A man’s greatest need is to get rid of his guilt. We all come into the world innocent but the guilt quickly starts to build up because we all mess up. However, guilt makes a man’s life crooked and then that leads to more guilt. Guilt will torment the soul of a man and if he doesn’t get rid of his guilt then he will do stupid things to try to forget or escape from the guilt. Again, those things don’t work but just piles on more guilt. Guilt will destroy a man because when a man feels guilty then he will also believe other people are guilty, when they are not but his guilt is such a reality to him that it distorts his true sense of reality. Even more important, when a man is guilty then he starts to have a twisted view of God. This is why he needs to rid himself of his guilt because all of us respond to our view of God. If we believe that God is loving and cares about us then we will go to Him. If we believe that God is distant or “the old man upstairs” then we will not go to Him. We need God and God loves us, no matter how big of a mess we have gotten ourselves in. Man needs to always be able to go to God for help for He says that “He is a present help in time of trouble”.
The way of a guilty man is crooked, But as for the pure, his conduct is upright. Proverbs 21:8
Understanding the Provision for Man’s Greatest Need
The Lord says that if we will come to Him and confess our sin then He will cleanse our conscience and heart. It is just like in the old days of basketball, when a player would foul, then he would raise his hand, acknowledging that he fouled. Basically, that is what confession is, it is acknowledging that we have messed up and it is our fault. The greatest need of a man is to have a pure heart. When a man has a pure heart then he will see life clearly. He will also see God for who He really is and that is, that God is a loving and merciful God. He will also be able to love others with a pure heart and will not want to blame others.
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. I John 1:9
There is only One who can take away sin and guilt. The only One who can forgive is the One who paid for the sins of the world. He can cleanse the heart and make anyone pure no matter what they have done. However, the person who wants to be cleansed and forgiven must come to Jesus Christ and ask Him to forgive them. If he means it then he will turn from his sin to the Lord. Either we are going in the direction of our sin or we are going in the direction of the Lord.
The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman caught in adultery, and having set her in the center of the court, they said to Him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in adultery, in the very act. Now in the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women; what then do You say?” They were saying this, testing Him, so that they might have grounds for accusing Him. But Jesus stooped down and with His finger wrote on the ground. But when they persisted in asking Him, He straightened up, and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” Again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. When they heard it, they began to go out one by one, beginning with the older ones, and He was left alone, and the woman, where she was, in the center of the court. Straightening up, Jesus said to her, “Woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you?” She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “I do not condemn you, either. Go. From now on sin no more.” John8:3-11
When a person repents (turns from his sin to the Lord) and confesses and has been forgiven then they are set free from the guilt and sin. Then a person can see the Lord for who He really is, that He is kind. Until a person is forgiven then they will see the Lord as twisted and will view others as twisted (and the troubles in life as everyone else’s fault). Many men who are unfaithful to their wives will accuse their wife of unfaithfulness because of their own guilt. Until a man is restored to a right relationship with God and has been forgiven and cleansed from their sin and guilt then do not get into a relationship with him. Your life will become tormented through him as he is a tormented man.
With the kind You show Yourself kind;
With the blameless You show Yourself blameless;
With the pure You show Yourself pure,
And with the crooked You show Yourself twisted. Psalm 18:25,26
Instructions To A Young Life 