Feel His Forgiveness
“Come now, let’s settle this,”
says the LORD.
“Though your sins are like scarlet,
I will make them as white as snow.
Though they are red like crimson,
I will make them as white as wool.
If you will only obey me…”
says the LORD.
“Though your sins are like scarlet,
I will make them as white as snow.
Though they are red like crimson,
I will make them as white as wool.
If you will only obey me…”
-- Isaiah 1:18-19a
Forgiving ourselves is one of the most difficult things we ever face. I know. We always assume it’s hardest to forgive others. Sometimes it seems that way. But we know we should. It’s what the Bible says. So mostly we try.
Forgiving ourselves is different. We know all our own secrets, all those things buried deep inside that we hope no one else ever learns. We know our motives and secret desires. And we’re ashamed. We’re embarrassed. We can’t seem to get past yesterday so that we can move on with today.
A fresh-faced young woman sat in church, tears flowing down her cheeks. Later she haltingly said she was having trouble with forgiveness. She couldn’t forgive herself. I don’t know her story. I may never know. But I do know that God forgave her as soon as she asked. Jesus already paid the price.
Why do we have such a tough time accepting that? Do we think that we’re not worthy? Or is it that we don’t really forgive others as we should so we can’t really imagine how God could forgive us?
Forgiveness is not an easy thing. We think we’ve forgiven someone and, yet, there it is, resurfacing yet again. Or we forgive but choose to keep that person from our lives. It may be the best decision for so many different reasons. But we wonder, deep inside, if maybe that’s how God forgives too. We’re forgiven, we’ve still got a ticket to heaven, but God doesn’t want to have anything to do with us anymore.
Thankfully, God doesn’t forgive the way humans do. When God forgives us, He puts it behind Him. It’s gone. Of course, there might still be consequences here on earth but the blood of Jesus has washed us white as snow. We are free. Our sins forgiven. Our guilt erased.
Satan uses our guilt, our sadness, our pain, to keep us in that place of shame. He wants us to doubt our worth, our forgiveness, our salvation. Don’t give in to his lies.
Give yourself to God. Bow down before Him. Cry out for forgiveness. Let the blood of Jesus wash your sin away.
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