Believers sometimes find it hard to receive forgiveness from God because of the sense of condemnation they feel when they sin. This sense of condemnation can set the christian back and stop him or her from receiving the deliverance and freedom from sin available in Christ Jesus.
Some people think that they have to earn God’s forgiveness and therefore they tried in their own power, carrying the heavy burden of not forgiving themselves despite the fact that God has forgiven them. You have to know the reason why God must forgive you and understand it is His perfect will to forgive you of your sins
God must forgive you because He said so in His word
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9
The bible reveals that when we come to God and confess our sins He will forgive us. This is an assurance from the word of God. However, many believers find it too difficult to do so and instead allow the devil to trick them to wallow in condemnation rather than obeying what He said. Note that the scripture says He is faithful. which means that He is committed to His word, He is committed to do what He says, that is; forgive you your sins and cleanse you from all unrighteousness!
Come Clean before God, don’t try to hide it
He who covers his sins will not prosper,
But whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy. Proverbs 28:13
The bible tells us that God’s eyes run to and fro all over the earth and nothing is hidden from Him at all, therefore to try to hide our sins from God is an exercise in futility. He sees them, but He has given us the right to choose and requires us to come to Him, confess our sins and repent from them.
Why? Because it is not when you go to God that He finds out about your sins, He knew about them already but for you, that is the time you get rid of it and its effects in your life. When we cover our sins mostly through pride and ignorance we are exposing ourselves to the devil. That is why we must go to God and repent of our sins. He promised that when we do this we will prosper!
God must forgive you because you are righteous
I will like to say this, many people confuses righteousness with holiness!
In fact, I have encountered many believers who does not know the difference. Many allow their traditional thinking to get in the way instead of what the bible say about righteousness. They believe righteousness is the way you act. It is not true.
Righteousness is what you are – you are the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. You have the nature of God. 2 Corinthians 5;21.
Holiness is your conduct, holiness the way you act. You are righteous, created to live holy.
Knowing the difference will enable you to receive forgiveness from God, knowing fully that you have been put in right-standing with God through the work of Jesus at Calvary. When you accepted Jesus into your life you became a new creature, you moved into a position of new birth and enters into the kingdom of God as God’s very own child and a joint heir with Jesus Christ. Therefore, God will forgive you because God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord. 1 Corinthians 1:9
Come boldly to the throne of grace and receive forgiveness
God has already extended His hands of forgiveness to you, In fact that hand is extended to the whole world. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. John 3:16. Now it’s your turn to obey and receive forgiveness from God.
Many people finds it difficult to forgive themselves and this is because Satan lies to them that they are unworthy of forgiveness or they have committed the unpardonable sin. If you are worried and remorseful about your sins already, it’s not unpardonable!
So, don’t wait any longer and allow Satan to cheat you of what God has already provided and made available to you; forgiveness of all your sins. Go to God and ask for forgiveness, He has promised to forgive you not only for your sake but for His own sake! I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake; And I will not remember your sins. Isaiah 43:25
Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are yet, without sin.Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:14-16