We’ll all need God’s forgiveness at some point. We’re human, so we all make mistakes. We can see that throughout the Bible. Samson failed by getting too close to the wrong woman (have a read of Judges 16). Jonah failed by trying to run from the assignment God gave him (take a look at Jonah 1:3). Peter failed when he denied Jesus (you can find that in Matthew 26:34). Yet God forgave them all and used each of them for His glory. He can do that for us too. We can be tempted to write ourselves off when we’ve messed up. But God can still use us. His forgiveness wipes the slate clean, and we can have a fresh start. The Bible says, ‘If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.’ The trouble is, our feelings often take a while to catch up. Our emotions can range from shame to guilt to self-pity. And if we follow how we feel, rather than the truth that we’re forgiven by God, we can get caught in a trap. We won’t move forward, or get back onto God’s path for us. When we feel like that, we need to repeat the truth that our sins are forgiven and paid for. God says: ‘I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more’ (Isaiah 43:25 NIV). Jesus took all our sin and shame away when He died for us. Before Jesus died, people had to pay for their sins by making a sacrifice. Jesus’ death was the ultimate sacrifice, and now we can directly approach God when we’ve done something wrong and He promises to forgive us.

What Now?

Listen to ‘Forgiven’ by Crowder. As you’re listening, thank God for His forgiveness and grace towards you.