Someone has said, “Guilt is the great equalizer of the world.” Whether we are leaders in society or live quietly out of sight, we know the deep and inescapable voice of conscience, calling us to account for things everybody knows, and things nobody knows. Beneath our calm exteriors, we struggle with ourselves for missing the mark, breaking the law, violating the expectations God has of us, and we have of ourselves.
Unless we bring our guilt to God, it leads to countless dangerous behaviors. We multiply offenses, hoping to somehow numb our sense of being misaligned. We turn our guilt to anger—at others, at situations, at ourselves. We try to find hard ways to work our way back into favor by doing deeds of charity, reciting familiar prayers, and demanding tough discipline of ourselves.
But there’s only one way back to God, and it’s open, free, available on any day—for any fault. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 Jn 1:9). In grace, the Father teaches us to trust the only one who never wavered in His faith, never felt a pang of conscience, never needed atonement for Himself. “God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them” (2 Cor 5:19).
Guilt never was a match for grace, and never, ever will be. “To all who received Him, who believed in His name, He gave power to become children of God” (Jn 1:12).
Trade all your guilt for matchless grace. And stay in it.
—Bill Knott