ti-dingz Blog
Guilt Free and Forgiven
Living Guilt Free
“Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the Lord, “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool.”
Isaiah 1:18, NKJV
Some people struggle all their lives with feelings of guilt and remorse. They have done things they feel can never be forgiven. In their eyes, these actions appear to be insurmountable obstacles which prevent them from receiving the full acceptance of God.
Even when we have a knowledge that God forgives us, we can still have trouble accepting His forgiveness. Memories replay in our minds, and no matter how hard we try, we just cannot lay hold of that forgiveness.
That is why it is so important, when feelings of condemnation and guilt overwhelm us, to turn to what God says about His willingness to forgive us. We must base our thinking on the truth, as written in His Word, and on our prior knowledge that God does not lie – He keeps His promises (Num. 23:19).
God is eager to forgive
When we confess our sins to God and ask for His forgiveness, we can be confident that God is eager to forgive. He will cleanse us and wash away every past sin. All who repent and turn from their sin receive full pardon.
God said through the prophet Isaiah, “I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more” (43:25 NIV).
The disciple John, one of Jesus’ constant companions and a close friend wrote, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9 NIV).
Once again, just in case there is any doubt, the writer to the Hebrews assured the believers that God said, “For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more” (8:12 NIV).
What a gracious God we have. He has great compassion for us and no desire to seek out, keep a record of, or dredge up sins He has already forgiven and forgotten.
Yet, many of us don’t accept God’s forgiveness
Knowing we are forgiven is one thing; still another is to fully comprehend the totality and finality of His forgiveness and then to accept it.
His part has been to forgive; our part is to accept His forgiveness.
When God spoke through the prophet Isaiah saying, ‘though your sins are like scarlet, they will be white as snow’ (1:18), He was saying though our sins appear bright and vividly seen, I will wash them away and make you white and clean. Once forgiven, we stand before God, “holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation” (Col. 1:22 NIV).
God takes no delight in seeing any of His children tormented; that’s why once we are forgiven, God does not keep a record; our sins are not recalled.
With God, every day begins with a clean slate
Daily we come before God and ask, “Forgive me for my sins” – we need only deal with the issues of the day. This means every day we start afresh with a clean slate because God’s mercy is fresh every morning (Lam. 3:23).
We can see this more clearly in Jesus’ discussion with Peter. The analogy is seen when Peter refused Jesus’ attempt to wash his feet. Jesus’ response was, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me” (John 13:8 NIV). So, Peter requested that his hands and head be washed also, but Jesus told Peter that he was already clean.
Peter only needed his feet washed, symbolising his need to be cleansed only for the sins of that day. The other sins had already been dealt with. Peter was clean; he had already been cleansed through faith in Christ (John 13:8–10).
God wants you to be at peace
Therefore, why not find a quiet place today and confess any sins that you want to finally put to rest? God is always eager to see His children set free from all that weighs them down. After you have done this, there is no need to continually go over your past life – it is dealt with. God has cleansed you, made you clean, and accepted you. Next time you feel condemned or have tormenting thoughts about your past, just say out loud, “God has forgiven me. I accept His forgiveness and now I forgive myself. I no longer want to keep a record of these things. It’s finished and over with!” Do this as many times as these thoughts arise to reinforce the truth until it has settled deep within you because God wants you to be at peace.
Share God’s forgiveness with others through our gospel tracts
Many people don’t know or understand about God’s incredible forgiveness. Don’t keep the Good News to yourself. One way to tell people is by gifting them with a gospel tract.
Discover our range of gospel tracts that share about God’s love and forgiveness through his Son Jesus Christ. We have different booklets for different age groups.
You can find my helpful guide on how to hand out gospel tracts here.
Blessings Deb