“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9
Have you ever been burdened by a past sin even after you’ve asked the Lord for His forgiveness? I have. I am often reminded of a past sin by a comment or picture, and I sometimes find myself begging God to forgive me… again… as if the first time I asked for forgiveness, it wasn’t effective. Nothing could be more untrue. God’s forgiveness is always complete. Because He sent His Son, Jesus, to die on a cross and take all the punishments for my sins (and yours), I am assured of God’s eternal forgiveness of my sins when I accept Jesus as my Saviour and ask for His forgiveness of my sins.
1 John 1:9 reminds me that if I seek His forgiveness, God is faithful to do exactly that. There are no conditions to His forgiveness except that I ask for it. It doesn’t matter if I think it’s a “big” sin or a “little” one, He promises to forgive me if I ask. It doesn’t matter if I’ve broken one of the commandments or I’ve merely thought about doing something sinful, God forgives any sin when I come to Him with a penitent heart and ask Him to do so.
Not only does God forgive, but He forgets the sin as well. “For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.” (Hebrews 8:12) Unfortunately, one of the consequences of sin is that, while God forgets my sins, I do not always forget them. There is an old saying that states, “Forgive and forget,” but when it comes to sin, forgetting is not always an easy to do. That is one reason why I have found such peace in 1 John 1:9 and other verses about God’s forgiveness. It assures me that when I confess my sins to the Lord, it is HE who is faithful to forgive. It is HE who cleanses me from all the unrighteousness of those sins in my life. It is HE who dispenses mercy and grace to me. It is HE who promises to remember my sin no more! It is HE who gives me eternal life! It is HE who states He will not remember my sins anymore!
Am I forgiven? Absolutely! Without a doubt? Oh yes! His Word assures me that I am, and that settles it for me!
Would you be free from the burden of sin?
There’s pow’r in the blood, pow’r in the blood;
Would you o’er evil a victory win?
There’s wonderful pow’r in the blood.
There is pow’r, pow’r, wonder working power
In the blood of the Lamb.
There is pow’r, pow’r, wonder working power
In the blood of the Lamb.
(from “There is Power in the Blood” by Lewis E. Jones)
“For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee.” – Psalm 86:5
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The cost of God’s forgiveness was the cross. The reward of God’s forgiveness is a relationship with Him and a home in heaven.