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Pastor Scott L. Harris
Grace Bible Church, NY
August 8, 2021
Dealing with Sin and Guilt
Selected Scriptures
Introduction
Even though there are a several thousand people that either hear or get a copy of my sermon each week, I usually get very few comments. I got a few more than normal last week, both positive and negative. The illustration of how the peace that is given to us by the Lord of the peace can help us overcome any fear including those related to the SARS–CoV-2 pandemic seems to have overwhelmed the rest of the sermon for some. For specific questions regarding that illustration, I have posted an addendum on the sermon notes on the web page for that sermon. See: Benediction of Peace & Grace) Physical copies are on the back credenza. I will hold a question and answer session downstairs after the service for those interested.
Last week was not the first time I have mentioned the tie between abortion and the interventional medical product (the “vaccines”). It was also the conclusion of Diane’s research paper we posted on the subject. It is apparent I have not mentioned that enough since there were several that were surprised by it. I guess I have not talked enough about the intrusion of immorality into politics and what used to be medical science. By the way, the American Medical Association has once again proven they are driven by political correctness instead of medical science since they are now recommending that the sex of the child should NOT be included on the birth certificate.
In responding to the negative responses, I can see that there are at least two issues I need to address so that people can experience the peace which was the actual subject of the sermon last week. This morning I want to clarify the difference between sins of ignorance and sins of presumption or defiance. I also want to deal with the issue of guilt and how God wants us to deal with it properly. If the Spirit is quenched or the person has become hardened, they can commit sin and feel no guilt at all. At the opposite extreme are those that feel guilty over things that are not actually sin. That can be either misplaced guilt since the actual sin is not recognized, or a conscience that has been trained to feel guilty about things that are not actually sinful God’s sight.
Sins of Ignorance
I want to begin with sins of ignorance. Sin is to “miss the mark.” It is the failure to live up to God’s perfect standard whether that is a sin of commission (doing something that God commands you not to do) or omission (failure to do what God commands you to do). Ignorance is simply lacking awareness. It is not knowing.
Romans 1 makes it clear that God has placed within man a certain knowledge of Himself so that man is without excuse for not honoring Him and giving Him thanks. It is also clear that some knowledge is also given to man about how God wants him to live since when God gives them over to their own desires they pursue what is evil. Romans 2 reinforces this with the fact that people are quick to condemn others for things they themselves do even if to a lesser degree. Those who pilfer from their employer will be quick to condemn the thief that robs the bank they keep their money in. As Romans 2:14-15 states, 14 “For when Gentiles who do not have the Law do instinctively the things of the Law, these, not having the Law, are a law to themselves, 15 in that they show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them.” In short, God writes into the human conscience an understanding that some things are wrong and some things are right which can be seen throughout cultures worldwide. Murder is wrong. Being honest in business is right.
In Romans 3 the Mosaic law is listed as something in which God reveals specifics about what is right and wrong before Him. The Ten Commandments would serve as a summary of the revealed Law. As Romans 3:18-19 states, those who were instructed in the Law considered themselves to be guides to the blind and a light to those in darkness. The New Testament reveals the principles and precepts God want us to follow in the current church age.
You start out in life as an ignorant child. There are certain things God places in the heart of every human, but parents are responsible to teach the child about right and wrong and train the child how to refuse evil and pursue what is good. Deuteronomy 1:30 makes a reference to children who are so young that they do not have a “knowledge of good or evil,” and Isaiah 7:16 makes reference to the youth of a child that was not old enough yet to know “to refuse evil and choose good.” Parents are to “train up a child in the way he should go” (Proverbs 22:6) by bringing “them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4). Ignorance and the foolishness associated with it are to give way to knowledge and the wisdom that should be associated with it. That continues throughout life.
The Christian life begins when a sinner who was ignorant is brought to an understanding of both his sin and the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ so that he repents and places his faith in Him. He becomes a disciple of Jesus Christ. It continues as he grows in faith and learns to obey whatsoever things the Lord has taught (Matt. 28:20). All along the way ignorance will be exposed and replaced with knowledge. That will include the revelation of many sins of ignorance. You discover that you have done things you thought at the time were fine to do, but they were in fact sinful. Those are sins of ignorant commission. You become aware that God wants you to do things that you were failing to do. Those are sins of ignorant omission.
