Insights Magazine: Issue Seven, 2023

Grief over past sins plunges them into a depth of sorrow. Guilt swallows them up, and they feel as if they are drowning.

Cover & Article Photo: Markus Spiske on Unsplash

Getting Past Guilt: Overcoming Barriers to Feeling Forgiven

by Charles R. Swindoll

Puritan minister Richard Baxter warned about the emotional toll of carrying unnecessary guilt: “That sorrow, even for sin, may be overmuch. That overmuch sorrow swalloweth one up.” 1 In his wonderful old English, Reverend Baxter captured the feelings of people who have not experienced forgiveness. Grief over past sins plunges them into a depth of sorrow. Guilt swallows them up, and they feel as if they are drowning.

As believers, many of us understand intellectually what it means to be forgiven. We know that Christ’s death atones for our sins. By placing our faith in Him, we are saved into an eternal relationship with our Lord that never changes. Even though we may still sin after becoming a Christian, we know that when we turn to the Lord with a repentant heart, confessing our sin to Him, He washes our sin away. First John tells us that when we confess our sin, God “is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9 NASB1995).

Yet sometimes, people discover that they are unable to find that feeling of reconciliation with God. No matter how often they confess and after doing all that they can to make reparation for their sin, they still feel as if they cannot be forgiven. It may seem like their sins—things like divorce, abortion,

or adultery—are beyond God’s forgiveness. They continue to carry the burden of their guilt along with them each day, weighed down by a feeling of permanent distance in their relationship with the Lord. Perhaps the waters of guilt have washed over you, and you feel like you are sinking in sorrow and regret. What could be preventing you from moving beyond your past and feeling forgiven?

I have observed five mistaken ways of thinking that are common among those who struggle with past sins. Crossing over these thought “barriers” is the first step on the road to feeling forgiven...and free.

Barrier 1: “What I have done is too bad. I know that God is forgiving, but I cannot be forgiven for this.”

This barrier ensnares many sincere believers because it gives such a strong appearance of sadness over sin. It feels like a righteous response; we don’t want to downplay the gravity of our sin.

Yet an honest look at the above statement shows that it is not really humble nor is it true. In effect, it implies that Christ’s death was not enough to pay for all sin. It is as though we are saying, “Maybe His atonement covers the sins of the rest of the world. But Jesus’ death cannot cover this.” We have made our particular sin out to be uniquely bad and Christ’s payment to be inadequate.

What a far cry this is from the truth! If our sin is an exception to God’s forgiveness, then Scripture lies because it declares, “Everyone who calls on the name of the L ORD will be saved” (Acts 2:21). No exceptions!

The truth is that our sin is no worse (and no better) than the rest of humanity’s. All sin is evil in the Lord’s sight. Yet Christ’s death is sufficient (see Colossians 1:20–21; Hebrews 7:24–25). It is more than enough—many, many times over—to cover all the wrong we’ve ever done and will ever do. No sin is beyond God’s forgiveness.

Barrier 2: “I must punish myself for my sins in order to be forgiven.”

We have a natural desire to pay for our sins. Logically, we understand that wrong actions deserve punishment, and we may feel an odd sense of satisfaction in being punished (or punishing ourselves!) for our sins. Our feelings of guilt and rejection become the penance for our sin to win back God’s favour.

It is true that our sins deserve terrible punishment—which Christ endured for us. It is not true that we must add our own punishment to Christ’s. Personal pain adds no atoning value to Christ’s sacrifice. Our forgiveness came at a very high cost to our Lord, and this cost is quite sufficient to pay for what we have done. While we must still make reparation when we have wronged another person, we must not continually torture ourselves when the Lord has already forgiven us. Jesus has paid our penalty. We cannot add to Christ’s sacrifice for our sins.

matter. We know how wrong we were—too wrong to be let off the hook so easily.

Yet as we look closely at this thought barrier, we realize this response is not righteous. Just the opposite. By saying that we cannot forgive ourselves, we elevate our judgment above the Lord’s. We think that we know better than He does; He might be quick to forgive, but we are not so simple. Yet what right do we have to hang onto something that God released? Do we think He doesn’t know every sordid detail of every sin? Are we wiser than He? If He has forgotten it, why would we think that it is more honourable to hold on to it?

Seen in this light, the folly of this barrier is much clearer. Scripture never tells us to forgive ourselves. When we try to “forgive” ourselves, we are attempting the impossible. Forgiveness assumes an innocent party has been wronged, and it is the job of the person who has been wronged to forgive. The offending party is the one that receives forgiveness.

