Feeling Guilty Over Not Feeling Guilty Over Sin

[Fly Caster]

Anyone else here ever experience something like this?---

One goes through a prolonged period of spiritual dullness and heaviness due to the awareness of his own sinfulness, only to experience a time of refreshing with the burden of sin "rolling away" from off the back, with an experience of joy and peace, only to find thoughts creeping in that such a sinner should not being feeling this way, but rather should be mourning and grieving over his sin?

Both conditions are commanded in scripture-- 1) mourn over sin in deep humility with "sack-clothes and ashes," and 2) exhibit the fruits of the Spirit (including joy, peace, an awareness of justified condition and sins forgiven). How do we reconcile these in the experience of the Christian life, without living presumptuously (on one hand) and somehow trying to earn the removal of sin by some sort of spiritual self-flagellation (on the other)?

 

[rbcbob]

Anyone else here ever experience something like this?---

One goes through a prolonged period of spiritual dullness and heaviness due to the awareness of his own sinfulness, only to experience a time of refreshing with the burden of sin "rolling away" from off the back, with an experience of joy and peace, only to find thoughts creeping in that such a sinner should not being feeling this way, but rather should be mourning and grieving over his sin?

Both conditions are commanded in scripture-- 1) mourn over sin in deep humility with "sack-clothes and ashes," and 2) exhibit the fruits of the Spirit (including joy, peace, an awareness of justified condition and sins forgiven). How do we reconcile these in the experience of the Christian life, without living presumptuously (on one hand) and somehow trying to earn the removal of sin by some sort of spiritual self-flagellation (on the other)?

By distinguishing between things which differ. Know the present disposition of your heart. Is it one of indifference to unconfessed/habitual sinning, or rather settled realization of remaining sin and unceasing warfare against it?

Proverbs 28:13 He who covers his sins will not prosper, But whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy.

Matthew 9:2 Then behold, they brought to Him a paralytic lying on a bed. When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, "Son, be of good cheer; your sins are forgiven you."

Romans 4:7 "Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, And whose sins are covered

 

[Loopie]

I know in my own experiences I feel both at different times. For instance, if I say or do something that was offensive towards a brother (perhaps I did not realize that it was), I will deeply mourn over the recognition and realization that I wronged my brother. BUT, as soon as I confess my sin and repair my relationship with my brother, I feel great joy and happiness. So I think that when we experience sin as believers, we will still feel a sense of sorrow and mourning, but this will of course be temporary, so long as the sin is confessed and our eyes remain fixed on Christ. Knowing that our sin has been forgiven should bring great joy, cheer, and happiness. It just so happens that usually we feel an immediate sense of shame and mourning when we realize that we have sinned.