Guilt is one of the most powerful emotions within a man’s consciousness that shapes human personality and society. Guilt governs our behavior, colors the way we perceive ourselves, and slants our outlook of the world.

We can understand guilt if we view it as a self-policing feeling and an emotion of self-punishment that all societies must encourage and maintain to influence individual actions. A person that is guiltless is a detriment to himself and society for there is nothing to prevent him from doing harm to another human. Psychologists call individuals that are guiltless psychopaths.

This is the positive and healthy side of guilt. However, as with any principle, it has a negative side, that we will discuss later in this article. In some instances, an entire culture can experience guilt.

Guilt can permeate a society or country for some injustice that they, collectively, allowed. For example, Germany experiences guilt for starting World War II and participating in the Nazi Germany Holocaust. Japan, on the other hand, collectively refuses to accept guilt for bombing Pearl harbor that brought the U.S. into World War II.

It is the intent of this article to explore the basic operation of guilt in accordance to the tabernacle pattern. This article will show in accordance to the Bible and modern psychology how guilt shapes our lives.

According to Webster’s College Dictionary guilt is defined as: "the state of one who has committed an offense especially consciously." A psychological definition of guilt will give one a better understanding of it. The Dictionary of the Psychology defines guilt as follows. "An emotional state produced by the knowledge that one has violated moral standards. Most authorities recognized an emotional state as guilt only when the individual has internalized the moral standards of the society; thus it is distinguished from simple fear of punishment from external source—guilt is in a sense a self-administered punishment."

From this definition of guilt we see two things. First, we see that guilt develops as the result of the individual internalizing moral standards of a society. Second, guilt forms because these cultural rules have become a law within the mind. If the person violates these rules of society, the mind administers self-punishment.

The dictionary usually defines guilt in terms of committing some act one knows is wrong, but someone can also feel guilty where no offense has been committed. This type of guilt is defined as being psychologically driven.

It is defined as a: "feeling of culpability [i.e. responsibility] especially for imagined offenses or a sense of inadequacy." This form of guilt has a deep psychological impact on a person’s mind.

There are things we do, or fail to do, that cause us to feel guilty, such as being overprotective with our children, not losing weight, unintentionally hurting somebody’s feelings, or being unemployed.

A preoccupation with guilt for these nonproductive reasons is the negative and unhealthy side of guilt. Modern psychologists realize that many of the mental problems that man faces today has to do with how they deal with guilt. Both types of guilt will be discussed later in this paper.

Using the tabernacle pattern one can see that guilt is a three-fold principle (see illustration on p. 18). It corresponds to the three states of the Godhead: the Father, the Word or Son, and the Holy Spirit (1 Jn. 5:7).

The creator Yahweh Elohim imbued guilt within the man’s mind at his inception, but it was inoperative or at rest in Adam’s and Eve’s minds. They were not conscious of its existence because they were in perfect harmony with their creator. They had not transgressed the law of Elohim to experience condemnation, sorrow, or woe.

This is guilt in the Abstract State or the Most Holy Place by the tabernacle where the person is not knowledgeable of its existence. Guilt was hidden in Adam’s and Eve’s mind, along with other negative feelings, and would manifest after their state of mind changed from spiritual to carnal. Violating the law resulted in guilt.

The second state of guilt, which corresponds to the Holy Place by the tabernacle pattern, reveals feelings of guilt within the consciousness or mind. Adam and Eve were the first humans to experience guilt after Lucifer deceived them into transgressing the law of Yahweh (Gn. 3:1-9). Guilt brought an end or death to their state of tranquillity, righteousness, and joy (Rom. 14:17) which was a spiritual state of mind (Rom. 8:6). Guilt began a new world where they experienced condemnation, worthlessness, sadness, hopelessness, and spiritual abandonment.

Guilt, in the case of Adam and Eve, was the fruit of their transgression and is inherent to the carnal state of man. It was a feeling of ‘dis-ease’ about something they did that they knew was wrong. This unpleasant feeling in their mind was manifested in their body. Anything within the mind has to manifest itself in the body due to the mind-body connection that exists.

The concrete manifestation of guilt in the physical body, the third state of guilt, corresponds to the Court Round About by the tabernacle pattern. This is where the body, especially the body’s muscles, responds to these feelings within the mind in much the same way a smile forms on the lips when we are happy.

In short, body language is a reflection of ideas in the mind. Adam’s and Eve’s body language expressed regret, rejection, sorrow, and grief. Their expulsion from the garden of Eden typified the spiritual fall from their heavenly state of mind to a carnal minded state. These are three states of guilt.

Since the spiritual death of the first humans, Adam and Eve, guilt began to play an important role in human’s lives. Developmental psychologist Michael Lewis and his colleagues say that guilt emerges after the child develops cognitive capacity and self awareness.