We are the offender; God is the one who has been wronged, since our sin is rebellion against Him. By focusing on forgiving ourselves, we have taken the spotlight off of God and pointed it at us—making it doubly difficult to let go of our sin! He has forgiven us. We must simply receive that forgiveness and rest in it. That means releasing those sins we want to hold on to, refusing to revisit them in our minds, and allowing the truth of our forgiveness to cover us with His peace. Absolution from the Lord is far more powerful than absolution from oneself.

Barrier 4: “Because I am still suffering the effects from my sin, God must not have forgiven me yet.”

Again, this seems like a very righteous response. It seems flippant to simply accept God’s forgiveness and “dismiss” our sin. Intellectually, we may know that Christ’s death is enough to pay for our sins, but that doesn’t

It is easy to confuse natural consequences with God’s punishment; however, they are different. If you jump from a lofty ledge, you may sprain your ankle. God did not cause your ankle to twist to punish you. Gravity drew you

Barrier 3: “I know that God has forgiven me, but that doesn't matter. I cannot forgive myself.”

back to the earth’s surface (and quickly!). Your pain was simply a consequence of your action.

In the same way, sins for which we have been forgiven long ago may still have consequences in our lives. An ex-spouse may be difficult to get along with. We may grieve on the due date of the baby that was aborted. We may suffer injuries from the accident that occurred while we were drinking. Yet none of these troubles represents God’s punishment. According to Romans 5:9–10, God saves us from His wrath:

Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! For if, when we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! (NIV)

Our punishment has been paid in Christ. As believers, we are forgiven for our actions and precious to the Lord, even when consequences from those actions remain in our lives. Barrier 5: “God has allowed too much suffering into my life; I cannot forgive God for what He has done.”

The person struggling with this last barrier has usually suffered greatly. The pain from life’s losses can feel overwhelming, and the instinctive response may be to lash out at the Sovereign One for not stopping it.

Yet when we are angry with the Lord, we cut ourselves off from the One who can truly heal our wounds. The psalmist has said, “But our God is in the heavens; / He does whatever He pleases” (Psalm 115:3 NASB1995). The Lord has the right to allow difficult things into our lives. In His wisdom He has chosen to wait before blotting out all pain from the earth. As a result we still suffer from the consequences of living in a fallen world, from the sins of others, and from our own sin. Ultimately we know that God’s justice will prevail. In the meantime, we may experience suffering.

Some well-meaning counsellors may say that you need to “forgive God” for the things you have endured. Yet never in Scripture are we asked to forgive God. God has not wronged us. God is ultimately the only truly wronged party, as He is the only One who is truly innocent. It is we who have sinned against Him. In His graciousness, He has chosen to pay the penalty for our sins Himself and save us. If you are holding on to anger against the Lord, let His grace melt your bitterness. Only in submission to Him will you find peace.

So what do we do with guilt?

After we move past these thought barriers, the next step is to understand guilt from God’s perspective. What is supposed to happen when we sin?

When we do something wrong, we should feel badly! That’s the purpose of our Godgiven conscience. Yet Scripture talks about two kinds of guilt or sorrow over sin, one we should pursue, and one we must avoid.

For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation, but the sorrow of the world produces death. (2 Corinthians 7:10)

Godly sorrow and worldly sorrow. The first one leads to life, but the latter shoves us into a spiritual grave. Worldly sorrow only bemoans getting caught or weeps for what was lost. It never grieves for the wrong committed. Godly sorrow produces different results. When we experience godly sorrow, we are deeply grieved for the wrong we committed. We desire to ask forgiveness, to repair the damage, to make reparation for the harm done; not merely to protect ourselves from pain or regain what we didn’t want to give up. In a word, we repent.

Repentance is turning away from sin and turning back to God. True guilt gets us up on our feet and motivates us to do the right thing. But notice the middle part of the passage above, because it’s easy to miss.

Godly sorrow...leaves no regret. We are not to be like broken records, skipping back to an old sin over and over again, but we are to move forward with the Lord. Imagine if Paul had continually relived his terrible past—he pursued and imprisoned Christians! If he had hung on to his sins, he certainly wouldn’t have been the powerful minister we find in Scripture (see 1 Timothy 1:12–16).

In trusting and repentance, there is rest.

In our struggle through the hurts and pains of life, we must cling with all our heart to Scripture’s teachings on forgiveness. Real forgiveness is available to all people—a forgiveness that satisfies our deepest longing to be cleansed inside and out. Through Christ, all of our sins have been paid for. God’s plan is that our sorrow—or guilt—over our sin would return our heart to Him. He desires that we turn from that sin, ask forgiveness—both from Him and from those we hurt—make reparation

when possible, and then walk on with Him. We must let go of that sin, leaving no regret behind as we continue on with our Lord.

