FORGIVE...YOU!

Have you thanked Him?

Have you praised Him?

Have you made it your priority to agree and cooperate with Him today?

Have you taken that deep breath and listened for what He has for you today?

1 Timothy 2:1 (The Message)

^1-3The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know.

"I really am sorry GOD."

"Really. You know that don’t you? I know it was the umpteenth time doing the same silly thing, but you know I don’t want to do that stuff anymore. But you forgive me right?"

"Right?"

Ever find yourself in the malaise of self-doubt?

Or worse yet, confronted by a moment of conviction and clarity that brings you face to face with that “same” sin again and all you can think is this is the last time; GOD has had enough.

You tell yourself there is no way GOD can forgive me this time. You think to yourself, I can't forgive me. How will GOD?

Well there is good news today. You aren’t GOD and you can be and are forgiven!

The truth is your “SIN” problem; your reoccurring struggle is not unique.

We all are in the same boat. All of us have the same ailment.

Sin.

We all lose our tempers, make mistakes, and do things that seem completely out of character. Many of us stay hamstrung by a particular sin over and over again. The truth of the matter is sin is a universal challenge. But THANK GOD He provided a universal solution; complete forgiveness for all of it!

Hebrews 8:12

I will show loving-kindness to them and forgive their sins. I will remember their sins no more.

But if GOD provided forgiveness for everyone who’ll accept it why do so many of us struggle to forgive ourselves?

Guilt.

Guilt can be so strong that it may seem to overshadow the enormous gift of pardon and restoration that God freely provides. We may think our past actions are so terrible that God would never forgive us. If our wrong actions produce tangible negative consequences, we may become so blinded by the result that we can’t forgive ourselves. Seeing the outcome of sin every day keeps guilt alive in our minds. As a result, we may simply refuse to let it go.

That’s a tragic error.

Why?

Because GOD isn’t about heaping buckets of guilt on us.

Romans 8:1

… those who are in Christ Jesus are not judged guilty

Instead GOD has offered the gift of forgiveness!

Psalm 103:11-12

For as high as the heavens are above the earth,

so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;

12 as far as the east is from the west,

so far does he remove our transgressions from us.

What else keeps us from forgiving ourselves?

Missed expectations.

We can think pretty highly of ourselves from time to time. Add a title like elder, deacon, PASTOR, or ministry leader and the stakes just got immeasurably higher. But GOD doesn’t raise that bar.

We do.

We often place ridiculously high, self-imposed standards for our behavior and accomplishments. When we fail to achieve them, we’re all but crippled by disappointment. This makes self-forgiveness seem impossible. But GOD sees us all the same; as lost sheep, broken people who needed a Savior, a Savior HE has provided.

John 3:16

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that WHOEVER believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

You see that WHOEVER, no title, no higher expectation, Jesus came to bring forgiveness to all!

So let's turn this around today. Will you join me in asking yourself: (because like many of the DISPATCH’S I write are for me as much as anyone).

"Is misplaced guilt blinding my access to the grace of GOD? Do I think so highly of myself and my position and expectations that I can’t remember I am fallible and in desperate need of the CROSS every day?"

If you are like me and can answer yes to either or both of those questions, let’s stop and exercise a little truth and “exorcise” those feelings of guilt and missed expectations.

Confess those sins.

1 John 1:9

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Accept the forgiveness.

And choose to remember that Christ gave His life to make us free. So embrace that amazing and unshakable truth!

Galatians 5:1

Christ has set us free to live a free life!

And let’s forgive ourselves for God has already forgiven!

Psalm 32:5

…Then I let it all out;

I said, “I’ll make a clean breast of my failures to God.”

Suddenly the pressure was gone—

my guilt dissolved,

my sin disappeared.

I love you all!

Freedom Church

Pastor GDelaney