It is not unusual for a Christian to feel guilty because of sin in his/her life and to have problems dealing with that guilt and sin.  We think that once we have become Christians we will no longer have a struggle with sin and that through Christ we will have power to overcome it.  Actually, St. Paul talks about his struggle with sin in the following verses: 
Rom 7:18-25
18 I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do-- this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God's law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God-- through Jesus Christ our Lord!  So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God's law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin. (NIV)
When we accepted Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior we experienced the wonderful cleansing power of His blood shed on the cross for us over 2,000 years ago.  We had an overwhelming feeling of freedom and release from the bondage of sin and death when we first repented from our old lives and turned to Christ.  Then, the following dilemma began to occur as the weeks and months went by~ we found ourselves tempted to return to sinful patterns of thinking and acting.  It became difficult to accept that we would still continue to sin because we are children of the King, righteous, new creations in Christ and called to to be holy as He is holy.  But, the truth is, we are still sinners and will always battle with sin in our lives because we have a bent towards sin within.  That is the reason God says in His Word that we need to confess our sins and rely on His promise to cleanse us:
Ps 32:5  Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the LORD"-- and you forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah
Ps 38:18  I confess my iniquity; I am troubled by my sin.
James 5:16  Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. 
I Jn 1:9  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 
I Jn 1:10-2:2
10 If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives. My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense-- Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world. 
Romans 8:1 "There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus". (NIV)
These verses remind us that:
  1.  As Christians we will still sin. 
  2.  Though we are commanded not to sin, there is forgiveness and atonement for that sin through Jesus Christ and His sacrifice for us. 
  3.  When we sin there is a way to restore fellowship with God:

• Confess that sin to God and to others; 
• Repent from the sin, asking God to change the direction of our lives;
• Pray for each other; ask someone to pray for us; 
• Trust that God's -promises are true: He has forgiven us and He no longer condemns us. 

You can begin living in God's grace (undeserved mercy) and accept His on-going, unconditional forgiveness for the sins you still battle with or the memory of past sin in your life.  You can admit that as a Christian you still need to recognize and confess sin in your life. You can have grace for yourself based on God's grace and forgiveness for you when He paid the penalty for all your sins once and for all time through His Son's death on the cross 2,000 years ago. You can recognize that your conscience may be faulty in some instances when you feel guilt for some things which were or are not your responsibility. 
Begin to bask in the forgiveness of Christ!  You are no longer condemned.  You are forgiven!  You are His child.  You can make a new start everytime you sin... just confess it and ask God to change you from the inside out. Phil 4:13 says, "I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me".  (NIV)
If you have repeatedly fallen into the same sin such as pornography, lying, unforgiveness, substance abuse, gossipping, etc., then go to your pastor, a mentor or a Christian counselor (cPlease contact AACC for a referral to a counseling professional in your area) and ask for their guidance, prayer, and instruction on how to begin to flee the temptation to sin, to be accountable and to make amends for your sin. 
Read the article on faith in case you are unsure about whether you are a Christian or you need to know more about God's plan of salvation.
The only sin God can't forgive is the sin of unbelief, because salvation through Christ (which includes forgiveness and eternal life) needs to be accepted by faith in order for God's forgiveness to be applied to one's life. 
Read the following scriptures and memorize them so that you can begin relying on God's Word and the assurance of forgiveness He offers you in Christ vs. the inner thoughts of self-condemnation you may be thinking and feeling. 
Heb 10:10-14 reads:  "And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. 11 Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 12 But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God. 13 Since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool, 14 because by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy." (NIV) 
Acts 10:43  "All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name." 
Eph 1:7 "In him (Christ) we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace." 
Col 1:13-14 "For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins." 
Ps 65:3 "When we were overwhelmed by sins, you forgave our transgressions.' 
Ps 103:2-3 "Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits-- who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases,' 
Ps 103:10-12  "He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.' 
Isa 43:25 "I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more." 
Acts 10:43 "All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name." 
Acts 13:38 "Therefore, my brothers, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you." 
Rom 4:25 "He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification." (NIV) 
Go to counseling with a pastor or Christian counselor and read the Bible to help you sort out the guilt issues you struggle with and determine whether your guilt is true or false. Remember that (God's) "love covers a multitude of sins" (1 Peter 4:8). 
We don't know our hearts very well, but God knows us and His forgiveness is complete and eternal because Jesus Christ has paid  the penalty for our sins and "not for our sins only, but the sins of  the whole world" (1 John 2:1-2). (NIV)
Read more on guilt and forgiveness:Guilt  Forgiveness is a Choice
The Power of Forgiveness
Read the following books: 
What a Christian Believes; An Easy to Read Guide to Understanding  by Pastor Ray Pritchard for a further understandingo o the Christian faith. 
Other books I recommend are: (you can order them now or check out our resources page for more selections about topics on faith): 
Hope for the Troubled Heart by Billy Graham  $4.79
What's So Amazing about Grace?  by Phillip Yancey  $13.99
The Freedom & Power of Forgiveness by John MacArthur $13.99
Putting Your Past Behind You: Finding Hope for Life's Deepest Hurts by Erwin Lutzer   $9.59
Freedom of Forgiveness by David Augsburger

Lynette Hoy, NCC, LCPC