By It is common in the world to believe that “time heals all things”. This might be true in some instances, but time doesn’t heal the guilt that comes from sinning against another. As Christians we ought never to sin and simply go on as though nothing happened, believing that time will heal our guilty consciences.
When some individuals in the Corinthians church sinned by participating in immorality, some of them repented, but some merely went along as though it was all in the past, and that time automatically took care of it. A few months later, the Holy Spirit had Paul pen these words to them:
I fear that when I come again my God may humble me before you, and I may have to mourn over many of those who sinned earlier and have not repented of the impurity, sexual immorality, and sensuality that they have practised.
2 Corinthians 12:21
The guilt of sin before God, as well as the hurt caused to one another through sin, is not healed by time. There is no healing for a guilty conscience when sin has been committed. Only forgiveness can bring peace and reconciliation where sin has been present.
Although those we’ve sinned against might be willing and eager to forgive, that forgiveness won’t be received without repentance. Repentance will confess the sin without excuses or qualifications; it will plead for the undeserved mercy of forgiveness from God and the other person; it will rejoice in the restored relationship. In fact, when sin is confessed and forgiven, then the restored relationship is in many ways much stronger than it was before, for it endured even the intrusion of sin and entire process of reconciliation.
Time does not heal guilt. Only forgiveness does.
Let us not treat sin lightly. As far as it depends on us, let us seek peace through Biblical repentance and no longer hope time will heal the guilt and hurt of sin.