Unpacking Emotional Baggage: Guilt | Psalm 32 and Psalm 51
Psalm 32:1-5
Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven,
Whose sin is covered.
2 Blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity,
And in whose spirit there is no deceit.
3 When I kept silent, my bones grew old
Through my groaning all the day long.
4 For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me;
My vitality was turned into the drought of summer. Selah
5 I acknowledged my sin to You,
And my iniquity I have not hidden.
I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,”
And You forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah
a. Guilt: the fact of having committed a breach of conduct especially violating law and involving a penalty
b. Guilt: a feeling of deserving blame for offenses —Merriam Webster
Psalm 32:5
5 I acknowledged my sin to You,
And my iniquity I have not hidden.
I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,”
And You forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah
Psalm 32:1
Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven,
Whose sin is covered.
1. The Categorizes of Guilt
There are two types Categories of Guilt:
A.
2 Corinthians 7:10a
For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted…
John 16:7-8
Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. 8 And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:
“Guilt is not all bad. Without it there is nothing to drive a person toward self-examination and toward God for forgiveness.” —Billy Graham
B.
2 Corinthians 7:10
For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the
sorrow of the world produces death.
Romans 8:1
There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who[a] do not
walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.
James 4:7
Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.
2. Consequences of Guilt
A.
Psalm 51:1-2
Have mercy upon me, O God,
According to Your lovingkindness;
According to the multitude of Your tender mercies,
Blot out my transgressions.
2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
And cleanse me from my sin.
B.
Psalm 51:3
For I acknowledge my transgressions, And my sin is always before me.
Psalm 51:10
Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.
C.
Psalm 51:12
Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, And uphold me by Your generous Spirit.
“If you have no joy, there’s a leak in your Christianity somewhere.” —Billy Sunday
D.
Psalm 51:10-11
Create in me a clean heart, O God,
And renew a steadfast spirit within me.
11 Do not cast me away from Your presence,
And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.
2 Samuel 12:5–6
So David’s anger was greatly aroused against the man, and he said to Nathan, “As the Lord lives, the man who has done this shall surely die! 6 And he shall restore fourfold for the lamb, because he did this thing and because he had no pity.”
2 Samuel 12:7
Then Nathan said to David, “You are the man!…
E.
Psalm 51:8
Make me hear joy and gladness,
That the bones You have broken may rejoice.
Psalm 32:3-4
3 When I kept silent, my bones grew old
Through my groaning all the day long.
4 For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me;
My vitality was turned into the drought of summer.
Proverbs 17:22
A merry heart does good, like medicine,
But a broken spirit dries the bones.
F.
Psalm 51:12-15
Restore to me the joy of Your salvation,
And uphold me by Your generous Spirit.
13 Then I will teach transgressors Your ways,
And sinners shall be converted to You.
14 Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God,
The God of my salvation,
And my tongue shall sing aloud of Your righteousness.
15 O Lord, open my lips,
And my mouth shall show forth Your praise.
3. The Cure for Guilt
A.
Psalm 51:3-6
3 For I acknowledge my transgressions,
And my sin is always before me.
4 Against You, You only, have I sinned,
And done this evil in Your sight—
That You may be found just when You speak,
And blameless when You judge.
5 Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,
And in sin my mother conceived me.
6 Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts,
And in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom.
Romans 5:20
Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace
abounded much more,
1 John 1:8-9
8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness
B.
Psalm 51:1-2
Have mercy upon me, O God,
According to Your lovingkindness;
According to the multitude of Your tender mercies,
Blot out my transgressions.
2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
And cleanse me from my sin.
Psalm 51:7
Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Micah 7:19
He will again have compassion on us,
And will subdue our iniquities.
You will cast all our sins
Into the depths of the sea.
C.
Psalm 32:10-11
Many sorrows shall be to the wicked;
But he who trusts in the Lord, mercy shall surround him.
11 Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you righteous;
And shout for joy, all you upright in heart!