Just a Thought: He's Here. You're Forgiven

I’ve been thinking a lot about forgiveness recently. I’ve misunderstood it for a long time; for the sake of being “humble,” I’ve often attempted to just let offenses pass by. If I ignore it, it just goes away, right? What was an attempt at strength in the face of adversity, to count others as more important than myself, was actually a subconscious message to myself saying, “I have less value or dignity than those around me.” This way of life builds tension in your spirit and adds weight to your shoulders; in the long run, it creates a kind of prison. What isn’t brought up and worked through to forgiveness (which can be a personal or communal process), will simply make its way into your emotions, thoughts, and actions—and it’ll do so quietly.

This extends to the way we treat ourselves too. Many of us still live trapped in shame because of our own shortcomings. It can be very difficult to live freely or to “forgive yourself” when you’re constantly conscious of everything you’re doing wrong; this isn’t an encouragement to minimize sin, rather to call us into agreement with how God views us. My note on Hebrews (“Christ is Better”—shameless plug) reveals the truth that we’re under a new covenant in Christ, through which the wage of our sin has been paid by His blood. Those of us who tend to be our own worst critics likely aren’t grasping the absolute authority and finality of that sacrifice as often as we ought to. We drift into perfectionism and self-loathing, forgetting that the God of the universe has already done the work to wash us clean, if only we’d walk in that.

“What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? We were buried therefore with Him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.” (Romans 6:1-4)

Just as forgiving others isn’t a sign of weakness, instead a sign of strength, accepting Christ’s forgiveness and living “freely” isn’t a sign of ignorance or arrogance. It’s acceptance of and reverence for a God whose love knows no bounds. Instead of clinging to our sin as though it still defines us, we ought to be clinging to Christ—constantly. As you prepare to celebrate the birth of Christ, with Christmas around the corner, I’d encourage you to remember what that birth eventually leads to.

You’re forgiven.

Be blessed.