling spiritual wickedness in high places.

Well, he's disarmed those wicked spirits. Satan himself that comes against us, and he says he's made a public spectacle. Why?

Because we're not to be blamed anymore. Because we are sin-free. That slate has been wiped, and we're clean.

And so, even though we may feel guilty, the ultimate judge, when we're repented, has wiped that sin out.

And that is such an amazing thing that we really, I think, have to take to heart.

I got a little bit of an interesting perspective on this one time, because I got a ticket one time for not stopping at a stop sign.

And I thought I had. And so, it was kind of a strange intersection. I was in a town, visiting a member there. And so, I wasn't all that familiar. So, maybe I didn't see that right. But anyway, I got this ticket from this policeman. And then I went back and looked at the intersection. I was like, no, wait a second. Well, I did. Because then it said, right turn, no stop. So, I had kind of gone right through this intersection. And he pulled me over. I got a ticket. He's like, ah, no, what am I going to do?

Well, about a month later was the court case. So, I decided, well, I'll try to fight it. So, the judge called my case. I went up in front of him and said, how do you plead? It was like, guilty with an explanation.

Okay, I didn't stop at the stop sign like the ticket said. But, the stop sign says, you know, right turn, no stop. And the funny thing is, the policeman who gave me the ticket was there.

I thought, oh great, I'm going to be a trouble now. Well, then it was interesting because the policeman stood up and he said, well, let me show you what the intersection looks like, Your Honor. So, he drew this intersection out and I'm looking at this thing and it's like, that doesn't look exactly right. Then I realized something. I looked out the window and the intersection was actually locked down and you could see it from the courtroom.

And so, the officer finished. I said, okay, I understand that, Your Honor, but if you look over here at the intersection out the window, it's actually a little different than you drew it. And the judge looked out the window and he said, all right, you're free to go. He was like, yay! And he let me off. Yes, all right. And so, I was free. I was totally free. I thought, all right, disarm the principalities and powers that stood against me.

But that kind of feeling, I think, is what God wants us to have. If I could feel that good of a silly little ticket, what about those sins that were really putting me to death? And the thing is, I don't think that officer was very happy about it. He didn't have a real happy look on his face like I did. But it was a reminder that sometimes we think maybe God is kind of like that police officer. Okay, I'll let you go, but you better not let that happen again or we'll get you. That kind of thing is what I felt from that police officer. But God doesn't hold a grudge like that. You know, when he removes it, it's gone. It's gone. And there's this beautiful Psalm 103. You're probably familiar with it because it's a reminder. God doesn't hold grudges and he doesn't want us to carry this guilt. He doesn't want a separation between us. He wants to declare us not guilty. He wants to wipe that sin right away. And in Psalm 103, in fact, we sing this song, Bless the Lord, eternal, oh my soul, we sing this song oftentimes in church. Well, when you go a little bit farther down the Psalm lyrics, you get to all the way down to verse 12.

And in verse 12, after talking about how great God's mercy is, he says, As far as the east is from the west, so far he has removed our transgressions from us. That is such a beautiful picture to imagine that, that if we start walking toward our sin, that's been forgiven. When are we going to get to it? You'll never get there because, you know, east is still east no matter what.

Or you start walking toward the setting sun, you'll never get there. You'll just keep going around the earth, right? You'll never get there. And so that's such a beautiful picture of that. That God doesn't hold us to blame. We should then, like we read in Colossians, feel blameless. Not because we weren't guilty, because we were. But God removed that guilt through Jesus Christ. And so what a blessing that is. And I think when we recognize it, this can really be a launching pad to spiritual growth. You know, where do we go from here, now that we're through the days of our love and bread? We've been through the past. Well, we want to keep growing. We want to keep putting on the character of Christ. And when we see ourselves like this when we're repented, I think it helps us to do that. In fact, when Paul wrote to the Corinthians, I mean, there was a church that was a mess. So many problems and so many challenges and difficulties. That first letter he wrote them, they were having trouble getting along with each other. They were discriminating against each other. They really didn't like each other that much. It seemed like services were just an absolute mess. There were people standing up and doing different things. It was just an absolute mess. And yet, when he writes his second letter, he says something interesting here. If you look to 2 Corinthians 5, look at the change and how that change comes that he writes about here in 2 Corinthians 5, 17. We can see how this ties into where we're at right now in the timeframe of God's calendar. We're looking forward to Pentecost, and we know by the power of God's Spirit we can be different people. Once he's removed the sin from us, those transgressions, now I don't have to feel guilty. I don't have to let that weigh on me. In verse 17, he says, if anyone's in Christ, he's a new creation. Old things have passed away. The idea is a sinful old person. That's gone. And he says, Behold, all things become new. Now all things are of God.

