I know Christ has forgiven me but shouldn't I still hate "myself"?

I don't think it's healthy or right to hate oneself or another because of their sins.

Hate the sin, love the sinner. That's not a call to vanity by any means, but as with most wrongdoing in life, the action itself is seldom as important as the reaction to it. You need only repent, as we all do, when we trespass against His commandments. What you seek, I believe, can only be found in prayer and repentance.

Give yourself a break. You aren't justifying sins; you're consumed by them. Lean on your Heavenly Father in prayer.

wmc1982 said:

I don't want to look at self help stuff just to feel better. I have disabilities and used alcohol to escape and try and have control and I just got out of control for years.

See I can't just blame everything on disabilities. And I really hate myself; and I'm not sure if that's a bad thing or not.

The Bible talks about denying "self" or the "flesh" and I hate that for sure. I guess what I'm asking is what attitude should I have towards my soul and mind?

It's easier to accept forgiveness for things done before salvation; it's the sins I've done after salvation that plague my mind.

I know the main answer is to trust God and hold on to Him with everything I have and stay in the Word and prayer and to love Him and others.

There's this lingering hatred though and I have the feeling I'm wrong. It was worse; I used to do a lot of self injury. I've really hated myself more than absolutely anything and anyone for a long time. I only want to want what God wants and to feel how God wants me to feel. But depression comes and I dwell in it and I know that's not right.

I'm really tired.

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Mate, I feel for you, been there but don't you think that you should start agreeing with our Lord who has shown that loves you more than life itself by laying Himself down for you?
Just a couple of thoughts that come to mind: I to have battled and continue to battle against a rebellious flesh, and my battles aren't always very pretty, fought well or even victorious, but you should know that He's on your side both before and after the battle and offers us rest in His grace even in the middle of the battle. He is loyal to you, I don't know if you've ever had a friend that is on your side and fights for even when you've clearly cocked up and are in the wrong, but that is the friend we have in our Lord, I can vouch for that.
If you keep your focus on Christ Jesus, His Love for you, His grace for the failings of the flesh, the rest that He offers you because of what He has done, if you place your mind on these things instead of on the flesh then you will walk according to His Spirit and in His time.
What Paul wrote in Romans 7:7-24 is probably where you're at at the moment, why not try out what he writes in Romans 7: 25 - 8: 17 ?
It turns out that living life under the influence of His spirit is not self help at all. What it becomes is Help, Love, Grace and Hope for the others He puts in front of us, our neighbor. We are always looking out from ourselves through His eyes and the flesh just hasn't got an answer to that.
But even more important is to keep looking to Him in everything.

The Lord gives you His gift and holds you close, puts a hedge around you,
The Lord looks at you with a smile on His face and tells you that you are His,
The Lord looks at you and all you are and is going to make everything alright.

Shalom shabat brother.

wmc1982 said:

The Bible talks about denying "self" or the "flesh" and I hate that for sure. I guess what I'm asking is what attitude should I have towards my soul and mind?

It's easier to accept forgiveness for things done before salvation; it's the sins I've done after salvation that plague my mind.
...
I only want to want what God wants and to feel how God wants me to feel. But depression comes and I dwell in it and I know that's not right.

I'm really tired.

Click to expand...

All your sins were future when Christ went to the Cross, and indeed, when God decided to go ahead with Creation even before anything was made. The Lord knows our frame. There is nothing hidden from Him. He knows how weak we are. He knows how the world, flesh and devil can get to us and keep us in error and cause us to slip. He knew all that, and still went ahead with His Creation/Salvation plan.

God is love. He hates anything that is counter to His nature and His intentions for us - that is, He hates sin. But this fallen world and its sin is a small wrinkle in time that will be resolved, and then there will be only bliss. The old things will have passed away; all things will be new.

God wants us to have that mindset right now, ahead of time. Even as we walk though this dark earth, the new heavenly nature is who we really are. Life is difficult and we have our ups and downs, but our nature doesn't change.

You are commanded to love others as you love yourself. How can you, if you don't love yourself? Not with a narcissistic, self-absorbed love, but with a godly love that is a reflection of His for you. It's a love that says, I messed up today, but thank you Lord for not counting my sins against me; for continually giving me grace to start over. I want to do better and I am trusting you to help me.

