Forgivenessනියැදිය

Does the word, “repentance” make you think about… kneeling on the ground, begging for forgiveness—or an angry Father, scolding you for being bad?

Repentance doesn’t have to be like that. Our forgiveness has already been purchased by Christ—we don’t have to beg God for it! God doesn’t see us as naughty children who need to be punished. Christ already took the punishment for us! Now we are covered by His righteousness. We can come confidently to God’s throne, and receive grace.

Repentance helps us to walk in the freedom Christ has already won on our behalf. It reminds us that we’re not perfect—we need God’s power in our lives. It’s how we come to appreciate the wonderful sacrifice Jesus made when He took the punishment for our sin—death on the cross—and made us right with God. Repentance—it even helps us to forgive others, and to forgive others as Christ forgave us.

Will you try something this week? At the end of each day, ask God to show you where you’ve sinned. Ask Him to forgive you and start fresh in the morning. Decide to turn that area over to Jesus.

Remember—change takes time, and you’ll need God’s help every day. If you mess up, don’t hesitate—repent right away and keep your eyes on Jesus. His grace for you is unending!

Has your mind ever buzzed with negative thoughts like these?

• I’m not worthy to become a child of God.
• My life is so messed up—God would never accept me.
• Heaven would never accept a sinner like me.
• I need to fix my life up before I can come to God.

These are all lies! Don’t listen to them!

Here is the truth: God pardons all your sin because Jesus took the punishment once and for all when He died on the cross. Your forgiveness doesn’t depend on your feelings but rather on what God has done.

1 John 1:9 says:

… if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us from all wickedness.

God will not withhold His forgiveness or love from you—no matter what you’ve done. He’s consistently kind. He’s your loving Father—and you are His beloved child!

You’re about to listen to the Parable of the Lost Son. Let God show you… when you repent, He is not reluctant to accept your apology. He celebrates it! And He throws a party to welcome you back to His ways. Run to Him today.