Promises of God to Forgive Your Sin

 Have you ever had a problem forgiving somebody?  Was it an enemy, or a loved one who hurt you?  Or was it you?  Often the most difficult person to forgive is yourself and if you can’t forgive yourself then forgiveness may never be complete, even if you have forgiven everybody for everything the have done to you or that you thought they did to you.   I wrote a blog post about forgiveness  “The Bible Says Forgiveness and Mandatory”, but it was about our forgiving others not ourselves.

The apostle Peter probably had a problem forgiving himself after he denied even knowing Jesus, after walking with Him for three years, in order to save his own skin. 

Matthew 26:69-75 (HCSB) 69 Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard. A servant approached him and she said, “You were with Jesus the Galilean too.” 70 But he denied it in front of everyone: “I don’t know what you’re talking about!” 71 When he had gone out to the gateway, another woman saw him and told those who were there, “This man was with Jesus the Nazarene!” 72 And again he denied it with an oath, “I don’t know the man!” 73 After a little while those standing there approached and said to Peter, “You certainly are one of them, since even your accent gives you away.” 74 Then he started to curse and to swear with an oath, “I do not know the man!” Immediately a rooster crowed, 75 and Peter remembered the words Jesus had spoken, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” And he went outside and wept bitterly.

My guess is that it was made even harder because he had said earlier that even if everybody else deserted Him that he would stick with him.

Matthew 26:33 (HCSB) Peter told Him, “Even if everyone runs away because of You, I will never run away!”

I bet that he often wished that he could have a “do over” but it was too late. 

What about Paul.  I’m sure that he regretted persecuting Christians.

Acts 9:1-2 (NKJV) 1  Then Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest 2  and asked letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.

How in the world can he have become the greatest planter of churches of his time unless God forgave him, and he forgave himself?

The secret was that they understood and accepted God’s forgiveness and they were able to forgive themselves. They understood that their sins had been dealt with at the cross and they didn’t have to carry them any longer. 

1 John 1:9 (HCSB)   If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

 This is a verse that most Christians know by memory and we should.  It is God’s promise to forgive and cleanse us of the guilt that we struggle with in this sinful world.  God not only forgives our sins, but removes them completely memory.

Micah 7:19 (HCSB) He will again have compassion on us; He will vanquish our iniquities. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea.

I know this is a hard thing for us to understand.  The key is to believe that what God says He will do He will, in fact, do and then give up our feelings of guilt. 

God’s Promises of Forgiveness

Here are some of God’s promises of forgiveness, take hold of them, memorize them. Every sin that you commit is an affront to God but He has forgiven you.  The penalty for them was paid on the cross by Jesus.  So forgive yourself and cast off the guilt because that guilt is hindering your witness and your testimony.

Numbers 14:19-21 (HCSB) 19  Please pardon the wrongdoing of this people, in keeping with the greatness of Your faithful love, just as You have forgiven them from Egypt until now.” 20 The LORD responded, “I have pardoned ⌊them⌋ as you requested. 21 Yet as surely as I live and as the whole earth is filled with the LORD’s glory,

1 Kings 8:39-40 (HCSB) 39  may You hear in heaven, Your dwelling place, and may You forgive, act, and repay the man, according to all his ways, since You know his heart, for You alone know every human heart, 40  so that they may fear You all the days they live on the land You gave our ancestors.

 Psalm 32:5 (HCSB) Then I acknowledged my sin to You and did not conceal my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,” and You took away the guilt of my sin. Selah

Psalm 86:5 (HCSB) For You, Lord, are kind and ready to forgive, rich in faithful love to all who call on You.

Psalm 103:3 (HCSB) He forgives all your sin; He heals all your diseases.

Psalm 103:12 (HCSB) As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.

Psalm 130:3-4 (HCSB) 3 Yahweh, if You considered sins, Lord, who could stand? 4 But with You there is forgiveness, so that You may be revered.

Proverbs 28:13 (HCSB) The one who conceals his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them will find mercy.

Isaiah 1:18-19 (HCSB) 18 “Come, let us discuss this,” says the LORD. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they will be as white as snow; though they are as red as crimson, they will be like wool. 19 If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the good things of the land.

Isaiah 43:25 (HCSB) “It is I who sweep away your transgressions for My own sake and remember your sins no more.

