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Forgiveness (3)
'...could never have made it apart from...mercy.' 1 TIMOTHY 1:15
Often one of the hardest things about forgiveness is forgiving yourself. You can feel especially bad if you've done something that you criticised someone else for in the past! For example, it's easy to judge other people's relationships; 'they shouldn't be doing those things; oooo they should have more self control!'. But when suddenly you find yourself in a relationship, you may understand how easily you can make those mistakes yourself and your left feeling bad about what you've done AND the way you criticised others.
It's easy to feel like the things you've done are to big for God to forgive, or even that you simply don't deserve forgiveness! This is particularly true when you know you didn't just make a mistake but made a calculated decision where you deliberately did something wrong, knowing you could ask forgiveness later.
Remember what Paul said: 'Jesus...came...to save sinners. I'm proof; Public Sinner Number One ...someone who could never have made it apart from sheer mercy...evidence of his endless patience.' Before his conversion Paul persecuted the church, killing and torturing believers. It's how he made his living!
Whatever you've done, it surely can't compare with that? If he could learn to forgive himself, you can too! In fact if you don't forgive yourself that's a bit of a proud attitude. You're not so special that you're the only one God can't forgive!
written by Bob Gass
