12-Steps (or less!) to ForgivenessMatthew 26:36 - 46

• Forgiveness is a process I chose to begin to stop punishing someone (including myself) for something they have done or said that has hurt me or someone else that I care about.

1. To forgive myself, I must take God at His word rather than trust my feelings. Our feelings are the fruit of what our minds are believing.– 2 Samuel 12:13– Psalms 51:4– Psalms 51:1-2

2. Forgiveness is an act of obedience to God, first. I forgive myself because God has forgiven me. I receive the gift of forgiveness by believing what God says He has done in Christ to offer it to me.– 1 Peter 2:24– Colossians 2:13-14

3. We must accept, admit, and recognize the injuries inflicted upon ourselves and others by our sins.– David Stoop, Forgiving Our Parents, Forgiving

Ourselves.

• We must be honest with ourselves if we are going to face ourselves, squarely. – Feel bad? Yes. Grief has that characteristic.

• The old self must be crucified with Christ:– Galatians 2:20– Romans 8:12-14

4. We must take personal responsibility for the sins we have committed.

• Take responsibility – continued:1. Let the past be the past. Philippians 3:13-142. Stop the personal condemnation. 2 Cor 5:173. Replace the messages of condemnation with

what God believes about us.– 51:6, 7, 8, 10, 12– 2 Corinthians 5:17 – Ps 51:13

5. Limit the consequences of my past actions on everyone even if it means that I must sacrifice in the process.– 2 Corinthians 5:14-15

6. Respond to the current consequences of our past actions by staying in the will of God rather than falling back into the old self.