God Doesn’t Use Guilt

Devotional from Pastor Tim Chalas

Guilt loves to masquerade as something spiritual, but it’s a thief. It steals our joy and burdens us with a weight that Jesus already carried on the cross for us. Hebrews reminds us that as believers, we’ve been set free from a guilty conscience. This isn’t just a future promise, it’s a present reality we get to live in every single day.

Guilt wants to convince you that sin defines you. But the gospel declares a different truth: it’s not what you’ve done that defines you, it’s what Jesus did for you. The cross didn’t just cover your guilt; it took it away completely. Your sin has been dealt with, once and for all. That doesn’t mean sin isn’t serious; it means it has already been dealt with and defeated through Christ. There’s nothing left to punish.

You are fully forgiven, deeply loved, and completely made clean. God doesn’t try to motivate you with guilt—He transforms you by His grace.

So, when guilt creeps in, don’t try harder to push it away. Instead, trust Jesus and who He made you to be: God’s beloved child, accepted and new.

Hebrews 10:22…let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.