Forgiveness Part 3
We’re taking on another facet of forgiveness this week, and for many, this one might be the trickiest. Sometimes its easier to forgive others than to forgive ourselves. We’re stuck with ourselves 24/7, but God didn’t make us to be beings at war with ourselves or even primarily focused on ourselves. So how do we let go of what we have done, and who we have been when we want to use the phrase “I could never forgive myself….”
The Shroud - Nik Helbig
Anchor Texts:
Ephesians 4:20-24 NIV - The Old and New Self
Genesis 45:5 NIV -Joseph’s Wisdom for his Brothers
2 Corinthians 7:8-13 NIV - Paul’s comfort and Challenge to Corinth
Psalm 51 NIV - Psalm 51 - The Sinner’s Hymn
Questions to Ponder:
Look at the passage above from Ephesians 4 - How exactly do we go about “putting off the old self”? Can you describe that process. Do we do it once? Constantly? Daily?
Remember Joseph’s forgiveness of his brothers? In Genesis 45:5 he tells them essentially to forgive themselves, but why are they angry and distressed? Why do we get angry at ourselves when we’re confronted with our guilt?
What steps can you take to stop being angry with yourself for past sins that God has forgiven?
Look at 2 Corinthians 7:8-13 - How would you explain “godly sorrow” to someone? How do you see the Holy Spirit at work in this passage?
What key steps of repentance can you identify in Psalm 51?
Psalm 51 takes a powerful turn in v. 13 from sorrow to action - what good can come from God letting us go through the hard process of feeling anger and pain toward ourselves so that we might “forgive” ourselves?
The Theme in Song:
This is a song I have loved for years and when I first heard it I didn’t have a daughter- now I have three. Now watching this video brings me to tears as I think about the important lesson it is to pass on to a child: to forgive others, but also forgive yourself. It takes a lot of trust in God to finally let go of our anger against ourselves.