How does one forgive oneself?

[Neil D]

Ok, you lied. You felt terrible telling the lie, but you told it. Now you got caught, and you have appologized to the injured party (parties). But this nagging memory will not let you forget the injustice of your wrong...You are plagued with the memory and the voices that condemn you or your actions....

You go back and appologize again to the individuals that you injured...but the memories come back again...along with all the new things that were said....

You screwed up...You know it...You admit it...you are ready to move on and put it in the past....but you just can forget the misery that your little action put everyone thru....

Ok, so it didn't happen exactly like that...but you still know that you messed up...

How do you forgive yourself?

[Pockey]

I try to ask myself, if I'm sorry for the sin, or am I sorry because of the result of the sin (like getting caught, or facing the repercussions of the sin). Then I realize that it's impossible for me to feel sorry for the sin on my own and I ask Him for repentance, and confess my sin to Him. And as 1 John 1:9 promises, if we confess to God, He will forgive and purify us. And knowing He has forgiven me helps me with the guilty feelings. But I have to keep reminding myself that true repentance is impossible on my own, and that repentance is not just feeling sorry for the sin, but a turning away from it.

[Guest]

you let it go... we often have been taught to wallow in guilt a certain length of time and then we will "feel" forgiven... if we believe that he has forgiven us, then we have no need to nor any right to continue beating ourselves up over what we have done.... so after we have asked for forgiveness we remind ourselves as long as we need to that He has forgiven us, that he does not expect us to wallow, so we can let it go.....

[Dr. Shane]

I discussed this in "What Seventh-day Adventists Believe"

Forgiving Yourself