This occurs after the six primary emotions (joy, fear, anger, sadness, disgust and surprise that appear shortly after birth) evolve (The Story Psychology, p. 506; © 1993 Doubleday, which quotes Lewis’ work). Cultural rules that the parents and society impart to this child shape guilt whether this is fully understood or not.

In any society there are rules laid down for every individual to follow. In addition to these cultural rules, religions impose exacting rules upon societies that we will discuss later. Whether societies exist in the primitive settings of Africa, the rain forests of South America, or the advanced societies of Europe, Japan, or the United States, all cultures have laws.

Simply put, the rules of any society are likened unto the law of Yahweh given to Israel at Mt. Sinai, after they came out of the land of Egypt. Remember, the finger of Elohim wrote the ten commandment laws on tables of stone (Deu. 31:18) and placed them in the Ark of the Covenant (Deu. 31:26). As a child internalizes the rules of his society within his mind and they become guiding principles, so Israel became immersed in the Law. They studied it, put it on their clothes, and placed it on their houses (Deu. 6:6-9). Violating any of these rules leads to individuals feeling guilt and shame.

According to the definition, there are basically three types of guilt (see illustration on p. 18). Now the first type of guilt corresponds to the Court Round About and is associated with some offense (i.e., unethical act) due to uncontrollable vices, such as lust or greed which you know is wrong. For example, stealing and adultery are examples of unethical behavior, which one knows is obviously wrong.

King David, with all his wives, committed adultery when he took another man’s wife. After Nathan confronted him for his lustful act, David became extremely guilty and repented (2 Sam. 12:1-15). Later in this article, we will deal with how an individual handles guilt.

The next type of guilt corresponds to the Holy Place and results when someone does not commit an offense against another. This type of guilt occurs when the person has not met the standards of society and feels guilty.

For example, Hollywood and Madison Avenue advertisers peddle a standard of beauty for females in America which many women do not meet. The marketing firm’s standard for beauty is a woman who is very attractive, blond, blue eyed, slim, and tall. There are many white girls that feel guilty that they do not match this cultural standard.

The same is true for those that do not attain financial success or a certain education level. Those that do not meet these cultural standards, for whatever reason, feel guilty.

Dr. Fromm states in his book The Sane Society "It is, indeed, amazing that in as fundamentally irreligious a culture as ours, the sense of guilt should be so widespread and deep-rooted as it is. … we find that people feel guilty about hundred of things; for not having worked hard enough, for having been too protective or not protective enough toward their children, for not having done enough for Mother, or having been too kindhearted to a debtor; people feel guilty for having done good things, as well as for having done bad things; it is almost as if they had to find something to feel guilty about (p. 205)." Dr. Fromm said that when humans are not like the rest of society, or not totally adjusted, they feel guilty. Also because of man’s conscience, humans feel guilty for not living life to the fullest and developing his complete potential. "... his life is the one chance he is given, and ... if he loses this chance he has lost everything. … He cannot help feeling guilty for the waste, for the lost chance (p. 205)."

Finally, there is a third type of guilt that corresponds to the Most Holy Place and is caused by religious dogma. Let us briefly examine the religious factors that cause guilt.

Religion can produce an inordinate amount of guilt due to their rules and customs. When a parishioner does not do what the church says he should, he feels condemned and guilty as Paul did under the Law of Moses. "For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin. For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I. If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good (Rom 7:14-16)."

Christianity has imposed many of the laws of Moses (under the Old Covenant) that Yahweh gave to Israel, upon their congregations after the Messiah fulfilled them, removed them, and established the New Covenant (Heb. 8:7-13).

Under the New Covenant we are saved by grace through faith (Eph. 2:8-9). The Apostle Paul told the Colossian assembly that all the ordinances of the old law of Moses were nailed to the cross. They were not to feel guilty for keeping feast days and Sabbaths any more. "Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;… Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of the Messiah (Christ, Col. 2:14-18)."

Simply put, Christians have made their customs and traditions, along with the ordinances of the law of Moses, a work of righteousness to be performed in order to obtain eternal life or salvation.

When an individual does not perform or measure up to these rules, then one experiences guilt. Solomon Schimmel explains this kind of guilt in his book The Seven Deadly Sins (© 1992 Free Press). He states: "Since the ideals religion establishes are usually difficult to live up to, devout individuals experience life as a struggle and as a journey towards a distant and desirable end. Such a system also produces guilt when one perceives himself as failing to live up to the expectations of the religion or as incapable of ever succeeding by his own efforts (p. 223)." Other examples of religion causing guilt is when their dogma forbid priest to marry, discourage married couples from divorcing, prohibit birth control, tell people to abstain from meat (1 Tim. 4:3; 1 Cor. 7:15), and encourage confession of one sins to a priest.

The only way to relieve the guilt that religion imposes on men is to have a basic understanding of the mission of the Messiah and know what age we are in according to the scriptures. (See the Ages and Dispensation Chart on p. 31 in the Complimentary Issue of the "PLIM REPORT".)

