UNLOCK THE DOOR OF GUILT

“For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death.”—2 Corinthians 7:10

 

I once read a survey that asked 500 people what emotions that they felt when experiencing guilt.  The answers really touched my heart.  People reported feeling punished, depressed, worthless, rejected, and isolated.  A general sense of low self-esteem overwhelmed the people who responded to the survey.  There was no joy, no hope, and no vitality.  In a sense, it is as though the feelings of guilt had completely blotted out everything else in their lives. 

 

These are the same emotions that many who are imprisoned in the penal systems around the world feel.  Prisoners tell me that they feel especially guilty about their families and what they are going through.  I ministered to a prisoner, I will call Joe (not his real name), who was a member of a vibrant Bible teaching congregation before he was sentenced to twenty years for shooting a man while committing a robbery.  Joe was a broken man, both spiritually and physically when I met him.  The open door to the root cause of Joe’s many physically aliments: Guilt.  Through much personal ministry, Joe began to discover where his guilt was coming from.

 

Are you dealing with intense feelings of guilt right now?  If so, consider one simple question: Where does your guilt come from? 

 

Joe began to understand that God was not mad at him and was not holding anything against him.  Joe discovered where his guilt was coming from—the enemy and himself.  Although he attended a lively church, he never devoted any of his time to personal spiritual growth, and fell back into his old habits and old friends.  He was plagued by personal guilt, and guilt that the enemy would continually assault his mind with.

 

In 2 Corinthians 7:10, we see two forms of guilt.  One is a sorrow that comes from God.  This call to repentance is a tool that the Lord uses to draw unbelievers to Himself through salvation in Christ.  It also motivates believers to confess any wrongs causing “hindrance’” in their fellowship with Him.  A second form of guilt is the dark emotion that plagues people, like Joe, with remorse and the reactions mentioned in the survey.  Such sorrow is not from God at all, but from Satan.

 

If you have received Jesus’ free gift of salvation but still struggle under the assault of guilt, let Scripture assure you; these feelings did not come from God.  He is not attacking you.  Rather, He holds the key to unlock the door to your freedom.  Do not fall victim to the Enemy’s lies.  In Christ, you are forgiven and fee.  Stand tall.  Fight the good fight of faith and begin to say with your mouth that you are a child of God and are free from guilt.  Walk free today!

 

Prayer—Father I thank You for setting me free from guilt and shame.  Today, I will not allow the enemy to steal my freedom from me with feelings of guilt and hopelessness.  Thank You that You love me and believe in me and that You are not holding anything against me and that the Enemy’s power has been broken over my life in Jesus’ Name.  Amen.

 

THE ASSAULTING SPIRIT OF GUILT

“For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death.”—2 Corinthians 7:10

 

I once read a survey that asked 500 people what emotions that they felt when experiencing guilt.  The answers really touched my heart.  People reported feeling punished, depressed, worthless, rejected, and isolated.  A general sense of low self-esteem overwhelmed the people who responded to the survey.  There was no joy, no hope, and no vitality.  In a sense, it is as though the feelings of guilt had completely blotted out everything else in their lives. 

 

These are the same emotions that many who are imprisoned in the penal systems around the world feel.  Prisoners tell me that they feel especially guilty about their families and what they are going through.  I ministered to a prisoner, I will call Joe (not his real name), who was a member of a vibrant Bible teaching congregation before he was sentenced to twenty years for shooting a man while committing a robbery.  Joe was a broken man, both spiritually and physically when I met him.  The open door to the root cause of Joe’s many physically aliments: Guilt.  Through much personal ministry, Joe began to discover where his guilt was coming from.

 

Are you dealing with intense feelings of guilt right now?  If so, consider one simple question: Where does your guilt come from? 

 

Joe began to understand that God was not mad at him and was not holding anything against him.  Joe discovered where his guilt was coming from—the enemy and himself.  Although he attended a lively church, he never devoted any of his time to personal spiritual growth, and fell back into his old habits and old friends.  He was plagued by personal guilt, and an Assaulting Spirit of Guilt by Satan.  This spirit would come into his cell at night and physically assault him leaving scratches and bruises.  I bound this spirit from assaulting Joe, until he was strong enough spiritually to stand against it when he was alone.  When Joe was strong enough, I cast the spirit out and the many others associated with it.  When I first met Joe, he was not strong enough spiritually to stand on his own against this spirit that is why I did not immediately cast this spirit out.  Jesus said, “When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he says, I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when he comes, he finds it swept and put in order. Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first” (Luke 11:24-26).

