There’s Only One Way to Get Rid of Guilt

by Rick Warren — January 13, 2023
From Living in the Goodness of God

“But He was pierced for our offenses, He was crushed for our wrongdoings . . . All of us, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; but the Lord has caused the wrongdoing of us all to fall on Him.”

Isaiah 53:5-6 (NASB)

Every one of us has a good reason to feel guilt. Not one does everything right! We hurt other people. We act selfishly. Often the unkindest things we say and do are to the people we love the most.

Just like you can’t hide your sins from God, you can’t hide your guilt from him either. Not only that, but when you try to cover up your guilty feelings, they start to eat at you on the inside.

Only one thing works to get rid of guilt: Confess your sins, and trust in God’s forgiveness. The word “confession” in the Bible in Greek is homologeo. Homo means “same.” Logeo means “to speak.” So confession simply means to agree with God: “You’re right, God. I was wrong.”

Everything you’re going to do wrong—including the stuff you’re going to do tomorrow, next week, and 10 years from now—has already been paid for. That is the goodness of God.

Jesus takes all your guilt on himself. He gives you his goodness—his righteousness. This is the most basic, fundamental truth of the Bible: Your broken soul becomes whole again in him.

The Bible says in Isaiah 53:5-6, “But He was pierced for our offenses, He was crushed for our wrongdoings . . . All of us, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; but the Lord has caused the wrongdoing of us all to fall on Him” (NASB).

If you don’t feel forgiven, it means you don’t fully understand God’s goodness. When Jesus died, he covered all your sins, threw them into the deepest part of the sea, and put up a “No Fishing” sign.

Confess your sin to God. And because he forgives and forgets your sin, you’ll have no need to drag it out again.

Talk It Over

  • What are some common but unhealthy ways people try to handle guilt?
  • Is there guilt you need to let go of today? What is holding you back from making that choice?
  • Why is joy a natural result of understanding God’s grace?

The answer to your guilt is not to hide it; it’s to confess what you’ve done.

The Bible says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9 CSB). And it also says that you cannot earn your way into heaven: “It is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9 NIV).

If you’re ready to confess your sins and to trust Jesus with your life, start with this prayer:

“Dear God, I know I’m a sinner, and I ask for your forgiveness. I believe Jesus Christ is your Son. I believe that he died for my sin and that you raised him to life. Jesus, I want to trust you as my Savior and follow you as Lord from this day forward. I accept your free gift of salvation. Guide my life, and help me to do your will. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.”

If you just prayed to accept Jesus, please email me at [email protected] and let me know about it. I’d like to send you some free materials to help you start your journey with Jesus.


Give hope, prayer, and encouragement below. Post a comment & talk about it.