Daily Devotion (25. 9. 2026) – What Is Guilt?

Your sins have been paid for. So go and live freely in the joy of salvation.

Romans 5:6-11

Guilt is something with which we’re all familiar. But it’s worth taking the time to stop and ask the question, “What is guilt?”

When we see the term in English translations of the Bible, we often tend to apply a cultural interpretation to the passage. That is, we associate the word guilt with feelings of remorse, depression, or rejection over something in our past. Scripturally speaking, however, it is primarily a legal term used to denote responsibility, as when a court finds an offender “guilty.”

What does this mean for the believer? We should already know that we’ve been found guilty—Romans 3:23 says we all have sinned. However, Jesus Christ took that guilt upon Himself at the cross, and He paid our debt in full. If the debt has been paid and we’ve been released from the charge, then we are no longer guilty. We’ve been declared forgiven.

The Lord doesn’t want us to hide the joy of our salvation beneath a smothering blanket of guilt. Rather, we are called to rejoice in the glorious redemption that Christ’s sacrifice made possible. We can joyfully claim the promise of John 8:36: “So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.” Go, and be free today.

Source: https://www.intouchaustralia.org