What Can I Do with My Guilt?

Crucial Questions #9

by R.C. Sproul

If you say “nobody’s perfect,” likely everyone will agree with you. Feelings of guilt over sin are common. A person may ignore their sense of guilt, rationalize it, or suppress it, but it is there. It points to the fact that all people are objectively guilty before God.

So, what do we do with our guilt? In this booklet, Dr. R.C. Sproul shows how God can use these feelings to reveal our true guilt. Dr. Sproul then points to the only remedy—the forgiveness that God provides through Jesus Christ.

The Crucial Questions booklet series by Dr. R.C. Sproul offers succinct answers to important questions often asked by Christians and thoughtful inquirers.

Genres: Christian, Theology, Christianity, Christian Living, Nonfiction, Faith, Spirituality

55 pages, Paperback

First published July 15, 2011

About the author

Dr. R.C. Sproul (1939–2017) was founder of Ligonier Ministries, an international Christian discipleship organization located near Orlando, Fla. He was founding pastor of Saint Andrew’s Chapel in Sanford, Fla., first president of Reformation Bible College, and executive editor of Tabletalk magazine.

Ligonier Ministries began in 1971 as the Ligonier Valley Study Center in Ligonier, Pa. In an effort to respond more effectively to the growing demand for Dr. Sproul’s teachings and the ministry’s other educational resources, the general offices were moved to Orlando in 1984, and the ministry was renamed.

Dr. Sproul’s radio program, Renewing Your Mind, is still broadcast daily on hundreds of radio stations around the world and can also be heard online. Dr. Sproul produced hundreds of lecture series and recorded numerous video series on subjects such as the history of philosophy, theology, Bible study, apologetics, and Christian living.

He contributed dozens of articles to national evangelical publications, spoke at conferences, churches, and academic institutions around the world, and wrote more than one hundred books, including The Holiness of God, Chosen by God, and Everyone’s a Theologian. He signed the 1978 Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy and wrote a commentary on that document. He also served as general editor of the Reformation Study Bible, previously known as the New Geneva Study Bible.

Dr. Sproul had a distinguished academic teaching career at various colleges and seminaries, including Reformed Theological Seminary in Orlando and Jackson, Miss. He was ordained as a teaching elder in the Presbyterian Church in America.

Reviews

[Parker James Lipetska · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a small book from one of my favorite pastors on what do we do with our guilt. Many Christians know their sin very well and go through many cycles of conviction and guilt but never feel forgiven despite knowing the truth. We know that Christ paid for our sins but many times we feel far from forgiven. The author uses 1 John 1:9 "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" to show us that despite our feelings God's word and truth says that we are indeed forgiven! Despite our feelings, he has, he is, and he will continue to forgive us from our sins.

[Salvador Vivas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un área de confusión personal es la lucha con la culpa. Todo el mundo lidia con culpa. Todo el mundo define su culpa a la luz de sus sentimientos. En este libro, R.C. Sproul refuta la idea de enfocarse en los sentimientos de culpa y se centra en lo objetivo de la culpa: La transgresión delante de Dios.

De una manera sencilla y básica, aborda este tema para hablarnos sobre cuál es la solución bíblica para la culpa objetiva y aborda también el tema de los sentimientos de culpa. Este es un buen libro introductorio al tema. Recomendado.

[Ted · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short little treatise on understanding that if we confess and subsequently repent, that we are, in fact, forgiven. Period.

Moreover, it echoes the Buddhist conceptualization that feelings and emotions are fleeting and are not reality. In the Christian tradition it demonstrates an arrogance that we have not accepted what God has promised.

As C.S. Lewis so eloquently characterized it in The Screwtape Letters, the great deceiver harnesses thoughts and emotions to turn our minds against itself. Through self condemnation the enemy claims victory.

For me it is a two part solution:

1. Accepting God's promise, and;
2 Understanding that we are not our thoughts nor emotions.

One is accomplished by faith the other through being aware and mindful and spiritually grounded.

[Catie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been a Christian since I was a small child (I strayed when I was a teen then came back to the Lord in my mid-twenties) but still have not been able to FULLY accept God's forgiveness in my life. This short book offered great insight into that area of my life. I've heard most or all of it before but I think because this is an area that the Lord is working on in me presently this book really spoke to me. :) I highly recommend it!

[Jordan Southerland · Rating 4 out of 5]

i still quote this book today and it is the reason 1 john 1:9 is stuck in my head. i would recommend this book to people who feel lots of shame and guilt like myself. we have actually been forgiven and what freedom is there in that. sproul speaks on how to get out of that guilt and shame and shares personal stories on this.

