*Grace isn't grace if we have to be good enough for it to apply to us.
"Tear Free from the Shroud of Bondage of Unforgiveness"
The Lord has been dealing with me in my own life regarding the subject of forgiveness -- of others, but mainly of myself.
The Lord has been dealing with me in my own life regarding the subject of forgiveness -- of others, but mainly of myself.
Have you ever found yourself thinking "I just can't forgive myself for thus and such?"
I wonder who hasn't thought that at one time or another? The devil would love to keep us in self-condemnation for the things we have done or failed to do. He knows it paralyzes us and prevents us from making the kind of impact in our lives and the lives of others that has God intended for us.
Many of us have read a while back of the young teenager who accidentally struck his 5 year old sister, with a car, tragically killing her in their driveway. And as tragic as it is for a child to die in that way at such a young age, the greater tragedy is the difficulty this young man will have forgiving himself.
Though few of us have faced something as dramatic as this, many of us have pasts that we cannot let go of... secret things--big things , horrific things, or nagging little regrets that the enemy tricks us into focusing on, making us continually believe we just don't measure up... we all need to overcome these thoughts that are aimed against us to render us ineffective in God's Kingdom
Let's beat these thoughts into the ground -- haven't they beaten us long enough?!
1. Realize that we only deserve forgiveness because of the blood of Jesus. Not because what we did wrong "never happened," or it wasn't that bad or ugly or wasn't sin. Give up rationalizations and excuses.
2. It was that bad, but God is even MORE good! James 2:13 says mercy triumphs over judgement. His mercy toward you TRUMPS your judgement over yourself. Believe that God is bigger than what you did, thought, felt etc. In Luke 22, Peter denied the Lord 3 times, and Jesus forgave him. Later, Peter preached the first sermon after Jesus rose from the dead, and 3,000 people were saved in a day! Peter was able to forgive himself when he knew Jesus accepted him. In the same way, realize that you have been accepted by God, no matter what you have done -- simply by believing on the work of the cross of Jesus Christ.
3. Give up your right to hold against yourself ANYTHING that God Himself does not hold against you. If God can forgive you, you can forgive yourself. His standard is absolute perfection, and He forgives you. Psalm 103:12 says, "As far as east is from west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us."
1. Realize that we only deserve forgiveness because of the blood of Jesus. Not because what we did wrong "never happened," or it wasn't that bad or ugly or wasn't sin. Give up rationalizations and excuses.
2. It was that bad, but God is even MORE good! James 2:13 says mercy triumphs over judgement. His mercy toward you TRUMPS your judgement over yourself. Believe that God is bigger than what you did, thought, felt etc. In Luke 22, Peter denied the Lord 3 times, and Jesus forgave him. Later, Peter preached the first sermon after Jesus rose from the dead, and 3,000 people were saved in a day! Peter was able to forgive himself when he knew Jesus accepted him. In the same way, realize that you have been accepted by God, no matter what you have done -- simply by believing on the work of the cross of Jesus Christ.
3. Give up your right to hold against yourself ANYTHING that God Himself does not hold against you. If God can forgive you, you can forgive yourself. His standard is absolute perfection, and He forgives you. Psalm 103:12 says, "As far as east is from west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us."
* It is as though our sins don't exist anymore--they are gone, gone, gone, gone!
4. Stop rehearsing what you did. It's done. It's over. Now accept the blessing that God offers;
4. Stop rehearsing what you did. It's done. It's over. Now accept the blessing that God offers;
Philippians 3:10 says "forgetting what lies behind, and reaching forward."
* Not forgiving ourselves is a subtle way of competing with Christ's atonement. God has already punished jesus for what we did. (see 2 Corinthians 5:17. When we don't accept our own forgiveness we are punishing ourselves (Dont we just always want to "do" something to earn our favor?)
Instead of accepting jesus' sacrafice for my failures. This competes with our Lord, Christ's finest work.
5. Believe that condemnation doesn't come from God. He doesn't condemn you toward repentence. The Holy Spirit will convict of sin so that we may repent and be in fellowship once again with a clean conscience.
