Guilt and False Guilt | ACBC Exam Question #29

       Define guilt Biblically.  Is "false guilt" a biblical concept?  How do you deal with guilt in the context of counseling?

Guilt is defined in the dictionary as; “the fact or state of having committed an offense, crime, violation, or wrong, especially against moral or penal law.”¹  Intentional sinful action does make us culpable before God.  “There is none righteous, not even one; there is none who understands, there is none who seeks for God; all have turned aside, together they have become useless; there is none who does good, there is not even one...for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God...” (Romans 3: 11-12, 23)   

We are guilty by our own wrongdoing, breaking God’s exacting standards.  “For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all.” (James 2:10)  But that’s only part of our guilt, not a full Biblical definition.  We are also born guilty because we are human ancestors of Adam (the first sinner plunged the entire human race into guilt); guilty before we even act or think sinfully for ourselves (Romans 5:12-21).  The moment we are conceived, we are guilty, sinful beings.  Because of our guilt before God, He instituted death as a rightful punishment; “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned…” (Romans 5:12).

Guilt is also defined to mean; “a feeling of responsibility or remorse for some offense, crime, wrong, etc., whether real or imagined.”² This definition has been accepted because of the influence of Psychology.  Freud taught that guilt feelings were false, that they indicated a conflict between the id and superego, and were not a violation of one’s standards.  This concept of “false guilt” is completely unbiblical.  It nullifies God’s authoritative standard; and can be used to dangerously justify any behaviour and release people from guilt they ought to acknowledge as true culpability.

I do think Satan, the Accuser can create a sense of false guilt within a person.  For example, a Christian counselee may feel it was their fault when a close friend committed suicide because they saw signs in their behaviour, tried to intervene, but their friend is now dead.  It is not their fault, but they feel a sense of responsibility.  This type of false guilt is a tactic of Satan to undermine God’s forgiveness, causing believers to be paralyzed with fear, doubt and insecurity in their faith.  Helping someone trapped in Satan’s lies will enable them to see who they are in Christ, and live out their faith in joy and freedom (Romans 8:1). 

 Romans 14 deals with areas of conscience, and personal standards.  When a counselee comes for counseling over something they feel guilt over it needs to be handled wisely with Biblical truth.  First it must be viewed by God’s standard-Is it sin clearly against God’s Word?  Is it sin to this particular counselee because it is a matter of conscience for them, and at the time they believed it to be sin and did it/said it/thought on it anyway?  This should not be discussed at the outset with the counselee, but noted by the counselor.   After the heart condition of repentance and restoration to fellowship has taken place it would be appropriate for the counselor to teach through this particular area of liberty with your counselee and help them see it Biblically, giving them the freedom to make personal convictions based on clear Biblical principles. 

Paul speaks of a specific situation when conscience and feelings of guilt were beneficial; “I now rejoice, not that you were made sorrowful, but that you were made sorrowful to the point of repentance; for you were made sorrowful according to the will of God, so that you might not suffer loss in anything through us. 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 5:9-11)  We need guilt, it is good, and serves a purpose.  God gave us a conscience, to show us our sin (Romans 2:15), revealing our need for rescue by Jesus.  “…and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.” (1 Peter 2:24) 

^{1, 2} www.dictionary.com