Isaiah 44:22 (HCSB) I have swept away your transgressions like a cloud, and your sins like a mist. Return to Me, for I have redeemed you.

Isaiah 55:7 (HCSB)  Let the wicked one abandon his way and the sinful one his thoughts; let him return to the LORD, so He may have compassion on him, and to our God, for He will freely forgive.

Isaiah 54:8 (HCSB) In a surge of anger I hid My face from you for a moment, but I will have compassion on you with everlasting love,” says the LORD your Redeemer.

Jeremiah 33:8-9 (HCSB) 8 I will purify them from all the wrongs they have committed against Me, and I will forgive all the wrongs they have committed against Me, rebelling against Me. 9 This city will bear on My behalf a name of joy, praise, and glory before all the nations of the earth, who will hear of all the good I will do for them. They will tremble with awe because of all the good and all the peace I will bring about for them.

Daniel 9:9 (HCSB) Compassion and forgiveness belong to the Lord our God, though we have rebelled against Him

Matthew 6:14 (HCSB) “For if you forgive people their wrongdoing, your heavenly Father will forgive you as well.

Mark 11:25 (HCSB) And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven will also forgive you your wrongdoing.

Luke 24:47 (HCSB) and repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning at Jerusalem.

Acts 3:19 (HCSB) Therefore repent and turn back, so that your sins may be wiped out, that seasons of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord,

Col. 2:2 "That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgment of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ."

Acts 5:31 (HCSB) God exalted this man to His right hand as ruler and Savior, to grant repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.

Acts 10:43 (HCSB) All the prophets testify about Him that through His name everyone who believes in Him will receive forgiveness of sins.”

Acts 26:18 (HCSB) to open their eyes so they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that by faith in Me they may receive forgiveness of sins and a share among those who are sanctified.’

Romans 2:4 (HCSB)  Or do you despise the riches of His kindness, restraint, and patience, not recognizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?

Romans 3:25 (HCSB) God presented Him as a propitiation through faith in His blood, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His restraint God passed over the sins previously committed.

Ephesians 1:7 (HCSB) We have redemption in Him through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace

Colossians 1:14 (HCSB) We have redemption, the forgiveness of sins, in Him.

Titus 2:14 (HCSB)   He gave Himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to cleanse for Himself a people for His own possession, eager to do good works.

Hebrews 9:14 (HCSB) how much more will the blood of the Messiah, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse our consciences from dead works to serve the living God?

Hebrews 9:28 (HCSB) so also the Messiah, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for Him.

Hebrews 10:17 (HCSB) ⌊He adds⌋: I will never again remember their sins and their lawless acts.

2 Peter 3:9 (HCSB) The Lord does not delay His promise, as some understand delay, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish but all to come to repentance.

1 John 2:2 (HCSB) He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not only for ours, but also for those of the whole world.

1 John 4:10 (HCSB) Love consists in this: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

Are These Promises To You?

All of the promises in this blog post are to believers, to those who are in the family of God.  Those who have been reconciled to God and justified by Him.  If this description fits you then these promises are for you.  If this description doesn’t fit you then these promises are not to you but they can be.  God wants them to apply to you.  In fact He sent His Son Jesus to the earth so that He could take the punishment due you for your sin.  He wants these promises for you.  All you have to do is acknowledge that you need a savior because you can’t fix yourself.  You will never be able to satisfy God yourself.  All you have to do is accept the free gift of God’s grace then all these promises will apply to you. 

Here’s all you have to do;

Romans 10:9 (HCSB) If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

Then and only then can you say that all of the promises of God are available to you.

If you have never received Jesus as you Lord and Savior now’s the time.  You may never get another chance.  Here’s all you have to do.

Pray this prayer in all sincerity. Don’t just say it if you don’t really mean it because if you do you will just be speaking words but if you are tired of trying to do change things by yourself and you are ready to turn your life over to the one who can change things pray;

“God, I know that I am a sinner. I know that I deserve the consequences of my sin. However, I am trusting in Jesus Christ as my Savior. I believe that His death and resurrection provided for my forgiveness. I trust in Jesus and Jesus alone as my personal Lord and Savior. Thank you Lord, for saving me and forgiving me! Amen!”

If you truly understand and believe what you just prayed then please find a bible believing church and start to fellowship with other believers.  Welcome to the family of God.

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