Saturday - June 11, 2016

Woodlawn Family Bible Study

SATURDAY


BIBLE READING:  1 John 1: 7-9
MAIN IDEA: 

Forgiveness Has Already Been Paid for by Christ.

DISCUSSION
Some of us are not able to forgive ourselves.  We look at whatever we have done and believe we are beyond forgiveness.  But what we really feel is disappointment with ourselves – a disappointment that confuses a measurement of our sin with merit for our forgiveness. 

The first consequence of a self-directed unforgiving spirit is that we punish ourselves on an ongoing basis.  How do we do that?  We replay our sins continually.  Satan initiates it, and we foolishly follow.  We even replay the feelings of guilt, and as we do we put ourselves in a tortured state that God never intended.  When we ask God for forgiveness of our sins as we repent, He forgives us of them.  But we continue to put the burden on ourselves, not on God.  We are unwilling to forgive ourselves, even though as Christians, God has already forgiven us. We get up, work, play, eat, and sleep in a self-imposed bondage, in a prison we built ourselves. We spiritually incarcerate ourselves, despite the fact there is no place in the Bible where God says He forgives us for all our sins except _____. Jesus paid it all.  Jesus suffered and died for all of the debt we could not pay- all of it.  No exceptions. Not forgiving ourselves indicates we don’t believe God has wiped our sin away.  

The second consequence of a self-directed unforgiving spirit is that we live under a cloud of uncertainty.  We do not accept our forgiveness by God.  We exist under an abiding question mark.  If we never forgive ourselves, how can we be confident that God forgives us.  Then we bear the weight of this guilt.  Rather than accepting that God has forgiven us, we let this cloud of uncertainty hang over us.  God doesn’t grade us on how bad our sins are before He forgives. 

The third consequence of a self-directed unforgiving spirit is that we develop a sense of unworthiness.  Because we are guilty we also feel unworthy. But when we hold ourselves accountable for sins God has forgiven, we are indulging on a guilt trip.  Satan encourages guilt trips.  Satan punches the button, and we replay the past sin.  Satan has us replay it in our mind even though we have repented and God has forgiven us. Each time we replay the past sin by not forgiving ourselves, our faith takes a beating, and we feel unworthy.  

This affects our prayer life and our service to God. To a great extent, it paralyzes our usefulness to God when we allow our guilt to cause us to freely and always unsuccessfully attempt payment for our sin when Jesus has already paid the debt. By not accepting that God has forgiven us of all our debts through the blood of Christ, we are minimizing God’s ability in our own minds.  Each Christian must accept that God forgives all sins and this will give you the peace that passes all understanding, as God wants for you.  Don’t hold yourself accountable for a sin that God has already forgiven.  Forgiving others will be easier when we forgive ourselves.

APPLICATION: Christ paid the price for our forgiveness, believe it!


Prayer Requests

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Colors of Christmas: Green

  Discussion:                                    Evergreen plants, like holly and mistletoe have been used for thousands of years to decorate and brighten up buildings during the long dark winter. They also reminded people that spring would come and winter wouldn't last forever! The Romans would exchange evergreen branches during January as a sign of good luck. The ancient Egyptians used to bring palm branches into their houses during the mid-winter festivals. In many parts of Europe during the Middle Ages, “paradise plays” were performed, often on Christmas Eve. They told Bible stories to people who couldn't read. “The Paradise Tree” in the Garden of Eden in the play was normally a pine tree with red apples tied to it. Today, think about the newness of life we have because we are in Christ. The old man could represent the dark winter and the barren trees. Then think of the bright Christmas trees that are so easily seen! … Help brighten someone’s life this week! Inform
Read more

“Blow-out in Boston”

BIBLE READING: Luke 14 DISCUSSION                                                                                       Boston Globe's account in June 1990 of a most unusual wedding banquet… Accompanied by her fiancé, a woman went to the Hyatt Hotel in downtown Boston and ordered the meal. The two of them poured over the menu, made selections of china and silver, and pointed to pictures of the flower arrangements they liked. They both had expensive taste, and the bill came to $13,000. After leaving a check for half that amount as down payment, the couple went home to flip through books of wedding announcements. The day the announcements were supposed to hit the mailbox, the groom got cold feet. "I'm just not sure," he said. "It's a big commitment. Let's think about this a little longer." When his angry fiancé returned to the Hyatt to cancel the banquet, the manager could not have been more understanding. However, concerning the refund, she h
Read more

“Prepare for Happiness”

  DISCUSSION:                                    Just recently we have seen the devastation that can result from hurricanes, earthquakes, and fire. According to the show on National Geographic channel “Doomsday Preppers” there are a lot of people over the country stocking up on supplies in the hope of being able to survive (months) a natural disaster or power grid failure. Many agree with this philosophy. Who could argue that it is a smart idea to be prepared? As a provider we should take reasonable measures to have our family prepared for hard times both mentally and physically. In this life, Christians have something more precious to protect than material things. Preparing our souls for eternity is much more important. We have been promised a gift that nothing can compare to, a home not made with hands (2Corinthians 5:1). So even if disasters come our way, we can be sure God will take care of His children. As a Christian we have a peace of mind from our faith in God’s word and beli
Read more