Well, how is that possible to be new? To be different? To be guilt-free? He says, this is from God, who has reconciled us to himself through Christ. He's given us the ministry, the service of reconciliation. He's removed any separation, anything that would come between us and God. He's taken it away. And so we can have a changed attitude, a changed perspective, the right kind of attitude adjustment.

He says, God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, not imputing their trespasses to them. And he's committed to us the word of reconciliation. So we have this whole different frame of mind here. And because of that, then, now I can really be a godly representative. My life should be a reflection of that, then. So that's why he says in verse 20, We are ambassadors for Christ, as though God was pleading through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf to be reconciled to God. So, once again, in a little bit different way, he tells the Corinthians, just like he told the Colossians, God has given us this word of reconciliation, this word that we can come back together and have a right relationship. And he says, we're to be righteous. And not, then, by comparison, carry guilt along with us. We can't carry this guilt. And what we find here is God is not pointing his finger at us, looking down on us when we're forgiven. But we know who does. I mean, who would love to point the finger at us and want us to feel this way and have that doubt emerge? We're going over and over again, whether it's Psalm 103 or whether we read in 1 Corinthians. He writes very similar things that God isn't keeping track in that way. In fact, God says, it's gone. Liked out. Far as east is from west. But we know who does keep a scorecard? We know Satan and the demons would love to accuse us and continually want to accuse us. But God doesn't. God doesn't keep a scorecard. And the challenge is, of course, we know that Satan's the prince of the power of the air. They can broadcast their wrong attitudes and moods and try to infect our thinking. They don't give up. They don't give up on it. They would love to trip us up. And so they'd like to remind us of those past sins. But God doesn't want that at all. He doesn't want that at all. He wants us to be blameless before us. In fact, there's a...He even takes it kind of to the next level. If we look back to Ephesians for a moment, look at the beginning of the book of Ephesians. Ephesians chapter 1 verse 4. Here I think he puts these different thoughts together to really drive home this person. We had any doubt about it. Does God really forgive and forget? Does he really move on from our sins? Does he really forgive us when we're in effect? Well, here he shows how much we need to forgive ourselves as well and give up the guilt. Ephesians chapter 1 verse 4. He says, just as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, Christ was sacrificed before the foundation of the world. He says that we should be holy and without blame before him in love. So, how do we stand before God? What does God see when he looks at us, especially after we've come through Passover, Days of Unleavened Bread, we recommitted our lives to him, we stand forgiven? He says, once again, holy and blameless. Holy and blameless. He says having predestinized adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to himself according to the good pleasure of his will. I like the way that's worded. Not the idea that he's planned out every thought, every thing we'd ever do. That's not what he's saying. If anybody's going to be in the kingdom, they're going to have to be like Jesus Christ. His sons and daughters will be in the kingdom and they will be like Christ. We will be a part of the family of God. In fact, as we look at this, what does God think about it? He loves that.

This is God's pleasure. According to his good pleasure, this is what he wants to do. He wants to make us a part of his family. And he has our best interest in heart. And so here he's looking at us, not just like ourselves. So when he looks at us, what does he see? Especially as we're forgiven. He sees his son. He sees Jesus Christ.

Paul wrote in Galatians 2.20 that I'm crucified with Christ, yet I live. But, old Paul, I'm not alive. It's Christ in me. And so when we are forgiven, God looks at us and he sees Christ. He sees us holy and without blame. Total pardon. Complete forgiveness. Unlike this world. No strings attached. No strings attached to that. No penalty. No fine. No parole. Your pardon. Your pardon. It's as though it never happened.

