The Only Solution for the Guilt Culture

 

One remarkable characteristic of humanity is that we WANT to feel guilty about something—especially when we enjoy success. On the other hand, when we suffer, or perceive ourselves be unsuccessful, we would prefer to be victims. Thus we end up with the guilt culture in which we find ourselves today. We are told we need to feel guilty (or be victims) because our skin color, gender, ethnic background, economic condition, national background or personal history. Personally, by practically every distinguishing issue in vogue today, I am a person of privilege. I am male, white, educated, middle-class, American, Christian. In the eyes of some that makes me proud and privileged when I should be humbled and guilty.

None of that really matters. No matter what anyone thinks of me, or even what I think of myself, before God and without Christ, I am poor, miserable, blind, naked, ignorant, without righteousness, guilty, and without help. Every privilege I have is just a millstone hanging around my neck that makes it even harder for me to recognize the true resolution to my plight (Luke 18:18-27, especially verse 25, Mark 8: 36-37).

There is no truth or future in trying to create divisions in classes of people based upon things that they cannot change and choices they did not make. Not one of us chose our skin color, parentage, or even our ethnic history. Such divisions will continue to make things worse, not better. Oh we should feel guilty, but our guilt is misplaced.

I am not saying that religion is the solution to societal divisions. It is clearly not. I am using the term religion as it is commonly used in describing a human construction—a religious power structure that exists to build itself and control people. The true solution is in the simple, pure, gospel of Jesus Christ.

The gospel itself is the most unifying message ever known to man and these are its universal truths.

Sin is universal.

All have sinned and come short of God’s glory (Romans 3:23). There is not even on person who is righteous before God (Romans 3:10).

No matter our status or privilege, every human being on this planet was born in sin and commits sin. We get so caught up in comparing ourselves to one another—trying to determine who is guilty and who the victim is—that we fail to see the most important comparison. We have all been born in rebellion to the God who created us and we all have deliberately chosen to violate His commands. There is no such thing as innocence in any part of humanity. We are like condemned murderers on death row arguing through the prison bars at night about which of us is the nicer person.

Guilt is universal.

Every mouth must be stopped. Every word of self-defense is futile. All the world is guilty before God (Romans 3:19).

Because of universal sin, guilt is also universal, but it is also personal. We can try to transfer our guilt away from its true source by saying it’s because we are white, or our ancestors were privileged. In so doing we try to remove the sting a bit. “I am guilty, but it’s not really my fault.” In the same way, we can seek to alleviate our guilt by characterizing ourselves as victims. Every human being on the planet can find some way to think of himself or herself as a victim if they try hard enough. Let’s just drop the charade. We are all guilty. Yes, we have been sinned against, abused, misused in some way (and yes, some much more than others), but none of that can erase the reality of the guilt that we already own because of our nature and choices before God.

Condemnation is universal and impartial.

Jesus said He did not come into the world to condemn the world. He did not do that because the world was already condemned before He came (John 3:17-18).

The consequence of our sin is death, eternal death (Romans 6:23).

Every human being is guilty and every human is already condemned. It does not matter how great or small, rich or poor, intelligent or not. If our DNA is human, our condemnation is determined. We have been separated from our Creator and are condemned to an eternity apart from Him.

Christ’s death is universal and impartial.

God loved the world and gave His Son (John 3:16). He is the available Savior for the entire world (1 Timothy 4:10, 1 John 2:2, 1 John 4:14).

The work of Jesus Christ on the cross is the most impartial act ever accomplished in human history. He paid the price for the forgiveness of sins of all alike. He took upon Himself the punishment for the sins of all mankind. He died equally for every conceivable division we could possibly imagine within the human race. With Jesus there is no black, white, rich, poor, wise, unwise, old, young, man, woman, even worthy or unworthy, or anything else.

Salvation is available to all who will receive it.

Everyone who calls to God for salvation through Christ will receive it—no exceptions (Romans 10:5-13).

The grace of Jesus Christ extends to all who will receive. Anyone who would tell you, no matter who you are, that you do not qualify to receive the grace of Christ is lying to you. His grace is for all sinners who will admit their guilt, repent of their sin, and place their complete confidence in Him for forgiveness. If you want to trust Christ right now, you may. You do not have to change yourself to be forgiven, but do understand that when He does forgive you, He will also begin to change you.

Every believer is equal in Christ.

Every child of God is equally His child (Colossians 3:10-11, Galatians 3:26-29). God has no illegitimate or lesser children. He claims them all equally and they will all stand before Him equally in heaven one day. For any of God’s children to see themselves as better or more deserving of His kindness and affections is to deny what God has clearly said about His children. It is true. Our experiences on earth differ from person to person as He sees fit, but our status before Him is equal and our eternal life with Him will be equal as well.

The gospel is more than the potential solution for conflict between various societal groups. It is the inevitable solution. There will be a day when Jesus rules in righteousness, true justice, and in true holiness (Isaiah 2:4). He will make everything right. There will be a day when we all who have believed in Him will stand around his throne and sing His glory.

 

Now when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.  And they sang a new song, saying:

“You are worthy to take the scroll, and to open its seals; for You were slain, and have redeemed us to God by Your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, and have made us kings and priests to our God; and we shall reign on the earth. (Revelation 5:8-10)

He invites you to join His forgiven, joyful, diverse family.