Forgiveness is not an option for Christians – the Bible teaches – it is a requirement.
as Jesus teaches Matthew 6:14-15“If you forgive others when they sin against you, so will your heavenly Father forgive you. Father will not forgive your sins.”
The apostle Paul Ephesians 4:32“Be kind and considerate to one another, and forgive one another, as God in Christ forgave you.”
The Bible makes it clear that it means many times, not once. “Even if they sin against you seven times a day and come back to you seven times and say, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive them.” Luke 17:3-4.
But what happens when it comes to ourselves? It’s one thing to forgive a person, but what if you have sinned? Even if you can forgive others, it can be difficult to forgive yourself.
of 1 John 1:9we are taught that if we confess our sins, God will “forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
But perhaps we believe that we are too “bad”, or that our sins are some kind of exception, that God must not forgive us, or that even if God does, we must ask for his forgiveness. I struggle with the thought that I should not accept or forgive myself for my sins.
Is it pride that prevents us from forgiving ourselves?
In fact, it is pride that stands in our way and prevents us from accepting the gift of forgiveness that God gives to each one of us.
What is forgiveness?
In the Bible, forgiveness means releasing or dismissing something, such as when charges against a person are dropped in court.
of Matthew 6:14the original text is the word Affiemifrom the root Aphesis, means remittance or forgiveness. Another meaning is dismissal, sending off.
Essentially, you need to get rid of, procrastinate, clean up, and get rid of negative emotions and debts. In essence, the slate is wiped out and the person can start anew as if it never happened, with no punishment waiting.
Romans 8:1 He says, “There is no sin in those who are in Christ Jesus.”
Similarly, Colossians 1:14we are told that in Jesus there is a “redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”
Just before he died, Jesus said, “It is finished.” The word translated as “finished” is actually Teleo, which, like a debt, means to complete, fulfill, or pay off. Forgiveness is the complete letting go of sin or punishment, making it disappear forever.
We need to do this to others and to ourselves.
What is pride?
Biblical pride is an over-preoccupation with ourselves, usually considering ourselves better than or untypical of the typical. An exaggerated sense of importance, merit, or superiority.
The opposite of pride is humility. The Bible makes it clear that God hates pride and pride is a sin.
Proverbs 16:18 “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before destruction.”
of Luke 14:11Jesus says:
Isaiah elaborates.Isaiah 23:9).
Pride is more than just thinking you are great or even equal to God. It also thinks that we are the exception to the norm, or that we are somehow different or special outside of the graces and gifts that God has given us.
Adam and Eve ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, wanting to show their pride in the Garden of Eden and believe they could become like God (Genesis 3).
We show pride when we consider ourselves to be above the law (whether that of God or the law of man) or somehow superior or deserving of others.
As 1 Corinthians 4:7 “Who makes you different? What have you not received? If you have, why do you boast as if you have not?”
Why does pride prevent me from forgiving myself?
Pride is essentially a rejection of the gift of grace that God gives us, which is why it is such a sin. It is a self-imposed wall between the Lord and us.
While you may intellectually know that God will forgive those who have done wrong, you may be thinking: I shouldn’t have done this. If I were God, I would not forgive you. ”
That’s the crux, the “if I were God” concept. We must understand that none of us are gods and are inaccessible. If God, creator of the alpha and omega, the beginning and the end, and the universe, chooses to give the gift of forgiveness to those who repent and believe, why do we have the power to do anything but accept that gift? do you believe there is?
When we punish ourselves by denying ourselves compassion, we are essentially “pretending to be God.”
Or maybe you think you can punish yourself so you don’t do the same thing over and over again. By beating ourselves down and not forgiving ourselves, we cling to sin and in a way it is a way of avoiding true repentance.
Repentance means recognizing what you have done wrong and striving for a new path. It’s about taking a new and better path, living for the New Self, and living for the new creation in Christ. 2 Corinthians 5:17 When Ephesians 4:24.
Not forgiving yourself is an attempt to cling to your old self.
why should i forgive myself
God calls us to embrace humility and acceptance. A humble heart not only acknowledges that God is Lord, but accepts with grace and gratitude all that God gives.
What God wants—to oppose forgiveness—is not really a true punishment for oneself, but rather a disrespect to the Almighty Lord.
Forgiving turns into acceptance. When we forgive people, we accept that God wants us to set aside anger, anger, judgment, or other consequences or negative feelings toward others.
It’s much the same when we forgive ourselves. We accept God’s gracious actions and intentions for us. We respect and heed God’s wishes, so we enter into a righteous relationship with God.
we accept his love
It’s not about fixing our poor self-image and our struggles with self-esteem, but about accepting that God chooses to forgive us.
So who are we to challenge God’s plan and His will?
Is forgiveness tied to love?
Forgiveness is part of love. When asked about the greatest commandment of the law, Jesus referred to love when he said:
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind.” This is the first and greatest commandment. The second is, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” All laws and prophets depend on these two commandments. ” (Matthew 22:37-40).
Part of loving your neighbor is forgiving him. Part of loving yourself is forgiving yourself.
God commands us to love Him, love our neighbors, and love ourselves. we are an important part of that. When we deny ourselves forgiveness, we are not effectively loving ourselves and therefore disobeying God’s commands.
One might think that the Apostle Paul, who spoke a lot about forgiveness, had a hard time accepting God’s grace and mercy for his sins.
After all, he was instrumental in the development and spread of the early church, but at one point he became an enemy of the church, arresting and imprisoning followers of Jesus before converting to Christianity.
However, Paul makes it clear in his letter to Timothy that he is forgiven just as we are. No sin is too great or too great for God’s total cleansing liberation.
If you’re having a hard time forgiving yourself for doing something wrong, reflect on these words. Psalm 103:10-14:
He does not treat us as we deserve or retaliate according to our sins. For as great is his love for those who fear him, as heaven is above earth. As the east is far from the west, God has taken our sins away from us. As a father is considerate of his children, the Lord is considerate of those who fear Him. He knows how we are formed, so he remembers that we are dust.
Amen. thank god
For further reading:
Why is it difficult to forgive yourself?
What does it mean for a Christian to forgive?
Will God Really Forgive Our Sins?
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