Does God Really Forgive Our Sins? And if He does then why do we keep taking them back?

So a few weeks back, I was having a sweet chat with a dear friend and she said to me, “Do you believe that God really forgives our sins?” Without hesitation, I said yes I do.

She went on to tell me that sometimes she feels like no matter how many times she asks forgiveness, she feels like He doesn’t hear her. She doesn’t feel forgiven; thoughts of that particular sin seem to plague her.

There are dozens of Scriptures that talk about repentance and God’s forgiveness in the Bible, here are just a few that I shared with my dear friend.

I like this version in the Amplified Bible verse 1 John 1:9 – Tells us that “If we [freely] admit that we have sinned and confess our sins, He is faithful and just [true to His own nature and promises], and will forgive our sins and cleanse us continually from all unrighteousness [our wrongdoing, everything not in conformity with His will and purpose].”

Isaiah 43:25 – “I, I am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake, and I will not remember your sins.”

Psalm 103:11-12 – “For his unfailing love toward those who fear him is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth. He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west”

Micah 7:19 – “He will again have compassion on us; he will tread our iniquities underfoot. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea”

Hebrews 8:12 – “For I will be merciful toward their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more.”

 The question might now become, if through these scriptures and dozens more, God says that He forgives our sins, He remembers our sins no more and casts them into the sea of forgetfulness, why do we feel that we aren’t forgiven?

Let’s start with this truth. God cannot lie. If He says in His Word that He will forgive your sins, then He has. Period. There is nothing more. You repent and ask forgiveness and He forgives.

So if after you have prayerfully confessed, repented and asked forgiveness and you don’t feel as though He has heard you, then perhaps we must ask some questions as to why.

This comes from a great article on CBN.com – ““Without faith it is impossible to please God.” Therefore, we can go through the emotion of asking God for forgiveness of sin, but it is in our belief and faith in the power of the blood of Christ that cleanses us from all unrighteousness.”

We must, without question, believe in the atoning work of Jesus Christ on the Cross of Calvary where His shed blood covers our sins. He became the sacrifice for our sins. We must to believe that through that work we have been truly set free from the strangle-hold of sin, death and shame once and for all, making it null and void for all eternity.

The Word of God says that our transgressions have been forgiven and forgotten and that God has removed them from our lives as far as the East is from the West to be remembered no longer.

Jesus our Savior paid the highest price – crucifixion and death on the Cross – to redeem us from the sins of the flesh and darkness of the Devil and has brought us into the Kingdom of His Light.

When we dwell in the constant presence of the Lord, sin cannot inhabit us nor does it have any authority in us. If you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior and His Spirit dwells in you by faith through your salvation, He will set you free from the disgrace of your sins, as well as the sin itself because of your faith in Him.

Essentially, it is our faith in the finished work of the Cross and the blood of Jesus Christ that we believe we are redeemed from the curse of sin forever. Therefore, believe that He is who He says He is and without reservation or doubt believe that His blood has power to save us from sin and deliver us from all unrighteousness.  Hebrews 11:16 says that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

God has promised that if you confess your sins, He will forgive you of your sins and cleanse you of your unrighteousness. You don’t believe that you’re forgiven because you don’t feel forgiven. If that’s the case, then ask yourself this… what are you trusting—your feelings or the truth of God?

Ultimately, the only source of real forgiveness is God. Thankfully, God is quick to forgive. In fact, one of the few absolute promises that God makes to us is that, if we confess our sins to Him, He will most seriously and surely forgive those sins.

Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and the power of His shed blood to take away not only your sins, but guilt and shame forevermore. He truly is faithful and just to forgive. Accept it by faith, turn from any lifestyle that would allow you to compromise, and receive His perfect love that will cast out all your fears and doubts.

Check out our YouTube video discussion of “Does God Really Forgive Our Sins?” at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dpFgP9tKHSQ