forgiveness

Everything with God comes down to the same thing—the heart. For example, you can tithe, but if you do it grudgingly, it doesn’t count in His eyes (2 Corinthians 9:7). You can prophesy or be a great preacher, but if you are harsh and unkind to others, it doesn’t count for anything (1 Corinthians 13:1-3). 

So, when it comes to forgiveness, it’s the same thing. If you plan a sin with the idea that you can go to God and get forgiven and be in the clear, you’re missing it. Only a truly repentant heart receives forgiveness. 

Your words are powerful. And speaking the Word of God over every circumstance is exactly what we’re called to do (Mark 11:23).

But what happens when it seems like your confessions aren’t working?

There was a woman who was hit over the head and mugged while out running errands. She was so upset and couldn’t understand what happened. ““How could this happen to me?” she asked. “I confess Psalm 91 protection over myself every day!”

Maybe you’ve felt the same. You’ve confessed a scripture and then seen the opposite results and wondered why.

There is a reason we call the Gospel of Jesus Christ the Good News! That’s because the Bible tells us that when we are born again, we become new creations, our past is gone and our sins are washed away, making us white as snow (Luke 2:10; 2 Corinthians 5:17; 1 John 1:9; 1 John 1:7)

The way back to fellowship with our heavenly Father is through the blood of Jesus. First John 1:9 says, “But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.” Your Father God loves you very much, and He has great things in store for your life. The Bible says the plans God has for you are for good and not evil, and they lead to the hope of a bright future (Jeremiah 29:11)!

Since Jesus already forgave our sins on the cross, on Judgment Day we will be judged and rewarded for our acts of righteousness, not for our sins. That’s not to say sin has no effect on us. Sin can still affect us by opening the door for Satan to attack us as long as we are still on this earth. When we do not walk by faith, we give Satan the right to destroy our lives (Romans 14:23). Through sin we can separate ourselves from God’s protection.

This can be difficult because the flesh has its own ideas! But Matthew 5:44 gives us a clear answer.

Some people think it’s too hard to forgive certain offenses, or they believe they have a right to remain angry and bitter. But the truth is—forgiveness is a choice…and it is also a command.

God has two reasons why He requires us to forgive anyone and everyone:

Unforgiveness is not an insignificant issue. It causes many believers to stumble and miss out on the blessings God has for them. But while unforgiveness can be a major issue, it cannot cause you to lose your salvation. Always remember this very important fact—Jesus’ blood paid the price for all of man’s sin, including the sin of unforgiveness. When someone accepts the gift of salvation through Jesus, all of their past, present and future sins (including sins of unforgiveness) are washed away and they can be assured of spending eternity with God!

Divorce is not God’s best, but it is also not the end of a victorious Christian life. What causes many churches to restrict ministry by a divorced person is the Apostle Paul’s instruction to Timothy regarding selection of bishops, or elders, of the church: “So an elder must be a man whose life is above reproach. He must be faithful to his wife” (1 Timothy 3:2). They use this as a governing rule for their leaders in saying they cannot be in the ministry after they are divorced and remarried. 

You are forgiven! It’s so important to realize that. Whatever you have done, God forgave you the moment you asked Him and received His forgiveness. At the same time, it is important to understand that forgiveness doesn’t keep undesirable circumstances from coming into our lives as a result of our disobedience. 

The family that lives out their faith together sees victory together! Even if you weren’t raised in an atmosphere of faith, you can create one for your children, your grandchildren and your entire family when you set out to create an atmosphere that puts God first place and pursues Him every day in every way.

Create your own legacy of faith, and make faith a family affair with these four fun and easy tips!