Friday, November 6, 2009

Chapter Seven

This is an important chapter in that it addresses the issue of forgiving yourself which is important in your relationship with God in that in can cause an obstacle in it. A few years ago I approached my community group leader and told him I a committed a sin that I though was unforgivable. He led me to 1 John 1:8-10, If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives." This was the first verse to lead me to healing. To not accept God's forgiveness and to begin forgiving myself would be like calling our Lord a liar. We know our Lord is not a liar. I just couldn't do that. I meditated on these verses alot which began a healing process for me.
Another verse to meditate on is Romans 8:1: "Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Jesus Christ," The minute we believed in Christ, that He died and rose for our sins we were in Jesus Christ. We became one of "those who are in Jesus Christ". There is no condemnation for us. Isn't it time we stopped condemning ourselves and listened to the healing Word of our Lord?
Check this verse out, Judges 10:16, "Then they got rid of the foreign gods among them and served the Lord. And he could bear Israel's misery no longer". This is a perfect example of God's mercy. When the Israelites confessed, relied on God's mercy and became obedient by getting rid of foreign gods and serving the Lord, God "could bear" their misery no longer. If we have confessed with our mouth and heart and choose to serve the one and only Lord we are forgiven. God loves us as he did the Israelites and can't bear that we are miserable in our guilt and unforgiveness. It grieves Him. Accept His forgiveness and accept forgiveness for yourself. The enemy is happy when we hang on to all those burdens because it affects our relationship with God. Get rid of them. Whenever those old feelings of guilt and unforgiveness surface take them captive, throw them away or lay them at Jesus feet and remember your memory verse, "For you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. For if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed". Remember there is no condemnation because you are in Jesus Christ.

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