How are you to respond when you become aware of sins of ignorance? Repentance. You change your mind about them to match what God says about them. You recognize their sinfulness, confess it, thank God for His forgiveness and walk a different way.
Genesis 20:1-18 records an example of this in the case of Abimelech who had sent and taken Sarah because Abraham had said she was his sister. Before Abimelech had touched her, God warned him in a dream that she was a married woman. Abimelech responded, 4 “. . . Lord, will You slay a nation, even though blameless? 5 “Did he not himself say to me, ‘She is my sister’? And she herself said, ‘He is my brother.’ In the integrity of my heart and the innocence of my hands I have done this.” The Lord then told Abimelech that He knew that and had prevented him from going further. The Lord then gave instructions to Abimelech about what he was supposed to do and he did it. Change was made as knowledge removed the ignorance.
Another example is Acts 23:1-5. Paul is before the Sanhedrin for questioning and begins his defense, “Brethren, I have lived my life with a perfectly good conscience before God up to this day.” 2 The high priest Ananias commanded those standing beside him to strike him on the mouth. 3 Then Paul said to him, “God is going to strike you, you whitewashed wall! Do you sit to try me according to the Law, and in violation of the Law order me to be struck?” 4 But the bystanders said, “Do you revile God’s high priest?” 5 And Paul said, “I was not aware, brethren, that he was high priest; for it is written, ‘You shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people.’ “ Paul not only acknowledges the error but quotes the very verse that demonstrated it was wrong despite the fact that what the High Priest had done was illegal. As ignorance is removed and knowledge is gained there is to be a change of mind and direction to follow God’s stated will.
In Psalm 139, David knew that he could be ignorant of some sinful way within him, so in verses 23–24 he prays, 23 “Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxious thoughts; 24 And see if there be any hurtful way in me, And lead me in the everlasting way.” In Psalm 26:2 David prayed, “Examine me, O Lord, and try me; Test my mind and my heart,” and in Psalm 19:12, Who can discern his errors? Acquit me of hidden faults.”
You do not need to be anxious about committing a sin in ignorance. You don’t need to be like the Buddhist sect that watches carefully where they step and waves a fan in front of them while they walk to avoid accidentally injuring an insect. Neither should you be an ostrich that puts its head in the sand trying to remain as ignorant as possible. We are to simply grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord (2 Peter 3:18). That will include both learning the Scripture so that you will know His revealed will and then seek to understand how to apply its principle and precepts to life. It also includes asking the Lord to reveal any such hidden sin. You then need to be humble and quick to confess sins done in ignorance when they are discovered. That is simply to be the heart of the person who loves God. That is to be normal life for the believer in the quest to be more like our Savior.
Sins of Defiance
The next category are sins of defiance which are also known as sins of presumption. These are much more serious. David prayed in Psalm 19:13, “also keep back Your servant from presumptuous sins; Let them not rule over me; Then I will be blameless, And shall be acquitted of great transgression.” The word translated presumptuous (dz1 / zed) means “to act in a proud manner” and so is translated as insolent, arrogant, proud and presumptuous. In this context it is referring to someone that arrogantly sins. Their pride pushes them to do what they know is wrong before God. Proverbs 11:2 and 13:10 warn that such pride leads to dishonor and strife. Deuteronomy 17:12-13 warn that such presumptuous sins could even result in execution.
Numbers 15:30-31 uses a different word (dy2 / yad) to describe defiant sin and its consequences in contrast to unintentional sin which could be atoned for (Num. 15:28-29) stating, 30 “But the person who does anything defiantly, whether he is native or an alien, that one is blaspheming the Lord; and that person shall be cut off from among his people. 31 “Because he has despised the word of the Lord and has broken His commandment, that person shall be completely cut off; his guilt will be on him.” The greater the defiance in willful sin, the greater the danger. Hebrews 10:26-27 gives the stern warning, 26 “For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, 27 but a terrifying expectation of judgment and the fury of a fire which will consume the adversaries.”
These are terrifying warnings because all of us have at times willfully gone ahead to do things we knew were wrong in God’s sight even after becoming Christians. I want to emphasize here again that the greater the defiance in the willful sin the greater danger that will result. God is longsuffering and patient and provides means to repent and be forgiven. Even with Pharaoh, it was not until after he had defied God’s command to let the children of Israel go and had hardened his own heart six times before God confirmed him in his sin so that there could no longer be repentance. God knows the heart, so He knows when the defiance has reached the point of no return, but your reaction to being confronted about it can be a good indicator.