 

In 2 Corinthians 7:10, we see two forms of guilt.  One is a sorrow that comes from God.  This call to repentance is a tool that the Lord uses to draw unbelievers to Himself through salvation in Christ.  It also motivates believers to confess any wrongs causing “hindrance’” in their fellowship with Him.

 

A second form of guilt is the dark emotion that plagues people, like Joe, with remorse and the reactions mentioned on the survey.  Such sorrow is not from God at all, but from the world.

 

If you have received Jesus’ free gift of salvation but still struggle under the assault of guilt, let Scripture assure you; these feelings did not come from God.  He is not attacking you.  Rather, He holds the key to unlock the door to your freedom.  Do not fall victim to the Enemy’s lies.  In Christ, you are forgiven and fee.  Walk free today!

 

Prayer—Father I thank you for setting me free from guilt and shame.  Today, I will not allow the enemy to steal my freedom from me with feelings of guilt and hopelessness.  Thank You that You love me and believe in me and that You are not holding anything against me and that the Enemy’s power has been broken over my life in Jesus Name. Amen.

 

DO NOT BYPASS THE ALTAR

“…tear down the altar of Baal that your father has, and cut down the wooden image that is beside it; and build an altar to the Lord you God on top of this rock in the proper arrangement, and take the second bull and offer a burnt sacrifice with the wood of the image which you shall cut down.”—Judges 6:25-26

 

Gideon was a man mightily used of God.  He took three hundred men and defeated an army that numbered in the millions.  Although it was one of the greatest military victories in the history of Israel, and Gideon was called a “mighty man of valor” by the angel, he certainly did not start out with a good self-image and confidence.  In fact, Gideon saw himself as the least in his father’s house and part of the weakest clan.  Gideon, like his fellow country-men, was walking in fear.  Fear of the very people God had told them that they were to defeat. 

 

The Midianites raided Israel each year, plundering their crops and goods.  Whenever Israel resisted, the Midianites drove them into the hills and mountains.  God’s people ended up seeking refuge in caves and dens, and having to scavenge for food.  Before God sent a deliverer to Israel, he sent a prophet who put his finger on the problem.  In essence he said, “I made it clear to you from the very beginning: you are not to fear anyone but your heavenly Father.  Let no other fear enter you heart.  But you have disobeyed me once again.  You have allowed all kinds of fears to enter in.  And you have forced me to hand you over to your enemy, to drive you back to me” (Judges 6:8-10). 

In Judges 10, we see that God’s people admitting to this sin: “The children of Israel cried unto the Lord, saying, we have sinned against thee, both because we have forsaken our God, and also served Baalim” (vs. 10). 

The word Balaam is a plural form.  It denotes all the false gods in the world.  The root of Balaam is Baal, which we recognize from Scripture as a demonic spirit.  Baal’s mission is to rob God of all worship and trust by his people.  It accomplishes this by focusing our attention on our circumstances rather than on the Lord.  In the Old Testament, Baal was represented by a carved idol, made of wood, stone or metal.  It was formed into the image of a man and has a powerful spirit behind it.  This same spirit is at work in the world today.  It is sent forth from hell for one purpose: to cause people to doubt the reality of God.  It is a spirit of unbelief that assaults our minds with doubts about God’s faithfulness. 

 

Gideon was given instructions to tear down and completely destroy the altar his father had built to Baal (the symbol of unbelief), and to build a new altar to the Lord.

The altar of the Lord is built upon faith and trust that God is who He says that He is and that He will do what He says that He will do.  Gideon took his father’s bull to pull down the altar; however, today you have the Holy Spirit’s power and strength to pull down every thought of doubt, fear and worry.
 

Prayer—Father I repent for allowing fear to motivate me and hold me in bondage.  I ask for the help of the Holy Spirit so that I my focus can be upon you, in Jesus Name. Amen.