One sacrifice is enough

At As I See It Now Debra writes about holding onto guilt. Have you ever asked God for forgiveness and promised to work harder in return? Debra has, and realizes it's a misguided response:

Good grief. I used to do that all the time, never realizing it was a downright insult to God. I mean, here He'd gone and sent His son to die for me, yet I was still, thousands of years later, making my own sacrifices for my own sins. Still paying for the ones I committed most often.

I didn't realize that either Jesus' sacrifice on the cross was enough--or it wasn't. I didn't realize that I'd become proficient at turning conviction from God into ugly, bat-over-the-head condemnation.

Debra's words hit a chord with me. For years I struggled with not feeling forgiven. I often said, "I know God has forgiven me, but I can't forgive myself." Finally, I read something that changed me. The writer basically said, "Who are you to be so arrogant as to hold something against yourself that God has forgiven?" And a light came on. God has forgiven me through Jesus Christ. And that's all that matters.