How do you overcome
GUILT after repenting of adultery?

Q. I am a minister undergoing counseling for committing adultery. I know the Word of God and I have confessed my sin to God, my wife, other elders in the church and my congregation. I still, however, retain quick a bit of guilt. How do I overcome this battle within me?

A. It is amazing how human we are and all the same. As you know, the apostle Paul clearly said we all delight in the law of God after the inward man (Romans 7:22). The problem is we also have the law of sin in our members as well. Let's take a look at what the apostle Paul said about his (and our) struggles against sin:

"For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin. For what I am doing, I do not understand. FOR WHAT I WILL TO DO, THAT I DO NOT PRACTICE; BUT WHAT I HATE, THAT I DO . . . For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I DO NOT FIND. For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, THAT I PRACTICE.

"I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good. For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. But I see another law in my members, WARRING against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O WRETCHED MAN THAT I AM! WHO WILL DELIVER ME FROM THIS BODY OF DEATH?

"I thank God — through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin." (Romans 7:14-15, 18-19, 21-25, NKJV)

We ALL sin but when we commit a sin which is OUR worst sin we can't seem to forgive ourselves (Romans 7:23).

Even though God doesn't grade sin, we humans tend to do so. Christ said He forgives ALL manner of sin and the answer to Paul's question "who shall deliver me from the body of this death?" is Jesus Christ our Savior (Romans 7:25)!

Overcoming guilt is a matter of faith in Christ. The very fact you said you confessed your sin to God, your wife, pastors and the congregation and you said God forgives you. The reality is since you feel guilt means you doubt God forgives you. Intellectually, you know God forgives you from a Biblical point of view. Your problem is that in your heart you believe the sin was TOO evil. You are discriminating sin. You are grading sin which God doesn't do.

You are also saying aside from this sin, you haven't sinned. You and I both know better. We all sin! If you believe we all continue to sin (besides the one you mention) then you should feel guilty about them all! Since only THIS sin makes you guilty you evidently are having a very human problem of SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS.

Since God doesn't grade sin, we should feel guilty about all our sins. But this is the only sin you feel guilty about. That, my friend, is being self-righteous!

Paul said the law of God was given that we might realize how much sin we commit (Romans 5:20). Either this is your only sin bad enough for you to feel guilty or you don't understand how sinful you really are. That is self-righteousness. All sin is equal, and therefore, we should continually see our guilt and sinful nature and know we look to Christ to forgive us. My suggestion is you need to pray for deeper repentance and have the faith that God forgives us regardless of the type of sin.

Until you forgive yourself for your sin (sins), you really do not believe Christ's blood has paid for that sin. My friend, deeper repentance and faith will remove the guilt!