David recognized the danger of willful sin for he had seen it destroy king Saul. 1 Samuel 13 records that Saul lost his dynasty when he disobeyed Samuel’s clear instructions to wait until he was there to make the offerings and burnt offerings. The incident proved Saul was not a man after the Lord’s own heart. 1 Samuel 15 records that Saul lost his kingship when he disobeyed the Lord’s instructions concerning the destruction of the Amalekites and instead brought back king Agag and the best of the sheep, oxen, fatlings and lambs. When Samuel confronted Saul about it, he tried to blame others, then gave a false confession while still seeking a position of honor. The confrontation culminated in Samuel telling Saul, “The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to your neighbor, who is better than you. 29“Also the Glory of Israel will not lie or change His mind; for He is not a man that He should change His mind.” Even with that rebuke, Saul still sought a place of honor. David was aware of this for it was soon after this that Samuel anointed David as king. David also personally saw Saul’s continued decline in the years afterward as his pride led him into continued sin. It became so bad that just before Saul died, he defied God’s law and even his own rule that mediums and spiritists were to be cut off by seeking out the witch of Endor to conjure up Samuel from the dead to get a prediction of what would happen in the coming battle with the Philistines (1 Samuel 28). Saul is the example of how not to deal with presumptuous sin.
David is the example of how to deal with it correctly. David’s adultery with Bathsheba and arranging the murder of Uriah to cover up his sin broke a multitude of God’s commands. David describes the turmoil of his emotional state during that time in Psalm 32, but David did not repent. It was not until David was confronted by the Prophet Nathan as recorded in 2 Samuel 12 that David finally dealt with the sin. Unlike Saul who sought to justify himself and still remain in a position of honor, David simply said, “I have sinned against the Lord.” He accepted the responsibility for the severe consequences that would come because of his sin. He fasted and pleaded for the life of the child because he knew the Lord is merciful, but he did not complain when the child died. Instead he went and worshiped the Lord. 2 Samuel 24 records that David had a similar reaction after he had defiantly had a census done of the people even though Joab warned him against it. In this case, David responded to his pricked conscience and confessed his sin to the Lord without being outwardly confronted. When the Lord revealed the possible consequences, David chose the Lord’s hand of chastening because the Lord is merciful.
Willful transgression of God’s known commands is serious. James 4:17 explains that when you know what is right to do and you do not do it, it is sin. The correct way to respond is that when confronted about it or convicted by the Holy Spirit, then you repent. You change your mind, accept the responsibility and pursue holiness. The end result of that will be forgiveness and peace with God just as He has promised. The great danger in willful sin is becoming hardened in heart so that there is no repentance. Be like David, not Saul.
Guilt
I hope you recognize that every sin will be done at either some level of ignorance or some level of presumption. If you do not know what God’ has commanded, there is ignorance. If you do not understand how the principles and precepts of God’s commands apply to a particular situation, there is ignorance. This includes the knotty problems of moral dilemmas in which it may seem that you cannot avoid sin or at least an unwanted association with it. This will be, or at least it should be, the normal life of a Christian when it comes to committing some sin. We overcome sins of ignorance by becoming knowledgeable about the word of God and its application to the situations of life.
If you do know God’s commands and their application to a situation and purposely violate either, then there is some level of presumption or defiance. That should not be the way in which a Christian lives, but the reality is that all of us will stumble into such sins. Those are more serious and there are more consequences to them, but genuine repentance will lead to peace with God and a renewed pursuit of holiness. We are to resist sin even to the point of shedding blood in our striving against it (Hebrews 12:4). Continuation in such sin will result in God’s chastening as explained in Hebrews 12:4-11. God disciplines those He loves, and if there is no such chastening, then it is a sign of being illegitimate and not a son – a genuine Christian.
One of the ways in which the Holy Spirit prods us to deal with our sins is the sense of guilt. David’s repentance concerning the census was because he became convicted. His heart was struck, troubled, condemning – he sensed his guilt. We use the term guilt to refer to both the fact and emotion of guilt. Both are important and used by God to turn us away from sin and toward holiness. The underlying issue with both sins of ignorance and sins of presumption is how to deal with sin and guilt.
