There are moments when we say the same prayer for forgiveness again and again, wondering if God could forgive us this time. I’ve had such moments, and I understand the weight of anxiety that comes with thinking whether grace has run out.
We know God is love, but we want to be sure that he has forgiven us completely for the sins we keep on committing. If that’s you, rest assured that God’s forgiveness is unconditional. It is complete and rooted in love. It never tires of restoring us.
God’s Forgiveness Is Complete, Not Partial
Our justification does not depend on our ability to ask for forgiveness. Even while we were still sinners, Christ died for us, securing us right standing with God. (Romans 5:8-9). And every time we confess ongoing sins, God will not hesitate to forgive us and cleanse us from all the wrong things we have done (1 John 1:9).
Psalm 103:12 is a great picture of the completeness of God’s forgiveness. It says that God has removed our transgressions from us as far as the east is from the west. The movement of the High Priest from the Outer Courts (East) to the Holy Place and into the Holy of Holies (West) wonderfully depicts this.
The High Priest could only enter this innermost room of the tabernacle once a year (Yom Kippur) and only with the blood of the sacrifice. Once there, he would sprinkle the blood on and before the Mercy Seat, securing forgiveness for the people of God.
While the High Priest did this every year, Jesus Christ did it once so that we no longer have to offer a sacrifice. He has secured our forgiveness, and for that, we know that we are completely forgiven when we place our faith in Him. He is able to save us to the uttermost, perfectly, completely, for eternity (Hebrews 7:25).
The Cross As Proof That You’re Already Forgiven
When you placed your faith in Jesus, all your sins were forgiven completely. That includes your past and future sins. It may seem hard to believe, especially when you’re overwhelmed by your sins. But that’s where faith comes in. Whenever you’re in doubt, believe that Christ has already taken care of your sins on the cross. He shed his blood to wash away your sins, and through His resurrection, you have been born again.
The cross is proof that God didn’t just let your sins slide. He punished every single one of them. Not on your body, but on the body of His one and only Son, Jesus Christ. Through his blood that was shed on the cross, we were reconciled to the Father and now have peace and the reassurance of forgiveness (Colossians 1:19-20).
The original Greek is structured in such a way as to imply that God is the agent, the one who does the reconciling and not the other way around. And since it is God who initiated the action, we can rest assured that it is final and complete.
Jesus’ final words on the cross should also give us the same level of reassurance. Before He gave up His spirit, he cried out in a loud voice, “It is finished!” In Greek, this is a single word, tetelestai, which means “It is finished.” The way Jesus saw it, the entire work of redemption has now been brought to completion. He has fulfilled the law, bearing its curse so that you won’t have to anymore.
When Guilt Returns
Emotions don’t always follow the knowledge of truth. You may be convinced that Jesus bore all your sins on the cross, but there will be times when you will still feel unworthy even after you have asked for forgiveness and repented of your sins.
You are not alone. Satan will do his best to make you feel worthless. He doesn’t want you walking according to God’s calling in your life and will whisper lies to you, saying you will not be forgiven this time. The Word of God says otherwise.
Romans 8:1 says there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. If you are a true disciple of Christ, you may fail over and over again, but you can rest assured that God will never condemn you. Jesus has already been condemned on your behalf. If you continue to make mistakes, it’s because you are living in a fallen world.
But according to 2 Peter 1:3, God has given us everything we need for a life of godliness by God’s divine power through knowing him. Peter reminds us that we share in God’s divine nature and are already free from the world’s destructive cycle. We no longer have to be ensnared by bad habits but can actually tap into God’s character and be holy in our ways.
Living as Someone Forgiven and Free
The most beautiful thing about God’s forgiveness is that it’s not just pardon. It’s transformation. God doesn’t just forgive and forget. He forgives us, and then He grants us the power to become just like His Son, Jesus. When you are born again, the old you dies, and a new you is brought to life. That is what it means to become a new creation in Christ!
Now, since you have a new identity, God wants you to live according to your new self. Does being a new creation mean we no longer sin? Not exactly. Under the scrutiny of the Most High God, we still have sin in and of ourselves. However, through our faith in Jesus Christ and by imputation, we are considered righteous at the same time because the righteousness of Jesus was imputed to us.
You will still sin as long as you are here on earth. But the good news is that your sinful nature has been imputed to Christ, and His righteous nature has been imputed to you. Your sin goes to Jesus, and His righteousness goes to you. When you commit sin, God doesn’t count that against you anymore because He has already counted that against Jesus when he was on the cross. With that knowledge, you now have the freedom to choose a godly life, or in the words of Jesus to the adulterous woman in John 8:11, “to go and sin no more.”
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