So when we recognize this, when we are in a right relationship with God, he's saying, don't feel guilty. Because that guilt can then weigh us down. So when we consider that, I think at times, this time of the year, it's such a great reminder because we concentrate a lot on the Passover and the sacrifice of Christ. We look at how we can be unleavened. How can we live a life that removes sin? I think sometimes when we have that right focus of recognizing Jesus Christ and his sacrifice, and keeping that at the forefront of our mind, that's such an important aspect of getting rid of the guilt that we might feel.

So to do that, we recognize, yeah, that guilt separates us from God. But when we appreciate the sacrifice of Christ, that can help relieve that whole problem and that symptom that can come between us and God. In fact, in the book of John, the Gospel of John, at the crucifixion, Christ said something, I think, that ties in so beautifully with this whole concept of bringing ourselves from the reminder of our sins and really standing blameless before God, being forgiven before God. When we recognize what Christ went through, and even the words that he says here, just before his death, they are so powerful.

Let's notice this in John 19, verse 28, here Christ is being crucified. And in verse 28, it says, after this, Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, he said, I thirst. Of course, that's a part of the fulfillment of prophetic things as well. Then in verse 29, he says, now a vessel full of sour wine was sitting there, they lifted a sponge with sour wine, put this upon it, and put it to his mouth.

Not that they wanted to help ease his pain or his suffering, they're trying to make it worse here. But then, in verse 30, it says, when Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, it is finished. And by his head, he gave up his Spirit. And so, Christ died. Christ died. Of course, when we read this in English, I think in a way it misses part of the deeper meaning here.

Because there is this connection here with what we read a little bit earlier about our sins being blotted out, that certificate of debt that was paid. When we recognize what this Greek phrase, it is finished, really points to, it can point to the fact that something has been paid in full. It's finished. Paid in full. Paid in full. This is the same word that was used when a Roman prisoner completed their sentence. It was finished. They finished the sentence. They got out of jail. It was done. They paid the price for what they did. They served their time.

And now, it's finished. It's paid in full. And so, here we see very clearly what's paid in full. Well, the penalty for sin. The penalty for all of mankind's sin. And so, in prison to sin, we are now released, and in a way, we're given, you know, well, if you play Monopoly, we're given a get-out-jail-free card. You know, that we are given a certificate of debt, that our debt has been paid. Our debt has been paid. Sin, ultimately, has to be paid with debt.

But our debt was paid in full when we were bought, we were paid for, by Jesus Christ. Paid in full. Paid in full. And so, there's no hold over us in that way. And so, then our reaction, when we keep the sacrifice of Christ in mind, that should help us to get rid of that guilt. To get rid of the shame. And so, that we don't have to focus on, you know, our toes, on the ground. That we can look to God. That we don't have to be in that frame of mind.

And I think this time of the year is such a reminder of that. Guilt can be put behind us when we really focus on the sacrifice of Christ.

Of course, it is interesting that the one section of Scripture that focuses so much on Christ, especially in his role today, is the book of Hebrews. And in the book of Hebrews, it talks about Christ being our High Priest. If it wasn't for the book of Hebrews, we wouldn't know that Christ is our High Priest. It's the only section of Scripture that talks about that. Of course, he's the one that intercedes for us. And Hebrews speaks to that.

And it also includes, I think, an important aspect when it comes to this concept of shame and guilt and discouragement. Hebrews chapter 9 is the section that I was thinking of that points to this very fact. It kind of ties these ideas together. Let's take a look over there. Hebrews chapter 9, in verse 11, it begins a section talking about our High Priest.

And not just a physical High Priest, we know that he is our spiritual High Priest. He's gone into the Holy Holies on our behalf. Literally, to the Father on our behalf. And so in Hebrews chapter 9, verse 11, it says, Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come with the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands. That is not of this creation. Not about that physical tent. It's not about the temple. It's about God's throne. That's where he came to that tabernacle. He says, not with the blood of goats and calves, but with his own blood. He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. He paid the price for us, by his own life, by his death, by his shed blood. Verse 13, then it says, if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, or in other words, in Old Testament there was a tabernacle, and then later there was a temple. And there was a function of all the sacrifices, all the bulls that were sacrificed, all the sheep, all the goats, all the turtles, all of that had a function. It showed ultimately the greater and more perfect sacrifice. It pointed to these things.

