Forgiven

Psalms 32:1

¹Blessed is the one
whose transgressions are forgiven,
whose sins are covered.

How important is it for you to be forgiven for something you know you have done wrong? There is a thing that can kill a person other than using weapons, diseases, and external forces and that is guilt! Guilt has been known to cause suicides.

Why would a pure emotion have the ability to drive a person to take their own life? After all, can’t we just shake the feeling until it goes away? Guilt has been tied not just to suicide, but to murder, insanity, depression, overeating, divorce, homelessness, addiction, and many more disorders.

Why does guilt have such a strong impact on our lives? Are you experiencing guilt? How long have you been carrying this with you? Has it had any impact on your life, physically, emotionally or relationally? Guilt left unchecked will grow exponentially. Ask any addict after each time they pick up a drink or drug or watch pornography when they told themselves that morning, they would never do this again. Each time they fail, guilt increases and in order to medicate the pain, they must increase the quantity of the very thing they are addicted to. Unfortunately, this formula never works for them. It only works when they put a stop to doing what they are doing altogether. They will have to fight off many demons to do this, the very first one is guilt and the ability to admit they are powerless to stop on their own.

Blessed are those who are forgiven!

Have you ever been forgiven and afterward felt blessed, grateful, relieved, and freed at last? Once forgiven, you can then move forward and begin living your life again. Now hope, compassion, and joy reenter your life. Something happens to your heart that transforms your mind, body, and your soul.

Blessed are those who are forgiven!

Forgiveness is something that is given but only is benefited from when it is received.

It is something that must be asked for. Forgiveness impacts both the one giving it and the one receiving it independently and mutually inclusive. Yet the person doing the forgiving is not relieving guilt, but rather letting go of anger, resentment, and their need to be right. They, of course, receive their blessing by doing so. But to be forgiven, a person must accept it.

I can say I forgive so and so and sincerely be free yet, the other person can choose not to accept it and be left with all the trappings that have haunted them. Do we need God’s forgiveness? If each person would forgive one another, wouldn’t this wipe out any further need for forgiveness? Won’t we be at peace?

When we sin, it results in guilt and the need for forgiveness, the sin was not just against the other person, it was against God. When we sin, we choose to turn away from God. Like the drug the addict takes is not the issue, but rather it’s the manifestation of the negative emotion that is causing them to take the drug. The drug itself, if not consumed, has no power. The actual sin we perform is not the issue. It’s the matter of the heart that caused us to sin – that’s where the problem lies. This is where we choose to turn away from God.

Yes, we can feel free from accepting forgiveness from another person, yet still be at unrest until we reconcile with God. The power of God’s forgiveness is much greater than man’s.

Let’s say you ask for forgiveness from the other person and they choose not to give it. Where does that leave you? How do you ever get freed from the guilt you feel?

When you receive God’s forgiveness, it can free you regardless if the other person does or not. (Note that God will nudge you to seek forgiveness from the other person by admitting your wrongdoing, but He does not make you responsible for their response.)

Blessed are those who are forgiven!

I ask you to consider what carrying guilt has cost you in your life! If you are honest with yourself, you can quantify it. Add up the sleepless hours, trips to the therapists, the broken relationships, money spent medicating, loss of health, and missed opportunities to enjoy life. If you are truly honest with yourself, you will feel a sense of envy and longing when you read the verse.