You Are F-O-R-G-I-V-E-N

"He who knew no sin became sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him." - 2 Corinthians 5:21

Every now and then, somebody says, "Well, what you need to do is forgive yourself" or "You just need to be affirmed." But that misses the whole point of true forgiveness.

Think about it this way: Imagine if I had a guy named Jack and a guy named Bob in front of me, and I punched Jack right in the nose. His eyes start watering, blood streaming down his face, maybe even loosened some teeth. Then imagine Bob steps forward and says, "Now, there's a problem here, but I want you to know that I affirm Josh. I just affirm him. And Josh, I want you to know, I forgive you for what you did to Jack."

And then I respond, "Hey, you don't need to forgive me; I've already forgiven myself."

Meanwhile, Jack is standing there with his nose bleeding. The truth is, only the person who was punched can forgive the one who did the punching. Bob's forgiveness means nothing in this situation, and my self-forgiveness is completely irrelevant to Jack. [Illustration originated from Adrian Rogers, “The Guilt Trap,” in Adrian Rogers Sermon Archive (Signal Hill, CA: Rogers Family Trust, 2017), Zec 3:1–4.]

This is exactly how it works with God. When we sin, we sin against God. We've offended Him. We can "forgive ourselves" all we want, but if God hasn't forgiven us, we're still guilty. We can have others "affirm us," but that doesn't remove our guilt before God.

The truth is when we recognize our sinfulness in the sight of God, against God, He alone can forgive us. He alone can truly get rid of the guilty conscience that we've been experiencing.

We must realize that our sin is against God. He alone can forgive us. He alone can truly get rid of the guilty conscience that we've been experiencing. How can you feel that you are truly forgiven? Let me share this helpful outline, taken from June Hunt [Biblical Counseling Keys on Guilt: Living Guilt Free (Dallas, TX: Hope For The Heart, 2008), 22–24.]:

F - Find the source of your guilt. 2 Timothy 3:16 says "All Scripture is God-breathed and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness." Find out according to God's word, where is the source of the guilt? Is it because you should feel guilty and need to confess according to His word, or is it because of expectations you had for yourself or others had for you?

O - Own responsibility for your sin. Don't excuse it; don't create an alibi. God will not accept our alibis. If He's told us something to do or not do in His Word, it's because we can do it by God's power.

R - Realize that God means what He says. Ephesians 1:7 says, "In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace." Take Him at His Word.

G - Give up dwelling on your past. Isaiah 43:18 says, "Do not remember the former things nor consider the things of old." You can either live in the present or you can live in the past, but you can't do both.

I - Invest time in renewing your mind. Romans 12:2 says, "Don't be conformed to this world. Be transformed by the renewing of your mind that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God." Input equals output. If we put God's word in us, our consciences become properly wired.

V - Verify truth when Satan accuses. Isaiah 54:17 says, "No weapon formed against you shall prosper; every tongue that rises up against you in judgment, you shall condemn." Learn to discern the difference between the Holy Spirit’s voice and that of Satan. Answer Satan’s accusations with truth from Scripture. 

E - Exchange your life for the life of Christ. 2 Corinthians 5:21 describes the great exchange: all of my sin placed on Jesus at the cross, all of His righteousness given to me. Don't shy away from what God says about you. How righteous is Jesus? God's word says you are that righteous before God in Christ.

N - Notice that God brings your feelings in line with the facts when you obey Him. Psalm 32:1 says, "Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered." We place our faith not in how we feel but in what God says, and then our feelings will follow.

There are many times after I've said, "Lord, forgive me," you know what I've said? I've said, "Thank You. Thank You for forgiving me." In that moment, I don't feel forgiven, but I'm thanking Him for His Word because my faith is not in how I feel; it's in what God says. So when He says, "You're forgiven," I may feel like a worm, but yet God's word says I'm forgiven. God's word says I'm cleansed. God's word says I'm a son of God. God's word says that I'm the righteousness of God. Thank you, Lord, for Your forgiveness.

Reflection Question: Which step in the F-O-R-G-I-V-E-N outline do you find most challenging to put into practice? What practical step can you take today to live more fully in God's forgiveness?

Father, thank You for showing me how to live in the reality of Your forgiveness. I choose today to run to You, not from You, when I sin. Thank You that I am completely forgiven and cleansed by the blood of Jesus. I am the righteousness of God in Christ! In Jesus' Name, amen.

Adapted from "God's Answer for Guilt": https://www.joshfranklin.org/media/x8v77x7/5-god-s-answer-for-guilt