Forgiving Ourselves

Forgiving Ourselves: 

“Jesus Paid it All” 

– or did He?

Patuxent Presbyterian Church

Rev. Robert Bayley, Interim Pastor 

Psalm 51:1-17                 
Micah 7:18-19                        
Matthew 26:69-75

“Then he began to call down curses on himself…he went outside and wept bitterly.” - Matthew 26:74

Q: Where in your history is there a place where you ‘call down curses on yourself’ and privately say to yourself, “I can’t/won’t forgive myself for ...” weeping bitter tears in the process?

GOD’S RESPONSE  TO SELF CONDEMNATION  

Condemnation: con = ‘with’ + damnare = ‘to inflict loss, to damn’. 
“This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence whenever our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.” - John 3:19-20

Jesus does not condemn us: “Who is in a position to condemn? Only Christ, and Christ died for us, Christ rose for us, Christ reigns in power for us, Christ prays for us!” - Romans 8:34 (J.B. Phillips)

“There is not one inch in the entire area of our human life about which Christ, who is sovereign of all, does not cry out, ‘Mine!’” Abraham Kuyper, 1837-1920, prime minister of the Netherlands and Calvinist theologian. Quoted in the book “Faith Unfolded” by Jim Osterhouse: “I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more.” - Isaiah 43:25

SO WHAT ABOUT FORGIVING OURSELVES?

I WON’T forgive myself, a matter of volition, of our will: we must choose to want to be forgiven.
I CAN’T forgive myself, a matter of ability: you are right – only Jesus can forgive you.

“Who can forgive sins but God alone?” - Mark 2:7

JESUS PAID IT ALL: FORGIVENESS OF SELF IS ACKNOWLEDGING THIS

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” - 1 John 1:9

“Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits. He forgives all my sins” - Psalm 103:2-3

MONDAY MORNING

Begin every day this week with these verses from Philippians 3:13-14:

“One thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”

“In Jesus, the best is always yet to come.” - Corrie ten Boom 1892-1983

The Power of the Cross

Keith Getty and Stuart Townend

Oh, to see the dawn of the darkest day:
Christ on the road to Calvary.
Tried by sinful men, torn and beaten, then
Nailed to a cross of wood. 

CHORUS:
This, the pow’r of the cross:
Christ became sin for us;
Took the blame, bore the wrath—
We stand forgiven at the cross. 

Oh, to see the pain written on Your face,
Bearing the awesome weight of sin.
Ev’ry bitter thought, ev’ry evil deed
Crowning Your bloodstained brow.  CHORUS

Now the daylight flees; now the ground beneath
Quakes as its Maker bows His head.
Curtain torn in two, dead are raised to life;
”Finished!” the vict’ry cry. CHORUS

Oh, to see my name written in the wounds,
For through Your suffering I am free.
Death is crushed to death; life is mine to live,
Won through Your selfless love. 

FINAL CHORUS
This, the pow’r of the cross:
Son of God—slain for us.
What a love! What a cost! 
We stand forgiven at the cross.”