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

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