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False Guilt

In the same manner as there is false fear and false pride, there is also false guilt. False guilt is feeling guilty about something that you are not truly guilty of. You are guilty of something only if you violated your obligations in relation to it. A moral obligation is a binding that is governed by the principle of love. We know what love is from 1 Corinthians 13. This talks about real sacrificial love where your own desires and needs are not more important than the well-being of others. False guilt, however, can hurt both persons of a party. Because it thinks in legal and carnal terms alone and not according to the freedom of the Spirit. For instance, people were astonished that David rose up, washed and ate when he came to know that his son was dead. Usually, the world would say that he really never loved his son. But, this is false. David was thinking rationally. His crying was useless now. False guilt is irrational. Why cry over spilt milk? When you made a rational decision, you don't need to look back again or spend times of mourning over the dead. False  guilt submits to the voice of men and desires to please them. But, rational guilt is related to the just Law of God. False guilt brings condemnation, but the Word of God brings transformation. If God tells us not to grieve over something, it is sinful to grieve over it. We all make mistakes, the Bible says. But, the wisdom of God helps us to move forward in peace.

For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. (James 3:16-18)

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