Scripture never tells you to forgive yourself.

I'm not sure why I never realized that. I found myself telling someone that they had to forgive themselves and move on and then a week later heard this quote on a Beth Moore video. Scripture tells us that God has forgiven us through the blood of Jesus Christ; that we are to forgive as we have been forgiven; but never forgive yourself.

Ephesians 4:32 says;
Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. (ESV)

Beth Moore gave the Greek word for 'forgiving' in this verse and I went home to look it up myself. The word is charizomai, which is a word related to charis meaning grace. I liked how she re-worded the verse to say; Grace others as you've been graced. It really hit home for me.

I've walked in sins that seem larger than others, more public I suppose. The sins that plague me the most, however, are those that you have to step into my inner world to see. I've been forgiven for all of them. I've been given much grace; and yet I seem to lack the ability to give it as freely as I should. This to me is just another seduction of sin; to be judgemental without grace.

So, in accepting your forgiveness from Jesus and applying it to others, that covers our need to forgive ourselves. Scripture says that God forgives and forgets (Jeremiah 31:34, Psalm 103:12, Hebrews 8:12 etc.). We can't forget. We have to reframe it and allow God to take our horrible experience or our evil deeds and cleanse them in mercy. That way, we can use what we know to remember God's grace, His love, His faithfulness - and then in turn help others who have fallen in the same way. The legacy of your mistakes is grace. God's glory is seen in how he took your mess and made it beautiful.

2Peter 3:18 says;
But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen. (ESV)

All glory to my King, my savoir, my God, my friend and my deliverer.