How can we find relief from the burden of guilt?
(Not a direct answer, not good for the 1st answer)
It is only accepting Jehovah’s forgiveness that we can find relief from the burden of guilt. We can find relief if our conscience can move us to take positive steps to correct our course. 2 Cor. 7:10 talks about sadness in a Godly way that helps us to achieve a lot. That’s connected with righting the wrong mentioned in verse 17. Verse 16 explains it leads to salvation but before that, our clean conscience will have been restored and we would have put the guilt behind us.
What does it mean to have our sins pardoned? (Psalm 32:5)
The Hebrew word rendered “pardon” can mean “lift up,” “take away,” or “carry.” Jehovah, in a sense, lifted up David’s sins and carried them away. For he had been under a burden but then Jehovah lifted that burden, giving him relief from the heavy guilt that he had been carrying. For us, we can experience similar relief. When we sincerely repented, we need not continue to feel guilty because Jehovah has lifted up and carried away our sins.
What can we do if we carry persistent guilt for past mistakes?
1st Answer
If we carry persistent guilt for past sins, we can ask ourselves if it is a case of we forgetting what Jehovah remembers—that is, I may ask myself, am I forgetting that Jehovah is mindful of my sinful nature and will forgive a repentant sinner like me? 2, I can also ask: Am I also remembering what Jehovah chooses to forget—that is, am I remembering the sins that he has forgiven and would never hold against me?’
2nd or third answer:
We can also dwell on David’s words found in Psalm 103. It will help us to accept Jehovah’s forgiveness. There the Psalmist siad he would rather concentrate on praising Jehovah and remembering His works. And Just Like David said in verse 3 and 4, Jehovah totally forgives and heals us once we truly repent. Verse 10 reminds us that Jehovah will not hold on to resentment. These verses are good for us to reflect on when we carry persistent guilt.
Why do we need to keep convincing our heart of Jehovah’s love and forgiveness?
Satan will not let up in his efforts to convince us that we are unlovable or unforgivable. It is for these reasons some have stopped serving Jehovah get us to stop serving Jehovah. When we stop serving Jehovah, we let Satan win. May that never happen to us.
What can you do to convince your heart of Jehovah’s love and forgiveness?
- We can apply the suggestions discussed in the preceding article.
- To convince your heart of Jehovah’s forgiveness, reflect on how Jehovah has described himself.
- We can Meditate on what he inspired Bible writers to say about his forgiveness. Do not forget that he is well-aware of your sinful nature and will deal with you mercifully. And remember that when he forgives, he does so completely.
- We can have the same type of confidence that David had in Jehovah’s mercy, for if we do, we’ll be able to say, “Thank you, Jehovah, for pardoning ‘the error of my sins’!”
Review 1.
Why do we need to accept Jehovah’s forgiveness?
Because Satan will always try to make us believe that we are unforgivable to Jehovah because of past sins. Some have suffered the anguish of past sins so much that they left Jehovah. But for us to get relief, we need to accept Jehovah’s forgiveness so that we can avoid falling into Satan’s traps, acquire a clean conscience, and retain our joy in serving Jehovah.
