PART FOUR
Guilt
“My new job improved our family’s standard of living, but it also led me into all sorts of questionable activities. I began to celebrate holidays, to participate in political events, and even to attend church. I was inactive as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses for 40 years. The more time that went by, the more I thought I was beyond Jehovah’s forgiveness. I felt that I couldn’t forgive myself. After all, I knew the truth before I headed down the wrong path.”
GUILT can be a crushing burden. “My errors loom over my head,” King David wrote. “Like a heavy burden, they are too much for me to bear.” (Psalm 38:4) Some Christians have become overwhelmed by excessive sadness, convinced that Jehovah could never forgive them. (2 Corinthians 2:7) Is that conclusion right? Even if you have committed grievous sins, are you so far removed from Jehovah that he will never forgive you? No, you are not!
“Let Us Set Matters Straight Between Us”
Jehovah does not abandon repentant sinners. In fact, he reaches out to them! In the parable of the prodigal son, Jesus compared Jehovah to a loving father whose son abandoned his family and pursued a debauched life. In time, the son decided to return home. “While [the son] was still a long way off, his father caught sight of him and was moved with pity, and he ran and embraced him and tenderly kissed him.” (Luke 15:11-20) Do you wish to draw closer to Jehovah but feel that you are “still a long way off” from him? Like the father in Jesus’ illustration, Jehovah is moved with tender compassion for you. He is eager to welcome you back.
But what if you believe that your sins are too serious or too numerous for Jehovah to forgive? Please consider Jehovah’s invitation recorded at Isaiah 1:18: “‘Come, now, and let us set matters straight between us,’ says Jehovah. ‘Though your sins are like scarlet, they will be made as white as snow.’” Yes, even sins that seem as indelible as scarlet dye on a white garment are not beyond Jehovah’s forgiveness.
Jehovah does not want you to keep suffering with a guilty conscience. How, then, can you experience the relief that comes from God’s forgiveness and a clean conscience? Consider two steps that King David took. First, he said: “I will confess my transgressions to Jehovah.” (Psalm 32:5) Remember, Jehovah has already invited you to approach him in prayer and to “set matters straight” with him. Accept that invitation. Confess your sins to Jehovah, and share your feelings with him. From personal experience, David could confidently pray: “Cleanse me from my sin. . . . A heart broken and crushed, O God, you will not reject.”
Second, David received help from God’s appointed representative, the prophet Nathan. (2 Samuel 12:13) Today, Jehovah has provided congregation elders who have been trained to help repentant sinners restore their friendship with Jehovah. When you approach the elders, they will use the Scriptures and offer heartfelt prayers to soothe your heart, lessen or remove your negative feelings, and help you to heal spiritually.
Jehovah wants you to experience the relief of a clean conscience
“Happy Is the One Whose Transgression Is Pardoned”
Admittedly, you may feel that confessing your sins to Jehovah God and approaching the elders would be among the most difficult things you could do. David evidently had similar feelings. He “kept silent” for some time about his sins. (Psalm 32:3) Afterward, however, he appreciated the benefits of confessing his sins and correcting his course.
A major benefit was that David regained his joy. He wrote: “Happy is the one whose transgression is pardoned, whose sin is forgiven.” (Psalm 32:1, footnote) He also prayed: “O Jehovah, open my lips, so that my mouth may declare your praise.” (Psalm 51:15) Relieved of his guilt and grateful for God’s forgiveness, David was motivated to tell others about Jehovah.
Jehovah wants you to experience the relief of a clean conscience. And he wants you to tell others about him and his purposes, not with feelings of guilt, but with sincerity and deep joy. (Psalm 65:1-4) Remember his invitation “to get your sins blotted out, so that seasons of refreshing may come from Jehovah himself.”
That is what happened to Martha. She relates: “My son kept sending me the Watchtower and Awake! magazines. Little by little, I became reacquainted with Jehovah. The hardest part of coming back was asking forgiveness for all the sins I had committed. But finally, I approached God in prayer and asked him to forgive me. It’s hard to believe that 40 years went by before I returned to Jehovah. I am living proof that even after many years, someone can be given another chance to serve God and be back in his love.”
Learn More
THE WATCHTOWER—STUDY EDITION
What Does Jehovah’s Forgiveness Mean for You?
The way Jehovah dealt with sinners in the past can teach us a lot about his willingness to forgive.
DRAW CLOSE TO JEHOVAH
A God Who Is “Ready to Forgive”
If God remembers everything, how can he forgive and forget?
