Casting Off the Burden of False Guilt - Paul M. Williams

Bethesda Shalom

Matthew 11:28-30

It’s been rightly said, the devil makes work for idle hands, but did you know the devil can be just as much in business as he is in idleness? If he can’t get you one way, he’ll get you another way, and one of his most disguised weapons is placing upon the backs of well-meaning Christians, the burden of false guilt! A true burden from the Lord is a burden to be given back to God in prayer. It has an outflow/release value through which the pressure can be eased. By way of contrast; a false burden has no outflow, it’s a pressure cooker if you like without the release valve!! It is a counterfeit — it’s not a genuine article. It sometimes feels like the real, but alas, it soon reveals itself to be a fraud. The pressure is seemingly there, but upon inspection, instead of a pure conviction, the pressure/burden is tainted with accusatory blame and wave after wave of false guilt. One quickly realises, this is not the life-giving conviction of God the Holy Ghost but rather the life-sucking condemnation of the devil!!

May this sermon be of help to those weighed down with false guilt.