Paul explained to the Jews in the Roman assembly that the Messiah’s death had made them free from the guilt and condemnation that was under the law of Moses. "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Yahshua The Messiah (Christ Jesus), who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in the Messiah (Christ Jesus) hath made me free from the law of sin and death (Rom. 8:1-2)."

Everyone has experienced feelings of guilt and we all realize that they are not pleasant. One feels a sense of worthlessness, hopelessness, and sadness. Here we have a situation where the individual feels condemnation.

The mind is full of despair and does not have any kind of hope to resolve the situation. Unless there is some honest and truthful resolution to the problem, the individual, in extreme cases, can be driven to suicide or some form of mental illness. Others may deal with guilt by taking alcohol or becoming addicted to some other drug.

Simply put, guilt can be a detrimental factor that influences an individual’s sound mental health. The book The Seven Deadly Sins quotes O. Hobart Mowrer book The Crisis in Psychiatry and Religion (© 1961 Van Nostrand). It states that unethical behavior can cause mental illness and neurosis. "Mowrer argued that most neurosis and mental illness are caused by unethical behavior, which produces guilt and anxiety, as it should in socialized individuals. The guilt and anxiety disrupt mental health when we refuse to acknowledge to ourselves and to others that what we did was wrong (p. 238)."

I concur with this quotation, but have a slight revision. Neurosis and mental illness are not caused by unethical behavior, but are the result of guilt and anxiety from performing unethical acts or not meeting cultural standards. Guilt and anxiety cause so much tension within the mind, a person snaps.

Humans have devised a number of ways to avoid guilt. The various mind games humans play to ward off guilt are amusing. What they misunderstand is the operation of the mind. There is an old Chinese saying: "the mind is our best friend or our worst enemy."

Many times people avoid confronting their guilt and set up elaborate defense mechanisms to justify their actions so that they can circumvent guilt. What this does is uphold their vices and play down their virtues.

An excellent example of this is with Alexander the Great, which the book Seven Deadly Sin illustrates. The Greek king killed his best friend when he was in a drunken rage because his friend criticized him. The king fell into a depressed state as his consciousness found him guilty. His aids sought ways to bring him out of this great depression.

A philosopher was brought into King Alexander. He said King: ‘Here is Alexander, to whom the whole world is now looking; but he lies on the floor weeping like a slave, in fear of the law and the census of men, unto whom he himself should be a law and a measure of justice, since he has conquered the rule and mastery,… Knowest thou not… that Zeus has Justice and law seated beside him, in order that everything that is done by the master of the world may be lawful and Just (p. 238-239)?"

This argument lightened Alexander’s depression and absolved him of guilt. The philosopher’s words fed the King’s vanity and ambition. The fallacy of justifying a deed that made him feel guilty, as brought out by the book The Seven Deadly Sins, is that he failed to repent. Excusing an offense caused him to foster his vices, rage, and anger, and commit more heinous crimes for he never learned self control. As a result, his virtues were stunted. This means that if an individual does not confront guilt honestly and truthfully, there can be only growth of the vices. Simply put, repentance and forgiveness are two principles that are necessary in reconciling guilt.

You cannot exercise self-control when you avoid guilt. First it is an error to commit an offense that we know is wrong and causes ‘dis-ease’ due to our own lust, or recklessness, or lack of control. Our mind becomes our worst enemy now because it plagues us with guilt. Second, if we do not atone for this error, we increase the intensity of guilt by trying to defend what we have done.

Examples of justifying offenses are seen every day in the world and will lead eventually to a nuclear holocaust. The Palestinian Arabs commit all types of atrocities toward Jews in the name of establishing a Palestinian state and Israel counters. Both sides justify the untold innocence lives lost with the righteousness of their cause. The same is true for the IRA (Protestant) and the British Catholics, as well as the Croatians and the Serbs.

It is hoped that this article has thrown a little light on the subject of guilt. As Yahweh told the ancient prophet of Israel: "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, thou hast rejected me (Hos. 4:6)." With a knowledge of the scriptures and the operation of spiritual principle, one can avoid someone placing unnecessary guilt upon them, especially when it comes to religious customs and traditions practiced by the various churches of Christianity.

The Messiah said the truth shall set us free (Jn. 8:32) for we all saved by grace through faith (Eph. 2:8-9). Paul said there is no more condemnation or guilt because the Messiah was the atoning sacrifice. Keep in mind that guilt is the result of being alienating from Elohim (God).

Now those that are spiritually illuminated also will be able to transcend these cultural standards and biases. They will not allow their minds to become entrapped into accepting capricious standards of society that do not elevate their consciousness. Lack of physical attributes and possessions (the right body shape, looks, money, color, etc.), does not means anything, for human beings are not defined solely in terms of their outward appearance and accessories.

Finally, if one does commit an act that causes guilt, we know how to atone for the error, which is reconciling with the offended person and admitting our faults to the Messiah. This means that we must employ the spiritual principles of truth, faith, humility, honesty, and forgiveness.