ABỌ 4
Ekhọe Nọ Bu Abe Gbe Ọmwa
“Iwinna ọghe ọgbọn ni miẹn, keghi wa ye emwi maan sayọ ne ẹgbẹe mwẹ vbe odẹ ọghe ikpakpa, sokpan ọ na vbe ya mwẹ gha mwẹ obọ vbe avbe uyinmwẹ ughughan nọ ma gba. I na do gha do ugie emwi ukpo, I na vbe gha mwẹ obọ vbe otu azẹ, uhiẹn I na do gha yo esọsi. Vbe ọwara ukpo 40, ẹre I wa ya hẹwẹ vbe ugamwẹ zẹvbe Osẹe Jehova. Vbene ọ ya gha kpẹẹ yọ kpẹẹ yọ, erriọ I ya gha roro ẹre sayọ wẹẹ, e Jehova i khian ghi sẹtin yabọ mwẹ. I na gha roro ẹre wẹẹ, I i khian sẹtin yabọ egbe mwẹ. I kue rẹn ne ẹmwata nẹ amaiwẹ, I ke ba uhunmwu ye ehe ne odẹ i ye.”
EKHỌE nọ bu abe gbe ọmwa keghi re ihẹ nọ gha sẹtin dee yan ọmwa. Ọba e Devid keghi gbẹn wẹẹ: ‘Abakuru mwẹ ye lẹlẹlẹ vbe uhunmwu mwẹ, te ọ yevbe na ghe ihẹ nọ khua sẹ mwẹ gbe.’ (Psalm 38:4) Te Ivbiotu e Kristi eso ghi wa ye fuẹnrẹn rhunmwuda wẹẹ, iran khiẹ gberra egbe, vbene ekhọe iran na wa tama iran wẹẹ, e Jehova i khian yabọ iran ẹdẹ. (2 Kọrinti 2:7) Ebamiro vberriọ gba ra? Adeghẹ u dobọ ru orukhọ nọ wegbe, te uwẹ ghi wa khian rre ne Jehova sẹrriọ wẹẹ, irẹn i khian ghi yabọ ruẹ, ẹdẹ na wu ra? Ẹn ọ, ẹi re erriọ!
‘Wa Gima Do Ziro Kugbe’
E Jehova i fi iyeke gbe emwa orhukhọ ni roro iro fi uyinmwẹ werriẹ. Vbene ẹmwata, ọ keghi bu iran yo, nọ ru iyobọ ne iran! Vbe erre ọghe ọmọ nọ fu ukhu, Jesu keghi ye Jehova gie erha nọ mwẹ ahoẹmwọmwa ne ovbi ẹre kpa se ẹgbẹe ọre rae, ya gha do ẹki usakanmwẹ. Vbe ọ ghi zẹ kpẹẹ, ọmọ na, na ghi zọe vbe iro ne irẹn werriegbe gha die owa. ‘Urria gbaan ẹre [ọmọ nii] he ye, vbe erhae dẹghe ẹre. Itohan keghi guaekpa, ọ na rhulẹ bu ẹre, ọ gbae ginna egbe, ẹre ọ na fẹko mu unu soso ẹre unu.’ (Luk 15:
Sokpan, deghẹ u na gha mwẹ ọnrẹn vbe orhiọn wẹẹ, orukhọ ruẹ wegbe gbe ra ọ bun gbe ne Jehova gha sẹtin yabọ ghi vbo? Lahọ muẹn roro itie ọghe Jehova na gbẹn ye ebe Aizaia 1:
E Jehova ma hoo ne u wa gha rrioya re khian, ighẹ ekhọe nọ fi ọmwa uwẹnrhiẹn. De vbene u khian ghi ya miẹn ayabọ nọ ke obọ Osanobua rre hẹ, nọ ye egbe rọkhọ mwa kevbe nọ ye ọmwa mwẹ ekhọe ọguọmwaziro nọhuanrẹn? Muẹn roro owẹ eva ne Ọba e Devid zẹ. Vbe okaro, ọ khare wẹẹ: ‘I gha miẹn orukhọ mwẹ kue ma Jehova.’ (Psalm 32:5) Yerre wẹẹ, e Jehova gie na tie ruẹ nẹ, nu gu irẹn guan vbe erhunmwu kevbe nu uwẹ vbọre ‘ziro kugbe.’ Miẹn ọnrẹn yi ighẹ itie nii. Miẹn orukhọ ruẹ kue ma e Jehova kevbe nu vbe mu iro ruẹ ma rẹn. Rhunmwuda emwi ne Devid ye aro miẹn, ọ sẹtin ye ilẹkẹtin na erhunmwu wẹẹ: ‘Kpe mwẹ huan hin orukhọ mwẹ rre. . . . ‘Udu nọ wagha kevbe ne hogha, Eo Osanobua, u i khian yan gbe ẹre.’
