Am I really forgiven?
Has your mind ever buzzed with negative thoughts like these?
I am not worthy to become a child of God.
My life is messed up and there is no way that God would accept me.
I am doomed to live in shame forever.
Heaven would never welcome a sinner like me.
I need to fix my life up before I can come to God.
These are all lies! You’ve been made new by Christ but there is an accuser that wants to trap you in guilt and condemnation. It’s so important that you understand all that Christ has done to secure total freedom and forgiveness for you. God pardons all of our sin because Jesus took the punishment for all sin when He died on the cross on our behalf. Your forgiveness does not depend on your feelings but rather on what Christ has done.
What is sin—and why is it bad?
Across the pages of scripture, a handful of words are used to describe sin; words like iniquity, transgression, and lawlessness. Simply put, sin is ‘missing the mark,’ falling short of God’s perfect design for His creation. Left unconfessed, sin leads to further rebellion and separation from the Father who loves us. My sin can hurt the people I love, separate me from God, and lead to spiritual death.
“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23).
Some sins are hard to miss; things like adultery, thievery, or violence. But more often than not, our sins are more subtle attitudes of the heart: hateful thoughts, internal lust, pride, or selfishness.
We all struggle with sin.
Every single one of us struggles with sin. Even the Apostle Paul, the man who wrote so much of the New Testament struggled. He said in Romans 7, “I know that nothing good lives in me . . . I want to do what is right, but I can’t.” God knows better than anyone—that we can only experience victory from sin with His help.
Paul goes on to say, “So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death” (Romans 8:1-2).
See God differently. He delights in showing mercy.
Now that you’re a Christian, God does not expect that you will never sin again. All-knowing, yet abounding in mercy, God knows the brokenness of our humanity. But He does not leave us alone in our wretchedness. He lavishes us with mercy and empowers us to live in holiness.
Is your mental image of God that of a cold and distant father, forever disappointed with the mess of your life? From scripture, we know that this is not at all the character of God! Your Heavenly Father actually delights in showing you mercy.
Jesus was tempted in every way and yet He did not sin. He sympathizes with your every weakness (Hebrews 4:15). He wants you to come to Him.
“Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance? You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy” (Micah 7:18).
What should I do when I sin? Come boldly.
God is faithful to FORGIVE you and even FREE you from the power of sin (1 John 1:9)! You do not have to live in the heaviness of guilt and condemnation—Christ has set you free. When you sin, you can confess this to God and be cleansed. God’s Spirit lives in you and makes you sensitive to sins, inviting you to ask for forgiveness. As you confess and turn from your sin, you draw closer to God and experience His tender mercies. In God’s grace, we aim to live a holy life, but if you slip up, do not let that keep you from coming to your Father who loves you. Day by day, you can practice walking in victory in Christ.
“Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need” Hebrews 4:16.
God sees you differently—through the blood of Jesus.
Your identity before God and others is changed because of what Jesus has done for you. When you believed the Gospel, God credited to you freedom from sin and guilt, holiness, along with every other good thing you did not deserve—He does this by grace and through faith.
When you sin, come to God in repentance, but remember, just because you sin, it does not mean that you are no longer a Christian or no longer a child of God. He sees you through the blood of Jesus. Rejoice in your new identity today—your heart is cleansed!
“For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Corinthians 5:21).