What Jesus Said About Forgiveness预览

Forgive yourself

Look at the following Scripture: Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Luke 6:37.

Apply it as follows:

1. Do not judge yourself.

2. Do not condemn yourself.

3. Forgive yourself.

The most difficult person to forgive is yourself. We can accept that God will forgive us. But to forgive oneself is very difficult. “I cannot forgive myself for my affair, which caused my family so much pain and humiliation. I cannot forgive myself for slapping my child in the face.” Etc.

You must confront your sin or mistake and decide to forgive yourself. If you don’t do it, it will restrict the Holy Spirit from working through you and limit the spiritual fruit in your life.

In the end, you must say to yourself: “John* (replace with your name), I forgive you.” It may feel strange, awkward, and stupid. But do it. Do it again and again if necessary – till you sense a release.

If you do not forgive yourself, you reject God’s gift of total forgiveness of all your sins. Unforgiveness is NOT something that comes from the Holy Spirit. It is from the devil and your own heart. You may feel that what you have done is too evil and vile to be forgiven and to live a life of total freedom. This way, you draw a line through the adequate and sufficient sacrifice of Jesus.

When you do not forgive yourself, you will eventually focus more and more on yourself. It will inevitably lead to self-pity and self-criticism. None of these is helpful, and none of them will lead to spiritual freedom and joy. Such behavior doesn’t honor God.

Obedience: If you have something in your life for which you struggle to forgive yourself, find another mature believer with whom you can talk and with whom you can pray. Go for help.