Romans 2:4 says it is His lovingkindness that leads us to repentance. Since this guilt and shame and condemnation do not come from God, there can be only one other source -- the devil. James 4:7 says, "Submit to God -- resist the devil -- and he will flee from you."
* Walking in the light means following without compromise anything God shows you to do
6. Give up the SELF-PUNISHMENT -- some people have said to themselves in essence: "I'll make myself feel bad to pay for what has been done." Why should we pay the price that has ALREADY been paid for what we've done wrong? Stop beating yourself up -- no one beats us up better than ourselves. The fact is whatever we have done that we can't seem to forgive ourselves for is already forgiven. By trying to "pay for what we have done," we are insulting the very blood of Jesus that HAS PAID the price in full.
THINK IT AND SAY IT...
I receive mercy today, because of the blood of Jesus. Though I didn't deserve it, God proclaims over me, that I am "not guilty". Where I have failed, God's mercy triumphs over judgement.
I give up my right today to hold ANYTHING against myself -- I deserve to be punished, but Jesus took THAT punishment for me. I forget what lies behind and press on, moving forward in my life with God, even though I feel like I have blown it beyond repair.
*Relinquishing bitterness (even against yourself) is an open invitation for the Holy Spirit to give you His peace, His joy and the knowledge of His will.
I reject this guilt and self-condemnation that the devil is trying to put on me. God is the God of 2nd chances. I will no longer try to make myself feel bad to pay for what has been done. The price for what I did or failed at has been paid in full by God! In Jesus' Name!
* And finally, a prayer for when the devil tries to make you to go back on your resolve:
Father, I ask you to help me during these times of prayer, recommitting the devil's thoughts to you. I thank You that the weapons of my warfare are not carnal, human or fleshly but are mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds, imaginations and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of Christ and bring every thought unto the obedience of Him and His finished work and my identification with Him.
Pray diligently, Keep moving forward! and keep looking up!
God's Blessings to ya'll
Majority written by Pastor Gregory Dickow,
along with Pastor RT Randall
& some editing & editions from me :)
Romans 2:4 says it is His lovingkindness that leads us to repentance. Since this guilt and shame and condemnation do not come from God, there can be only one other source -- the devil. James 4:7 says, "Submit to God -- resist the devil -- and he will flee from you."
* Walking in the light means following without compromise anything God shows you to do
6. Give up the SELF-PUNISHMENT -- some people have said to themselves in essence: "I'll make myself feel bad to pay for what has been done." Why should we pay the price that has ALREADY been paid for what we've done wrong? Stop beating yourself up -- no one beats us up better than ourselves. The fact is whatever we have done that we can't seem to forgive ourselves for is already forgiven. By trying to "pay for what we have done," we are insulting the very blood of Jesus that HAS PAID the price in full.
THINK IT AND SAY IT...
I receive mercy today, because of the blood of Jesus. Though I didn't deserve it, God proclaims over me, that I am "not guilty". Where I have failed, God's mercy triumphs over judgement.
I give up my right today to hold ANYTHING against myself -- I deserve to be punished, but Jesus took THAT punishment for me. I forget what lies behind and press on, moving forward in my life with God, even though I feel like I have blown it beyond repair.
*Relinquishing bitterness (even against yourself) is an open invitation for the Holy Spirit to give you His peace, His joy and the knowledge of His will.
I reject this guilt and self-condemnation that the devil is trying to put on me. God is the God of 2nd chances. I will no longer try to make myself feel bad to pay for what has been done. The price for what I did or failed at has been paid in full by God! In Jesus' Name!
* And finally, a prayer for when the devil tries to make you to go back on your resolve:
Father, I ask you to help me during these times of prayer, recommitting the devil's thoughts to you. I thank You that the weapons of my warfare are not carnal, human or fleshly but are mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds, imaginations and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of Christ and bring every thought unto the obedience of Him and His finished work and my identification with Him.
Pray diligently, Keep moving forward! and keep looking up!
God's Blessings to ya'll
Majority written by Pastor Gregory Dickow,
along with Pastor RT Randall
& some editing & editions from me :)
