The Freedom in Forgiveness
“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” Romans 8:1
Have you ever prayed for forgiveness? Sometimes, I don’t do this. It can be so easy for me to do something I regret and try to forget about it. I will start to feel guilty for something and the guilt will grow and grow but I’m convinced I can just push it away. I don’t need to let God know about that, I will just brush it aside. He wouldn’t love me if I told Him, He might not forgive me for doing that. But this never works.
Icky things don’t just disappear. They can stay in your brain, consume your thoughts, and grow bigger as we feel guiltier about doing them. There is no point in hiding things from God because He knows all.
I hear Jonathan Davis’ voice saying, “You are never so bad that you are beyond the reach of God’s grace, and you are never so good that you do not need God’s grace.” I loved when he told us this. It’s so true. God wants to hear our regrets and things we are sorry about doing. He died on the cross for those things. There is nothing too big or bad for God to hear, but He always wants us to confess our sins to Him.
Romans 8:1 takes away any fear we might have of being punished for something we have done. God tells us that once we ask for forgiveness, we will not be condemned. It sounds so simple. And it really is! If we are open with God, tell Him what we are sorry for, and when we really are sorry, He forgives.
He knows we will make mistakes; He just wants us to try to live for Him. Once we can fully understand this, there is a huge amount of pressure taken off of us. We are not expected to be anything close to perfect. He just wants us to try and live for Him. He knows we will make mistakes. He knows we will sin. He only asks that we repent and try to do better.
Last summer, I really started believing this verse and Jonathan. I spent my summer praying to God and asking for forgiveness. It was miraculous how much more love I felt when I just said I was sorry. God provides clear signs for us when we are walking down His path. My life has felt much more fulfilled the more I pray for forgiveness. I encourage you to do the same.
It is relieving to know that we don’t have to carry around all of the icky stuff and try to hide it. We can give it to God and pray for strength to do better. God offers to take our sins, and, when we let Him, He will fully forgive us. So relax, you will mess up, but Jesus is with you no matter what. You are free to be you.