| Author | Message | ||
| River Registered user Username: River Post Number: 7750 Registered: 9-2006  |
I’ll bet at least some of you have endured guilt as an Adventist. The thing about guilt is when you’ve been under it long enough, then the guilt goes away, you feel guilty because you don’t feel guilty! Ever looked around and wondered if you have gone completely degenerate because you don’t feel guilty and just perhaps you are not saved after all and the Lord has quit working on you? Are we supposed to feel guilty knowing we are still in a sinful body? Ever get the feeling that you are the worst Christian ever lived? Always making mistakes no matter how hard you try? I mean after all, shouldn’t we feel guilty, because after all, you just can’t break that habit? Ever ask yourself that perhaps you really won’t make it and you’ve been fooling yourself all along? I mean there must be something we should feel guilty about…right? Then why don’t we feel guilty? Is our conscience seared over to where we can’t? Whats up with this that we can’t even go on a little guilt trip any more? I mean look at that guy in the next pew, he just made a bad mistake last week, he should feel guilty! And lookit him standing there praising the Lord like that, he don’t look a bit guilty and theres old miss Wonder Bottom, shoot, I know shes got man troubles and she ought to look really guilty! I mean whuts up with this? Lord please forgive me for not feeling guilty. I’ll try harder to feel guilty tomorrow.  River | ||
| Asurprise Registered user Username: Asurprise Post Number: 2429 Registered: 7-2007 |
When I was an Adventist, I felt guilty about the oddest things, such as: I know I didn't read the ingredients on that can of soup because I wanted it so bad and what if it had lard in it? What if I wasn't completely truthful about that - I mean an expression can tell a lie too? What if I started that load of clothes on the Sabbath? I didn't want to look too closely at the sundown times because I have plans! What if I don't stop going to the theater to watch movies before Jesus comes back? When I became a Christian though, everything changed. The Holy Spirit doesn't bring people guilt. He brings conviction. Also, for example, a Christian lady will find herself no longer interested in living with her boyfriend. That was something she constantly made excuses about while she was a Seventh-day Adventist, but now as a Christian, the desire is gone. Also it's such a relief to know that not only past sins are forgiven, but future ones as well! (1st John 2:12, Ephesians 2:8,9, etc.) | ||
| Skeeter Registered user Username: Skeeter Post Number: 1837 Registered: 12-2007  |
Heard in a sermon on Sunday... I don't remember who if anyone was quoted or if I got it worded just right.. but the jest of it was, 'Worrying is like praying to the wrong god.' | ||
| Colleentinker Registered user Username: Colleentinker Post Number: 13423 Registered: 12-2003  |
Oh, Francie, that's good! Colleen | ||
| Flyinglady Registered user Username: Flyinglady Post Number: 9653 Registered: 3-2004  |
I know when I worry I am not trusting God. For example: When my son was sent to Afghanistan a year ago August(2010) he told me not to pray that he not be killed, but that God's will be done. I could not talk about him without crying. After much praying and talking to my Christian friends, I saw that I was not trusting God. Diana | ||
| Starlabs Registered user Username: Starlabs Post Number: 88 Registered: 5-2011 |
So I'm kind of new to this whole idea of guilt vs conviction from the Holy Spirit. Can you explain the differences? | ||
| Colleentinker Registered user Username: Colleentinker Post Number: 13430 Registered: 12-2003 |
Guilt means we are guilty, and it causes us shame and the "cringe factor". Think Adam and Eve hiding from God. We should feel guilty if we have not received the forgiveness and redemption in Jesus' blood! When we are born again and declared justified and righteous, however, we still sin—but the Holy Spirit convicts us of our sin and of His will for us to "fix" things. Now when I sin, I often have a deep sense of knowing what I need to do: I need to repent, to ask forgiveness of the person against whom I sinned, or I need to submit a habit or desire or even a self-indulgent emotion to the Lord Jesus and give up my right to indulge it. Conviction does not shame us. We may have deep grief and awareness of our sin, but it doesn't feel "victimizing". Rather, it comes with a clear awareness of what we need to do to right the wrong we did, and it comes with the clear awareness that we have to surrender the temptation to the Lord Jesus and surrender to His Spirit instead of trying to self-justify or rationalize away my wrong. Guilt comes with the curse of death and shame. Conviction comes with clarity of our need to surrender to Jesus and make things right with the "other". Colleen | ||
| River Registered user Username: River Post Number: 7753 Registered: 9-2006 |
I wrote this primarily with this scripture in mind. Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. Romans 8:2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. Yet Satan stands as an accuser of the brethren, so if Satan comes to your door to accuse you, you say, "Just a minute, Jesus will get the door." When we are weak and we fail, we have an advocate with the father. River | ||
| Starlabs Registered user Username: Starlabs Post Number: 90 Registered: 5-2011 |
I was reading something that went along the lines of the difference between guilt and conviction was the direction in which it took you. Guilt took you further from God into more sinning, while conviction took you to the cross of forgiveness from Jesus. | ||
| Colleentinker Registered user Username: Colleentinker Post Number: 13432 Registered: 12-2003 |
Good summary, Starlabs! Colleen | ||
| Starlabs Registered user Username: Starlabs Post Number: 91 Registered: 5-2011 |
Thanks, Colleen. I've had my head in my Pharmacy books and I have been on here in awhile. | ||
| Asurprise Registered user Username: Asurprise Post Number: 2441 Registered: 7-2007 |
Starlabs; another thing that guilt did to me when I was an SDA was cause me great fear! I was afraid that if I did something and didn't "make it right" I wouldn't go to Heaven! When a person becomes a Christian they want to please God. They don't have to worry that they'll be lost if they mess up, because they have been saved! | ||
| Asurprise Registered user Username: Asurprise Post Number: 2442 Registered: 7-2007 |
Ewwwwwww, I remember that fear. It was a deep gut wrenching fear that makes me shudder to remember it. | ||
| Psalm107v2 Registered user Username: Psalm107v2 Post Number: 862 Registered: 10-2008  |
Colleen and Starlabs--thanks for the great insight The accuser of the brethren wants us to feel guilty and not remember who we are in Christ. I am so happy that the Holy Spirit now prods me to be conformed to Christ (got a looooooong way to go). | ||
| Colleentinker Registered user Username: Colleentinker Post Number: 13475 Registered: 12-2003 |
Enoch, we all have a LOOOONG way to go! But we can trust Him to complete what He has already begun in us! How are you? It's good to see you. With prayers for you, Colleen |
