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| Forgive Yourself |
Tim Challies posted a good article today on discernment. This article might appear to be an exercise in missing the point, but, I assure you, I did not. However, the topic he chose to address in his discernment exercise, self-forgiveness, caught my attention and inspired a few thoughts. You would probably benefit from reading his post first.
I can't think of a single Biblical example of anyone sinning against himself. It just doesn't happen. The real motive of “self-forgiveness” is to put it all behind us. We are not supposed to do that. Continuing regret over sins of the past, although forgiven, is a good thing.
- “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it” may not be a Scriptural proverb, but it definitely carries a true lesson. Forgetting past sins means forgetting the lessons learned from them.
- Gratitude to God requires us to remember our sin. How can we remember how much we have been forgiven if we forget our sin? The memory of our sins should serve to increase our love for God (Luke 7:47). The desire to put it behind us is really a desire to justify increased self-love.
- The memory of our sin should cause us to abound in grace towards those who sin against us (Matthew 18:23-35).
Remembering sin is not the same as wallowing in it. If you’re doing that, your problem is not guilt, but pride. Yes, pride. It is only pride that makes you focus on yourself and suffer from so-called low self-esteem. Get over yourself. Fix your eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of your faith. Remember how much you have been forgiven, and give thanks. Never forget.
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7 Comments:
Tim Challies
"Remembering sin is not the same as wallowing in it."
Amen! You'd have a tough time convincing me that David ever forgot his sin. And we know that Paul kept his past life fresh in his mind. And in fact, the memory of what Paul had been often caused him to break out into praise to God.
He didn't wallow but he also didn't forget.
Sheena
I couldn't agree more! Thanks for this.
Kristina
The entire Old Testament encourages one to look back and remember. Countless times the Israelites are told to remember all that had taken place in the past. In doing so they were able to remember all their failures, all their weaknesses and remember God's strength in all of it. To put the past behind us, to forget is to deny ourselves an oppertunity to witness to ourselves. If we forget our sin and thus forget God's mercy following the sin, how are we supposed to trust God in the future?
David
Kristina, that's very well said. That's exactly what guilty feelings are, an opportunity to witness to ourselves, not of our own worth, but of the infinite worth of Christ.
Scott
It always comes up in discussion, "But doesn't the Bible say God doesn't remember our sins?" Yes, it does. But this doesn't mean God has some sort of divine amnesia. When he forgets our sins, this means that He will never bring them up against us ever again. We will not forget our sins, but we can know that they will not condemn us if we know Jesus Christ! Romans 8:1
Great post!
joanne
What about committing fornication? God clearly states in the Bible that that is a sin against yourself--and there are those in the Bible who did commit fornication. How does one personally repent of these sins against themselves? How do we ask God's forgiveness? How does this sin differ from others?
David
Joanne,
That's a reasonable question. I assume you're referring to 1 Corinthians 6:18--
Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body.
Sinning against your body is not sinning against yourself. Your body is not you. The real you is your soul, or mind. Your body is simply the vessel that you live in during this life. Furthermore, your body does not belong to you. Verses 19-20 continue:
19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? 20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.
So, a sin against your body is actually a sin against God alone.
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