May you find the strength and the peace of the Lord today through both the reality of and the experience of His forgiveness.

Copyright © by Charles R. Swindoll, Inc.

1. Baxter, Richard. “What are the Best Preservatives against Melancholy and Overmuch Sorrow?” In Puritan Sermons

1659-1689, Being the Morning Exercises at Cripplegate. 6 vols. Edited by James Nichols.

Wheaton: Richard Owen Roberts, 1981, 3:253.

What’s the only reliable source of truth?

Stop the Revolving Door

by Charles R. Swindoll

The history of great civilizations reminds me of a giant revolving door. It turns on the axis of human depravity as its movement is marked by the perimeter of time. With monotonous repetition each civilization has completed the same cycle, having passed through a similar sequence of events. One man summarized it like this:

From bondage to spiritual faith

From spiritual faith to great courage

From great courage to strength

From strength to liberty

From liberty to abundance

From abundance to leisure

From leisure to selfishness

From selfishness to complacency

From complacency to apathy

From apathy to dependency

From dependency to weakness

From weakness back to bondage

Whether Roman or Athenian empires... Egyptian or European cultures, the chronicle tells its own tale. Regardless of geography, origin,

achievements, or level of prosperity, each one has sunk deeply into the vortex of ruin.

Consider Babylon. It can hardly be found today. It is nothing more than a lonely whistle stop along the Baghdad railroad. Its beauty and significance now lie buried beneath tons of dirt, rocks, and debris in a forlorn and forgotten land. How she has fallen!

Israel can also teach us the same lesson. Inquire at the gate called Judges . That place reaffirms the truth of humanity’s cyclical habit. Time after time—for over three hundred years—the Jews went through the succession of events mentioned above. Like pawns on a chessboard, they lived under the bondage of superior powers until God gave them a deliverer, who fired the furnace of spiritual fervour...which inflamed their courage... which kindled military strength...then liberty... then abundance...then leisure—and then right back down the tube again into bondage. The age-old path of that same revolving door has etched itself upon the tablet of Israel's antiquity. It was about two hundred years ago, while the 13 colonies were still part of Great Britain, that Professor Alexander Tyler [sometimes referred to as Alexander Fraser Tytler] addressed himself to the fall of the Athenian Republic. He declared:

A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the voters discover they can vote themselves excessive gratuities from the public treasury. From that moment on the majority always votes for the candidates promising the most benefits from the treasury, with the result that a democracy collapses over loose fiscal policy, always followed by a dictatorship.

It's a stunning fact of history that the average age of the world's great civilizations has been approximately two hundred years. According to that reckoning, America may be living on borrowed time. The age-old revolving door is turning and we are—as I see it—somewhere between apathy and dependency on the historical cycle. It doesn't take a meteorologist to predict rain if the sky is black and drops are starting to fall. Neither does it take a prophet to predict future bondage if we are now a majority of apathetic and dependent people!

Hope for our great nation rests upon independent thinking and individual effort. The revival of discipline, integrity, work, determination, and healthy pride is not a national matter but a personal one. Inward change and godliness are not legislated by Congress—they are spawned in the heart and cultivated in the home before they are bred in the land. Frankly— it boils down to one person, you

A revolving door has to be pushed by those within it. When we stop pushing, it will stop turning...but not until.

Excerpted from Come Before Winter and Share My Hope, Copyright © 1985, 1988, 1994 by Charles R. Swindoll, Inc. All rights reserved worldwide. Used by permission. insight.org

THE REVIVAL OF DISCIPLINE, INTEGRITY, WORK, DETERMINATION, AND HEALTHY PRIDE IS NOT A NATIONAL MATTER BUT A PERSONAL ONE.

John Calvin

by Bill Gemaehlich

Aman of great faith who encourages me to pursue the glory of God through difficult seasons is French pastor and theologian John Calvin.

John Calvin was born in 1509 in Noyon, France. He was only eight years old when Martin Luther posted the 95 Theses on the church door in Wittenberg in 1517. At age 14 he entered university to study Latin and philosophy, but his father later withdrew him to pursue a degree in law. By 1533, Calvin departed from his Catholic beginnings, converted to faith in Christ, and embraced the teachings of the Protestant Reformation. Calvin said of his conversion, “God, by a sudden conversion subdued and brought my mind to a teachable frame.... Having thus received some taste and knowledge of true

godliness, I was immediately inflamed with [an] intense desire to make progress.”1

CALVIN’S PASSION FOR THE GLORY OF GOD AND HIS TRUST IN GOD’S PROVIDENCE AMID SUFFERING SPEAK PASTORAL WORDS OF WISDOM TO OUR WORLD TODAY.