Paul asks the Galatians, having begun in the spirit, will you be completed in the flesh? We don't want to sin, but if we become sin conscious (and the book of Hebrews says we shouldn't), then the weight of our salvation falls back on us. That is a weight we cannot bear. Why did Jesus go to the cross if it all falls back on us? That makes no sense. His works are completed. The Foundation is laid. Come to Him and rest (Mt 11), and renew your strength in Him. This is the new covenant of grace, not works; of love, not law. You no longer have to dwell in the old condemnation. He came to give you abundant life in the spirit.

Shouldn't you still hate yourself? Is that the question? No. You should not hate yourself. You are a human being, created in the image of God. Yes, that means also that you were born with freewill and that means sin. But in Christ, you are a new creation! So not only are you created in his image, but you were made a new creation through the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus. If you hate yourself, you are insulting God's work. Do you think God should have done a better job on you? Why isn't his work good enough for you? Do you see where I'm going with this? Hating yourself (or not forgiving yourself, etc) are matters of pride = false humility. Now the real question is, are you going to continue insulting God's work, your body and being - the temple he created to house his very Spirit? Or will you put on Christ, and humbly acknowledge that he knows what's best, and his grace is sufficient for you. After all, it is in your sin that grace can shine - although that is no excuse to continue to sin. But working all these things out is a process - the working out of your salvation.

wmc1982, hope you've gotten some rest. You're right "I know the main answer is to trust God and hold on to Him with everything I have and stay in the Word and prayer and to love Him and others."

"...it's the sins I've done after salvation that plague my mind."
Just as Yeshua forgave you of your prior sins, He forgives us of our sins since salvation when we confess them (Matt 6:12). Not only does He forgive us, He forgets about them (I John 1:9 and Rom 10:9-10) Since He knows everything, it means He doesn't hold them against us (Rom 4:8). Then why should we? Because of our flesh. Sometimes we think we're being humble and/or feel our sins are too great, awful, etc. Yes, He definitely hates our sin but we need to look at our sins compared to His sacrifice, resurrection.

I Know you agree that our lives change when we put our focus on Yahweh including what He says about who you really are such as:
-Yahweh loves you with an everlasting love (John 3:16-17)
-"But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered." Luke 12:7 (which are constantly changing)
-Yeshua said - "I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me." ---- has loved them, as thou hast loved me. Wow!

Based on this John 17:23 Scripture, Patricia King = "We all know that the Father loves His son. You know, He loves Jesus so perfectly. As the Lord loves Him - that's how much He loves you. You might think He can't because I can't be perfect like Jesus. God doesn't love Jesus because He's perfect, He loves Jesus because Jesus is His son and that's why God loves Jesus. He loves you the same way. He loves you the same way He loves Jesus because you are His child. The Father Himself loves you"

wmc1982 said:

The Bible talks about denying "self" or the "flesh" and I hate that for sure. I guess what I'm asking is what attitude should I have towards my soul and mind?

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Do not fall into the English language trap of thinking the "sinful flesh" in the bible is talking about the physical body. IT is talking about the fallen nature of mankind. (something you would probably place more in the soul/mind category)

wmc1982 said:

I don't want to look at self help stuff just to feel better. I have disabilities and used alcohol to escape and try and have control and I just got out of control for years.

See I can't just blame everything on disabilities. And I really hate myself; and I'm not sure if that's a bad thing or not.

The Bible talks about denying "self" or the "flesh" and I hate that for sure. I guess what I'm asking is what attitude should I have towards my soul and mind?

It's easier to accept forgiveness for things done before salvation; it's the sins I've done after salvation that plague my mind.

I know the main answer is to trust God and hold on to Him with everything I have and stay in the Word and prayer and to love Him and others.

There's this lingering hatred though and I have the feeling I'm wrong. It was worse; I used to do a lot of self injury. I've really hated myself more than absolutely anything and anyone for a long time. I only want to want what God wants and to feel how God wants me to feel. But depression comes and I dwell in it and I know that's not right.

I'm really tired.

Click to expand...

Paul exhorted us to think on good things, not bad. Focus on Jesus, not yourself. He can put you right. Also, he doesn't hold your sins against you if you believe in Him. He's always washing them away - his blood covers it all.

Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

can you talk to your dr about the drink can you go into rehab ?
i know that drinking can make you escape what is going on for but it can kill you
your liver can only take so much abuse ... you are abusing your body by drinking
I had problems with drink but i got help please seek help