The Fact of Guilt
The first issue is the fact of guilt whether the person feels guilty or not. This is the judicial aspect of guilt. It is the condition of having committed a breach of required conduct. The evidence is presented and the verdict is rendered that you are guilty. You have in fact violated what was required. In relationship to God’s commands, this is called sin. You are guilty of missing the mark of what He requires.
Recognizing the fact of guilt is the first step to repentance. The good news of the Jesus Christ must start with the bad news about sin and its condemnation by our holy God. If there is no sin, there is no guilt and therefore no need of repentance or need for a Savior. Jesus put it this way in Mark 2:17, “It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick; I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” But as Psalm 14 and Romans 3 both state, there are none righteous, but the self righteous do not understand that. Sinners are already aware that they are guilty. Those who think of themselves as righteous must first be brought to a knowledge that they have violated God’s commands and are therefore guilty. Only then will they seek Jesus to save them from their sin and its consequences.
What is true in salvation is also true in walking with Christ. Just because a person does not know they have violated God’s commands does not make them innocent. They are in fact still guilty though ignorant of that fact. When knowledge of the sin is made known, then the guilt is recognized and can be properly resolved through repentance and forgiveness. Ignorance is the primary reason that a person may not feel guilty though they are in fact guilty. The closer a person walks with Christ and knows the Scriptures, the more the prodding of the Holy Spirit will be sensed that something is wrong even if the exact violation is still not recognized.
This is a problem for the licentious since they tend to either ignore or reject the principles and precepts of God’s commands in favor of their own standards. Changing the standards for determining the fact of guilt allows them to do what they want without feeling guilty.
Another reason people can be guilty in fact and not feel guilt is hardness of heart or a seared conscience. Pharaoh, as mentioned earlier, is an example of a hardened heart. He would relent under enough pressure, but as soon as the pressure was off – in his case the particular plague was removed – he went right back to his previous position of refusing to obey God.
Paul talked about a seared conscience in 1 Timothy 4:1-2, 1 “But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons, 2 by means of the hypocrisy of liars seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron.” He goes on to give two examples of this by those who forbid marriage and abstain from foods contrary to God’s commands. A seared conscience is marked by its yielding to deceitful spirits and doctrine of demons. Such people will refuse to recognize the validity and application of God’s commands internal and external. In modern terms, this includes psychopaths as a more extreme form.
The Sense of Guilt
The emotion of feeling you have done wrong or failed in an obligation is also called guilt. There are several sources of guilt. The first is the conscience as mentioned earlier in Romans 2:14-15. When properly functioning, the law of God written in a person’s heart will bear witness in the conscience to alternately defend or accuse them according to their actions. That conscience can be further trained into agreement with God’s commands and its application. Paul pointed this out in 1 Timothy 1:5 stating, “But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.” At the same time, as pointed out in the case of a seared conscience, it can be trained to be contrary to God’s commands to become an evil conscience. That is what exists when people give themselves over to depraved minds as described at the end of Romans 1. This internal law written on the conscience underlies the ability of any society to function which is one reason it is so important to train it properly and why the failure to do so is so destructive as we are now experiencing in our own nation.
Throughout the New Testament we find references to the importance of Christians striving to have a good and clear conscience such as Paul’s statement in Acts 24:16, “I also do my best to maintain always a blameless conscience before God and before men.” There are also many references to being careful of what you do for conscience’ sake and to not defile the conscience of others. Conscience can be a good guide if it is trained properly, but it can be a terrible guide if it is not. That brings up the second source of guilt.
One of the ministries of the Holy Spirit is to convict. Jesus stated in John 16:8-11 that the Holy Spirit 8 “. . . will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment; 9 concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me; 10 and concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father and you no longer see Me; 11 and concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged.” This is a work of the Holy Spirit that begins before a person is saved and continues afterward. He usually uses Scripture to do this.
God’s word brings a knowledge of truth about God and His will which removes the ignorance so that you can recognize the fact of guilt which will result in the emotion of guilt. Paul explains in Romans 7:7, “. . . I would not have come to know sin except through the Law; for I would not have known about coveting if the Law had not said, “You shall not covet.” As stated in Hebrews 4:12, “For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” It is the Holy Spirit that enlightens the mind to understand God’s word and He quickens the heart to believe.
Another source that will generate guilt is the ministry of the body of Christ. As pointed out in both Ephesians 4 and 1 Corinthians 12-14, the purpose of the various gifts within the body is to edify and bring one another to maturity in Christ. Proclamation of God’s word includes bringing conviction, and the example of those walking in holiness will often do that as well. That is why just striving to live godly in Christ Jesus can bring persecution from those that feel guilty as they compare themselves with your example.
