One of my favorite parts of the Bible is Philippians chapter 2. It's a reminder to be unselfish (vss. 1-4) and humble (vss. 5-8). It's a reminder to think of others-- not only myself. BUT....
Philippians 2
also reminds me that I should respect myself as well. (Within reason ofcouse. "For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you." ~Romans 12:3). There is a balance to be found.
Philippians 2:1-41 If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2 then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. 4 Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.
Verse 2 says that we should have the "SAME" love and be "ONE" in spirit and purpose. Verse 4 doesn't say that we should
not look out for our own interests. It merely says that we should not look
only to our own interests. If we do not forgive ourselves, then we are ignoring those interests. If we're working together (having the "same" love and being "one" in spirit), then we should forgive others and ourselves in much the same manner.
In
Romans 12:1, Paul says:
Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship.
This verse is saying that you are to make yourselves
holy and pleasing unto God. How can I do this without forgiving myself?
Ephesians 4:22-24 says that we not the same. Paul talks here about righteousness and holiness. (Again, I think this means that we need to forgive ourselves).
22 You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; 23 to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.
Later in
Romans 12, (verse 18), Paul says:
If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.
Couldn't that again be applied to oneself. How can you live at peace with yourself without forgiveness?
In Philippians 3:10-14 Paul talks about forgetting what is behind him and pressing on toward what is ahead. (What is in the past is gone-- and Paul had a horrendous past). (See verse 13).
10 I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead. 12 Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13 Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
I read a post on this forum recently about forgiveness. An analogy was made that I found very helpful. If you have a child and the child does something to offend you, you will be hurt by this but you will be more than willing to forgive the child because you love him or her. The child might think that what was done was absolutely unforgivable because it hurt you so badly. This shows that the child has a conscience. It shows sorrow on their part. It doesn't mean, though, that they're out of your graces.
I think that the Bible states that we are required to forgive ourselves, but I know that I live a much happier life when I'm at peace with myself. I hope that you are able to work it out.
~Sandy
So if the Lord Himself has forgiven us, who are we to dwell on our past transgressions?
