This question was one actually sent to me from a Facebook friend. Thank you!
To answer this question let's take a look at the verse 1 John 1:9 - “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” This verse tells us that we need to "confess" our sins, not ask for forgiveness. The bible also tells us that if you have placed your faith in Jesus Christ for your salvation; then all your sins are forgiven. Now, I believe this means all your past, present, and your future sins no matter how big or small they were/are/or will be are forgiven. So how did I draw that conclusion? Well in Colassians 1:14 and Acts 10:43 we are told that Jesus died to pay the penalty for all our sins, and when they are forgiven; they are all forgiven. Keywords to remember there are "they are all forgiven." So no I don't believe you have to ask God for forgiveness every time you have sinned; however, I do believe you have to confess your sin to God. But why do you have to confess your sin?
Well think about it a minute. If someone does a wrong against you, what happens with your relationship with that person. There is a distancing between you and the other person; am I right. What happens after the person admits they hurt you; you become closer because the person saw the error of his/her way allowing a healing between the two of you! Well the same holds true with God. All God wants with me and you is a relationship, but like any relationship there are going to be bumps and bruises that can/will hinder that relationship between me/you and God. But when you confess your sin(s) to God you are admitting you are wrong and that you have sinned; and through this confession God will be faithful and just to you. Faithful in that he will forgive your sin and just in that he will recognize that Jesus Christ already paid the penalty for that sin. Also with your confession the distance between you and God is closed and the healing of your relationship and soul begins; all of these things draw you closer in your relationship with God, which is all he wants.
I remind you, God loves you for you and God is willing and wants a relationship with you. The question I ask you is, are you willing?
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Forgiveness: Do you truly accept and offer forgiveness?
This is a great question to ask yourself as you are working through your recovery! This question alone can tell you whether or not you are allowing something to block, stall, or even destroy your recovery.
As I began my recovery, I THOUGHT; that I was able to forgive and accept forgiveness without any problems. However, what I learned was that my pains and my hurts were so deep that I was not only not accepting forgiveness that was offered to me but I wasn't truly offering my forgiveness in the way similar to how God offered forgiveness to me. I mean lets think about it for a minute, Jesus allowed himself to be put on the cross to FORGIVE ME for my sins. He died folks, he died for me and for you; just to forgive our sins; and keep in mind a sin is a sin, it doesn't matter to God how big or how small it is. Yet, I couldn't even let go of my anger, my pain, my fear, my guilt, or my shame in order to forgive another human being. I kept wanting that revenge or justice for what was done to me. WHY?
Well it's a simple answer and like many others I needed a little nudge to open my eyes wide enough to see it. So why couldn't I forgive others or myself, why couldn't I accept forgiveness when it was offered to me?
That is a tough one. I learned that I couldn't do any of these for many reasons but it all came back to one problem; I had buried the pain that I and others had caused me. I let my anger, resentments, need for justice, fears, need for fairness, ability to blame others, shame, and guilt control my life. Basically put, I let my emotions run my life, I am human after all. In Jeremiah 6:14 (TLB) it says "You can't heal a wound by saying it's not there!" I have so learned how true that is. The one and only lasting solution in my recovery is that I had to face my past, forgive myself and those that have hurt me, and I had to make amends for the pain that I have caused others. To do this I had to begin by first accepting what Jesus had done for ME. He died to forgive me for things I hadn't even done yet; yes he knew I was going to do them, but he died for me knowing this. Now that's what I call love. He canceled all my sins, paid in full; it was his gift from Him to Me as my Lord and Savior. That's a love I am proud to have found and am just as proud to accept now.
The second way I have worked to extend my recovery through forgiveness is that I had to forgive myself. Sounds pretty simple doesn't it. Well it is, once you get past all the guilt, shame, fear, and blame that you put on yourself. That in itself was a challenge. I started with by forgiving in what I later learned were superficial, incomplete, and with the wrong motives. I had to accept that self-forgiveness is not a matter of assigning blame to someone else, letting myself off the hook, and it definitely wasn't a license for my irresponsibility. It is simply me accepting that I am human like everybody else and being honest with myself. With this, came a greater respect for myself! This allowed me to move on in my recovery, because I have now taken out a big obstacle in my recovery; ME!
