Silencing the Lies Behind Every Battle You FaceSample

LIE #2: You Cannot Be Forgiven

More than half of Christians wonder if they are forgiven. That is a sad statistic, given that forgiveness is at the foundation of the faith. As Paul assured, it is the outcome of the cross that God “forgave all our sins” (Colossians 2:13).

I do not mean to be cheeky, but all means all—past, present and future sins. For God to do what was necessary to save us, He had to forgive every sin from any time. If there was even one that retained its power, then you would still be defined by sin and separated from God. The Gospel is called Good News for the very fact that the forgiveness of sins was a done deal at the cross and then forever applied to you upon your belief.

Still, it is human to think of everything in limited supply. We imagine mistakenly that God’s forgiveness is the same. But all throughout the Bible, God’s forgiveness is never described in ways that suggest it is a resource that could ever be depleted. No, Scripture refers to it beautifully as endless and certain (see 1 John 1:9).

Some years ago, God led me to see the certainty of His forgiveness in the physics of His creation. One evening as I was walking along the shoreline of a beach, I noticed how the ocean’s waves continuously crashed over the sand and then receded back into the sea. As the waves covered the sand, footprints, sandcastles and debris were instantly dissolved.

When I saw this, I recognized that the sand represents the slate of our lives. All the tracks, graffiti and rubble are symbolic of sin and struggle. With this epiphany, I stooped down and ran my fingers through the sand. With my index finger, I wrote the word sin.

Sure enough, in a matter of seconds, those faithful waves washed over my mess. And as they pulled away, it was as if the sand had been washed clean. The big sin in the sand was gone, too. I did it all a few more times, and the waves never failed to keep all things new!

This simple act of creation is a beautiful illustration of God’s forgiveness. At the moment of your salvation, the waves of God’s grace crashed over the shore of your life and left no trace of what was formerly there. Indeed, your past was washed away. But that was not the end of your forgiveness. No, God’s grace is always there to keep you clean. As a Christian, no mess is permanent. No sin can stain you. That is because God’s forgiveness is not something he decides on a case-by-case basis. No, it was a decision He made long ago and sealed at the cross.

Friend, God is not still deciding whether to forgive you. As one in Christ, you are already forgiven. When any reminder, feeling or voice tries to tell you otherwise, use God’s Word to renew your mind.