No Condemnation: Rethinking Guilt Motivation

PRIMARY AUDIENCE: This book is written for psychologists, counselors, pastors, theologians and serious students of psychology and the Bible.

Many Christians view guilt feelings as either the voice of God or as divinely ordained emotions. Yet guilt feelings often increase personal distress and depression, lead to despair or rebellion in the Christian life, and reinforce neurotic problems.

In this ground breaking work, Dr. Narramore challenges the widely held belief that guilt feelings reflect the voice of God. On the contrary, argues Dr. Narramore, in the life of God's children, guilt feelings never come from God. As the apostle Paul wrote, "There is therefore now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus".

Instead of reflecting the voice of God, self punitive guilt feelings are actually the result of Satan's accusations, our own childhood experiences, perfectionistic standards, or efforts to atone for our own sinfulness.

1. Part I of No Condemnation carefully dissects the core ingredients of the emotion of guilt and differentiates between guilt feelings, objective guilt, and godly sorrow.
2. Part II reviews three of the most prominent secular approaches to understanding problems of guilt and conscience.
3. Part III asks, "Are Guilt feelings from God?" and "What is the alternative to self condemning feelings of guilt?"
4. Parts IV & V contain a thought provoking study of the relationship between conscience and the fall of humanity in the Garden of Eden, and legalism, faith and justification.