You try your best to live a life of holiness before God, but no matter how you try, you wind up sinning. You ask the Lord to forgive you. Not too long afterwards, you feel that you have not been forgiven. How could God forgive you of that hideous sin? You ask for forgiveness again. Again, sometime later, you feel unforgiven.
Do not feel like you are all alone. Many Christians just don’t seem to be able to feel forgiven, even though they have asked Jesus to forgive them. Maurice Horn, a former Radio Bible Class counselor, said, “Some people confess a sin a thousand times. I tell them to confess it once, then ask God a thousand times for forgiving them.” You say that sounds so good and well, but it just doesn’t seem to help me.
For the help you need, go to the Word of God. Scripture is clear and gives you some needed help in 1 John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” All that is required to be forgiven of any sin, is just to ask for forgiveness. The verse says just ask once. It does not say you have to ask so many times, or even to do anything else. It just says ask. After the asking, that verse saying that Jesus “will forgive us our sins.” With our asking, the Lord immediately forgives us. Not only does He “forgive our sins,” but He also will “cleanse us of all unrighteousness.” Isn’t that amazing! With only you asking for forgiveness of a particular sin, Jesus not only forgives you of that sin but washes it completely away. You are forgiven and washed clean of the sin immediately after the asking.
If you need to feel forgiven of a sin that seems to linger, just meditate on this verse. Review it over and over in your mind. Say that Jesus said it, I believe it, and I feel it!
