The Christian life should be an adventure in forgiveness. Forgiveness is a wonderful healing gift which we need to give not only to others but to ourselves as well. Self-forgiveness frees us from self-punishment and empowers us to perceive the broader, more extensive possibilities of life beyond the confining gates of guilt or grudge.
The gospel of Jesus Christ can be summed up in two words: repent and forgive. Those two plain and simple procedures are the incomparable concern of any real Christian and they are a process of Christ’s gospel that we can commence to live immediately.
To become all that God intended us to become, we must eliminate from our lives those things that are not God-like in nature. This can best be achieved through the gospel of repentance and forgiveness. The better we accept the gospel of Christ and recognize our own self-worth as children of God, the more we can forgive ourselves for our personal failings and shortcomings. Holding on to our past mistakes and failures can be detrimental to achieving our fullest potential as faithful Christians.
Paul attested to the Philippians that putting the past behind us and moving forward with faith is a principal step in our personal progress. He professed: “I do not consider myself to have attained this. Instead I am single-minded: forgetting the things that are behind and reaching out for the things that are ahead.”(Philippians 3:13) Paul acknowledges that he does not know all things, but he does understand the need to forget “those things which are behind,” and to forgive ourselves for the things of which Christ has already forgiven us. He evinces a compelling declaration that before we can reach “out for the things that are ahead,” we must put our mistake-filled past behind us.
Nothing clutters the soul more than remorse, resentment and recrimination...
God has given each of us specific and uniquely defined strengths to aid in our personal development. Some may seem to have more skill and ability than others. Some may be farther along in developing their capacities and competence while others are at different stages of development, but one thing remains certain; we all have equal and unchanging worth in the eyes of a forgiving God. When we forgive, we have the glorious promise of being forgiven.
The gospel of Jesus Christ can be summed up in two words: repent and forgive. Those two plain and simple procedures are the incomparable concern of any real Christian and they are a process of Christ’s gospel that we can commence to live immediately.
To become all that God intended us to become, we must eliminate from our lives those things that are not God-like in nature. This can best be achieved through the gospel of repentance and forgiveness. The better we accept the gospel of Christ and recognize our own self-worth as children of God, the more we can forgive ourselves for our personal failings and shortcomings. Holding on to our past mistakes and failures can be detrimental to achieving our fullest potential as faithful Christians.
Paul attested to the Philippians that putting the past behind us and moving forward with faith is a principal step in our personal progress. He professed: “I do not consider myself to have attained this. Instead I am single-minded: forgetting the things that are behind and reaching out for the things that are ahead.”(Philippians 3:13) Paul acknowledges that he does not know all things, but he does understand the need to forget “those things which are behind,” and to forgive ourselves for the things of which Christ has already forgiven us. He evinces a compelling declaration that before we can reach “out for the things that are ahead,” we must put our mistake-filled past behind us.
Nothing clutters the soul more than remorse, resentment and recrimination...
God has given each of us specific and uniquely defined strengths to aid in our personal development. Some may seem to have more skill and ability than others. Some may be farther along in developing their capacities and competence while others are at different stages of development, but one thing remains certain; we all have equal and unchanging worth in the eyes of a forgiving God. When we forgive, we have the glorious promise of being forgiven.
