Do you want the good news or the bad news first? Ok, let’s start with the bad—You CANNOT solve the problem of sin in your life. Bummer eh? Ok, now the good news—God already solved the problem of sin! WooHoo! Wait a minute, so how do we make that reality work positively in our lives?
Well, first understand that ‘Forgiveness is God’s solution to a problem He calls sin.’ That’s right, whether someone sinned against you or God or you sinned against God and someone else. Historically, we learn from the bible that God’s solution to the sin (all the past, current, and future sin) is forgiveness. Specifically, that’s why He sent His son Jesus as a sacrifice for YOUR and MY sins.
So, when sin enters your life you have two and only two very clear options: 1) You enter into a forgiveness God already made happen through Jesus on the Cross. This leads to healing, restoration of soul, mind, body, and relationships 2) You implement forgiveness substitutes known as ‘Coping Mechanisms’. The problem with Coping Mechanisms is that they don’t lead to healing, but instead; a destructive cycle of damage and pain. Let’s take a deeper look:
>>Coping Mechanisms are always substitutes for practicing forgiveness.
>>Coping Mechanisms naturally lead to more sin.
God wants to set us free from the cycle of sin and of death and practicing all aspects of forgiveness is how God breaks the cycle
God wants you to replace your forgiveness substitutes/coping mechanisms with real forgiveness so that He can heal you. Becoming familiar with your personal substitutes for forgiveness will help you to realize when you are doing them, and in turn, give you the opportunity to resist them and practice forgiveness instead.
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