WILL GOD FORGIVE ME?
When talking to people about the sin in their life, I am often told, “God will not forgive me for what I have done,” or “I can not forgive myself for what I have done.” Although there are many Scriptures about forgiveness, we will note only a few. “For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses” (Matthew 6:14-15). In I John 1:9 we learn, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
We must understand that God can and will forgive all our sins: the problem is that we will not forgive ourselves. Those who find it difficult to accept the mercy and forgiveness that God extends often feel that, in order to be forgiven and restored into favor and fellowship with God, there is something more they must do to atone for their sin. It must be understood that a lifetime of “good deeds” is not sufficient to deal with the guilt of even one sin against a holy God. The remembrance of sin is like a stain that is difficult to remove from clothing. We wash it, but no amount of human effort that can take that stain away: just enough residue remains to remind us that the stain was there. There is only one solution that can help us deal with the guilt of sin that is in our lives. It can be summed up in the following words of a song with which we are all acquainted:
What can wash away my sin?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
What can make me whole again?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
Nothing can for sin atone,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
Naught of good that I have done,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
It was at Calvary that the blood of Jesus was shed for the sins of every person that has ever lived in the whole world. His blood paid the price to redeem us from the burden of sin. Only the perfect sacrifice of the blood of Jesus could carry that sin away to be remembered by God no more. So there is a question to be answered: if God will not remember our sins, then why do we? We need to follow Peter’s words of wisdom: “Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you” (I Peter 5:7).
It is time to accept the grace and mercy of God in our lives, by accepting that our sins were washed away, and we were forgiven when we were baptized in obedience to God’s word, and as long as we continue to obey, and continue to repent of our daily sins, the blood of Christ will continue to take those sins away, to be remembered no more by God (I John 1:7-9).