It made it possible for God to dwell with his people, that he could be in the tabernacle, or be in Solomon's temple. He could actually be there. His presence was there. And so it did serve a purpose. But, what's more important, it wasn't just a covering. God wants sin totally removed.

And so today, he says, verse 14, For this reason he's the mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance. We can have eternal life through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. And he did it and said, once for all, once for all. And as a result of that, where should our mind be focused then? Well, he says, when we keep these things in mind, it should purge our conscience from dead works. Purge our conscience from dead works.

That's not really talking about forgiven sin. Yeah, through the sacrifice of Christ. Of course we're forgiven of our sin. But sometimes things continue to weigh on our conscience. It continues to bog us down. Things that are gone, done, over with, perhaps even forgiven. That's God to forgive us.

Well, he says, Christ's sacrifice even gets rid of that. And we can get rid of all of those things that lead nowhere. They're dead works. They're not living things. They're gone. They're gone. And because of Christ's sacrifice, we can be brought back into a right relationship. We can get rid of an old baggage. It can be gone. It can be purged out.

So it doesn't have to hold us back any longer when we recognize the sacrifice of Christ. We kind of keep that in the forefront of our minds. And it removes it. And it is gone. It is gone. And so we can get rid of the guilt that we can carry, or the shame that might come with sin. And finally, put it away. Absolutely put it away. Because I think in a way, what he's also reminding us here is the fact that not only does God forgive it, but like Psalm 103 talks about, it's gone.

Because when God forgives, He removes it. It's like He just puts it out of His mind. He forgets it entirely. There's another passage that talks about the blotting out idea. This one's in the Old Testament. Isaiah 43 is one of those passages that even adds a little bit more to this idea of, okay, there were these sins of ours, and then we wiped off that ink, so we can't read it anymore.

It's gone. A clean slate. This one in Isaiah uses a Hebrew word for blotting out. Isaiah 43, 25. Here, God, speaking of Himself, says, "'I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins.'" So this kind of blotting out is not like I wrote it down on a piece of paper and then I erased it. This kind of blotting out needs to just obliterate it, just to destroy it.

Gone. And it's totally blown to bits. That's what happens here. He blots it out. He obliterates it. So much, you can't even recognize it anymore. It's gone. I don't remember it. I don't remember it. And so it's interesting that in verse 26, Isaiah writes, "'Put me in remembrance. Let's contend together. State your case, then. You may be acquitted.'" You see, Isaiah records this fact that God wants to talk about these things. Why? Not to hold us guilty or accountable, but to wipe it out, to remove it, totally get rid of it. He doesn't want us to stand guilty before.

He wants to forgive us. And this is such a great passage because it shows God's positive approach, even to us as sinners, that He's ready, willing, and able, wanting to remove our sin. So this is such a powerful passage. You know, when we repent, we ask God to forgive us. He says, I can do this. I can do this, and I want to do this, and I can't wait to wipe out those sins and totally remove them.

And so, of course, when God removes the sin, what should happen to the guilt as well? That should be gone. That should be gone. In Psalm 51, a famous section of Scripture where David repents before God after the whole mess with Bathsheba, and then sending Uriah to his death, in Psalm 51, maybe you haven't noticed what this one little section says in Psalm 51.

When you think of this psalm of repentance, sometimes we'll sing this in Passover, even. In the loving kindness, we sing that's where this comes from. David asks God to remove his sins. He says, verse 7, purge me with hyssop, I'll be clean, wash me, all of those things. Verse 10, created me a clean heart. We see true repentance happening here. David is sorry, but he's beyond that.

He wants God to forgive him. He says, restore me the joy of your salvation. But he also says something interesting in verse 14. Verse 14, David says, deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God, the God of my salvation. Interesting. That's not the sin that David's asking to be forgiven. The sin was he sent Uriah to his death. He should have left Bathsheba alone. That was the sin. He's repentant of this. Now he's asking God to remove the guilt as well. Because that's something that David's thinking. God's got to remove that. And here we see, when we repent, God can remove the guilt as well.

God didn't want David to carry this guilt around. Not at all. He wanted him to change. He wanted him to be different. He wanted him to build the character of Christ. That's what he wanted. So, David asks for God to remove the guilt as well. And then David says, then my tongue shall sing aloud of your righteousness. Open my lips and my mouth shall show forth your praise.