[Agustina Uliarte · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sorprendida

No soy cristiana... Quizás ni llego a ser totalmente católica, pero disfrute mucho de leer estás páginas.
Me ha hecho reflexionar y espero que algo haya quedado en mí interior.

[Barbier Jacky · Rating 5 out of 5]

Un chef-d'œuvre !

[Briana Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

“If God says, ‘I forgive you,’ you are forgiven no matter how you feel, and to refuse that forgiveness is an act of arrogance.”

[Leo · Rating 5 out of 5]

This helped me learn about what I can do about the past, so that I can move on into the future. Felt a presence of peace after I digested it.

[Daniel H · Rating 5 out of 5]

"La única cura para la culpa real es un perdón real basado en un arrepentimiento real y en una fe real."

[John Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

A CLEAR, MUST-READ DISCUSSION ABOUT REMOVING YOUR GUILT & EASING A GUILTY CONSCIENCE!
“What Can I Do With My Guilt?” is the 9th in Sproul’s 17-book series about the fundamentals of Christianity. As I said in my last review, I wasn’t very excited about reading this one. Then it didn’t help when so many life events intervened during this time as well (e.g., death in the family, physical injury, etc.). The end result was that this short book took the most time for me to read.
So I, of course, have been wondering why I was less enthusiastic about this one. After some soul searching, I think it has to do with my own journey in The Lord. That is, I’ve always gotten the concept of the depth of my sin, my utter inability to make amends for it, my complete dependence on God’s grace, & the thorough cleansing His grace provides. I’m definitely not saying I’m any better than anyone else (quite the contrary), but I’ve usually understood that i can’t make amends for my own sin & that I’m utterly at God’s mercy - fortunately He’s a merciful God! So, as I got into the book, I recognized that although I’d not had huge struggles with guilt, I’d met many who had. With that - the book made LOTS of sense.
Sproul starts with a discussion of the difference between “guilt” & “guilt feelings”. There are many people who feel guilty who aren’t guilty and those who are guilty who don’t feel guilty. Both are big problems today.
In the first group are folks who carry a burden of guilt feelings after they’ve been forgiven. He talks about how some of these simply don’t believe God or can’t believe the Gospel is that simple. That is, “what I did was so bad, shouldn’t it cost me more to obtain forgiveness than simple confession?” They want to pay their own way & usually don’t even recognize how impossible that is. We are utterly guilty in God’s eyes & have absolutely no way to “repay the debt” on our own.
In the second group are those who are ignorant (they don’t understand right from wrong) or are sociopathic. Many in this group know they’ve done wrong, but they’ve “seared their own consciences” because they can’t face the guilt and/or refuse to place themselves at the mercy of God. As part of this discussion, Sproul refers to Jeremiah 3:1-3. I loved his explanation for the end of that passage: “. . . you have the forehead of a whore; you refuse to be ashamed.” Basically, he explains that God’s saying, “you’ve forgotten how to blush”. Isn’t that a concise way to describe too many people in today’s world. They call evil good & good evil. They revel in their sins. They've forgotten how to blush.
So, once I figured out my personal issues, I thoroughly enjoyed this book as I have with all the others. Sproul’s really good at describing the difference between actual guilt & feeling guilty indecent of real guilt. The bottom line is we must trust God & become dependent on His mercy. (Of course, not to say we should freely sin because God’ll forgive us.)
Now I'm really excited to read the next book in the series, “What Is The Trinity?”. I know the term “Trinity” doesn’t occur in The Bible, but the concept clearly is. Of course, it’s one of the tough concepts for us (with our limited minds) to comprehend - how can 3 distinct people be 1? I think it’ll be REALLY cool to read Sproul’s take on it. =^D

[Crystal Amsberry · Rating 5 out of 5]

"“Have you confessed your sin?” I said: “Yes. But I still feel guilty.” He said: “OK. How about reading 1 John 1:9 for me.” I looked at him in confusion and said, “That’s what just I read.” He said: “I know. I want you to read it again.” So I picked up the Bible and I read, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Then I looked up at the minister, and he said, “So, what else?” I said: “Well, I’ve read this passage, I understand what it is saying, and I’ve confessed my sin. But I still feel guilty.” He said, “OK, this time I’d like you to read 1 John 1:9.” He made me read it again, and I ended up reading it five or six times. Finally, he got my attention. He said, “R. C., here’s what the truth of God declares: If ‘A,’ ‘B’ necessarily follows. God has promised that if you confess your sins, He will forgive you of your sins and cleanse you of your unrighteousness. You don’t believe that you’re forgiven because you don’t feel forgiven. What, then, are you trusting—your feelings or the truth of God?”
I finally got the message he was trying to help me see."