These are all legitimate sources of proper guilt and should be sought instead of feared for God has provided a way for us to be freed from guilt which I will address in a moment. But first I want to quickly address two illegitimate sources of guilt.
The first is misplaced guilt. You feel guilty, but you attribute that to the wrong thing. I often find this to be a problem when I am counseling someone because the presenting issue – the specific thing they did or failed to do – was only a symptom of the actual problem which is often related to a wrong understanding of God. A quick example. Your company requires you to do something that you know is contrary to godliness. You go along with it because you don’t want to cause trouble and you don’t want to lose your job. Later, you regret it. The failure to resist the particular evil is only a symptom of the actual guilt. Fear of losing your job is directly related to not trusting the Lord to keep His promises to provide if you obey Him and seek first His kingdom and righteousness.
The second is feeling guilty due to a conscience trained incorrectly about what is right and wrong before God. This was a major problem for the Pharisees and remains one for those that follow man made standards and traditions instead of what God has actually said.
This is a common problem for those that tend toward legalism since fear is a major motivation for their actions. This can be so severe in some people that they have what is referred to as a prohibitive conscience. They are overly fearful of doing something wrong and can usually find a way to blame themselves if something bad does happen. Overbearing parents and those that use guilt to manipulate behavior can easily create this in their children.
Both misplaced guilt and an incorrectly trained conscience including a prohibitive one are corrected by drawing near to God by growing in His grace and knowledge of Him. God’s standards replace man made ones and the quest for holiness out of love for God will replace both shallow repentance and the fear that is at the heart of legalism.
Forgiveness of Sin & Peace with God
The major focus of last week’s message was on Paul’s prayer for the Lord of the peace Himself to continually grant the peace to the Thessalonians in every circumstance. The basis of the prayer is that the Christian has been justified by faith and therefore has peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 5:1). God reconciled us to Himself and adopted us into His family through Jesus who redeemed us and forgives our sins. There is no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus and nothing physical or spiritual can separate us from the love of God given to us in Him proven when He died as the sacrifice for sin while we were still sinners (Romans 5:8; 8:1, 35-39). You can neither earn forgiveness nor bring about peace with God through your own efforts. You can only receive it as a gift from Him. All you do is recognize the truth about Christ and believe Him which requires a change of mind from what had previously been believed and will of necessity result in a change in the manner of life because of the new belief.
After becoming a Christian your walk with God continues on the same basis. 1 John 1:8 & 10 as well as many other passages make it clear that believers will continue to sin after salvation. We will continue to mature by being conformed into the image of Christ until the day that either we are called home or He returns. Forgiveness and peace with God comes by His mercy and grace and not our actions. His perfect love even casts out our fear (1 John 4:18). Our part is to simply confess our sins, that is, we state our agreement with God about them, and He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleans us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). That is the means to deal with both sins of ignorance and defiance. It is the way to properly deal with all guilt. You will say along with David in Psalm 32:5, “I acknowledged my sin to You, And my iniquity I did not hide; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord”; And You forgave the guilt of my sin.” You will proclaim as in Psalm 66:16-20, 16 “Come and hear, all who fear God, And I will tell of what He has done for my soul. 17 I cried to Him with my mouth, And He was extolled with my tongue. 18 If I regard wickedness in my heart, The Lord will not hear; 19 But certainly God has heard; He has given heed to the voice of my prayer. 20 Blessed be God, Who has not turned away my prayer Nor His lovingkindness from me.”
