He that wishes to attain right views about Christian holiness must begin by examining the vast and solemn subject of sin. He must dig down very low if he would build high. A mistake here is most mischievous. Wrong views about holiness are generally traceable to wrong views about human corruption.

The slightest outward or inward departure from absolute mathematical parallelism with God's revealed will and character constitutes a sin, and at once makes us guilty in God's sight.

The truth will set you free, but first it will make you miserable.

The heart that sins must sorrow.

He had lived to please himself instead of God all those years, giving little more than lip service to His holy laws. And now when Zechariah cried out to God, his numberless sins swallowed up his prayers before they reached heaven. His guilt filled the yawning gulf between him and God.

Once the sacrifice has burned into ashes on the altar, your sin is nothing but ashes, as well. The Holy One forgives us—and we have to believe it in faith. That means leaving our past in the past, not agonizing over it, not bringing it to life in your memory again and again. We must forget it the same way God does—'As far as the east is from the west.' That's how far in the past our sins will be.

But the Scriptures say that as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is Hashem's mercy toward us. As far as the east is from the west, so far has Hashem removed our sins from us. We can be forgiven. And then we can begin to live new lives from that day forward.

if we confess our sins to Hashem, if we repent of our wrongdoings and promise to turn away from them and go in a new direction, then He will forgive us. We should make restitution for what we have done whenever possible. And sometimes there are natural consequences from our actions that must be faced. But the Scriptures say that as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is Hashem's mercy toward us.

No, Engelena. Don't blame yourself. Adam and Eve had a perfect parent, yet they rebelled.

I forgive this person for how their actions back then are still impacting me now. And whatever my feelings don't yet allow for, the blood of Jesus will surely cover.

Refuse to wallow in the depressing angst condemnation brings. On the other hand, embrace any conviction you feel. Condemnation defeats us. Conviction unlocks the greatest potential for change.

As long as I suspect that honesty's intention is to expose me and hurt me, it will always feel like a dangerous thing.