Honoring God by Believing His Forgiveness
When you mess up, is it easy for you to repent and then believe God forgave you?
Have you repented for something—maybe several times, but that sin/failing/perceived shortcoming is still bothering you?
This month at Becoming the One, we are talking about a culture of honor. Honoring God is a beautiful act of worship that looks like choosing Him above everything else.
One way we honor God—and choose Him with all our hearts—is by believing He really does forgive us when we repent.
Many believers in Jesus don’t know what to do with the forgiveness of God. They still feel guilty, and so they assume they are guilty.
“I messed up. I don’t deserve His forgiveness.”
“Look at what I did. I’m a horrible person.”
“I know what the Bible says about sex outside of marriage, and I did it anyway. I feel so ashamed.”
“I can’t forgive myself, so why would God forgive me?”
Sometimes we have to choose to believe His forgiveness before we can feel it.
Forgiveness is an act of faith, the same as everything else in the kingdom of God.
Without faith it is impossible to please God. (Heb. 11:6 NIV)
For we live by believing and not by seeing. (2 Cor. 5:7 NLT)
This week, if you’re having trouble believing God has forgiven you, consider the following truths.
Open your heart to these things, and let the Holy Spirit guide you (John 16:13).
You are so loved (Jer. 31:3)!
He loves you the way the best dad in the history of the world loves his kids (Ps. 103:13–14).
Forgiving your sins is just one of His benefits (Ps. 103:2–3).
He has removed your sins from you (Ps. 103:12).
He forgives you because He is faithful (1 John 1:9).
He forgives you because He is just; His forgiveness is part of the law of Jesus Christ concerning you (1 John 1:9; Rom. 8:2).
He has made your sins as white as snow (Isa. 1:18).
There is no condemnation for you (Rom. 8:1).
He has made you the righteousness of God (2 Cor. 5:21).
Child of God, if you have repented—you are forgiven. That’s it. The end. Perhaps you need to forgive yourself now? May you have the grace and courage to do so. Remember, all His love is for you, and you honor Him in a special way when you trust His forgiveness.
“This is what the Bible says. Therefore, this is what is true, even when my emotions try to tell me I’m still guilty. Father God, I choose to believe You really have forgiven me, just like Your Word says.”
If you want to discover more about God’s heart for you, check out our podcast! We love talking about our heavenly Father, His amazing love for us, and His beautiful heart for marriage and relationships.
Your heavenly Father loves you more than you realize! For more about His amazing, unending love, check out Becoming the One by Salomé Roat. The book is also available in Spanish.