Life Ministries

Life Preservers 5 – In Times of Guilt
Leviticus 5:14- 6:7 and Hebrews 10:19-23

    A few years ago I heard about something that has existed for years that few people know about. The U.S. government has what they call a “conscience fund” to provide relief for people who feel guilty about cheating the government; whether on taxes or in some other way. Thousands of letters and millions of dollars have been sent anonymously into this fund for years. For example: an ex G.I. sent money for some things he felt he had stolen during World War II…And, on a more humorous note; one man sent in $150,000 dollars, admitting he had cheated on his taxes. His letter concluded “If I still can’t sleep, I’ll send the rest later!” We all know what it feels like to feel guilty about something, so let’s see if we can find a life preserver for those times when we want to clear our conscience.

    To begin with, it is important that we understand the biblical view of the “conscience”. Our conscience is that part of us that God has built into our emotions that makes us feel guilty. Guilt is a message of disapproval from our conscience. Something we said; something we did; something we didn’t do; It is an important part of the way God created us. However, it is not always reliable. Walt Disney’s character “Jiminy Cricket” used to say “Let your conscience be your guide” but that may not always be good advise…let me explain why;
    The Bible mentions four different types of “Conscience”. The first is a weak conscience. Sometimes people feel guilty about something when they shouldn’t because of a weak conscience. In the battle over meat that was sacrificed to idols, Paul says in 1 Corinthians 8:7 “Some people are still so accustomed to idols that when they eat such food they think of it as having been sacrificed to an idol, and since their conscience is weak, it is defiled.” This was meat that was sold in the market-place at a discount, and Christians were debating whether or not such meat was acceptable. Paul goes on to say; “Food does not bring us near to God; and we are no worse if we do eat and no better if we don’t.” People with a weak conscience often feel guilty about things that are not sin. One woman may feel guilty because her house is not spotless; someone might feel guilty because they have more than others; children are made to feel guilty if they don’t visit often enough; you may feel guilty if you don’t say “yes” every time someone asks you to do something. I have heard of Christians who feel guilty about listening to country music. The point is that these things are not sin and the guilt comes from a weak conscience.
    Second, is what the Bible calls a “seared conscience.” If we consistently ignore and consistently violate our conscience it will become “seared”. A story is told of an Indian who pictured his conscience as a three cornered thing inside his heart. When he did wrong, it would spin around inside his heart and it would hurt. But if he ignored it and consistently did wrong, it would spin so much the corners would wear off, and it wouldn’t hurt any more.
    The most effective silencer of the conscience is public opinion. If everyone is doing it, then why should we feel guilty? This is why things that were shocking to us in years past, no longer affect us. It’s called “rationalized” behavior. So, the President’s personal life is none of our business…The scandals in Washington are nothing new…(Don’t get me started…)
    Third, the Bible does speak of a “guilty” conscience. Our scripture from Hebrews says “Let us draw near to God …having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience.” If we attempt to “draw near to God” with a guilty conscience, it is because we have sin in our lives that needs to be cleansed!
    The first two types of conscience are wrongly programmed. The person with a weak conscience feels guilty when he shouldn’t; the person with the seared conscience does not feel guilty when he should! A guilty conscience is one that feels guilty when it should feel guilty. A person who has matured in their faith and is led by the Holy Spirit will have a guilty conscience…That is a conscience that sends a message of guilt to the emotions when sin enters in!
    There are times when we should feel guilty, because we are! But, let me take that a step further; there are times when a person is guilty whether they feel it or not. For example; a person who robs a bank is guilty of sin, and whether he feels guilty or not doesn’t change the truth.
    This leads to the final type of conscience; a clear conscience. A clear conscience is one that feels clean because it is clean. There are two ways we can have a clear conscience; one is to be without sin; the other is to be completely forgiven of sin. Jesus was the only one who fits the first scenario…you and I need God’s forgiveness! 1 John 1:8 says “If we claim to be without sin, the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive our sins and PURIFY us from ALL unrighteousness.” That’s a giant life preserver! Here is another – “There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” Perhaps one of the greatest life preservers is John 5:24 – “I tell you the truth, whosoever hears my word and believes in Him who sent me, has eternal life and will not be condemned!”
    Are you a “whosoever” this morning? Is your conscience clear? Do you still fear judgment or punishment in any way? Grab hold of John 1:8 so you can be free of guilt…and let the Holy Spirit be your guide!