Guilt and Responsibility Part 2

Childhood Learning and Polite Refusal

I will provide a further example of the way in which children attempt to learn to be more adult-like and therefore acceptable. In my own life as a child, I struggled to understand the concept of politely refusing something.

When I walked home from junior school, occasionally a man would pass me in the car and ask me if I wanted a lift home. This man lived about six doors down from my house and was a family friend. I never once took up this man’s offer of a lift home, because I was trying to practice the art of polite refusal. I would say something like, “Oh no, it’s alright, I’ll walk the rest of the way.”

Even though this man must have been confused regarding my response, it did not deter him from continuing to offer me a lift home in his car. What I did not realize is that it was no sacrifice for this man to stop and give me a lift home. If the man had to drive a mile or so out of his way to pick me up, then it would be a sacrifice. But this man’s route from his child’s school to his house was the same route as mine. If this man had to make a sacrifice to take me home in his car, then I could have politely refused. But my polite refusal in this case was likely to be more offensive than polite.

Assuming Responsibility - Not Guilt

As Christians we can come before our Heavenly Father knowing that we have done something wrong – without experiencing guilt and condemnation. To assume guilt before God for something that we have done wrong – is entirely unscriptural.

The Bible says that there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1). The Bible also tells us that Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (Galatians 3:13-14). As He is, so are we in this world (1 John 4:17). God no longer imputes sin to us; our sins have been remitted once and for all – past, present and future through Christ (Matthew 26:28).

Confession of Sins

Surely we must confess our sins before the Lord? What sins remain for us to confess if our sins are remitted and God does not impute sin to us? God does not condemn us – even when we do something wrong. We condemn ourselves when we do something wrong, which effectively denies the blood of Jesus.

The Bible does say something about Christians holding fast to their confession:

¹⁴ Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. ¹⁵ For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. ¹⁶ Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Hebrews 4:14-16

The Greek word translated “confession” at the end of verse 14, is the noun homologia (G3671). This noun is derived from the verb homologeō (G3670), which according to Strong’s Hebrew and Greek Dictionary, means: to say the same thing as another, i.e. to agree with, assent.

Therefore, we can come boldly to the throne of grace, holding onto our confession of what the Bible says we are in Christ: righteous and holy through faith in Him.