The Reformation in France, like in Germany, had created tension between the Catholic church and Protestant reformers. In 1535, Calvin was forced to leave Paris when persecution broke out against Protestant Christians. He fled to Basel, Switzerland where he spent two years and published the first edition of his magnum opus, The Institutes of the Christian Religion . Initially, Calvin had no desire to become a pastor and wanted to study as a scholar in Strasbourg. However, on his way to Strasbourg, he had to take a detour through Geneva where reformer William Farel sought him out and convinced him to stay and help reform the city.

Article Photo: Museum Catharijneconvent, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Due to theological conflicts in Geneva, he left and went to Strasbourg for a few years, where he met and married Idelette de Bure, a widow with two children. They had a happy marriage but suffered the loss of their son, Jaques, two weeks after his birth. Calvin then lost Idelette in 1549, after a lengthy illness. Calvin’s passion for the glory of God and his trust in God’s providence amid suffering speak pastoral words of wisdom to our world today. Innumerable are the evils that beset human life; innumerable too, the deaths that threaten it. We need not go beyond ourselves: since our body is the receptacle of a thousand diseases... Yet, when that light of divine providence has once shone upon a godly man, he is then relieved and set free not only from the extreme anxiety and fear that were pressing him before, but from every care. For as he justly dreads fortune, so he fearlessly dares commit himself to God. His solace, I say, is to know that his Heavenly Father so holds all things in his power, so rules by his authority and will, so governs by his wisdom, that nothing can befall except he determine it.2

Calvin was a man of faithful constancy who endeavoured to magnify the glory of God and rest in His sovereignty, no matter the circumstance. As we pray, let us fearlessly commit ourselves to God and take comfort that our time is in His hand.

But I trust in you, O L ORD ; I say, “You are my God.” My times are in your hand.

(Psalm 31:14–15 ESV)

1. Griffin, Emilie. 2006. John Calvin: Selections from His Writings. New York, NY: HarperOne.

2. John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, ed. John T. McNeill, trans. Ford Lewis Battles (Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2006)

Bill Gemaehlich is the EVP/COO operations at Insight for Living Ministries

Our vision is to reach Canadians with the truth of God’s Word. We believe this is the first step to helping people understand and apply God’s Word.

Discerning When to Follow People or Not

by Steve Johnson

Church history is littered with examples of how we as Christians are followers and identify our behaviours or beliefs according to the person we follow. That’s why we have Calvinists, Arminians, Lutherans, Hutterites, Mennonites, Wesleyans, and so many more. They’re all named after a leader. But how can we discern who we listen to?

On the positive side, labelling ourselves is a convenient way to identify us or others in terms of beliefs and behaviours. But on the negative side, it has also been the source all throughout history, of many quarrels, fights, divisions, and even deaths!

Remember 2 Timothy 4:3, “For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear.”

Paul chastised the Corinthian church for divisions. “For some members of Chloe’s household have told me about your quarrels,

my dear brothers and sisters. Some of you are saying, ‘I am a follower of Paul.’ Others are saying, ‘I follow Apollos,’ or ‘I follow Peter,’ or ‘I follow only Christ.’ Has Christ been divided into factions? Was I, Paul, crucified for you? Were any of you baptized in the name of Paul? Of course not!” (1 Corinthians 1:11-13).

When one of you says, “I am a follower of Paul,” and another says, “I follow Apollos,” aren’t you acting just like people of the world? (1 Corinthians 3:4)

Conversely, Paul also said, “Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:1 KJV).

Dear brothers and sisters, pattern your lives after mine, and learn from those who follow our example. (Philippians 3:17) Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. (Philippians 4:9)

So I urge you to imitate me.

(1 Corinthians 4:16)

For you know that you ought to imitate us.

(2 Thessalonians 3:7)

How do we discern when to become a follower of someone or not? Is it OK to be a Swindollist or a MacArthurite today?

Here’s what the Bible says about not following people. It tells us, “Don’t put your confidence in powerful people; there is no help for you there” (Psalm 146:3). Unlike God, even powerful people are frail and dying.

Scripture tells us that following people just because everyone else does is unwise because the crowd is often wrong (Exodus 23:2). Following people of bad counsel can cost us much (1 Kings 12:1–19; Proverbs 28:19–20).

instead of God, we must be discerning when to follow the example of those who follow God.