Sermon Notes – August 8, 2021
Dealing with Sin and Guilt – Selected Scriptures
Introduction
Sins of Ignorance
Sin is missing the mark of God’s perfect standard. Ignorance is simply lacking awareness – it is ___knowing
Romans 1 – God has placed into man and displays in Creation a certain ___________ of Himself
Romans 2 – God has written into the ______of man some knowledge of His law in their hearts / conscience
Romans 3 – God’s Law reveals ___________about His commands that guide the blind & give light
We all start out ignorant and gain _____________ as we grow & mature
The Christian life begins when an ignorant sinner becomes _________ of Christ to repent and believe
We respond to sins of ignorance by __________- become aware, confess, gain forgiveness, walk a new way
Genesis 20:1-8. The example of Abimelech
Acts 23:1-5. The example of Paul before the Sanhedrin
Psalm 139:23-24; Psalm 26:2; Psalm 19:12 – we seek God to ________ sins that are hidden to us
Be neither anxious nor complacent about sins of ignorance. ______the Lord & repent as you become aware
Sins of Defiance
Presumptuous sin = someone whose insolence / arrogance / pride leads them to ___________& willingly sin
Defiant sin is _____________and can have very severe consequences – Num 15:28-29; Heb. 10:26-27
The greater the defiance, the greater the danger. _________hardened his heart 6 times, then God hardened it
David knew about and saw the willful sin of Saul – 1 Sam. 13; 15; 16-28. Saul is the ____________example
David’s response to being confronted / convicted is the ____________example – 2 Samuel 12; 24
____________transgression of God’s commands is serious. Repent, accept responsibility, pursue holiness
Guilt
Overcoming sins of ignorance is a ____________part of Christian life – Learn God’s word & its application
Sins of defiance should not be part of Christian life – but they are overcome with humble ____________
Resist sin with ____________effort and be thankful for God’s chastening when you fail – Hebrews 12:4-11
The ______________pricks the heart and convicts the conscience causing a sense of guilt
The Fact of Guilt
The fact of guilt is the condition of having breached a ____________conduct – whether you sense it or not
Recognizing the fact of guilt is the first step toward __________- both for salvation & in the Christian walk
Ignorance of sin does not lessen the ________of guilt
The licentious tend to either ignore or reject the ____________of God in order to do what they want
Those with _____________hearts will not feel guilty even when suffering for their sin
1 Timothy 4:1-2 – a ___________conscience is marked by yielding to deceitful spirits & doctrine of demons
The Sense of Guilt
The sense of guilt is the ____________of feeling you have done wrong or failed in an obligation
A properly functioning ____________will bring a sense of guilt especially if it has been trained in godliness
We are to __________to have a good, clear conscience before God & men – Acts 24:16
The Holy Spirit ________of sin, righteousness & judgment (John 16:8-11) which will bring a sense of guilt
God’s _________brings knowledge of truth revealing sins of ignorance which then brings a sense of guilt
The ministry of the ________of Christ will bring a sense of guilt in the efforts to edify & mature one another
Misplaced guilt is having a sense of guilt by attributing it to the _________ source
An improperly trained conscience can bring a sense of guilt over things that _______violate God’s standards
A prohibitive conscience _______doing something wrong & usually blames self when bad things happen
Drawing near to God to know Him & His will ________misplaced guilt & an improperly trained conscience
Forgiveness of Sin & Peace with God
Being justified by faith, we have _________with God through our Lord Jesus Christ (Rom. 5:1)
Forgiveness of sin & peace with God come as a _______from Him – they cannot be earned
The Christian walk is one of ____________growth & sin that is dealt with by confession – 1 John 1:9
Our God is gracious to ________ those who confess to Him – Psalm 32:5; Psalm 66:16-20
KIDS KORNER – Parents, you are responsible to apply God’s Word to your children’s lives. Here is some help. Young Children – draw a picture about something you hear during the sermon. Explain your picture(s) to your parents at lunch. Older Children – count how many times sin or guilt work is mentioned. Talk to your parents about how to have your sins forgiven so that you have peace with God.
THINK ABOUT IT – Questions to consider in understanding the sermon and its application. What are sins done in ignorance? How should Christians respond to them? What should be done to help prevent them? What is presumptuous sin / sin of defiance? Why are they more serious than a sin done in ignorance? How should Christians respond to them? Compare the example of Saul with that of David in dealing with sin. What is guilt? How much effort should be made to resist sin? Compare the fact of guilt to the sense of guilt? How does awareness of the fact of guilt lead to repentance? What are some reasons that people who are in fact guilty do not have a sense of guilt? What is a hardened heart? What is a seared conscience? What is the origin of the conscience? How can it be trained? How do each of the following produce a sense of guilt: conscience, the Holy Spirit, God’s word, the body of Christ? What should be done with guilt? What is misplaced guilt? What is a prohibitive conscience? Why do some people feel guilty about things that are not violations of God’s commands? What can a person be forgiven their sins and no longer be guilty before God? How should a Christian respond to his own sin? Read Psalm 32:5 & 66:16-20, then spend time praising God for His mercy to you.
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