How much and who does God forgive?

First of all, we all sin (Isaiah 53:6 “We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way” and Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”).

The fact that you recognize your sin and feel badly about it should give you encouragement for several reasons. For one thing, a lot of people sin and don’t think there’s anything wrong with it – yet God has opened your eyes to seeing how destructive it can be. But God does not want you to live with guilt. He wants you to know and fully experience His forgiveness.

God does not simply overlook our sin and say, “You’re forgiven.” God sees our sin but is ready to forgive us because Jesus fully took OUR sin on Himself and paid for our sin by His death on the cross. Our sin is serious and it cost Jesus incredible suffering. But from the moment we received Christ into our lives, His forgiveness is ours. We can’t ever make up for our own sin or suffer enough for it – nor does God want us to. “But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” Romans 5:8.

But what about when we struggle with an area and keep on sinning? Does God get so weary forgiving us that we, at some point, reach our limit?

Jesus was asked by the disciples how many times they needed to forgive someone. “Then Peter came and said to Him, ‘Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?’ Jesus said to him, ‘I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven’” (Matthew 18:21,22). It’s unlikely that Peter could keep track of whether he forgave a particular individual 490 times yet, so you see Jesus’ point. You always forgive, because God always forgives us. God does not have a limit. He died for every one of your sins—those you’ve committed and those you will commit—past, present, and future sins.You need to begin looking at your sin the way God looks at it. And here is what He says in the Bible:

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” 1John 1:9

“My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense–Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.” 1John 2:1,2

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

“You have put all my sins behind your back.” Out of sight. God no longer “sees” me in light of my sins. He sees Jesus righteousness for me.” Isaiah 38:17

“You will tread our sins underfoot and hurl our iniquities into the depths of the sea.” Never to be found at sea. Not “dropped” into the sea, “hurled.” Micah 7:19

“I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more.” Sins are no longer “kept on file”, record is blotted out, destroyed. God cannot “forget” like in human error, but He chooses to “not remember.” Isaiah 43:25

“But where sin increased, grace increased all the more.” Romans 5:20

“All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to Himself…in Christ God was reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them…For our sake He made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.” 2 Corinthians 5:18,19,21

“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” Romans 8:1

“…since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Romans 5:1

We are told that Satan is the “accuser of the brethren”, meaning that Satan will try to convince us that God could never love us. We need to recognize those thoughts as lies and instead choose to believe what God says. What God says about us in His Word (the Bible) is truer than anything we could think or feel. Jesus said that those who build their lives on His word are those whose lives stand strong and secure, able to weather anything in life (see Matthew 7:24-27).

If you’ve asked God to forgive you and to come into your life — you are forgiven!!! His word says so. Thank Him for His forgiveness and begin to rejoice in your secure relationship with Him. He is able to change areas of your life that don’t line up with His desire for you. 1 Corinthians 1:9 says, “God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with his Son, Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Are you taking the time you should with God? Be honest…

We all live busy, hectic, modern lives. When we work, we work a lot. When we play, we go all out. When we are home, we have kids to take care of or school events to attend. When it comes to church, we could be at a service or small group every other day if we really wanted. It can be hard to put time aside from our eventful days to rest and be quiet before God as today’s Scripture instructs.

Being quiet before God gets even harder when a monkey wrench is thrown into our busy lives. This could be a death in the family, a rebellious child, the loss of a job, or anything at all that is unexpected. When any of these happen to us, our first response is often to set things back to “normal mode”. Who wouldn’t want to do this? We look for the plans of action necessary to set things in order and ask God to bless us along the way. We fall into the trap that action is the only solvent for the unexpected problems in life. When many times, we simply need to live as the Psalmist and “be still and know that [He is] God” Psalm 46:10. Our comfort won’t come from solving the issues alone, but knowing God and his ways during our busy life.

Begin taking 5 minutes out of your workday to be in a quiet place and rest in God. As we begin to make this a habit, we will understand its importance and remember to make more time during our busy lives for God.

For thus said the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel,
“In returning and rest you shall be saved;
in quietness and in trust shall be your strength.”
But you were unwilling, (Isaiah 30:15 ESV)

Don’t worry God may have another path for us.

On March 31, 2013, the University of Louisville was playing Duke University in a tournament basketball game. Louisville guard Kevin Ware went to block a shot and he landed awkwardly. He snapped the bone in his leg. “I look down and I see my bone is 6 inches out of my leg and I go into automatic shock,” Kevin remembers.

The gruesome injury left a nationally televised audience stunned and his teammates were in tears. Kevin is a Christian and as he writhed on the floor, his teammate Luke Hancock went to him and said a prayer.

Kevin was rushed to the hospital and doctors inserted two metal plates into his leg. The shattered bone healed in about 12 weeks. Doctors gave the healthy prognosis that he would be able to play basketball again.

Days later Kevin saw something bigger in his injury. The soft-spoken young man faithfully said: “This is all God. This is all God’s plan. He would never let anything happen that He wouldn’t want to happen.”

 

“But they do not know the thoughts of the LORD; they do not understand his plan, he who gathers them like sheaves to the threshing floor.” – Micah 4:12

 

The Lord’s plans for us are much greater than our own. Today in prayer, praise the Lord that God has a plan for your life and seek to do His will in all that you do.

 

“Since God is the highest good, He would not allow any evil to exist in his works unless his omnipotence and goodness were such as to bring good even out of evil.” – Augustine

 

God’s Word: “‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,’ declares the LORD.” – Isaiah 55:8

A list of things that God cannot do

1. God can’t get tired.
   Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, neither faints nor is weary.
   —Isaiah 40:28
2. God can’t take on a job he can’t handle.
   Ah, Lord God! Behold, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. There is nothing too hard for you.
   —Jeremiah 32:17
3. God can’t be unholy.
   And one cried to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!”
   —Isaiah 6:3
4. God can’t be prejudiced.
   In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality. But in every nation whoever fears him and works righteousness is accepted by him.
   —Acts 10:34-35
5. God can’t break a promise.
   My covenant I will not break, nor alter the word that has gone out of my lips.
   —Psalm 89:34
6. God can’t remember sins he’s chosen to forget.
   I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake; and I will not remember your sins.
   —Isaiah 43:25
7. God can’t make a loser.
   Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ.
   —2 Corinthians 2:14
8. God can’t abandon you.
   Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, he is the one who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.
   —Deuteronomy 31:6
9. God can’t stop thinking about you.
   How precious also are your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand; when I awake, I am still with you.
   —Psalm 139:17-18
10. God can’t stop loving you.
    Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you.
    —Jeremiah 31:3