“Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

John 8:32 (NIV)

In John 14:6, Jesus says that he is the way, the truth, and the life. And several chapters earlier he tells us, “Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:32 NIV). 

Pastor, you know what guilt feels like. You’ve seen its impact on your life and the lives of those you serve. 

Guilt robs us of happiness. It causes depression, and it can make us physically sick. When David, a great king of Israel, had sinned, he felt the weight of guilt. He said to God, “Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation” (Psalm 51:12 KJV).

God has the solution to guilt: confession. The Bible says in 1 John 1:9, “If we tell Him our sins, He is faithful and we can depend on Him to forgive us of our sins. He will make our lives clean from all sin” (NLV).

You might have spent years working through a problem that really has a very simple solution: You just need a clear conscience. Jesus offers you that through instantaneous forgiveness!

God tells us, “I will forgive their sins and I will no longer remember their wrongs” (Jeremiah 31:34 GNT).

You may find it easier to help others discover God’s forgiveness than to accept it for yourself.

The fact is, Satan wants to keep you weighed down under the burden of guilt. He wants to keep you bound up so you can’t live in God’s freedom and serve him with all your heart. But that’s not what God wants for you.

Here’s what God wants you to do with your guilt: 1) Ask him for forgiveness, and 2) Accept his forgiveness. 

God goes a step further and actually forgets what you’ve done wrong. He won’t pull up your sins again, and he doesn’t want you to, either. He wants you to be free.

Are you feeling the burden of guilt today? Is it inhibiting your life and ministry?

Remember that Jesus has come to set you free. When you confess your sins, he will forgive you and set you free from your guilt.

Today, live in the true freedom of knowing your past is forgiven and you are no longer bound by it.