Guilt. Every one has felt it at one time or the other. Each and every one of us has an inbuilt nature called the conscience. It’s like a shadow that follows us about, watching our every conduct and quick to speak out once we cross the line of sin. The resultant effect is sin.

When God created Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden, their consciences had no job to do. It was totally unemployed. Guilt did not even exist. Adam and Eve had a perfect relationship with God.


The minute they disobeyed God however, they created a job for their conscience and along same guilt. Even before God came visiting, they knew they had done something wrong. The first reaction was to hide. First they had to hide their nakedness; secondly they had hide from the presence of God. (Gen 3:7 – 10)

Let us forward some thousands of years after. When Jesus began His ministry on earth, He chose twelve disciples. One of them, Judas Iscariot betrayed the Lord and handed Him over to the Jewish authorities for the price of thirty pieces of silver. As soon as he realized the import of what he had done, guilt took over and reigned him towards his terrible death.

One man who knew how to combat and overcome guilt was King David. Confronted with his sin, David would waste no time going to the Lord in repentance. Many of the psalms in scripture were written by him and entire chapters were devoted to repentance for sins committed. (Psalm 51)

David would not allow guilt to fester and do damage to his psyche. He would go to God has take his guilt there. He knew that once he is forgiven, that guilt dies a natural death, never to trouble him again.

Many walk around today carrying varying degrees of guilt around with them. They sinned quite alright and had asked God for forgiveness but still the guilt keeps gnawing deep into them, preventing them from being entirely free to serve God. The live from day to day regretting what they did.

Let me inform you that guilt was not made to be carried about. It is a weight that can rob a life of joy and happiness and inevitably lead to a miserable life. No wish can turn the hands of the clock back or undo what has already been done. That is the first truth you need to know in your effort to overcome guilt.

The major antidote for guilt is repentance. What is repentance? According to the scripture, repentance is godly sorry. It means being genuinely sorry for what you have done, not because you were caught or because it backfired on you, but because you realize that you did wrong in the sight of God.

We often make the mistake of categorizing sins believing that some sins are more serious than others and therefore in need of repentance while others do not. May I announce to you that in the presence of God, there is nothing like a little sin or a big sin. ‘The wages of sin is death’  (Rom 6:23) Did you notice that there is no category in that verse?  Reward for all and any kind of sin is death. That means that lying and stealing fall into the same category as murder, simply put.

Are you walking about with a weight of sin and guilt? Go to the Lord in repentance. He is there willing to take that load off you so that you can be free to truly serve and worship Him.

God did not call perfect people to Him, He called sinners and turns them into saints because of His Son Jesus and regenerates us by His Spirit. It is not an overnight change, it is a process and as you come to Him often in repentance, He changes you and gradually molds you into what He wants you to be.

However, you have a part to play. God is not fooled by our outward piety. He knows a sincere heart determined to serve him. This was why David was recorded as the ‘Man after God’s heart (Acts 13:22). When we come to Him sincere about  our sin and our weaknesses, He not only forgives but also gives us more grace to overcome. Sometimes it is instantaneous and other times it takes several attempts but eventually, we overcome and guilt once again is kicked out of the windows of our hearts.


Steve Popoola is the editor of Biblepraise Newsletter and the webmaster of Biblepraise Fellowship Online at http://www.biblepraise.org. He currently resides in London where he works as an IT professional. He serves in the ministerial team of his local church as well as in the music ministry. He is the Moderator/Editor of Biblepraise Newsletter. He can be reached through His email address, steve@biblepraise.org