"Forgive Yourself???"

I have heard people make the statement in one form or another, "I know God forgives! I just need to forgive myself!" When I hear that, and I hear it a lot among spiritual minded people, it makes me realize how little people know about forgiveness and the God who forgives. Follow me...man cannot forgive themselves! We never could and never will. That's nothing but pure, unadulterated pride! Forgiveness lay only with God. Sin is abhorred by God and He never takes our sin lightly. When we come to God with humble hearts, seeking His presence through our Lord Jesus Christ, that's when forgiveness is granted. "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (I John 1:9)

Psychologists and many professionals have duped us into believing that we can't find true release until we learn to forgive ourselves. It saddens me when worldly minded people have more impact on our thinking than God and His word. When one speaks of "forgiving themselves", they are actually looking to themselves as the power. I know that might sting a little to some, but we need to think about what we are saying. Forgiveness lies with God alone and He grants it! (II Tim. 2:25)

When guilt and shame batter our hearts and mind, we must not think we need to forgive ourselves. We need to find the power of the blood of Jesus to cleanse our conscience (Heb. 9:14). We need to be honest and face God with our sins. Our fears and lack of faith keep us from doing that. We look for other ways to find freedom because we hurt and don't want to admit to it as it causes us pain. Simply put, we just don't know God! Not once do we find in God's holy Scriptures that anyone forgave themselves! Until they reached and grasped hold of the forgiveness through Christ, they remained guilty and in their sins. Just read Psa. 32 and see how David found forgiveness, and that was before Christ. See how Paul found forgiveness when he had so many imprisoned and killed because of their faith in Jesus. Not once did they say, "I need to forgive myself!" They embraced the forgiveness of God.

We need to think clearly and realize the covenant God has made with those in Christ Jesus. The covenant reads, "...and their sins and lawless deeds I remember no more." (Heb. 10:16-17) If we confess our sins, coming humbly before the Lord, why can't we embrace our Lord and receive what He offers? That takes faith and faith reaches beyond us. But I know there are still those who want to believe that they must forgive themselves...what a tragedy!