As unbelievers we may have tried to rationalize away our actions as not being wrong because if we admitted our wrongs then it would mean that our actions were not justified and so we would have to view ourselves as guilty. And in our minds guilt naturally required devaluation of someone as well as some sentence of judgment. This is why the great majority of unbelievers in the public eye present justifications for their actions. They do not want to admit that their actions are corrupt; they want to believe that they are justified and they want others to view them as justified.
But we are free from all this. We are not afraid of honest guilt because guilt does not lead to devaluation, rejection or a sentence of judgment. Through faith in Christ, God justified us (accepts us) and adopted us as his children. The justification issue in our lives has been settled.
However, we do need to respond to authentic guilt because sorrow for our external sins and interior sinfulness is good and appropriate, for “Godly sorrow brings repentance” (2 Cor. 7:10, NIV). Since sorrow is godly it is critical that it be allowed to spread in our hearts. James 4:8-10 instructs us to:
Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world. Let there be tears for what you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor.
James 4:8-10 (NLT)
How much do we desire God’s honor? When we sin or recognize ingrained sinfulness it is good to feel guilt because we are guilty, but this does not lead to condemnation. Then it is important to respond with sorrow that is proportionate to our sin, since that begins the purification process. If we do not feel sorrow then it may be helpful to spend some time reflecting on the truth about our sin and how it causes damage and saddens God. If the sin was especially destructive we may mourn for weeks, but in any case it is essential that we let sorrow penetrate the depths of our heart in order to teach us the reality of what we did, our need to make a change, and God’s forgiveness in Christ.
Godly sorrow should move us to take whatever steps are necessary so that we do not repeat our sin, or at least so that we make progress in that area.