You see, before he got his head to the ground, he's full of shame and guilt. He can't even look to God. But here he praises and asks God to remove that guilt. And when he does, what's the result? His life, then, is this living, breathing example of what a Christian's supposed to be. And he's shining forth God's way now. Because God can remove the guilt as well.

And I love this passage, because that takes it all the way to the next level. So, if I feel guilty after I'm truly repentant, after I'm striving to change, is that on God? That's on me. You know, maybe that's on our adversary that's trying to get me back into that frame of thinking. And God says, don't go there. I've taken it away. God can remove even our guilt, can deliver us from that very fountain. And, of course, if we remember what Psalm 103 said, that he forgives, what was it?

A couple of our iniquities? One or two of them? Three or four? No, it says he forgives all our iniquities. All of them. In fact, it goes on and he says he crowns us with loving kindness. The victor's crown. He gives us this crown of victory. And so, ultimately, that's what God wants. That he can remove the guilt, the sin, the whole thing.

And so, that's where I think David finally came to in this whole scenario in Psalm 51. That David could finally forgive himself and allow God to remove that guilt. And through the sacrifice of Christ, we can certainly do that. We can do that because God's made a way. And sometimes there's a strange word that's connected with this. That sometimes we might miss the meaning a little bit in the way that the word is used.

You can see it over in 1 John. 1 John chapter 2. Here in the Epistle of John, he uses something interesting here as he describes that sacrifice that we're supposed to keep in mind. So, you look all the way over to 1 John chapter 2. No, it's not. Earlier than Revelation, before Jude, there it is. 1 John chapter 2. And at the very beginning of chapter 2, he says, My little children, these things I write, so that you may not sin.

Okay, that's our goal. We don't want to sin. Alright, if we do sin, which we will, he says, We have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.

Then verse 2, he says, And he himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the whole world. So, Christ is our propitiation. This word isn't used very often in the New Testament. I think it's only three or four times throughout the New Testament.

But when you look at this word for propitiation, it's through Jesus Christ. He is the propitiation. This word is connected to this idea of a covering. He's the covering for us. Which doesn't really make a whole lot of sense. Okay, he covers our sin. Well, sort of.

But more than covering, we know he just totally removes it. But this word connects back to the Old Testament covering. And of course, if you went into the Holy of Holies, what was there? The Ark was there. The Ark of the Covenant was right there in the Holy of Holies. The high priest would only go in there once a year on the Day of Atonement.

What would he do? He would sprinkle blood of the sacrifice there. If you remember, where did he sprinkle it? He sprinkled it, especially on the mercy seat. On the covering of the Ark, which was called the mercy seat. And this propitiation has a connection to the covering or the mercy seat. The covering of the box, the Ark.

Which is pretty phenomenal when you begin to think about it. Because if you remember what was in the Ark... was there anything in there? Okay, the man that was in there. That's right. Anything else? The Law. Right. The Law. The commandments are in the Ark. Well, what covers Law? Mercy.

Mercy covers Law. And so we have a covering and this propitiation takes us right back to that. That this seat that, ultimately, Christ was with Israel, he was the rock that followed them. Basically, his presence was right there at the mercy seat. He is our covering. Our violation of God's Law is covered by Jesus Christ and his sacrifice. So he is the propitiation. And so when we look at this, we see he looks at us then.

A pointed finger? Or does he look at us with favor? Wanting to forgive us. Even Christ was sacrificed, even when we were in our sins. And we see God's provided that way. And so he is our propitiation. He willingly gave his life for us. And so he suffered on our behalf. And so that he could justify us then. So as we look at this example, we see God is willing, ready, and through Jesus Christ, able to totally remove all our sin. And as we saw in David's example, the guilt as well. And of course, then that now brings us to our own thinking. Our own perspective. Because we've got to get rid of that.

We've got to let it go. We've got to recognize that these are... This is the truth. This is what God has done. And even though we are guilty of our sin, when we truly repent, God doesn't want us to hang on to that.