The last thing I had to face in my recovery was I had to be willing to be willing to give forgiveness, accept forgiveness, and then let it all go. Easier said than done right. True, it is; but ask yourself one big question. Who is your hurt/pain hurting the most? I promise you, if you take a cold, hard look at this question; you will find that person is YOU! It was for me. When I was addressing me forgiving others, I fought hard with this one. I kept telling myself and God that it wasn't my fault. Why should I forgive so and so for what they did to me; they don't care! That's when a good friend of mine reminded me of a little saying he had heard and one that I now remember every time I look to forgive someone else. That saying is if God wasn't willing to forgive sin, heaven would be empty! Says a lot to me and reminds me that he has forgiven me so why can't I forgive someone else. Forgiveness is all about letting go. It doesn't mean you have to forget, but in order for recovery to work you have to let go. No matter how hard it seems, just remember that until you do let go you will always be a prisoner of that pain or hurt, habit, or hang-up! I even asked God for forgiveness and I even forgave God. Yes you read that right! I forgave God. God forgave me when I asked for it, just because I sincerely asked for it. But I too had to forgive God. I had to forgive God because I realized that all my anger towards him had been misplaced. I was angry at him for taking my first wife in a car accident, to be exact when I walked out of the hospital that day I looked up and said if you can't help me then I have no need for you. Since I have learned otherwise. I learned that God has a greater scheme and purpose, that he loves ME for ME, that God forgave me for turning my back on him the second I asked and repented for it, and most of all I have learned of God's promise which we find in 1 Peter 5:10 (PH): After you have borne these sufferings a very little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to share in his eternal splendor through Christ, will himself make you whole and secure and strong. How awesome is that!
I can now say, that I not only forgive myself because God has already forgiven me, but with God's help; I can forgive others as well. The key here and throughout recovery is that I need God's help and with this help I may not be able to change the past, but I sure will change my future.
Thanks for reading and feel free to leave your questions or comments!
As I began my recovery, I THOUGHT; that I was able to forgive and accept forgiveness without any problems. However, what I learned was that my pains and my hurts were so deep that I was not only not accepting forgiveness that was offered to me but I wasn't truly offering my forgiveness in the way similar to how God offered forgiveness to me. I mean lets think about it for a minute, Jesus allowed himself to be put on the cross to FORGIVE ME for my sins. He died folks, he died for me and for you; just to forgive our sins; and keep in mind a sin is a sin, it doesn't matter to God how big or how small it is. Yet, I couldn't even let go of my anger, my pain, my fear, my guilt, or my shame in order to forgive another human being. I kept wanting that revenge or justice for what was done to me. WHY?
Well it's a simple answer and like many others I needed a little nudge to open my eyes wide enough to see it. So why couldn't I forgive others or myself, why couldn't I accept forgiveness when it was offered to me?
That is a tough one. I learned that I couldn't do any of these for many reasons but it all came back to one problem; I had buried the pain that I and others had caused me. I let my anger, resentments, need for justice, fears, need for fairness, ability to blame others, shame, and guilt control my life. Basically put, I let my emotions run my life, I am human after all. In Jeremiah 6:14 (TLB) it says "You can't heal a wound by saying it's not there!" I have so learned how true that is. The one and only lasting solution in my recovery is that I had to face my past, forgive myself and those that have hurt me, and I had to make amends for the pain that I have caused others. To do this I had to begin by first accepting what Jesus had done for ME. He died to forgive me for things I hadn't even done yet; yes he knew I was going to do them, but he died for me knowing this. Now that's what I call love. He canceled all my sins, paid in full; it was his gift from Him to Me as my Lord and Savior. That's a love I am proud to have found and am just as proud to accept now.
The second way I have worked to extend my recovery through forgiveness is that I had to forgive myself. Sounds pretty simple doesn't it. Well it is, once you get past all the guilt, shame, fear, and blame that you put on yourself. That in itself was a challenge. I started with by forgiving in what I later learned were superficial, incomplete, and with the wrong motives. I had to accept that self-forgiveness is not a matter of assigning blame to someone else, letting myself off the hook, and it definitely wasn't a license for my irresponsibility. It is simply me accepting that I am human like everybody else and being honest with myself. With this, came a greater respect for myself! This allowed me to move on in my recovery, because I have now taken out a big obstacle in my recovery; ME!
