QUESTION: WILL GOD REALLY FORGIVE ALL MY SINS?

 

QUESTION: WILL GOD REALLY FORGIVE ALL MY SINS?

As I said in our previous question, A typical answer from a theologian, a trained pastor or Bible teacher might sound like,

”Yes. According to the Bible, God truly will forgive your sins if you come to Him in repentance and faith in Jesus Christ. This is one of the central promises of the Christian gospel”.

Here are some of the clearest passages:

• 1 John 1:9 – “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
• Isaiah 1:18 – “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow.”
• Psalm 103:12 – “As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.”
• Micah 7:18–19 – God “delights in steadfast love. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea.”
• Romans 8:1 – “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”

Let’s begin by asking “what is sin”? Is it cussing, being “mean”, drinking too much alcohol, murder, stealing, committing adultery? All of these things mentioned are the result of sin – an indication that you have sinned or that you are living in sin.

Sin, is like ‘evil’ (from our previous Question) in the sense that sin is the definition we give to the “bad things” that we do.

Sin, however, from the Greek word “hamartia”, literally means “to miss the mark”. (An image of “missing the mark” was reflected in old England when archers would compete. If they completely missed the target the judge would shout “sin”, indicating that the archer had completely missed the mark or the target.)

Sin is literally missing the mark or the target of all that God has intended for you had you called upon His Name and  would have become one of His children – His son or daughter. Sin means you would miss out on an eternal life with God in the kingdom of heaven, and you would have missed out becoming a joint-heir with Christ Jesus.

Sin will cause you to miss out on God’s grace, His forgiveness and His greatest gift of salvation. You would miss out being made safe and whole, mentally, physically, psychologically and spiritually healthy. You would miss out on receiving an eternal purpose, both now and forever. This affects every aspect of your life. Receiving God’s gift of forgiveness of sin will provide you the strength to endure and overcome; He will sustain you, hold you up, care and provide for you, and you will overcome difficulties.

On the other hand, missing the Mark is missing out on His gift of God’s grace, forgiveness, salvation, and being made safe and whole, mentally, psychologically and spiritually healthy and given an eternal purpose, both now and forever.

Put simply, sin is missing the mark of God and the result of sin is anything that is outside, contrary to and against (in rebellion to) the Word and Will of God, and the Bible says the penalty of sin is death. The effects of sin on an unsaved and unrepentant person’s life is Spiritual death and eternal separation from God.

So let’s ask, Will God forgive all my sins?

The Bible consistently answers yes.

Jesus said in Mark 3:28:

“Truly I say to you, all sins shall be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they utter.”

This is an astonishing statement. Murderers, adulterers, thieves, liars, persecutors of Christians—all are represented in Scripture as people whom God forgave.

Some examples include:

King David, after adultery and arranging the death of Uriah.

The Apostle Paul, who persecuted Christians before becoming Christ’s apostle.

Peter, who denied Jesus three times but was restored.

Why can God forgive you and still be a just God?

The Bible teaches that forgiveness is possible because Jesus bore the penalty for sin on the cross.

• Isaiah 53:5–6 foretells that the Messiah would bear our iniquities.
• 2 Corinthians 5:21 says, “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”
• Ephesians 1:7 says, “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses.”

God does not ignore sin; He deals with it through Christ’s sacrifice.

What if I keep struggling with sin?

The Apostle Paul struggled with ongoing sin. He discovered that the effects or results of sin (missing the mark of God) are behaviors that are anything that is outside, contrary to and against (in rebellion to) the Word and Will of God, Paul lamented “I do the things I do not want to do, and I do not the things I want to do. Wretched man that I am.” Paul discovered that there are residual results of sin (missing the mark of God) in the human “flesh”, that is lingering in the mind and psyche. This is the struggle that God allows for our transformation from being a sinner to being made righteous and holy in practice. He also discovered that once becoming a repentant and saved Christian “that there is now no (longer any) condemnation (at all, from God for sinful behaviors) for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh (deliberately desiring to do sinful acts) but according to the Spirit (desiring to please God by doing what is right in God’s Eyes). For those who are in accord with the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh (sinful behaviors), but those who are in accord with the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For the mind set on the flesh (and willful sinful behaviors) is death, but the mind set on the Spirit (desiring to please God and to do right) is life and peace

Christians continue to battle sin. The difference is not that believers become perfect overnight, but that they belong to Christ and are being transformed by Him.

Repentance means turning toward God—not claiming to have achieved sinless perfection. When believers fail, they are called to confess their sins and continue walking with Him.

If you’re asking or wondering whether God could forgive you, the Bible’s answer is that no sin is too great for God’s mercy if you come to Him through Christ.

Jesus said:

“The one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out.” (John 6:37)

And Paul wrote:

“Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.” (1 Timothy 1:15)

Notice that Paul said this after recalling his own past as a persecutor of Christians. His life became an example that God’s grace is greater than even the darkest past.

Now, with all of that said, how does this affect me now and after death, and what can I do about it? If you have confessed your sins to God, trusted in Christ, and turned to Him, your confidence should rest not in the strength of your repentance, but in the faithfulness of God’s promise. Forgiveness depends on His character, not on whether you feel forgiven.

You don’t need to miss out on anything that God has for you and for your life. Just turn to Him.

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

Previous Question: DOES GOD ALLOW EVIL AND SUFFERING?

(Additional Reading: REPENT, FOR THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS NOW AT HAND.)