Forgiving Ourselves
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12 And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me, because He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry, 13 although I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man; but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. 14 And the grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant, with faith and love which are in Christ Jesus.
15 This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief. 16 However, for this reason I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show all longsuffering, as a pattern to those who are going to believe on Him for everlasting life. 17 Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.
We talk about the forgiveness of God ==> God in Christ has forgiven us.
We hear about forgiving others
But we never hear about the issue of forgiving ourselves.
Have you ever been guilty of murdering the first ever martyr of the church of Jesus Christ?
9 For I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.
Ephesians 3:8a
“To me, who am less than the least of all the saints…”
In this passage today Paul said:
12 And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me, because He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry,
13 although I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man; but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.
Did the apostle Paul say these things to wallow in the sins of his past?
10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.
not to wallow in his past, not to feel sorry for himself but to highlight the grace of God.
The key to forgiving ourselves.
R.U.N.
R - Receive God’s Forgiveness.
U - Understand the Extent of God’s Love.
N - Nullify the Devil’s Lies with God’s Truth.
Receive God’s Forgiveness.
GRACE
14 And the grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant, with faith and love which are in Christ Jesus.
How did Paul describe the grace of God?
God’s grace is exceedingly abundant.
15 This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.
“Worthy of all acceptance” - There should be an acceptance of the reality of God’s grace.
The reality is many Christians find it easy to believe in God’s grace to forgive their sins than to have the same grace to forgive themselves.
Actually it is not forgiving ourselves of our sins that is the problem. Actually, we have a tendency to make excuses for our sins (hiding our sins, justifying bad behavior or exonerate or acquit ourselves).
The problem is regrets, the stupidity of a bad decision and suffering from the consequences of it...
Regrets
Take note of this:
To Regret is to Regress.
Regret can hold you back.
God forgave you of your sins not only to get you into His family, not only to get you into heaven but so you will fulfill His purpose in your life.
Regrets can hold you back from fulfilling God’s purpose.
13 Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead,
14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
LET GO AND PRESS ON!
2. Understand the extent of God’s love.
Understand is not a perfect word, because can anyone really understand the love of God?
15 This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.
“of whom I am chief”
This is not to glorify his past — but to glorify God. “If He can save the chief of sinners like me, He can definitely save anyone!”
Paul talked of the magnitude of his sin to describe the vastness of God’s love.
16 However, for this reason I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show all longsuffering, as a pattern to those who are going to believe on Him for everlasting life.
“However FOR THIS REASON I OBTAINED MERCY”..
For this reason - for what reason.. Jesus came into the world to save sinners ==> For what reason ==> God’s love
16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
This should never get old.
It was World War II. Two Christian sisters — Corrie and Betsie ten Boom — were in a pit, not because of what they did, but because of what was done to them. They were imprisoned in a concentration camp as punishment for hiding Jews in their home. In the midst of a living hell, Corrie remarked at the depth of the pit they were in. Betsie replied, “There is no pit so deep that He is not deeper still.”
“There is no pit so deep that He is not deeper still” (Betsie Ten Boom)
Those words were not spoken from the comfort of a pulpit, but from an agonizing pit of unimaginable depth. “He is deeper still.”
20 Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more,
God’s love is deeper than any of our failings…
No matter how deep your shame, He is deeper still.
No matter how deep your grief, He is deeper still.
No matter how deep your debt, He is deeper still.
No matter how deep your loneliness, He is deeper still.
No matter how deep your trouble, He is deeper still.
No matter how deep your personal hell, He is deeper still.
No matter what your past sins may be, God’s love is deeper STILL!
That is our hope today.
Accept the depths of God’s grace and that He has unconditionally loved you and forgiven you.
3. Nullify the Devil’s Lies with God’s Truth.
16 However, for this reason I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show all longsuffering, as a pattern to those who are going to believe on Him for everlasting life.
What do we get from these two phrases: “The longsuffering of Christ” (the patience of Jesus) and “a pattern for those who are going to believe on Him for everlasting life”.
There is a faithfulness, a consistency, what is true with God’s forgiveness before is true even now!
Since God is true, you do not have to believe the lies of the Devil.
“You cannot be worth anything, remember what you were and what you did?” Sometimes, the devil uses people to remind us of our past..
Nullify the lies of the Devil with the truth of God.
Christ is longsuffering, He is faithful.
How else did Paul describe God?
17 Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.
Know Who God is:
He is “Eternal”
He is “Immortal” - He is not like any man who will walk back on his word.
He is “Invisible”
Speaks of His transcendence, we cannot see Him and touch Him and yet we worship Him.. we behold His majesty —- this is why God is so against idols.
Reminds us that God has been made visible to us only by the Lord Jesus Christ.
15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.
He is “Wise”
Not only is God wise, Paul said “He alone is wise”.
All True wisdom comes from God.
All truth is God’s truth.
It all comes down to a matter of TRUST of God… believing on His word.
Is it sin?
The obvious answer is if God has forgiven us, and yet we don’t forgive ourselves, we may be placing ourselves greater or higher than God.
Self condemnation can be sin.
"To trust God when He promises to forgive sins is the true and proper worship of God. If you do not believe the forgiveness of your sins, you make God a liar, and that is the greatest sin." (Martin Luther)
Illustration of the heavy rocks inside a backpack.
Let go of the rocks!
1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
If you are in Christ Jesus — No condemnation from the Devil. No condemnation from your enemies. No condemnation from ourselves.
And the most important part of this is —- Neither does God condemn you!
Let us remember this: The cross of Jesus Christ did not only grant us forgiveness of sins, it also freed us from the bondage of self-condemnation.
Let’s read the final verse together…
17 Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.
Let us thank and praise God together! Please all rise.
Pray in my native tongue.