The last thing I had to face in my recovery was I had to be willing to be willing to give forgiveness, accept forgiveness, and then let it all go. Easier said than done right. True, it is; but ask yourself one big question. Who is your hurt/pain hurting the most? I promise you, if you take a cold, hard look at this question; you will find that person is YOU! It was for me. When I was addressing me forgiving others, I fought hard with this one. I kept telling myself and God that it wasn't my fault. Why should I forgive so and so for what they did to me; they don't care! That's when a good friend of mine reminded me of a little saying he had heard and one that I now remember every time I look to forgive someone else. That saying is if God wasn't willing to forgive sin, heaven would be empty! Says a lot to me and reminds me that he has forgiven me so why can't I forgive someone else. Forgiveness is all about letting go. It doesn't mean you have to forget, but in order for recovery to work you have to let go. No matter how hard it seems, just remember that until you do let go you will always be a prisoner of that pain or hurt, habit, or hang-up! I even asked God for forgiveness and I even forgave God. Yes you read that right! I forgave God. God forgave me when I asked for it, just because I sincerely asked for it. But I too had to forgive God. I had to forgive God because I realized that all my anger towards him had been misplaced. I was angry at him for taking my first wife in a car accident, to be exact when I walked out of the hospital that day I looked up and said if you can't help me then I have no need for you. Since I have learned otherwise. I learned that God has a greater scheme and purpose, that he loves ME for ME, that God forgave me for turning my back on him the second I asked and repented for it, and most of all I have learned of God's promise which we find in 1 Peter 5:10 (PH): After you have borne these sufferings a very little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to share in his eternal splendor through Christ, will himself make you whole and secure and strong. How awesome is that!
I can now say, that I not only forgive myself because God has already forgiven me, but with God's help; I can forgive others as well. The key here and throughout recovery is that I need God's help and with this help I may not be able to change the past, but I sure will change my future.
Thanks for reading and feel free to leave your questions or comments!
Friday, September 25, 2009
12 Steps of Celebrate Recovery and their Biblical Comparisons
THE 12 STEPS
And Their Biblical Comparisons
Step 1: We admitted we were powerless over our addictions and compulsive behaviors, that our lives had become unmanageable. Romans 7:18
Step 2: We came to believe that a power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity. Philippians 2:13
Step 3: We made a decision to turn our wills and our lives over to the care of God. Romans 12:1
Step 4: We made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves. Lamentations 3:40
Step 5: We admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs. James 5:16
Step 6: We were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character. James 4:10
Step 7: We humbly asked Him to remove all our shortcomings. 1 John 1:9
Step 8: We made a list of all persons we had harmed and became willing to make amends to them all. Luke 6:31
Step 9: We made direct amends to such people whenever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others. Matthew 5:23-24
Step 10: We continued to take personal inventory, and when we were wrong, promptly admitted it. 1 Corinthians 10:12
Step 11: We sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry it out. Colossians 3:16
Step 12: Having had a spiritual experience as a result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to others and to practice these principles in all our affairs. Galatians 6:1
Step 2: We came to believe that a power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity. Philippians 2:13
Step 3: We made a decision to turn our wills and our lives over to the care of God. Romans 12:1
Step 4: We made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves. Lamentations 3:40
Step 5: We admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs. James 5:16
Step 6: We were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character. James 4:10
Step 7: We humbly asked Him to remove all our shortcomings. 1 John 1:9
Step 8: We made a list of all persons we had harmed and became willing to make amends to them all. Luke 6:31
Step 9: We made direct amends to such people whenever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others. Matthew 5:23-24
Step 10: We continued to take personal inventory, and when we were wrong, promptly admitted it. 1 Corinthians 10:12
Step 11: We sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry it out. Colossians 3:16
Step 12: Having had a spiritual experience as a result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to others and to practice these principles in all our affairs. Galatians 6:1
8 Principles of Celebrate Recovery
EIGHT RECOVERY PRINCIPLES
Based on the Beatitudes
Realize I’m not God; I admit that I am powerless to control my tendency to do the wrong thing and that my life is unmanageable. (Step 1) “Happy are those who know that they are spiritually poor.”
Earnestly believe that God exists, that I matter to Him and that He has the power to help me recover. (Step 2) “Happy are those how mourn, for they shall be comforted.”
Consciously choose to commit all my life and will to Christ’s care and control. (Step 3) “Happy are the meek.”
Openly examine and confess my faults to myself, to God, and to someone I trust. (Steps 4 and 5) “Happy are the pure in heart.”
Voluntarily submit to any and all changes God wants to make in my life and humbly ask Him to remove my character defects. (Steps 6 and 7) “Happy are those whose greatest desire is to do what God requires”
Evaluate all my relationships. Offer forgiveness to those who have hurt me and make amends for harm I’ve done to others when possible, except when to do so would harm them or others. (Steps 8 and 9) “Happy are the merciful.” & “Happy are the peacemakers”
Reserve a time with God for self-examination, Bible reading, and prayer in order to know God and His will for my life and to gain the power to follow His will. (Steps 10 and 11)
Yield myself to God to be used to bring this Good News to others, both by my example and my words. (Step 12) “Happy are those who are persecuted because they do what God requires.”
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
