“Dr. Dixie, I’ve done some pretty awful things in my past. I’ve shoplift ed, lied and had sex with so many women, I’ve lost count. Two years ago I heard for the first time that Jesus loves me, and I received salvation. I am so grateful for His love and His forgiveness, but I just can’t seem to forgive myself. My friends tell me that because God has forgiven me, I have no right to hold my past against myself. I’ve really tried, but can’t seem to let it go. Help! How do I forgive me?”
Our “Christian-eze” language is full of clichés that keep us stuck in wrong thinking. “I need to forgive myself” is a perfect example. Because we hear it so often, we have come to believe the lie that we have to forgive ourselves in order to have “closure”.
Actually, when you say, “I can’t forgive myself” you are absolutely right. You can’t! If we could forgive ourselves, then Jesus’ death on the cross was unnecessary. No human being has ever qualified to pay for sin—our own or anyone else’s. So God Himself became human for the sole purpose of redeeming humankind from the horrific sin of rebellion against His righteous, loving, tender mercy.
Psalm 49:6-8 (Amplified): “Even of those who trust in and lean on their wealth and boast of the abundance of their riches, not one can by any means redeem either himself or his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him—for the ransom of a life is too costly, and the price anyone can pay will never suffice.”
Col 1:13-1; 1 Peter 1:18-19 (Amplified): “The Father has drawn us to Himself, out of the control of darkness, and has transferred us into the kingdom of the Son of His love…in Whom we have redemption through His blood. This means: the forgiveness of our sins...you must recognize that you were ransomed from the useless way of living inherited from your forefathers, not with corruptible things such as silver and gold, (and we could add here, ‘or your own efforts’)…but you were purchased with the precious blood of Jesus Christ—a sacrificial lamb without blemish or spot.”
After we have said “Yes!” to Jesus, and have been raised to new life in Him, all that’s left for us to do is to agree with God: “I AM forgiven! I AM washed clean. Thank You! Thank You! Thank You!”
God is omniscient—knowing all things at all times, from eternity past through eternity future. If God ever forgot anything, including our sin, He would not be infi nitely all-knowing. For God to “remember our sin no more” doesn’t mean He lost information about our sin, but rather, He will not intentionally recall or dwell on it.
Created in God’s likeness, our minds are made to remember, not forget. Saying “Yes!” to new life in Christ, we begin learning how to remember our dark and painful past through the cleansing blood of Jesus, rather than condemnation.
Our sin was not covered up by the blood of Jesus—it was completely washed away. If God ever rehashed our sin, He would be dishonoring the blood sacrifice of His Son. Since we’re being formed into the likeness of Jesus, now we also can choose not to rehash our past sin.
1 Corinthians 6:11 (Amplified) “And some of you were once thieves, slanderers and sexually immoral. But you have been purified by a complete atonement for sin and made free from the guilt of sin …pronounced righteous, by trusting in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.”
Infinite Grace Ministries in Weatherford, OK is a ministry of reconciliation and hope for individuals and families torn by abuse, divorce and disappointment with life. Call 580-774-2884 for an appointment with one of our ministers, and begin living in greater freedom today!
