Note: Based on Genesis 2-The Fall of Man
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| Seaside Debriefing |
The Bible teaches in Genesis that guilt feelings should have absolutely no place in Christian
life.[1] Christ
died on the cross to free us from the penalty of our sin, and bridge the gap of
sin; we should only have to respond on it with deep repentance.
Some
will say that guilt-feelings is the growth of the conscience, hence it is when
the moral element is experienced. Freud extend a thought that a sense of guilt
can also developed from the Oedipus complex[2],
happened at the third stage of psychodynamic development, where an increase
guilt is not primarily come from desire towards opposite parent but on such
wishes that may produce an ambivalent tendencies. Probably, these so-called undetermined
‘desires’ and ‘wishes’ are the ones that motivates the heart and mind to act powerfully
and sometimes think irrationally. Guilt as we have seen from psychological
point of view, always implies an inner sense of wrong-doing and self-blame.[3] We can
say that, there might be an underlying motivation (mind) and repressed emotion
that causes a person to come up in specific behavior; behavior that perhaps
satisfies the body and its wishes, or could also be a behavior, either
consciously or unconsciously, inflict and caused harm to self and even to others.
On the other hand, as
what have stated before, the serpent’s interpretation presupposes another and
conflicting interpretation of the relationship between man and garden. In
the context of Genesis chapter 3, after Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit, the
Bible initially presented guilt and developed shame through; (1) realization
that they were naked, (2) covering of sewed fig leaves [4],
(3) walking away from God and hide among the trees in the garden. What Adam and
Eve experienced at that moment is part of the serpent’s plan and in reality,
the kind of lie he wants to inculcate in their mind and place in their heart.
We can say that this is perhaps a deception in progress, and obviously the
result of their disobedience. Therefore, guilt automatically enters the heart
once a sin is piously committed.
According to Williams, there are two
types of guilt; true guilt and false guilt. True
guilt is an objective state. It is a fact, based on the sin that was
committed. True guilt is not necessarily related to feelings. A person can be
guilty but not feeling guilty.[5]
A kind of guilt that is experienced because something moral, biblical or even
legal standards has been violated. While, the other one is called false guilt, it is purely subjective.[6]
It means no biblical, moral, social or legal standard has been broken, but a
person has violated a personal standard. This guilt is so real even though the
standard is false. Theologians and psychologist shared that the way we recognize
our guilt is through our conscience. We might define our conscience as that
immaterial part of our creation that sits in moral judgment (also in Christians
more of biblical judgment) of all our actions and thoughts.[7]
Thus, the guilt mentioned in chapter 3 of Genesis, is basically one example of true
guilt, where Adam and Eve is directly violated the utmost command of God in 2:17.
This is where the voice of the Creator God was initially ignored, literally set
aside and violently forgotten.[8]
In the Old Testament, guilt is seen far
differently, it is acknowledged as legal and judicial in a sense. It is used to
describe our condition as fallen people alienated from God by virtue of our
sins than the inner emotional state of self-condemnation, punishment and
rejection which is surfacing nowadays.[9]
If this is exactly the kind of guilt experienced by Adam and Eve in the first
place, then having this perspective, can we then also say that guilt comes from
God? Absolutely not, it is then clearly stated that guilt comes as the result
of the wrong acts which one has committed, depends on the given standard.[10]
Since the focus of this narrative is not on the serpent and his trickery but on
the man and the woman and their condition before God. God never motivates His
children through threats or in any dire approach. Apparently, he is a God who
is kind, compassionate and just, and that exactly what was violated in the garden,
where everything has been perfectly good.
This truth about Him is definitely what
fueled humans to hide and walked away. God is just and we are not, His
standards are good and true and ours may flank, His love is pure while ours may
have conditions. Despite of how we see things of God, God still sees us with
compassion and justice. Theological Guilt is something that comes up around our
thoughts or condition of imperfection. While Psychological Guilt is also the ego’s
way of saying, “Look at all of the bad things I have done. I am no good (enter
shame) and I don’t deserve any happiness.”[11]
Like what is mentioned, both is not directly from God, but because of his unfathomable
knowledge and power he can definitely use anything he want for his glory- and
that includes guilt- whether theological or psychological.
Again, the couple have crossed the
boundary of God’s order in the world and disobeyed. Nakedness is the powerful
symbol for the guilt of disobedience. Consequently, both have realized their
unworthiness before the eyes of their Creator. Then on, guilt starts to prowl
in the human heart. The bible can say that Adam and Eve ran away from God
because they want to escape from punishment for the sin they have committed.
But in this context, the author may contend that their initial behavior
initiates a clasp of emotional wound that shed light to their unworthiness and
disgrace.[12]
True repentance to God through
acknowledgement of His Son’s death on the cross is the highest and surest way
to freedom and healing. There is no such effective formula to be freed from
this bondage rather than the blood that was shed on the cross. This is the best
solution ever! Apart from God we are truly nothing, the couple has proved it so
well, but since Jesus Christ came to save us from this eternal punishment.
Everyone who acknowledged this fact is now subjected to restoration. We are
still His masterpiece, the center of his interest, the apple of his eye among
his creation, and we are called for progress.
We are called to be happy. We are called to be freed from all kinds of
guilt.
[1] Romans 8:1
[2] John G. McKenzie, Guilt: Its Meaning
and Significance (London: Gorge Allen & Unwin LTD, 1962), 32.
[3] Ibid.
[4] Genesis 3:7-8
[5] Ken Williams, Biblical Concepts for
Conquering Guilt, (USA: International Training Partners Inc. 2000), 1.
[6]Ibid, 2.
[7] Gerald Corey Theory and Practice of
Counseling Psychotherapy, (USA: Thomson Books/Cole. 2009), 80.
[8] Theodore Reik, Myth and Guilt: The Crime and Punishment of
Mankind (London: Hutchinson & Company Publishers LTD, 1958), 27.
[9] Bruce Narramore, No Condemnation (Oregon:
Wip and Stock Publishers, 2002), 140.
[10] Ibid, 148.
[11] Bill Kirwan, Biblical Concepts for
Christian Counseling: A Case for Integrating Psychology and Technology
(Michigan: Baker Book House), 111
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