come home. | A Redemptive Roadmap from Lust Back to ChristSample

Lie 1 : "I've sinned too many times to be forgiven."

The guilt and shame of sexual sin can leave us doubting that God will truly forgive us, making it difficult for us to forgive ourselves. When we constantly rehearse our sins and those feelings of guilt without confessing our transgressions to God, it’s like allowing shame to imprison us. We assume that God couldn’t possibly forgive us for repeating the same mistakes, so we cling to our guilt. Maybe it’s because, deep down, we believe that by torturing ourselves, we might convince God how much we truly regret indulging in lust. 

But God doesn’t want us to bind ourselves to guilt. An ungodly, condemning guilt ensnares us and keeps us bound to our sin. The longer we rot in Guilt’s prison, the more we believe the lie that our sin is an inseparable part of our identity, but faith in God’s promise that He has overcome sin frees us up to experience His forgiveness and grace (Galatians 5:1). 

So how does God’s word encourage us to respond when we sin?

When we confess our sin to God, He is faithful to forgive us based on Jesus’ performance––not our own. Paul says it like this in Romans 8:1-2: “So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to Him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death” (NLT). 

Because you belong to Jesus, that inner voice of condemnation has no authority over you. Instead God’s Spirit convicts you of sin—not so that He can humiliate or reject you, but so that He can cleanse you and render sin powerless to separate you from His great love. The hostile voice of condemnation says, “You’re lost. God can’t forgive someone like you.” But the tender conviction of God’s Spirit says, “I do not condemn you. Now leave your life of sin. Confess your sin, be forgiven, and receive my grace” (John 8:11). 

Christ has extended us grace. He has shown us His unmerited favor and kindness, and—I know this is hard—but we must do the same for ourselves. Jesus has removed the guilt and penalty of our sin, so who can challenge God when He declares us “innocent” by bringing a charge or accusation against us? No one, including ourselves (Romans 8:33). We may not always feel forgiven, but as Dr. Juli Slattery puts it, “Forgiveness is a fact” based on God’s truth—not our feelings.

When you’re tempted to believe that you’ve reached the limits of God’s forgiveness, revisit this truth found in His love letter to us: “If we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness” (1 John 1:9 NLT). We can never be far enough from God to exhaust the reach of His limitless grace. So let the chains fall, Beloved, step through the prison door, and walk victoriously into the freedom of Christ. 

Exercise for the day:

When asked by Peter how often he should forgive a brother or sister that hurts him, Jesus replies as many times as necessary. (Matthew 18:21-22) He says not “seven times, but seventy times seven.” (Matthew 18:22 NLT) This number “seven” often carries a theme of “completion” throughout the Bible. If Jesus wants us to forgive others completely, how much more will He not model this gracious, forgiving nature to us! So in the spirit of Jesus’ response, write out 1 John 1:9 seven times.     

Questions for Reflection:

How will you practically remind yourself of the reality of God’s forgiveness when the guilt and shame of your sin make you feel condemned? What’s your new game plan?