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Pardon me?
MARK 6:14-16
For if you forgive others their trespasses, you’re heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
Well we all know that’s true but does the Lord forgive you even if you don’t forgive yourself?
I say he does and he asks us to as well…
2 Corinthians 5:17-18
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation;
We have to try to see ourselves as God sees us. When we are unable to look at ourselves and forgive, it’s because of our vain pride. We need to humble ourselves and realize the creator has forgiven us. So why do we hold a grudge against ourselves. As his children we must go to him humbly but boldly in prayer and repentance and he will most assuredly forgive us.
1st Peter 5:6
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
James 4:10
Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.
Knowing all of this will you still forgive yourself? Why do we find it so hard to do this when he so easily can? I believe that Satan can hold us in fear and tell us we are not worthy of his forgiveness and that God is tired of us and has given up on us. However, it is the exact opposite. The Lord never gives up -- we do. We think we have done things so terrible that God may never forgive us or continue to love us. That’s wrong! Look at the apostle Paul. He hunted Christians. He murdered them. He was determined to wipe them out. Yet, God forgave him and he forgave himself as well. What we need to do is remember who is doing the forgiving here….God. That is the truth. How comforting and how powerful yet simple is this next scripture.
Luke 1:37
Nothing is impossible with God.
Further along in this book it tells of a woman that was living in sin and she was forgiven by Jesus.
Luke 7:36-50
36 Then one of the Pharisees asked Him to eat with him. And He went to the Pharisee’s house, and sat down to eat. 37 And behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at the table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of fragrant oil, 38 and stood at His feet behind Him weeping; and she began to wash His feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head; and she kissed His feet and anointed them with the fragrant oil. 39 Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he spoke to himself, saying, “This Man, if He were a prophet, would know who and what manner of woman this is who is touching Him, for she is a sinner.”
40 And Jesus answered and said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.”
So he said, “Teacher, say it.”
41 “There was a certain creditor who had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42 And when they had nothing with which to repay, he freely forgave them both. Tell Me, therefore, which of them will love him more?”
43 Simon answered and said, “I suppose the one whom he forgave more.”
And He said to him, “You have rightly judged.” 44 Then He turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has washed My feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head. 45 You gave Me no kiss, but this woman has not ceased to kiss My feet since the time I came in. 46 You did not anoint My head with oil, but this woman has anointed My feet with fragrant oil. 47 Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.”
48 Then He said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”
49 And those who sat at the table with Him began to say to themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?”
50 Then He said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.”
This woman went away from Jesus happy and free of all sins. When HE forgave her, she forgave herself. From this scripture WE can learn so much about forgiving OURSELVES as well as OTHERS and the measures we must take to obtain that forgiveness. She went into a house where she knew the people there did not want her and fell down at Jesus feet in tears repenting of her sins. Can you imagine how brave and convicted she must have been? She cried so hard that the tears were enough to wash his feet! I wonder if I could do what she did. Do we have the courage to forgive ourselves as she did? I believe this is one of the hardest things to do in life; we are so hard on ourselves and put others needs ahead of ours (and this is a good thing); however, neglecting to forgive our own self is something we do far too much. God cares for us so much; He loves us and wants us to be happy. So we have to let go.
Ephesians 4:41-42
Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.
I just want to say this in closing…God given grace and mercy is not a free pass to sin and continue to live in that repetitive state of sin/repentance. But, it is there when we slip up from time to time which we all seem to do.
Just remember God has forgiven you! Now forgive yourself!
Terry Ryan