He wants us to totally remove it. And of course, often times at this time of the year, you see all these different religions that are out there. That are going through interesting little examples of trying to draw closer to God. If you saw on the TV the other day, they showed people in Jerusalem that were supposedly walking the path of the cross. And as they were going, they were crawling along, and some of them were beating themselves with little jellums, and whacking their backs, and then taking another step, and whacking themselves a little bit more.

Doing penance. In fact, there's a thing in Cincinnati they do... I can't think of something about the steps. Anyone familiar with that? What do they call it? Walking the steps. Walking the steps? Yeah, walking the steps. Similar kind of thing. It's not about repentance. It's doing penance. They're trying to punish themselves to make up for the wrongs that they've done. But that's not what God wants. God wants it gone. Does God forgive us when we bloody our back? Is that what happens? Is that the way that... Not at all. Yes, we have to hate the sin, but we go to God and ask for forgiveness, and then we go on.

We don't continue to beat up ourselves, like walking the steps, or those over in Jerusalem. No, it's recognizing that, and then going on. Going on for that. I heard an interesting story the other day. This was not this governor. The last governor of Texas, he was coming to the end of his term, and he was visiting one of the penitentiaries.

We had a bunch of prisoners in there, and quite a few of the convicts had gotten together. They were asking to talk to the governor, and you might be able to imagine why. So they were talking to the governor, and all of these different individuals were telling the governor how they didn't really do what they did, that they were unjustly imprisoned, and whenever they were fault, the whole system was unjust, and all of these, and they were asking the governor to pardon them.

There was one individual, though, that evidently told the governor, I'm guilty. I'm guilty. I did it. I did what they sent me here for. He said, but I believe I paid for it. He said, I won't serve my term, and if you granted me the freedom to leave, I would do everything I could possibly do to be a good citizen, and try to live a life that would be worthy of your pardon.

Which one do you think the governor pardoned? Not the guys that said they didn't do it. He ends up pardoning this one man who said he was guilty. Now, in a way, that's how it is for us. We're guilty of sin, no doubt. But once pardoned, now we've got to go on to a different life. We've been let out of the prison, the penalty of our sin, and now we have the freedom to live according to God's way.

So what a blessing that is! So we don't have to look back. Because as God forgives us, we have to remember, then, that we can put that behind us as well. We have an advocate, as we're told here. In fact, maybe one other passage we can look at in the Psalm. Psalm 130. Not 103, but 130. Change the numbers around a little bit.

And we see a passage that ties in beautifully and kind of sums up this whole concept of how God wants us to be guilt-free as well as sin-free. So in Psalm 130, here, once again, we find David crying out to God. And setting this beautiful example for us. Psalm 130, right at the very beginning, he says, Out of the depths I have cried to you, O Lord, Lord, hear my voice!

Let your ears be attended to the voice of my supplication. If you, Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? In other words, if you kept track, if you kept scorecard on me, boy, I had no hope whatsoever. Who would have any hope? Nobody would have any hope. But, on the contrary, verse 4, there is forgiveness with you, that you may be feared. And so God does forgive. In fact, we look down to verse 7, it says, O Israel, hope in the Lord! We're the Israel of God, we're the spiritual Israelites. It says, For with the Lord there is mercy, and with him there is abundant redemption, and he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities.

I love that little passage there. If you read this in various translations, not all of them translate it that way. He'll redeem Israel from all his iniquities. Of course, being spiritual Israel, yes, we are bought back out of the penalty of death. But a lot of the translations, instead of saying iniquities, they'll substitute the word guilt.

That he will redeem Israel from all its guilt. And so we don't have to harbor that. We don't have to be ashamed before God. Once we're truly repentant, we admit it. We admit our sins, we admit our guilt. Allow that guilt then to be forgiven by God so that we can change and throw it away like God does. So we don't ever want to allow that to come between us and God.

And I think as we go on now toward the Feast of Pentecost, I think we have the opportunity then to really, more fully, appreciate the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. And recognize that through that sacrifice, God forgives and He does forgive. So we don't want to let any wedge come between us and God. And as we do that, we can put that behind. So if we're still carrying around a lot of guilt, now's the time to dump the baggage. Because that is not God's intent. So let's look forward. Let's look ahead, put that past behind us, and ask God to really help us to quit harboring guilt.