FORGIVING YOURSELF from SINS of the PAST
1 John 2:12
"I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name's sake."
While a life of sin may start out as a joy ride that eludes to glamour, laughter, freedom, and fun, the final destination is always that of destruction. In fact, Romans 6:23 says, "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." The hidden treasure at the end of a sinful rainbow is always a pot of dung. Guilt, shame, and brokenness are just some of the hideous surprises that await those who have been duped into believing that they can dance with the tip of sin's tail.
Romans 3:23
"For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;"
God's Word tells us that everyone has sinned. We've all made bad decisions and poor choices that have brought us to that place of unrest in our soul. While our intentions may have been to "do the right thing", our sinful nature (apart from God) always seems to lead us down paths of trickery, leaving us empty and void - deep within. The pull of sin is a constant "tug of war" inside of everyone; challenging our conscience with cleaver justifications, all of which are in direct opposition to God.
Then, there are those "sinful situations" that were completely brought on by the evil devices of others. Maybe you live under the shelter of another who is trapped by the claws of sin. Sadly, "their sin" has drug you down a marsh pit of filth that seems to have stained your life forever. You may feel that you have spiraled too far out of control - that you could never be reconciled to God. As anger and rage consume the core of your being, you wonder how you could ever be forgiven. Even more, you wonder if you could ever forgive yourself.
Psalm 51:10
"Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me."
Precious friend, God knew that we would never be able to free ourselves from the snare of sins grasp. That is why He sent His Son, Jesus, into the world. You see, Jesus left His heavenly abode to come to earth and rescue all who were scarred from the wages of sin. When you repent of your sin (repent means to turn; to change your mind) and trust in Jesus as you Lord and Savior, He instantly washes you clean and sets you on high. He delivers you out of the grave that held you captive; the grave that blinded you from the light of God's goodness. At that same moment of your conversion, the Holy Spirit (comforter, counselor, teacher) comes to live inside of you. You are born-again! You are a brand new creature! God says that your sins are as far as the east is from the west - He does not even remember them! Wow!
Psalm 103:12
"As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us."
Of course, the devil won't give up so easily. He is on a mission to kill, steal, and destroy (John 10:10). His tactics are dirty and his methods are cunning. Since he can't do anything to keep a Child of God out of heaven (because God has already sealed them with the Holy Spirit of promise - Ephesians 1:13), his next plan is to render a Christian as ineffective in the Kingdom of God. If he can keep you doubting how much your Daddy (Abba Father) loves you, or keep you feeling as though you are a second class Christian, unforgiveness toward yourself will hinder the flow of God's blessings into your life. Unforgiveness is a sin. And God cannot bless sin. The devil knows this, and so he reminds you of the things you once did, and the person you once were, in an effort to cause you to linger in self condemnation.
Romans 12:2
"And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."
So, how can you rise above the devils scheme of unforgiveness - the unforgiveness you have toward yourself? By renewing your mind! And, how do you renew your mind? By reading the Word of God!
Precious sister in Christ, forgiveness is a process. Don't be discouraged in your Christian walk if you are having trouble forgiving yourself. It will come. You will reach a day in which your past sins will seem like the story of another. The closer you get to God - through reading His Word - the farther away you'll be from the pain of that horrible "pot of dung" you once lived in.
Let me encourage you today to READ YOUR BIBLE. If you are a new Christian, start by reading the New Testament, first. Always pray before you read God's Word, asking Him to reveal Himself to you. The Words of the Bible are referred to as "bread" because God's Word brings LIFE to your soul, spirit, and body. As you continually feed upon the Word of God, you will be strengthened to conquer self condemnation - once and for all. Faith, peace, and forgiveness will rise up within you. You will be made whole!
Romans 8:1
"There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit."
Now, if condemnation is coming to you from outside sources (someone is continually telling you that you are a bad person) you'll need to learn to repel words of discouragement within your spirit man. Ephesians 6:11-13 tells us to put on the whole armor of God - each day - so that we can be victorious in our Christian walk. Remember, you are not wrestling with "flesh and blood" but against principalities, powers, and spiritual wickedness in high places. If someone is bashing you for no reason, they are simply acting as a puppet in the devil's hand - probably because of their own insecurities. Pray for them; and, if at all possible, avoid being around them. If you cannot avoid their company, practice closing your ears with spiritual fingers. Silently ask God to protect you from receiving words of discouragement - even while that person is still speaking. Remember, they themselves are victims of "sins grasp" and they probably don't even realize that they are acting as the devil's advocate.
Proverbs 18:21
"Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof."
Are you speaking life to yourself? As a Christian, you need to minister to yourself with your own mouth! Instead of speaking negative thoughts of "what a bad person you are" or any such words of self-condemnation, start speaking praises of how God saved your soul and changed you from the inside out. Begin to share your testimony saying, "This is who I once was. This is when I gave my life to Jesus. This is who I am now." As you do, your perception of yourself will change. You will teach your mind to agree with your born-again status as a Child of the King. Remember, words are powerful; so be sure that the words you are speaking continually give glory to God by praising Him for your new life in Christ Jesus.
Mark 12:30-31 "And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these."
God has forgiven you, and now, you must forgive yourself. God loves you - and He wants YOU to love you, too! When Jesus said, "Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself", He was saying, "I want you to love yourself, first (because you were made in my image); then, you'll be able to truly love others.
So "how" do you forgive yourself?.....
- First, you must be born-again.
- Next, you'll need to renew your mind by reading your Bible.
- Then, you'll need to practice closing your ears to the naysayer; always remembering to pray for those who persecute you.
- In addition, you must practice speaking words of encouragement to yourself by praising God for His forgiveness.
- Finally, you need to be patient. The day will come in which your past sins will only be a fact and no longer a feeling.
God loves you! He wants you whole! He has forgiven you and He remembers nothing about your past. Hallelujah!
2 Corinthians 5:17
"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."
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Isaiah 61:10 "I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness..."
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