Can God Forgive THAT?

Bible

Though not often spoken, it is a common question in the back recesses of the human mind.

“Can God forgive that?”  “Can He forgive me?”

He knows what I’ve done.  He knows my mistakes.  My rebellion. He set up clear perimeters and gave us specific instructions,

But we disobey.

Like a child, when we deliberately and consciously choose to do things that are against the will of our Father, we suffer the consequences.

Not a popular subject.

I know. But here’s the thing:  There are many in our world today struggling with the age old question, “Can God really forgive me when He knows what I have done and that I didn’t just do it out of ignorance or naivety–I chose to turn away from Him and do what I wanted.”

The real question here is not, “Can God forgive?”, but “WILL God forgive?”

Even THAT??

Whatever “that” is for you, the answer is a resounding, “yes!”  If you have forgotten about God’s mercy, just look at these examples from the Bible of men and women who failed to obey God’s commandments:

1. AARON fully participated in idol worship by making a golden calf for the Israelites in Exodus 32.
2. RAHAB was a woman who prostituted herself, choosing a life of sexual immorality. [Joshua 6]
3. DAVID committed adultery and plotted murder against Uriah in 2 Samuel 11 .
4. PETER denied knowing Jesus, even though he had been a close follower and seen the miracles that Jesus performed. [Mark 14]
5. PAUL persecuted Christians, and in doing so, persecuted Jesus as well! [Acts 22]

Do you see these names?  Your name or mine could be listed at #6.  One of many names to fill the pages of history.

Is there any hope?

CAN God forgive even the most horrendous of sins?  Will He forgive?

YES, YES, and YES!

Sin carries a price.  There are consequences.

But there is also forgiveness when you turn to Jesus in faith and ask Him to forgive you.  To cleanse you.  To make you new.

You can discover the path to forgiveness and salvation by clicking here:

FAITH

The stories of these men and women of the Bible didn’t end with failure.  The mistakes that they made didn’t define them.  When they turned to Him in repentance and surrender, their lives became a living testimony to the mercy of God and His AMAZING GRACE.

There’s a reason we call it “amazing.”  That a holy God would love us so much that He would make a way for us to find forgiveness and cleansing and purpose and meaning is really quite unbelievable.  Except I do believe it, not just because I can read about it in the Bible, but because I have seen it and have experienced His amazing grace for myself.  That He would be willing to leave the throne room of heaven and die a cruel death to pay the penalty for our sin is more than amazing, it should be awe-inspiring.  Life changing.  Those rules and perimeters He gave us in His Word were because He loves us.  The way He loves us is to protect us from those things that He knows will harm us.  When He asks us to follow Him, it is because He has already provided a way for us to live a life of victory.

Aaron became a great leader, Rahab became a matriarch in the lineage of Jesus, and David a great king–while Peter would choose to follow Jesus even when it meant that he would die for his faith. Paul became the first missionary and he would take the gospel to other nations despite being imprisoned, beaten and eventually die a martyr as well.

Following Jesus isn’t always easy.  In fact, the struggle we are in is a spiritual battle.  Satan would love for you to go to your grave believing that God is harsh, vindictive, unforgiving and unloving.  It is just not true.  Read the Bible for yourself.  Start with the book of John.  Discover the amazing grace of the One True God.  He is holy.  He asks you to turn from sin, but He is a good, good Father who will forgive you and will give you HOPE.