Welcome Nanette from Hope in the Healing as she writes about forgiveness. She is a pastor’s wife, missionary, mother, and a writer along with many other gifts.
If God Forgives Me, Why Can’t I Forgive Myself?
“He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west.” Psalms 103:12 (NLT).
Do you know if you get on an airplane and fly east as long as you want to, forever if it were possible; there will never be a time when you will all of a sudden be going west! And you can go west for eternity but there will never be a time you will reach the east!
But if you travel north, you can only go so far until you will eventually be going south. And if you travel south, and pass Antarctica, you’ll be headed up north again and so vice versa.
How far is the east from the west? They never meet! This is why God said He has removed our sins “as far from us as the east is from the west”. This is one of the most beautiful figurative descriptions in scripture of God’s forgiveness. He separates it from us and doesn’t remember it anymore! He forgives AND forgets. We like to bring up our ugly past but God has wiped the slate clean!
When we continually repent about the same sin over and over again I wonder if He is just shaking His head and saying, “My child, I already forgave you of that the first time you asked!”
“I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more.” Isaiah 43:25 (NIV).
When our former sins come to our minds we can dwell on them and feel guilty all over again, or we can choose to feast on thoughts of the wonderful God that forgave us and give Him the praise. “…Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.” Philippians 4:8 (NLT).
God is also not pleased with people who do not forgive themselves because they don’t really WANT to forget their former sins. They enjoy reliving them in their minds, but this is also a sin! A man, or woman, who lusts in their heart, is guilty of the sin of adultery, “But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” Matthew 5:28 NIV.
Comparatively, every time we mentally relive our sin, we are committing that same sin over again. This is very dangerous in the life of a child of God. If you have repented of it, ask God to get it out of your mind!!
“He will again have compassion on us, and will subdue our iniquities. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea.” Micah 7:19 (NKJV).
There are also times we don’t feel forgiven when we have honestly repented. That is a lie from the enemy! The Bible says that the devil is the father of lies. He puts toxic thoughts in our minds because he knows our past is forgiven, it is hidden, under the blood. If God has forgiven us, we must forgive ourselves.
“Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sin is put out of sight!” Psalms 32:1 (NLT).
Are you struggling with letting go of something today? Is the enemy whispering past sins in your ear? Remember he is a liar! And everything he is telling you, the opposite is true! Your sins are under the blood and are remembered no more! “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus…” Romans 8:1 KJV.
“Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman [caught in the act of adultery], ‘Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?’ ‘No, Lord,’ she said. And Jesus said, ‘Neither do I. Go and sin no more.’” John 8:10-11 NLT.
Are you having trouble reliving your sin? For your sake and your family’s sake, let it go. You are already forgiven and it is time to move on. The more we dwell on things from our past the harder it is to forget them and make a fresh start.
Whatever you have been struggling with, struggle no more friend. Jesus has already paid the price. If you have repented of the sin, He has forgiven and forgotten, as far as the east is from the west. Now that’s pretty far…
