Acts 5:33 :

But they, when they heard this, were cut to the heart, and determined to kill them.

Do you remember what happened back in Acts 2?

Acts 2:37 :

Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”

Perhaps you can see the difference in these reactions to the message of salvation. Both groups were warned about their guilt. In fact, in Acts 2, Peter was recorded as having said much more about it.

I think that this proves that the problem is not with the person preaching about guilt. The problem has to do with the person listening. There are clearly two ways that a person can respond. Both groups are “cut to the heart,” but one group is “determined to kill” and the other asks, “what shall we do?” God is the one that prepares the heart to look past pride, but the sin of pride can really stop us from being saved.

Even in our daily lives as believers, we must face the pride of our “flesh.” We should not lash out against someone who shows us we were wrong. Instead, by God’s power we should say: “Lord, I confess.” The Bible tells us as Christians, when we sin, we need to confess our sin and get back on speaking terms with our Father. We are not to be guilty, but walk by faith. Unbelievers need to learn about their guilt and find their way to the cross so that they can have a relationship with God.