Deep Insecurity, Part 4: Deep Forgiveness

Prayer prepares my heart:

Pray about whatever makes you feel guilty. Remember that there are essentially two types of guilt: true guilt and false guilt. Pray about both this morning because, whether they are true or false, we feel guilty, and God can forgive both the act and the emotion.

Scripture sets my mind:

but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. [25] Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.

Hebrews 7:24-25 NIV (1984)

We need “Deep Forgiveness” when we feel guilty after we have confessed our sin to God (I John 1:5-10) and, knowing God forgives us, confessed our sin to people (James 5:16) so they can support us in our efforts to change (II Corinthians 7:8-11). If we have guilt after this, we have a faith problem. We are struggling to believe God forgives completely.

Questions focus my reading:

There is no better book of the Bible to read than Hebrews for the person in need of “Deep Forgiveness.” There are 13 chapters, and we are going to read 3-4 chapters a day because it is important to remove our burden of guilt as quickly as possible.

Christians should travel light, which means zero perpetual guilt. Let’s tackle these questions as we read through Hebrews.

• Does God want us to feel guilty?
• What role does listening to God play in whether we feel guilty or innocent?
• How did sin get forgiven before Jesus?
• What was the problem with forgiveness before Jesus died on the cross?
• How did Jesus dying on the cross change how it feels to be forgiven?
• What does it mean to be completely forgiven and saved?
• Why do you hold on to guilt, and what can you do to let it go?

Read, annotate, note:

There is one focus for your note-taking, and that is forgiveness. Pay special attention to how God feels about forgiveness.

How much does God want to forgive us? What is he willing to do so we don’t experience guilt? How can you change your relationship with God and people so you experience less ongoing guilt? This experience will be incredible, so you might want to start a new journal.

Probe, examine, reflect:

Probe your heart for the 1-5 things responsible for your “Deep Guilt.” Examine and determine which should be considered “false” and which “true” guilt. Reflect on how you can apply the lessons learned from Hebrews to let go of this guilt once and for all.

Prayer, faith, power:

Have a great prayer in a special place on a special day, when you will once and for all let go of this guilt.

Identify:

What can you do going forward to ensure you will always experience “Deep Forgiveness?”

Share:

Share your journey into “Deep Forgiveness” with 1-3 close friends. Humbly seek their help to make sure you have made the right decisions, especially about which things are “false” guilt and which are “true.” A forgiven person never fears transparency; what we fear is remaining in a state of perpetual “Deep Guilt.”

Once you have shared your life, ask them to share with you their journey to overcome “Deep Guilt,” because these are the types of conversations that cement friendships for a lifetime.

Decide:

Realize you are not alone with “Deep Guilt,” and that a great many Christians have grown stagnant in their faith because of something from the past they can’t let go of. Become a person who sets people free from “Deep Guilt,” so they can fulfill God’s will for their life.

Act:

Develop two great Bible studies on “Deep Forgiveness” from the book of Hebrews, then use them to set two people free from their “Deep Guilt.”