Experiencing God’s forgiveness comes through confession and repentance.
For I recognize my shameful deeds—they haunt me day and night. (Psalm 51:3)
This psalm was David’s written confession to God after a particularly sinful episode in his life. David was truly sorry for his adultery with Bathsheba and for murdering her husband to cover it up. He knew that his actions had hurt many people. But because David repented of those sins, God mercifully forgave him. No sin is too great to be forgiven! Do you feel that you could never come close to God because you have done something terrible? God can and will forgive you of any sin. While God forgives us, however, he does not always erase the natural consequences of our sin—David’s life and family were never the same as a result of what he had done (see 2 Samuel 12:1-23).
God consistently forgives us each time we ask in repentance.
If we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from every wrong. (1 John 1:9)
Confession is supposed to free us to enjoy fellowship with Christ. It should ease our consciences and remove our guilt. But some believers do not understand how it works. They feel so guilty that they confess the same sins over and over; then they wonder if they might have forgotten something. Others believe that God forgives them when they confess, but if they died with unconfessed sins, they would be forever lost. These believers do not understand that God wants to forgive us. He allowed his beloved Son to die just so he could pardon us. When we come to Christ, he forgives all the sins we have committed or will ever commit. We don’t need to confess the sins of the past all over again, and we don’t need to fear that God will reject us if we don’t keep our slate perfectly clean. Of course we should continue to confess our sins, but not because failure to do so will make us lose our salvation. Our relationship with Christ is secure. Instead, we should confess our sins so that we can enjoy peace and fellowship with Christ.
May you receive the gift of God’s forgiveness.
Darrell
Upwards Church 