"Forgive Ourselves"

"Forgive Ourselves?"

    The modern notion of "forgiving ourselves" actually stems from an incomplete and inadequate Biblical understanding of God's forgiveness.  That is, if we fully experience His pardon for our sins, we will find no need for our own personal absolution and cleansing of our conscience.

   "Having a High Priest over the house of God; let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience" (Hebrews 20-22).

   Only our great High Priest, the Lord Jesus Christ, can birth and maintain in us "a true heart in full assurance of faith," and only He can cleanse us from "an evil conscience."  In times of sin against God and others, the Holy Spirit works in believers to expose our errors, to lead us to remembrance of our Savior's intercessory sacrifice on our behalf, and to elicit honest contrition for our unbelief and disobedience.  When we respond in genuine faith and repentance, the Spirit magnifies the salvation of the Lord Jesus in our hearts and minds to the degree that we go forward in peace and renewed devotion to God and others (which may at times involve Spirit-led confession, apology, and restitution to those against whom we have sinned).  "Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound, that as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 5:20-21).

   Believers who walk in ongoing and paralyzing remorse about sin fail to adequately understand the efficacy of Christ's work on our behalf.  Thus, the notion has arisen, even among Christians, that we must "forgive ourselves."  No Biblical basis exists for such an erroneous concept.  Our need is rather to "grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" (II Peter 3:18).  "What is it about my Lord and His redeeming work on my behalf that I do not know well enough in order to walk in the peace of a cleansed conscience?"  This is the question the remorse-plagued and paralyzed believer must ask if he is to have any hope of the tranquil heart our Lord desires His children to experience.  God's answer will exalt the Savior, emphasize His once for all sacrifice, enlarge understanding of His ongoing intercession, and enable the trusting and repentant believer to go forth from the altar of mercy in the peace for which the Lord Jesus suffered so much to provide.  Forgive ourselves?  Not when the Holy Spirit applies the power of our Savior's sacrifice and intercession to needy hearts.

"This man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of God."

(Hebrews 10:12)

"There is forgiveness with Thee."

(Psalm 130:4)

"How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?"

(Hebrews 9:14)

"He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him, seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them."

(Hebrews 7:25)

"His Delight, Our Delight"

    One of the great contrasts between God and ourselves involves His natural inclination to forgive.

   "He delighteth in mercy" (Micah 7:18).

  Not only does our Heavenly Father desire to pardon and restore.  He rather delights in it.  God loves to forgive, even as the father of the prodigal ran to greet his wayward son when he returned home in shame and brokenness (Luke 15:20).  Or as the Psalmist confirms, "For Thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee" (Psalm 86:5).  The New Testament even more reveals the degree to which our Father delights to forgive - "while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8).

   Contrast such wondrous truth against the innate fleshly proclivity of humanity.  Vengeance comes natural to us rather than mercy, despite the fact of our own sins against others.  We often build crosses on which to hang our offenders, as it were, rather than die upon them for our offenders.  "Jealousy is the rage of a man: therefore, he will not spare in the day of vengeance" (Proverbs 6:34).  

   Left to ourselves, the tooth and the claw would more characterize human relationships than even the bloody nature of the animal kingdom.  Thankfully, our Lord does not leave us to ourselves.  His pervading influence presently provides a limited restraint upon our natural tendency toward destruction.  Moreover, in those who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, God imparts His indwelling character and nature into our spirits.  "The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit which is given unto us" (Romans 5:5).  Thereby believers possess the capacity, through Christ, to overcome our natural proclivity by walking in accordance with our Father's supernatural disposition to mercy - "I delight in the law of God after the inward man" (Romans 7:22).

   We must believe such blessed truth about our Lord, and about ourselves as spiritually birthed and constituted in Him.  The Apostle Paul referred to believers as "vessels of mercy" (Romans 9:23).  The Spirit of Christ inhabits us in order that we may "walk even as He walked" (I John 2:6).  Few traits of the Lord Jesus more honor God than our determination to forgive as we have been forgiven.  His delight in mercy is now our delight in mercy, regardless of our fleshly tendencies to the contrary.  This we affirm, first because it is true, and then in order to experience God's winsome mercy not only in our personal reception, but also in bestowal upon others.

"Be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you."

(Ephesians 4:32)

Weekly Memory Verse

   Now the Lord of peace Himself give you peace always by all means. The Lord be with you all.

(II Thessalonians 3:16)

"To Give and Not To Give"

    Regarding our giving to those in need, the Bible commands an abundant generosity, as guided by a wise and God-directed discretion.

   "And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment" (Philippians 1:9).

   "Give to him that asketh of thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not away" (Matthew 5:42).

    "For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat" (II Thessalonians 3:10).

   The Apostle Paul's prayer for God to direct our love "in knowledge and all judgment" reveals our need for the Lord's guidance regarding our service to others.  As the Lord Jesus commanded, we expect and prepare ourselves to give to those who indicate need.  However, Paul's declaration to the Thessalonians concerning those who show no initiative for personal responsibility confirms that we are not to give to any and everybody.  

   We give to those who cannot help themselves with as much generosity as our Lord makes possible.  "Blessed is he that considereth the poor" (Psalm 41:1).

   We give to those in immediate need who can ultimately help themselves, but we grant only temporary bestowals of beneficence, recognizing we may create a temptation to irresponsibility if we do not temper our giving with wisdom and restraint.  "Study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands" (I Thessalonians 4:11).

   We do not give to those who clearly show no personal initiative, or who have taken advantage of kindnesses received in the past.  As Paul revealed, in God's economy, eaters must be workers.  "In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread" (Genesis 3:19).

   Born again believers in the Lord Jesus are not to act as patsies.  We do people no favors by a charity that does not align with the parameters set forth in Scripture regarding both generosity and personal responsibility.  Indeed, if we do not help the genuinely needy when we have the means to do so, we fail to reflect our Lord's abundant generosity and self sacrificial kindness.  However, if we help those unwilling to act in accordance with their own best interests, we also misrepresent the Lord who freely gives, but who does so in order to initiate our response of faith and submission to His Truth.  "We love Him because He first loved us" (I John 4:19).  God will not allow Himself to be taken advantage of, nor does He call His trusting children in Christ to allow the irresponsible to avail themselves of our Christ-formed proclivity to generosity.

   The Apostle Paul prays for God-directed love because we need to be guided accordingly.  The indwelling Spirit of Christ motivates us to devote ourselves to God as the branches of His holy devotion to the needs of others.  That same Spirit mandates that we seek our Lord's direction in such vital matters.   Generosity and discretion walk hand in hand in the hearts of those submitted to the glory and will of God in Christ.  May we be found among this company whose love abounds in abounding wisdom.

"Whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?"

(I John 3:17)

"We hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are busybodies. Now them that are such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread. But ye, brethren, be not weary in well doing."

(II Thessalonians 3:11-13)

Weekly Memory Verse

   Now the Lord of peace Himself give you peace always by all means. The Lord be with you all.

(II Thessalonians 3:16)