Too many Christians feel a sense of guilt because of things that they have done in the past. This is totally unnecessary, and, in some cases, it is spiritually dangerous. Some have become so guilt-ridden that they become paralyzed spiritually, or even worse, they leave the faith.

While allowing our past mistakes to keep us humble is a good practice, being overwhelmed by those mistakes is a mistake itself. We should never forget that when we repent of our sins, God forgives us and remembers them no more (Jeremiah 31:34; Hebrews 8:12; 10:17). If God does not dwell on the sins of which we have repented, why should we? When we do, we demonstrate that we have a fundamental misunderstanding of our redemption.

When the blood of Christ washes away our sins, we appear before God as if we have not sinned, justified in His eyes. The Greek word for justification is dikaiōsis, meaning, “to be declared not guilty.” This verdict comes from the throne of God. So, why would you allow yourself to constantly feel guilty when God Himself says that you are not? “Yes,” you say, “but I have sinned.” I am glad you admit that because if you were to conclude otherwise, you would just be deceiving yourself.

1 John 1:8 (ESV)
⁸  If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

What you need to remember is that those sins have been completely removed. They do not exist anymore in the eyes of God. There is no reason to feel guilty about something that does not exist, is there? The truth is, you are not the same person you were when you committed those sins in the past. When you obeyed the gospel you
became a changed person.

2 Corinthians 5:17 (ESV)
¹⁷  Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

We are all new in Christ because our past sins have been washed away by the blood of Christ. It does not matter how terrible or numerous those sins were, we are now free from them.

Romans 6:6-7 (ESV)
⁶  We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. ⁷  For one who has died has been set free from sin.

It is a shame to live as if you are a slave when, in reality, you have been set free. This freedom is maintained in Christ if we continue to walk in the light, as long as we repent of any sins that we commit (1 John 1:5-10).

While I might be ashamed of things I have done in the past, I do not feel guilty about them because I know it was not me who committed those deeds. It was a man who lived in ignorance, not knowing God’s will and living according to the flesh. That man is gone. The new me has been acquitted, declared not guilty in heaven’s court, and set free from sin and its consequences, including an overwhelming sense of guilt. The same is true of you if you are a Christian. Now all we have to do is live like it.