Forgive YourselfSample

HOW TO MOVE FORWARD

So what should you do if you’ve blown it? Ask God to forgive you. The Bible says, If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). God knew you would goof up — He knew all of us would — so He made provision for it.

Then repent before the Lord. True repentance means to turn and go the other way, to mean it in your heart. If you still struggle, read Romans 6 as many times as you need to, and ask the Lord to help you stay away from sin. Remember King David, the man after God's own heart. He shows us a perfect example of repentance (2 Samuel 11).

Just know this: if you’re a Christian, you’re already righteous in God’s sight through Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21). Your sin has been paid for by His blood, and now you’re a new creature with His nature inside of you. You're saved because of the blood, not because of your performance. Jesus' sacrifice changed God's throne from one of judgement to one of mercy.

I love that the Bible shows us exactly what to do when we’ve goofed up (and we all have). It says first, tell God about it (confess your sins). Remember, when you confess, that's not the first time God’s heard about it. He already knows you goofed up! The confession is for you.

The next part of that verse in 1 John says that after you confess, He is faithful and just to forgive. Is he faithful? Yes! He is faithful even when we are not (2 Timothy 2:13). This forgiveness you’re asking for isn’t based on you and what you’ve done, it’s based on his faithfulness. Oh thank God!

So if you’ve goofed up, it’s time to forgive yourself. Repent before God and pray this: “Heavenly Father, I confess that I sinned. I repent and turn the other way. Please forgive me and cleanse me from sin. Thank you for your faithfulness! I receive your forgiveness, in Jesus Name, amen.”