Diane Epling

Get In Your God Chair with Your Prayer Journal

Do you have the JOY of the Lord? Is there something in your past that prevents you from forgiving yourself?

Diane Epling

Author

When you give your heart to God, He is in you and you in Him. There is no meeting him at the point you mess up; He is there to help you NOT mess up. When we live our lives in total surrender to God, He takes over from there. God doesn’t expect us or even want us to beat ourselves up and become downtrodden. How many people do you think would want to be saved if all they saw of Christians were people who walked around in misery all the time?

Be excited! Enjoy God! The Spirit of the Lord lives within you, and you have been transformed. The old man is obsolete. Allow God’s Spirit to rule your life and have your whole heart. We are alive in Christ; He is our foundation. He is our strength, our Rock and Redeemer.

When we accept Christ as our Savior, we are no longer the old man living in the flesh but are now the new man living in the Spirit. If you believe that Christ died once and for all for our sins, then why not accept it and be thankful? His love is so strong; there is no way He is going to condemn you for your sins. If you were the only one on Earth, Jesus would have died on the cross for you alone. With that kind of love for you, do you think He would want you to be burdened by a sinful past that you cannot stop bringing to the cross? Think again! 

Did you know that unforgiveness is a sin? When you refuse to forgive yourself, it’s like refusing to accept God’s gift. You don’t have to punish yourself, and you certainly don’t have to drown in the judgment of others. It is only God’s job to judge—His right. If God has chosen to forgive you, then don’t refuse to forgive yourself. Accept the wonderful new life you have through Christ who has transformed you and now dwells within you.

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What does God teach us in Scripture?

Romans 15:13 NIV

Related Scripture

Galatians 2:20-21 • Romans 6:6; 8:9
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.