Undeserved Forgiveness.

Give undeserved forgiveness… even to yourself. We hold fast to our pasts, our sins, the horrors of things we've done contrary to the will of God, things we believe make us completely and utterly unfit to ever step foot into God's kingdom. We condemn ourselves when in truth we need to give undeserved forgiveness even to ourselves- accepting God's forgiveness.

Undeserved forgiveness.

When our logical thinking process tells us that we need to behave in a certain way- for OUR own wellbeing and yet we ignore that logic, and instead we hurt ourselves, do we know why? What drives us to do things contrary to our own wellbeing? What stimulates our brains into agreeing to hurt ourselves by our own actions? If we know something is not good for us, but we feel compelled towards that something, we are self-harming and there has to be a reason for it.

We do know that pleasure plays a hand in this.

Heb_11:25  Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season

Choosing to suffer rather than ENJOY the PLEASURES of sin for a season.

The PLEASURES OF SIN.

Choosing instant gratification, choosing to feel good over the knowledge of doing what is good for us overall, choosing temporary pleasures over eventual pleasures- these are the things we do. We hold pleasing ourselves in high esteem. We teach that our being happy is something to be desired above all else. We frown upon having lives that do not induce happiness on some level. We tell ourselves we aren't happy- as if that is a very bad thing. We equate happiness with things- possessions, activities, people, and largely with the pleasures we can get from our lives.

The PLEASURES OF SIN- there are many, many pleasures of sin that entice us. The number one pleasure sin being- seeking to please ourselves first and foremost while disregarding God altogether, and disregarding others before ourselves. The two are in direct opposition to the summation of the great moral law, the ten commandments given to us by God.

To love God first, and to love others second.

We sin against ourselves all the time great and small when we break these laws. We do not have to murder someone, or steal, or bow down to an idol to break these laws, to sin large. We just have to put self before God and others, to break the laws. We are self-seekers and it is never more apparent than when we are inconvenienced. 

Inconvenience -'something that causes difficulties or annoyance', 'the quality or fact of being inconvenient or causing discomfort', 'difficulty, or annoyance, to cause somebody difficulties, especially relatively minor or unnecessary ones, or ones involving unwanted extra effort, work, or trouble'- (Dictionary Def.)

The annoyance we feel when inconvenienced this will tell us the truth of things, this will give us a measurement of our serving self. Just how loud is that internal groan when you are placed in a situation of inconvenience by another? Just how external is that look of annoyance, and how noisy the groan of displeasure that escapes you? What words are you mumbling under your breath as you react to the inconvenience? SELF SERVER is what our conscience should be screaming at us. SINNER is what we should be calling ourselves. FORGIVE ME is the cry we need to utter upon every single realization of self-serving.

We need to LIVE this-

Mat 25:34  Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: 

Mat 25:35  For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: 

Mat 25:36  Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. 

Mat 25:37  Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? 

Mat 25:38  When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? 

Mat 25:39  Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? 

Mat 25:40  And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. 

We need to live our lives serving OTHERS knowing that as we serve them we are serving our LORD.

2Co 4:5  For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake. 

1Jn 3:11  For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. 

1Jn 3:12  Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous. 

1Jn 3:13  Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you. 

1Jn 3:14  WE KNOW that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death. 

1Jn 3:15  Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him. 

1Jn 3:16  Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. 

1Jn 3:17  But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? 

1Jn 3:18  My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth. 

1Jn 3:19  And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him. 

1Jn 3:20  For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things. 

1Jn 3:21  Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God. 

1Jn 3:22  And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight. 

1Jn 3:23  And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment. 

1Jn 3:24  And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us. 

Serving others first.

We harm ourselves when we put ourselves before others.

Our seeking the pleasures of sin for a season are wrapped up in putting ourselves before others. Our harming our ETERNITY is because of self-serving. We sin and self-sabotage ourselves, we harm ourselves on a deeply spiritual level over and over again, and we need to stop. We need to stop serving ourselves, focusing on ourselves, making ourselves the center of our existence when it should be God, outside of ourselves allowing Him to live in us.

Yes, we need to forgive ourselves for ALL the self-serving sins we've ever committed, because God forgives us for them. We forgive others, we must forgive ourselves as God forgive us, believing in His forgiveness towards us as a reality. We have to believe God forgives us in order for us to forgive others. Forgive us God…as we forgive others- undeservedly, always, over and over again.  For if forgiveness must be earned, we are all lost, and there is no forgiveness. The nature of forgiveness is the comprehension it can't be earned. Once you have to work to earn forgiveness it is no longer forgiveness, but restitution. You are earning the restoration of favor from another, you are paying for that restoration of being in their good graces, and that is not forgiveness.

We can't let Satan hold up our sinful past (a sin from a moment ago or one fifty years ago). We can't let Satan tell us we are unforgiveable, that we do not deserve forgiveness- because we know we don't and never will deserve it, but that doesn't mean we can't have it! We have to accept our undeserved forgiveness, believe in our undeserved forgiveness, live life forgiven! Clinging to the forgiveness we are given, holding it tightly believing in our Savior's love!

God help us!

All through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, now and forever!!!!!!!