No bondage to sin

My blogging buddy Brad at Broken Messenger wrote with strong condemnation of wishy washiness among Christians who put forgiveness on themselves and not Christ.

While I was reading, I found myself agreeing while seeing a balancing opinion to his comments. This happens often. I agree with Brad, but see the other side of the same coin.

Brad writes:

This invasion of doctrine concerning self-forgiveness, that comes in more flavors than a Baskin & Robbins, has been growing over the last century and is now taking its toll. It is the perfect example of the marriage between narcissism and faith. How am I feeling? How am I doing? Is this faith in Jesus really taking hold within me? Do I have the strength to obey? The mantra is I, I, I, not Christ, Christ, Christ, and it's nothing less than a cover for self-exultation. Worse, we are asking advice from the very thing that is central to the problem at hand.

Indeed, forgiveness does not belong to us, but I believe "forgiving yourself" began as a short-hand for pursuing God for restoration, but it has become a diversion from the fundamental tenets of the Gospel.

We do not forgive ourselves, but God certainly intends to restore us with confidence. There is no greater example of this than Peter, who denied he knew Christ three times. By a strict examination of the Law, this is an unforgivable sin. It handicapped Peter, and his self-loathing kept him from the redeemed Christ until Christ restored him with a vote of confidence. Peter's restoration was critical to building the Church.

Charles Spurgeon once spoke powerfully of the look Christ gave Peter from the cross. Spurgeon noted this both pierced Peter's heart while "opening up a spring" in it.

And now, to conclude, it made Peter as long as he lived, ashamed to be ashamed. Peter was never ashamed after this. Who was it that stood up at Pentecost and preached? Was it not Peter? Was he not always foremost in testifying to his Lord and Master? I trust that if any of us have been falling back, and especially if we have wandered into sin, we may get such a restoration from the Lord himself, that we may become better Christians ever afterwards. I do not want you to break a bone, I pray God you never may; but if you ever do, may the heavenly Surgeon so set it that it may become thicker and stronger than before. Courage was the bone in Peter which snapped; but when it was set, it became the strongest bone in his nature, and never broke again. When the Lord sets the bones of his people, they never break any more —he does his work so effectually. The man who has erred by anger becomes meek and gentle. The man who has erred by drink quits the deadly cup, and loathes it. The man who has sinned by shame becomes the bravest of the company.

I know many in the Church who live with the weight of their sins and they maintain that burden as a way of spiritual flagellation. It's a notion not unlike we find in Catholicism, where there is a penance to pay for God's forgiveness, as if it is earned. This philosophy is so Satanic, I have no qualms in calling it a lie from hell.

While we must seek Christ for forgiveness, we must also seek Christ for healing and restoration. As Brad points out, we have no authority over our sin, and to attempt to redeem ourselves is to ignore our own sinful heart. It's not only pointless and powerless, it heals nothing and restores nothing. But in Christ, we have that "heavenly Surgeon" who restores with awesome power to erase all power of brokenness.

I think Brad was speaking to those who think we are awarded freedom from the Law. I want to remind Christians we have freedom within the Law, and Christ's perfect good work for all time is both a redemption from the consequences of violating the Law and a restoration of the Law within us. That means when He forgives us, we are returned to good standing, like a felony that has been wiped from the records.

I remember my sin, and I know the enemy, who serves as our eternal prosecuting attorney, has kept long records on my sin for the day of judgment. And during that proceeding he will bring up each and every sin, and Christ will say, "No, my blood covers that. His slate is clean."

While the Word instructs to be suspect of my heart, I know I can live with confidence in Christ that I can move forward in Him, that I cannot let past transgressions keep me from seeking Him, serving His kingdom, or allowing them to keep me ashamed and living as if I am condemned.