Could God Ever Forgive Me?

By Kathy Pride
Guest Writer

CBN.com – I have made my fair share of mistakes in life. No, wait a minute. I have made more than my fair share of mistakes in life. As a matter of fact I sometimes remark that if you open the closet door of my life, the skeletons will tumble out. On top of that, I often comment that if my two daughters now eight and ten are anything like what I was like as a teenager, watch out. The curfew might be 6pm and not a nanosecond later.

So, can God forgive me? I didn’t think so, until a friend remarked that indeed He could.

“God can forgive and forget. The moment you ask for forgiveness (sometimes referred to in Christianese as “repentance”) it is a done deal. He has forgiven and forgotten.”

I responded with disbelief, shaking my head and telling her that she really didn’t understand. I had, well, led a much less than perfect life. Just my teen years alone -- let’s just say I was a little bit boy crazy. OK, a lot boy crazy.
The hard part seems to be in forgiving ourselves.

But she assured me that God could forgive me and pointed me to Scripture which was not preachy, but reassuring. “As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear (know) him” (Psalm 103:12-13).Wow. As far as the east is from the west? That’s pretty far!

And as for forgiving myself? Well, I could take a lesson from God, who is much more gracious and much less punitive than I had imagined.

Do You Want a Relationship with God?

If you want this kind of relationship with God, pray this prayer right now:

Lord Jesus Christ, I believe that you took the pain of the cross to give me new life. I ask you to come into my life and to give me your peace and joy. I confess that I am a sinner -- that I have gone my own way and have done wrong. Please forgive me for my sins. I receive you now as my Lord and Savior. Please fill me with your Holy Spirit. Help me to follow you and to serve you all my life. Thank you, Lord Jesus. Amen.

If you prayed that prayer, you are now a child of God. The things of your old life have passed away and He has made all things new.

We want to join you in celebrating your new life. Please send us an e-mail to let us know that you prayed to receive Jesus as your Savior. Or you can call our Prayer Counseling Center at (800) 759-0700. A caring friend is available to talk with you and send you some resources to help you begin your walk with the Lord.