Evangelism: Helping You Answer the Tough QuestionsIhe Atụ

“I really messed up. Will anyone be able to forgive me?”

Shame and guilt are nasty and relentless enemies of peace and hope. They continually remind us that we messed up. Sometimes we disappoint people. Other times we hurt them deeply, and we hear whispers that we will be forever bound by those memories and punished for our mistakes.

As Christians, we have discovered the freedom that comes from knowing that Jesus has thrown our sins into the depths of the sea (Micah 7:19) and that He will not hold our sins against us (2 Corinthians 5:19). People living apart from Jesus are chained and weighed down by their sins. It makes them ask hard questions: “Will I ever be able to overcome my guilt?” “Will anyone be able to forgive me?”

Some have heard that God is a loving and forgiving God, but many believe that they are not lovable or worthy of forgiveness. That is a miserable way to live.

Can you imagine the emotional roller coaster Peter was on after he denied Jesus? He very quickly went from, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God” (Mark 16:16) to, “Woman, I don’t know Him” (Luke 22:57). As soon as Peter denied Jesus, Jesus made eye contact as if to say, “I heard that.”

Punishing himself, Peter must have spent days thinking, “I can’t believe I denied Him after I promised to stand beside him. He must hate me.”

But then Jesus met Peter on the beach and asked him a series of questions. I don’t believe Jesus asked Peter multiple times if he loved Him as a test; I believe Jesus was reminding Peter of the truth.

Jesus was saying, “I forgive you for what what you have done. I am not going to hold your mistakes against you. You are forgiven. Now, it is time to forgive yourself and move forward.”

When encountering people who have messed up, we need to let them know that they can be forgiven...that they can overcome. They can be better than they were, and their sins will not be held against them when they find Jesus. That is what Jesus did for Peter. By God's Spirit, this is what we have the privilege of doing for those who are wracked with guilt and shame.