The Universal Presence of Guilt
Many people today live with a sense of guilt, and some wish they could escape it, believing that a guilt-free life would bring freedom and happiness. They imagine a world without guilt to be as blissful as living without physical pain. However, just as suffering from a medical condition that prevents an individual from feeling pain may seem beneficial, yet can lead to serious injury, so the absence of guilt is not the utopia many envision. Pain serves a protective function, alerting us to harm. Similarly, guilt, guided by our conscience, warns us against harmful behaviours with potentially disastrous outcomes.
The Conscience: A God-Given Guide
The conscience is a gift from God, designed to preserve us from destructive actions. In his letter to the Romans, Paul explains that even the Gentiles, who did not have the Jewish law, possessed an innate sense of right and wrong. This "law written in their hearts" (Romans 2:15) points to the universality of the conscience. However, due to the fall of man in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3), our consciences are no longer perfect. They can become overly sensitive, perceiving sin where none exists (Acts 10:13-15), or become dull, failing to recognise genuine sin (1 Timothy 4:1-2). Both extremes lead to behaviour that does not glorify God.
The Importance of a Clear Conscience
The Apostle Paul emphasised living with a clear conscience before God (Acts 24:16), one that is informed by Scripture. A well-informed conscience aligns with biblical definitions of sin and liberty. However, modern culture often views guilt as a negative relic of our religious past and a hindrance to self-fulfilment. This perspective was popularised by psychologist Sigmund Freud, who believed humanity would flourish by eradicating the concept of guilt. Contrary to this, the Bible teaches that guilt is beneficial as it makes us aware of our sinful condition before God.
Guilt and God's Judgement
Guilt reminds us that we have sinned (Romans 3:23) and are under God’s judgement (Romans 6:23). It can lead to sleepless nights, as seen in the biblical account of King Herod, who felt deep remorse for having John the Baptist executed (Mark 6:14-29). Herod's guilt was so profound that when he heard about Jesus’ ministry he believed John had risen from the dead (Matthew 14:2). This account underscores the enduring power of a guilty conscience.
Respecting the Conscience
Christians are taught to ensure their actions do not cause others, especially less mature believers, to sin against their conscience (Romans 14:13,21). Violating one's conscience can lead to spiritual shipwreck (Romans 14:20). The conscience is a crucial, God-given part of our being that must be respected and heeded.
The Danger of a Hardened Conscience
Despite the importance of the conscience, humanity often seeks to diminish its influence. One effective way is to harden it, much as hands develop calluses after continuous manual labour. Frequent exposure to sin through media material, such as that of a violent or sexually immoral content, can desensitise the conscience, making it less responsive. The normalisation of behaviours the Bible condemns as sinful, such as gluttony, gossip, greed, lying, materialism, obsession with image, and pride, also diminish the power of the conscience and ultimately harden it. All of this has profound implications for successive generations as the level of desensitisation increases.
Conclusion
Understanding guilt from a biblical perspective is essential. The first step to becoming a Christian is acknowledging personal guilt without shifting blame onto others or circumstances. Recognising God's verdict on our sins and seeking forgiveness and reconciliation with Him is crucial. This new perspective leads to peace with God, who hates sin.
In the next part of this series, we will delve deeper into how guilt plays a role in the work of the Holy Spirit and the path to salvation. Guilt, far from being a negative burden, is a vital step toward understanding our need for salvation and embracing the grace offered through Jesus Christ.
