Lesson 2
Accepting God's Forgivness for Myself
Psalm 103: 12
"As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us."
In the book, "Own your past, change your future" by Dr John Delony, he states,"Forgiveness is a bold and brave display of power."
I have really taken time to chew on that. I certainly can agree that God, through the death and resurrection of Jesus displayed an
amazing power in that He provided a way for all to be forgiven.
Michael 7: 18-19
"Who is a God like You? Who pardons iniquity and passes over the transgression of the remnant of His inheritance - who does not retain His anger forever because He delights in loving devotion. He will again have compassion on us. He will vanquish our iniquities. You will cast out all our sins into the depth of the sea."
God promises that, "He will remember them no more."
Psalm 32:5
"I will confess my transgressions to the Lord and You will forgive the guilt of my sin."
Not only does the power of God forgive the acts of our sins but He forgives the guilt of our sins. We are no longer held accountable for the penalty of our sins. There may be consequences we have to live with but guilt should not be one of them. We may tend, though, to continue to feel guilty for all our wrong doings. We sometimes hold on to the soul crushing feelings of guilt and shame even when God says it is no more. When we don't accept the forgiveness of God we are saying that Christ's blood shed on the cross is not powerful enough to forgive.
And when someone hurts us, we can hold on to the pain and trauma of that sin against us. It is sometimes very difficult to lay down those heavy feelings that hinder our best life. Guilt and bitterness can poison your soul.
Isaiah 55:6-9
"Seek the Lord while He may be found; call on Him while He is near. Let the wicked man forsake his own way and the unrighteous man his own thoughts; let him return to the Lord that He may have compassion, and to our God for He will freely pardon. For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways." declares the Lord. "For the heavens are higher than the earth, so My ways are higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts."
God's ways are so much higher than ours and it is a struggle to fight against our own nature. We can find it unreasonable to accept God's forgiveness and move forward in joy. It can also be just as hard to forgive as God has forgiven us. Sin holds us captive and bitterness can create its own bondage. The Bible urges us to avoid such chains.
Eph. 4:31-32
"Get rid of bitterness, rage and anger, outcry and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and tenderhearted to one another, forgiving each other just as in Christ, God forgave you."
So when I think back to Dr. Delony's quote, I have to see how our act of accepting God's forgiveness and forgiving others is truly a "bold and brave display of power." Not our power, but the power of the Holy Spirit living within us. This act has so much power to defuse difficulty and free us to have joyful contentment in our lives. And since God's ways are higher than ours it also demonstrates to the world the power of God and flies in the face of worldly wisdom.
Prov. 17: 19
"Whoever would foster love covers over an offense but whoever repeats a matter separates close friends."
Holding on to and repeating sin that God has already forgiven is crippling emotionally and spiritually. Somehow we think that we don't deserve to move forward with joy after we have sinned but that is not how God sees it. Forgiveness is freeing! As moms we will surely make plenty of mistakes but God forgives all. A house that holds forgiveness as a high priority will flourish.
TIPS FOR TEACHING A FORGIVING SPIRIT
1) Practice saying words like, "I am sorry! Will you forgive me?"
"I choose to forgive you."
Teach children that both parties in a conflict where one sins against another have choices to make.
2) Be mindful and grateful for God's forgiveness. Remind yourself often that God has blotted out ALL of your sin.
3) Be careful how you speak about people who have hurt you. Even if you are still processing your pain and situation, don't model an angry and bitter spirit in front of your family.
4) Try to seek understanding about why someone might act in a hurtful way toward you. Talk openly about how everyone deals with things we may have no clue about. Model a compassionate and gracious attitude.
5) Work on self control in your thought processes. Take every negative and bitter thought captive to the obedience of Christ.
2Cor. 10 :5.
Work on matching thoughts with truth. Meditate on truth.
If this is an area in which you struggle, share with a trusted friend and have a prayer partner to help you overcome.
STUDY QUESTIONS
1) Identify any areas in your life where you may be harboring feelings of guilt and shame over sins that God has forgiven. Acknowledge that God is powerful enough to forgive anything. Then live the truth that you are forgiven.
2) Do you find forgiving others to be easy or difficult?
3) Where can you be better in modeling grace and forgiveness in your home?
4) Do you find yourself keeping records of wrong doings against you?
5) How do you feel about Matt. 5:44?
"...Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?"