How Can God Forgive Me?

As human beings, it is difficult to comprehend that God forgives easily and completely those who repent because we can often struggle to forgive others. But God doesn't struggle.

The Israelites would disobey God again and again, but he never broke His promise. If they would return to Him, He would restore them - and He did every time.

In Exodus 34:6-7, the Lord passed in front of Moses, proclaiming,
[6] ...“The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, [7] maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin.”

David writes about God's forgiveness in Psalms 130:3-4,
[3] If you, Lord, kept a record of sins, Lord, who could stand? [4] But with you there is forgiveness, so that we can, with reverence, serve you.

God loves us dearly and freely forgives us. We read in 1 John 1:9,
[9] If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

On top of forgiving us, God also purifies us! Apostle Paul wrote in Titus 2:14 that Jesus Christ gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own!

God gave up his one and only Son to provide a way to cleanse us from sin, redeem us from wickedness and claim us as his children for all eternity.

Christ didn't die for the perfect people. There are no perfect people just as Apostle Paul tells us in Romans 3:23, "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God"

Rather, Christ died for sinners as we read in Romans 5:6-8,

[6] You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. [7] Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. [8] But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Christ died for us because God does not want any to perish because of sin as we read in 2 Peter 3:9, “he is patient with you not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”

So how can God freely forgive those who ask for forgiveness? He can do so because He loves us. He can do so because He knows us. He can do so because His Son died for us. He can do so because we are his beloved children.

Jesus tells us of God's great love for us in Matthew 7:9-11,

[9] “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? [10] Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? [11] If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!

And David writes of God’s love and mercy in Psalms 103:10-13,

[10] He does not punish us for all our sins; he does not deal harshly with us, as we deserve. [11] For his unfailing love toward those who fear him is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth. [12] He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west. [13] The Lord is like a father to his children, tender and compassionate to those who fear him.

One final note about God’s forgiveness: once we have asked God for His forgiveness, we must also forgive ourselves. Our Heavenly Father easily forgives us and wipes away our transgression as far as the east is from the west. When we lay it at His feet, He sweeps it away. God has erased it so we must do the same and release ourselves from any guilt or shame.

So let us come humbly to our Heavenly Father with repentance in our hearts and, with faith, accept His loving forgiveness just as we are taught in Hebrews 10:22-23,

[22] let us go into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water. [23] Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful.
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