My husband said:
The reason we suffer from sin’s effects is not because we are being punished.
The only just punishment for sin is eternal death.
God is trying to save us, not condemn us.
So, He seeks to correct us, not punish us.
If we accept sin without much guilt, then it becomes easier for us to sin next time.
As our guilt is less and less, the corruption of sin becomes more and more.
However, if we feel so guilty we cannot forgive our self, cannot accept God’s forgiveness, then we lose heart.
Plus this is not trusting in God’s promise to forgive.
It is not accepting the extreme sacrifice of God’s Son, Jesus Christ.
Who are we to say that God cannot forgive?
He gave His Son to die on the cross so that we could be forgiven, and feel forgiven.
We should be able to forgive our self then.