An older woman who was in love with Jesus confessed something to me that she had been trying to forgive herself for over many decades. She wept as she told me how as a young adult, she had helped a boyfriend sink the body of a man who he had murdered. I was weeping with her. Suddenly I found myself saying in a bold, firm voice, something like: “You’re forgiven! The blood of Jesus has washed you clean.” I repeated it several times. Her mouth fell open and in a moment of revelation her tears changed from great remorse to great relief. The great sin that she couldn’t forgive herself for was washed away by faith in the blood and finished work of Jesus.

Too many people are using self-effort trying to forgive themselves and failing over and over again, when all they need is to accept, receive, and truly rely on Christ’s forgiveness. If you have confessed any sin with sincere remorse and repentance, I say unto you: “You are forgiven! The blood of Jesus has washed you clean!”

Your being loved and forgiven can’t be based on your feelings and self-effort. Self-love and self-forgiveness are built on the shaky foundation self, not on the solid rock of the risen Jesus. Don’t focus on whether you feel forgiven and loved. Focus on the fact that you are forgiven and loved!

Still having trouble forgiving and/or loving yourself? Apostle Paul’s statement, “I consider my life worth nothing to me,” sounds like he wasn’t good at it either. However, awe-fully basking in God’s love and forgiveness for you is so fulfilling that it will relieve any need you feel to love and forgive yourself.

Self-love and self-forgiveness are like trying to use your own power and effort to remove a logjam one log at a time. However, it’s much more effective to open wide the floodgates of your heart and let God’s love and forgiveness come roaring in and wash your logjam away in an instant.