Biblical advice...
Testimonial advice...Biblical advice on guilt?
we're all sinners - God knows that since he made us. If you're making an honest effort to move forward and live a Godly life, then you're doing the right thing. just keep on asking for forgiveness and seeking help where you need it. If you find you're stumbling in the same areas like sexual sin or cheating, etc., find a group of Christians that you can be accountable with.
Guilt is just the devil's way of tripping us up and keeping us from happiness. remember that Jesus died for every sin, none is too great to confess. That's the beauty of grace and mercy.
I've been a Christian for many years and I don't have it all figured out. It's a work in progress. Think of Paul's letters - he stumbled and kept going. and David gave us some of the most beautiful Psalms out of his suffering, disappointment, weaknesses and all the while still praising God.
Remember, Jesus' death on the cross has love written all over it. We're never worthy but we are loved:)Biblical advice on guilt?
Long story short, I'm in a pretty similar boat. The crap I pulled thru my 20's is legion. Basically, you're at the stage where you recognize what you did as sin. That's an unpleasant thing to wrap your mind around, but it's right to do so. Chances are, it's not going to go away soon.
But try not to forget what's done is done, and that faith says if you ask God for forgiveness, you're always gonna get it.
It is not our place to judge you. remember ';let those among you without sin, cast the first stone';
He will forgive you and love you,always!
here is a direct link to my Testimony... from there you can go to the index and find the page on Mike is a hipocrit and the page on No ones Purrfect:
http://pages.zdnet.com/mikevanauken/outr鈥?/a>
You are unworthy. We are ALL unworthy. But Gods love makes us worthy, it makes us whole.
Just know, once you ask for forgiveness, God immediatley forgives you, and it is erased from you. He no longer sees the sin, your clean. He lets it go, and you should too.
The more you fight against it and win the weaker the temptations get. This is much like St. Paul talking about the thorn in his side and he kept asking the Lord to remove it (I think it was the sin of pride) but, anyway Jesus told him that his grace was plenty for him to remove it himself by continuing to fight against it. Sin is like exercise. The more it is used the stronger it gets but, the opposite is true too. The more you fight it the weaker it gets. Also this is true of virtue. This is the real test though, Do you love Jesus to continue fighting against it? This is one reason why Catholics have an upper edge because every time they confess a sin they receive great graces to fight against it.
you must stop.
Okay, Here you are with whatever sin you have committed under your belt and it is eating away at your conscience ( as it should ). We must go to God in faith and ask for that forgiveness which He promises us.
Here comes the hard part. Now we have to go about forgiving ourselves when the pangs of guilt surround us because of the consequences involved as a result of the sin. Sometimes these consequences will last a lifetime, which makes forgiving yourself even more important and difficult.
We must resolve not to repeat the sin. Also you must remember there is a difference between a sin and a mistake. In either case, hopefully you have learned a lesson. You must, in confidence/faith know that God forgives you because He says that we must ask in supplicating prayer for what we need ( in this case,forgiveness ) and then be confident because of your faith that He will perfrm your requests.
Remember that king David was a man after God's own heart. Then think about the atrocities which happened in king David's life. The reason he was a man after God's own heart,was because of his ability to instantly repent and not to commit the same sin again. He learned by his mistakes and went about to continue in the service of God, which means he forgave himself.
Not forgiving yourself is spiritually deblilitating. You cannot move forward and as a result you become spiritually stagnant. It keeps you from growing. You begin to wallow in the mire of self pity.'Accept your responsibility in the sin, seek God's forgiveness as you repent and then move forward making whatever adjustments you need to become more like the Being Who gave His all so you could have forgiveness and that peace which passes all understanding.
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