Forgiveness

"How do you know if you are feeling sorry for something you did so that you can be accepted?" "I have made really bad decisions in my life. I really want to change and I have asked God's forgiveness. But I still feel like He doesn't forgive me. Does He forgive me?" "How many times will God forgive you?" These are the questions I aim to answer today.

Let's start with the first, "How do you know if you are feeling sorry for something you did so that you can be accepted." I think you feel remorse and sorrow, if you wish you hadn't done what you did, and admit that it was a mistake and try not to do it again. This attitude will show others that you are truly sorry. Feeling sorry and being accepted by the person who you wronged are two completely different things. You can feel sorry all you want, but it's the other person who chooses to forgive and accept you. You can feel sorry and not be forgiven by the other person. Just because you feel sorrow doesn't mean consequences go away either. You may lose the trust of your parents if you lie to them. You may feel sorry and they may even forgive you, but that trust may be gone and you may need to work hard to get it back. Now, if you are feeling sorry for something you did to God, like sin, then that goes into the next question.

The second and third questions, "Does God forgive me?" and "How many times does He forgive me?" Yes, God will forgive you. Jesus was constantly forgiving people telling them to, "Go and sin no more." 1 John 1:9 says, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful & just, and will forgive us our sins, and purify us from all unrighteousness." All we have to do is admit we messed up and ask for forgiveness, and God will forgive us. It's because He loves us, that He forgives us. Romans 5:8, "But God demonstrates His love for us in this, while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." He loves us so much, that while we were constantly messing up God forgave us. Whether you feel like God forgives you or not, be confident and know that He will. Now this doesn't mean you should go mess up as much as you can because you know that God will forgive you. That's not what His forgiveness is about. He will forgive you always. When someone asked Jesus how many times should they forgive their neighbor, Jesus said a number. But it wasn't about the number. Jesus was trying to get His disciples to understand that they should always for give, because God, Himself has forgiven us.

So don't loose sleep over the question of God's forgiveness. Be confident and know that God has already forgiven you and will always forgive you. All you have to do is realize you messed up, admit you made a mistake and try to do better next time.