We are to respectfully follow and honour our leaders in the body of Christ (1 Thessalonians 5:12, 13; Hebrews 13:7, 17) and they are instructed to be examples to the flock (1 Peter 5:1–3). An example is someone to be followed, a pattern. All God’s people should recognize their need for some person wiser and stronger to teach us and to show us how to live in matters of conduct and service.

HOW DO WE DISCERN WHEN TO BECOME A FOLLOWER OF SOMEONE OR NOT? IS IT OK TO BE A SWINDOLLIST OR A MACARTHURITE TODAY?

Finally, following false religious teachers harms the cause of Christ and brings about spiritual damage (2 Peter 2:1–10). We need to always exercise discernment so that we recognize and reject leaders who teach false doctrines or model bad behaviour.

We should never blindly follow or totally depend on people just because they are great leaders or have great ability or charisma. All people, even the best of us, are subject to constant limitation and error of judgment. We shouldn’t become so enamoured with gifted people that we think they themselves could meet any of our real needs.

Here’s what the Bible says about following people. First and foremost we are to follow the example of Christ (1 Peter 2:21; Ephesians 5:1) just as He follows His Father’s example (John 5:19).

So why not just follow Jesus rather than following imperfect spiritual leaders? The answer is because the Bible teaches the necessity and the benefit of human example and leadership in God’s church. While we must never follow people

We are also to follow the example of godly Old Testament believers— people like Job, Elijah, and others in being patient, persevering, and prayerful (James 5:11–18; Hebrews 11). We are to make Paul a pattern for our lives (1 Corinthians 11:1; Philippians 3:17; 2 Thessalonians 3:7–9; 1 Timothy 1:1) and follow the example of other believers in their generosity (2 Corinthians 11:9).

In short, we are to follow the examples set by godly people, past and present.

Biblical precepts teach us what things are our duty, but examples assure us that they are possible. When we see frail and flawed people like ourselves in control of their passions and overcoming the most glittering temptations, we are encouraged in our walk with Christ. This is the beginning of discerning when to follow people.

Steve Johnson is the executive director at Insight for Living Canada.

Looking Back: Clearing Away the Trash We Regret

God designed our souls to thrive when we connect in loving ways with other people. The psalmist delights in the beauty of healthy community:

How wonderful and pleasant it is when brothers live together in harmony! (Psalm 133:1)

Conversely, how miserable it is when people live in discord—people like the family members who haven’t spoken in years or the spouses who bicker incessantly. When our relationships suffer, the beauty of God’s design fades like a rose that turns brown and brittle when cut from its stem.

God is the Master Gardener who knows best how to restore relationships to their intended beauty. His Word contains the keys to a flourishing garden, and the first key is repentance.

To clarify a biblical concept, such as repentance, a helpful study tool is to see it modelled in Scripture and then draw principles from the person’s example. David’s repentance is on display in Psalm 31:9–16.

David didn’t move on with his life hoping his sins would be forgotten; he stopped. He looked back. He admitted his wrongs. And he took responsibility for the trash that littered the roadside—the splintered trust, dashed promises, and rotting pile of problems that his sin caused. Most important, rather than hide from the Lord as did Adam and Eve in their shame and regret, he drew close to the Lord to receive mercy.

Our acts of repentance—confessing our sin, taking responsibility for the consequences, and drawing near to God for mercy—please the Lord with the sweet aroma of heartfelt sacrifice (Psalm 51:16–17). The Lord longs for our repentance because He longs for a closer relationship with us. The process of confession, forgiveness, and restoration deepens our devotion to Him and bonds us with others like nothing else can. Shame separates us, but repentance connects and restores.

“Repentance is complete when your life is an open book before the one you have wronged.”

—Pastor Charles R. Swindoll

Puzzle — Fill in the Blank

To Follow People or Not

Difficulty ■ □ □ □

Fill in the blanks with these key statements or phrases about following or not following people. The solutions are direct quotes from the NIV Bible translation.

1.

(2 Timothy 2:2)

2.

(2 Timothy 4:3)

3.

(1 Corinthians 1:11)

4.

(1 Corinthians 1:13)

5.

(Philippians 3:17)

6.

(2 Thessalonians 3:7–9)

7.

(1 Peter 5:3) 8.

(2 Peter 2:1–2)

9.

(1 Peter 2:21) 10. ’

(Ephesians 5:1)

THANK YOU

For supporting the work of Pastor Chuck Swindoll and Insight for Living Canada with your prayers and finances.

Of all the great ministries you could have given to, you chose us, and that means more to us than we can fully express. We’re inspired to stay strong in Christ’s work with all the focus and diligence God’s grace provides.