We all need God’s forgiveness at one time or another. No matter how long you have been a Christian or how closely you walk with God, you will miss the mark at times. The good news is that God is always ready, willing and able to forgive us. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness,” the Bible promises (1 John 1:9).
A Pregnant Girl Experiences God’s Forgiveness
At the last church I pastored, a young lady who had gotten pregnant out of wedlock visited us one Sunday. Her pastor told her that God would never forgive her for what she had done. Believing what her pastor said, she stopped attending church. Somehow, one of the young members of my congregation convinced her to visit our local church and to talk with me.
After service, she came to my office and shared with me what I just shared above. This young lady thought she was hopelessly lost. What did I do? I simply turned her to and talked about 1 John 1:9, which I quoted above. She was immediately set free through God’s forgiveness. I still remember how she began jumping up and rejoicing in my office.
As I reflect on that experience, I think about the power of our words. “Death and life are in the power of the tongue….” (Proverbs 18:21, KJV). We can use our tongue to minister life or death. We should always choose to speak life. The girl’s pastor, however, chose to minister death through the lie he told her. The young lady thought she was hopelessly lost because her pastor told her God would never forgive her. Thank God, one of my congregants cared enough to convince her to attend our service and to speak with me.
The Heavy Burden of Sin and Guilt
Sin and its resulting guilt can be a heavy a burden to bear. Oftentimes, the devil and people add to that burden. For instance, a pastor’s words nearly devasted the young lady I mentioned above. But no matter how badly we miss the mark, we need not carry the burden of sin or guilt. Christ did that for us on the cross.
My objective in this post is not to downplay the seriousness of sin. Rather, to underscore the power of God’s forgiveness. He does not condone sin. He prefers that we don’t sin. We should strive to live our lives in obedience to Him. But the good news is that when we sin, no matter how terribly we do, He totally forgives us and cleanses us. Praise God for His amazing forgiveness!
Copyright © 2022 by Frank King. All rights reserved.