Excerpt From: R. C. Sproul. “What Can I Do with My Guilt?.”

[C.H.E. Sadaphal · Rating 4 out of 5]

The bottom line: A small booklet that offers wise and insightful answers to a very big question.

Guilt is the objective understanding that all human beings share because of their violation of God’s law. Feelings of guilt refer to the subjective experience of individuals and can have paralyzing and detrimental effects. While those who do not believe in God may deny, rationalize or become accustomed to guilt, believers must inevitably answer the imposing question of how they ought to manage their culpability that arises from the lack of obedience to God’s commands.
What can I do with my guilt? provides sound Biblical answers on how God uses our guilty feelings in order to ... http://www.chesadaphal.com/what-can-i...

[Kristen Stieffel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This booklet operates on several levels. It gives us a way to talk about guilt with non-Christians. It helps us understand the wrong ways even Christians handle guilt (denial and rationalization). The book's strength is in addressin the issue so many of us face: knowing that we are forgiven in Christ but nevertheless being unable to release our guilt. The section on rationalization is a bit skimpy, but overall this is a very good resource for personal study or group discussion.

[Steve Campbell · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this booklet, Sproul provides an excellent explanation of guilt. He explores the objective basis for guilt and feelings of guilt. He makes the important point that our feelings of guilt don't always correlate with objective guilt, the reality that we have indeed broken God's law. As he has done in other booklets in this series, Sproul draws from his theological knowledge and personal experience to help bring clarity to the subject.

[Brian Watson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'll rate this book for what it is, a short book on guilt on how to deal with it. It lacks depth, and doesn't get into specifics about how we deal with issues of restitution. But it's good. Sproul separates objective guilt from feelings of guilt. Either way, the answer is the gospel. It always is. Good for new Christians and perhaps non-Christians as an evangelistic resource.

(Finished January 4, 2017.)

[Isaiah Jesch · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent booklet by Dr. Sproul. I particularly enjoyed the final chapter of this book. As is the point of the series, the books are very short and do not dive as deeply into a topic as I would want, but these are great primers or reminders of essential aspects of the faith. This booklet was one of my favorites thus far.

[K.M. Weiland · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great short by Sproul. As always he approaches his subject with logic and from the foundation of absolute truth, rather than touchy-feelyiness. He raises some great points and boils an often tricky subject down to the cut-and-dried basics.

[edgar · Rating 1 out of 5]

Nada sin palabras ,un libro de religion gracias


Gracias es un libro mas de religión,nada interesante o nuevo,buena suerte adiós gracias,adiós gracias,adiós gracias, adiós gracias, adiós gracias, adiós gracias.

[Timothy Coplin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not the deepest of Sproul's crucial question treatments, but down to earth, Biblically sound, and practically applicable. Once again, Sproul has eloquently articulated the rubber meeting the road of Christian growth. Very good resource.

[Jenson Lim]

One of the best in this series of booklets

Much material here for unbelievers, young believers and even those who have walked with the Lord for years. I use much material in this booklet for preaching purposes. Highly recommended.

[Jose A Dominguez · Rating 5 out of 5]

The real truth about guilt and how to deal with it

Honest Biblical truth about what guilt is and how to deal with it. R.C. is one of the few great Christian minds and writers who teaches in a way that makes sense to many.

[John Yelverton · Rating 5 out of 5]

R.C. Sproul does a fantastic job addressing both the issue of guilt in our modern society, and differentiating between guilt and guilt feelings. This one is really good, and I strongly recommend it for people who are or know someone who is struggling with guilt.

[Asha Francis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent little book

It is well written and backed with clear theology. I found it especially helpful because of some things I am struggling with at the moment. Extremely grateful for this book.

[Pavel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent resource. Dr. R.C. addresses a very important topic that affect many Christians today. This is a must read for anyone dealing with guilt feelings even after asking for forgiveness.

[Scott Guillory · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good

[Justin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was another really good and short little book from Sproul. I like that it is direct and full of useful biblical truth on the subject of guilt and forgiveness. I recommend this.

[Min Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great short book on guilt and forgiveness.

[Billie Saunders · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent writing

This book is importance reading for those who see struggle with forgiveness and those who struggle with guilt. Concise and empathetic

[Terri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Informative

Good point of view and stories that are relatable. I would recommend this to others to read for the eye opening information.