Ukpogieva, e Devid miẹn iyobọ vbe obọ Natan ne akhasẹ ne Osanobua zẹ kevbe nọ ya zihe egbe. (2 Samuẹl 12:13) Vbe ẹdẹnẹrẹ, e Jehova zẹẹ ediọn nẹ a ma re emwi ye iko, ne iran ru iyobọ nẹ emwa orukhọ ni roro iro fi uyinmwẹ werriẹ, ya werriegbe do gha gu e Jehova ru ọse. U gha gu avbe ediọn guan, iran ghi loo evbagbẹn nọhuanrẹn ya ru iyobọ nuẹ, iran ghi vbe ye ekhọe hia na erhunmwu nuẹ, ne orhiọn ruẹ mieke na sotọ, ne ekhọe ruẹ ghẹ ghi gu ruẹ gui, kevbe wẹẹ, iran ghi vbe ru iyobọ nuẹ ne egbe rhan ruẹ vbe odẹ ọghe orhiọn.
E Jehova hoo nu gha mwẹ ekhọe ọguọmwaziro nọhuanrẹn, ne orhiọn ruẹ mieke na sotọ
‘Oghọghọ Nọ ne Ọmwa ne Osanobua Ya Orukhọ Ọghẹe Ma Rẹn’
Vbene ẹmwata, u sẹtin roro ẹre wẹẹ, nu miẹn orukhọ ruẹ kue ma Osanobua ne Jehova kevbe nu gu ediọn guan vbekpa re, keghi re usun emwi nọ ghi lọghọ sẹ. E Devid wa vbe gha mwẹ egbe iziro vberriọ. Irẹn ‘da unu yi’ vbe ẹghẹ eso vbene ọ ma na ta orukhọ ọghẹe ladian. (Psalm 32:3) Vbe iyeke ọni, ọ keghi do bẹghe ẹre wẹẹ, ere rrọọ ne irẹn na miẹn orukhọ ọghe irẹn kue, kevbe ne irẹn na dọlọ uyinmwẹ ọghe irẹn yi.
Ere kpataki ne Devid miẹn ọre ne irẹn na werriegbe gha mwẹ ọyẹnmwẹ. Irẹn keghi gbẹn wẹẹ: ‘Oghọghọ nọ ne ọmwa ne Osanobua ya orukhọ ọghẹe ma rẹn, kevbe ọmwa na ya orukhọ ọghẹe bọ.’ (Psalm 32:1) Ọ na vbe na erhunmwu wẹẹ: Eo Jehova, ‘rhan akhuarhavbunu mwẹ ruan, ne I mieke na gha ya unu mwẹ rhie urhomwẹ nuẹ.’ (Psalm 51:15) Rhunmwuda ne orhiọn rẹn na ghi sotọ, kevbe wẹẹ, ọ gbọyẹmwẹ ye ayabọ ọghe Osanobua, egbe na ghi guaekpa nọ gha tama emwa ọvbehe vbekpae Jehova.
E Jehova hoo nu gha mwẹ ekhọe ọguọmwaziro nọhuanrẹn, ne orhiọn ruẹ mieke na sotọ. Irẹn ma hoo ne u gha tama emwa vbekpa irẹn kevbe emwamwa ọghe irẹn vbene ekhọe ruẹ na bu abe gbuẹ, sokpan ẹkoata kevbe ọyẹnmwẹ nọ dinmwi, ẹre irẹn hoo nu ya gha tae. (Psalm 65:
Emwi nọ wa sunnu daa e Martha ẹre ọ nikhin. Irẹn keghi kha wẹẹ: “Ovbimwẹ nokpia kegha viọ avbe Watchtower kevbe Awake! gu mwẹ. Kherhe kherhe, I na werriegbe do gu obọ e Jehova. Emwi nọ ghi wa lọghọ mwẹ sẹ na ru, vbe ẹghẹ ne I ya werriegbe gha bu e Jehova dee, ọre ne I nọ ayabọ ye orukhọ hia ne I he ru. Sokpan vbe okiekie, I na ghi do nọ e Jehova vbe erhunmwu nọ yabọ mwẹ. A gha kha wẹẹ ukpo 40 ẹre ọ gberra I ke werriegbe bu e Jehova gha dee, te a muan rẹn. Emwi nọ sunnu da mwẹ keghi re osẹ nọ rhiẹre ma wẹẹ, ẹi mwẹ vbene ọ gha kpẹẹ sẹ hẹ ne ọmwa ya sẹ e Jehova rae, te ẹkpotọ ọvbehe ye kie nẹ nọ ya werriegbe do ga Osanobua, kevbe nọ do gha re ọmwa ne irẹn werriegbe hoẹmwẹ ọnrẹn.”