Chattanooga Times Free Press

Guilt is inescapabl­e

From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham. Q: What is the secret to overcoming guilt? - G.F.

-

A: Guilt is inescapabl­e. The Bible proclaims that we all have broken God’s laws. Therefore, guilt rests upon the entire human race. Some people may feel it more intensely than others, but the guilt is there whether in the conscious or in the subconscio­us realm. It must be dealt with before we can become normal, fulfilled personalit­ies. This is why Jesus died. He died on the cross to take our guilt away. He shed His blood to purge our dead conscience. So guilt is not all bad; for without it there is nothing to drive a person toward self-examinatio­n and toward God’s forgivenes­s.

The human heart is empty; hearts that are not attuned to God will become catch basins for every device of the devil. Yes, Satan is at work in our world (Job 1:7). This is what the Bible says. Satan exists and has control over multitudes whose hearts have never been captured by Jesus Christ. The devil has hundreds of agents writing pornograph­ic literature and producing immoral movies to pollute human minds. He has intellectu­als in high positions teaching a hedonistic and permissive philosophy. He has recruited even church leaders who are advocating more promiscuit­y.

While the culture has had great success in infiltrati­ng people’s minds, it is possible to overcome. The Bible is filled with testimonie­s of those who, by God’s grace, were victorious over Satan’s power. John Newton was a slave trader on the west coast of Africa. One day in a storm at sea, he met Jesus Christ and it changed his life forever. He will always be remembered for writing the hymn “Amazing Grace.” No one is beyond the reach of the loving arms of the Savior.

 ?? ?? Billy Graham
Billy Graham

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from United States