Can I Be Forgiven?
Yes. God, through his son, Jesus Christ, is faithful to forgive us of our sins. This is the central idea and, perhaps, the most radical difference between Christianity and any other world religion. In nearly every other religion, the central tenant of their faith is yes, we have sinned, and the only way to get out from under the punishment for that sin is to do something to make it better. Christianity says that, on the contrary, we’ve sinned against an eternal God which requires eternal punishment. We, under our own power, could never do enough to be forgiven.
OK, but do I really need forgiveness?
Of course, we all know we’ve sinned. And we know in our heart of hearts sin deserves punishment. People have to pay for the bad things they’ve done. We’ve all done something for which we need forgiveness. Without diving too deep, according to the Bible (and to our honest self-assessment) sin can be something we did, something we said, or even something we thought.
1 John 1:8 says, “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.”
Yeah, but how do I know He will forgive us?
The sentence just before the above quoted scripture, 1 John 1:7b says, “…the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.” Then, the sentence after the first quote, 1 John 1:9 reads, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” We know God will forgive us, and we see the framework in which He does through the scripture: belief in the Son and confession of sin.
So, how does forgiveness work?
God sent his son, Jesus, to live a perfect life on this earth. He deserved no punishment upon his death. But what God did was what Christians call the gospel, or good news. John 3:16: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” Here’s what happened. God transferred the sin of all those who believe in Christ onto Christ. He suffered and died physically, but more than that he suffered cosmically for our sin. He who had never not known fellowship from God was ripped away from God. In turn, God transferred Jesus’s perfection on to us. We who are so separated from God through our sin are instantly and eternally brought into union with Him. It’s how God could remain just and punish the sin of the world, and maintain his mercy for those who would believe on his son.
What Does forgiveness mean?
Forgiveness does not mean the freedom to sin more that more mercy may abound. No, forgiveness is the promise of progressive and eternal freedom from sin. Once we believe in Christ and confess our sins, the work of sanctification begins. It’s important to understand that being saved requires no work on our part. But sanctification is working with God to be more like Jesus. That happens in full when we die.
So, can I be forgiven? Yes! Praise God!
Do you need to understand all this better? Do you need to figure out who God is and who you are in His sight? Feel free to reach out to the pastoral staff here at Forestgate. Or come to church and check it out in person. We’d love to have you!