When You Believe in Jesus but Still Carry Regret

General Faith
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This reflection is for those who love Christ sincerely — yet quietly carry guilt from the past.

Not guilt that’s loud or public.
But the kind that shows up at night.
The memories replayed in silence.
The moments we wish we could undo.

Many believers know in theory that God forgives, yet struggle to live as though that forgiveness is real. We smile, serve, and pray — but inside, self-condemnation keeps speaking. Regret steals peace, disturbs rest, and slowly convinces us that joy is not meant for us.

But the Gospel tells a different story.

Jesus never based His love on perfection. He already knew every failure, every weakness, every fall — and still chose mercy. Grace was never meant to leave us trapped in yesterday. Healing begins when we bring our hidden burdens into the light and allow Christ to speak more gently to us than we speak to ourselves.

Letting go of regret does not erase responsibility — it releases us from punishment Christ has already carried.

I came across a short prayer today that reflects on this struggle with honesty and compassion, focusing on guilt, shame, and the freedom found in Jesus’ mercy. If this reflection resonates with you, you may find the prayer helpful here:
https://youtu.be/yqCqZeQbVDo

If you feel comfortable sharing:
What has been hardest for you to release — guilt, shame, or fear of being unworthy?

You’re not alone in this.

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There are two issues.

That of not accepting or of trusting in God’s forgiveness or of not rejecting the devil’s tormenting of one by constantly reminding one of old forgiven sins.

Basically one has to have faith in God’s forgiveness, and when reminded/accused of old sins to instead of repenting of forgiven sins, to actually to thank and praise God for his forgiveness.

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When I have this problem, I remember what Jesus said to Peter. He told him that we are to forgive 70 x 7 and His meaning was that we’re always to forgive. So I think to myself, if Jesus is telling us to forgive this many times, then how can I doubt that He will forgive me? Then there’s 1 John 1:9 that promises forgiveness if we ask. He is faithful and He is just to forgive. Faithful as in His promise to do so and just because He’s already paid for it.

I think regretting past choices is normal. “I wish I hadn’t done that”, but dwelling on it and questioning whether God’s forgiveness is real causes problems. It’s to doubt God’s word and He’s the one who said He forgives. Sometimes it’s forgiving ourselves that’s the real problem. What it should do is make us humble before Him and reinforce our need of Him.

Quite frankly, sometimes I think of myself as a mess and there are things I definitely regret. If I didn’t know that forgiveness was mine for the asking, I would have to carry it with me. The devil is the accuser of God’s people. God doesn’t accuse, He convicts. A different thing entirely.

Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, “Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down. Revelation 12:10

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Thankfully, repentance is an ongoing thing in the believers life and I still daily do some things I regret.

[1]

“Confess” here translates ὁμολογῶμεν (homologōmen), present subjunctive, describing habitual practice, not a one-time emergency reset. This is not judicial re-justification, but covenant maintenance within an already-established relationship.

Jesus Himself assumes ongoing repentance when addressing His disciples and the churches, not pagans.

[2]

The command to repent is given to an already-loved, already-covenanted people, which makes repentance an instrument of restoration, not entry.

Paul frames the same reality in terms of mortification and renewal, describing repentance not as repeating conversion, but as applying the gospel to remaining sin.

[3]

The believer is already dead and raised with Christ, yet Paul still commands putting off, putting to death, and renewing the mind, which presupposes ongoing confrontation with sin and ongoing repentance grounded in union with Christ.

So biblically speaking, repentance is once-for-all in justification and ongoing in sanctification, not because Christ’s work was insufficient, but because sanctification is the lived-out alignment of the whole person with a finished redemption.

Repentance is not groveling, not self-flagellation, and not insecurity about salvation. It is the daily refusal to defend sin in the presence of a Savior who already bore it at the cross and defeated it in the resurrection.

And as you rightly pointed out, the devil is the accuser of God’s people.

Shalom.

J.

  1. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9 KJV ↩︎

  2. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. Revelation 3:19 KJV ↩︎

  3. Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world… Colossians 2:20 KJV ↩︎

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