There is some confusion in the city of Jerusalem as to where Calvary is.
Some say at the church of the Holy Sepulcher.
Some say the Garden Tomb, or “Gordon’s Calvary.”
The most important question is not geographical nor physical.
It is spiritual. There is a place you can go to take your guilt and sin.
Guilt and Regret
“I counseled a young woman who had an affair, then had a baby, and adopted it out - and has ever since had a compulsive habit of looking into mothers’ strollers and later into the faces of other children - to see if she could recognize the child she gave away. The guilt drove her to attempt suicide several times…”
“Another woman - a missionary - flew from another country to talk about something she’d done - a sexual adventure - before she married. She’s told the story publicly since, but I’ll spare you the details. The terrible guilt caused her to have several ‘nervous breakdowns’. But in our therapy she decided to ‘come clean’. She wrote it down - plus lots of other junk in her life, read it aloud through her tears, then we burned it up and flushed it down the toilet, while hearing God’s word about casting our sins into the depths of the sea!”
I John 5:8 And there are three that bear witness in earth, the spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one.
1. Guilt is the collision between transgression and a prepared conscience at the intersection of temptation.
- Conscience: A knowledge of right and wrong ingrained within the mind.
- Morals: Standards of proper human behavior which respect man’s dignity.
- Sin: The violation of the laws of God.
- Condemnation: The judgement of God upon the offender. (The offender is married to the offense. The act cannot be separated from the perpetrator.)
- Retribution: Punishment that God gives the offender.
- Guilt: Punishment the offender gives himself.
Romans 1:21-32 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, 23 And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. 24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: 25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. 26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: 27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet. 28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; 29 Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, 30 Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,31 Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: 32 Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.
Romans 3:9-20.
- Guilt is the full awareness that sin has been committed—-actually, physically, unalterably—-and it has been entered into the eternal record.
- Jeremiah 17:1 The sin of Judah is written with a pen of iron, and with the point of a diamond: it is graven upon the table of their heart, and upon the horns of your altars;
- Modern thinking has forbidden (repressed, illegitimized, debunked) guilt feelings. In so doing, it has neutered the act of transgression and scorned the prepared conscience.
- We now have a guiltless society in which people are no longer responsible for their actions.
- “Guilt occurs when a person’s actions clash with their value systems;
Value of Guilt
- Without guilt, there is no conviction of sin.
- Without conviction, there is no repentance.
- Without repentance, there is no salvation.
This is where the Acts 2:38 message is so powerful. (Romans 1:16)
Rom 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
The best and healthiest statement a sinner will ever make is, “I am guilty!”
(Psalm 51:3)
The “disease” model of sin means
- “I have committed no wrong.”
- “I am being unjustly criticized.”
- “Once an alcoholic, always an alcoholic. (Bondage of fear.)
The word “disease” means simply “not at ease.” This leads people to believe that they just need whatever will stop their pain, even for awhile.
- Blame shift : “I did it, but they made me do it.”
- Rationalize : “I did it, but it wasn’t what you think.”
- Sanctify it : “I did it, but God understands and knows I couldn’t really help myself.”
- Deny it : “It’s so horrible it must not have happened.”
- Grade themselves on the curve : “I did it, but everyone else did too.”
Then, there are active and sometimes violent ways that people try to rid themselves of guilt. Alcohol, drugs, suicide, nervous breakdowns. That’s why this has been called the prozac society. I believe it is because people are trying to handle the problem of guilt without the cross of Jesus Christ.
- It leads to depression. (Emotional state marked by great sadness and apprehension, feelings of worthlessness and guilt; withdrawal from others, loss of sleep, appetite, or interest and pleasure in usual activities; and either lethargy or agitation.)
- It leads to confusion. Rejection of truth; tampering with the mind.)
- It leads to blaming others.
Take your guilt by the hand and lead it to Calvary.
Isa 53:1-10 from the NIV Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. 5 But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. 6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. 10 Yet it was the LORD’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the LORD makes his life a guilt offering, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand. (NIV)
The most significant phrase in this passage is “guilt offering.” When we say that Jesus died for our sins, we cite the legal, moral and theological positions, but not the emotional one. We must also understand that Jesus was our “guilt offering” as well.
This is extremely important to us today. Converts today come from guilt-laden backgrounds. They carry the baggage of abortion, adopting out children, self-induced damage from alcohol and drug abuse, divorce, negligent or abusive parenting and other interpersonal relationship dysfunctions. Many of them linger in the shadows of their wrongdoing long after conversion. They must see Jesus as the sacrifice who absorbs their guilt feelings as well as their literal transgressions.
Understand it. Accept it. Believe it. Claim it. Rejoice in it. Profess it.
Go forward from Calvary.
The Cross is not a wall that we should stop and turn back.
The Cross is a gateway through which we pass to new freedoms!
Phil 3:13-14 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
John 8:32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
I John 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.