How do i know if i am really forgiven when i ask for it.

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Permalink Reply by LT - TheNET Coordinator on June 15, 2008 at 2:27pm

Priest,

Know that Father God loves you so much that His Son Jesus died for you to offer you forgiveness of sin in His name through His sacrificial work on the cross and by being our High Priest in heaven interceding for us.

There are two aspects to your question. The first aspect deals with your salvation. Before one is saved, they are utterly lost in their sin. One must be born again before forgiveness of any kind will truly be experienced. The second aspect deals with after we have been saved. We then need to repent and ask for forgiveness in order to be cleansed and usable to God for His purposes.

Both aspects depend on the Word of God, the work of Jesus and the Holy Spirit, and your faith. The Word of God promises salvation in and through Jesus. One must repent of sin and surrender to Jesus in order to be saved. The whole of the promise rest on God and His promise. If you believe and trust in His Word and what it says regarding the work of Jesus on your behalf. If you have repented of sin and profess Jesus as Savior, you are saved (Acts 2:38; Rom. 10:9-13). Once saved the same principles are true. You must repent (agree with God regarding sin and turn from and turn to Him). You must embrace the forgiveness that He promises (1 John 1:9). The outcome is dependant upon God's Word, not your feelings. In time, if one has repented, the guilt will go away.

The question that you must answer for yourself is this. Are you truly asking for forgiveness and freedom from sin or are you seeking the release of guilt and want to remain in the sin that brought the guilt? You cannot be freed if you choose to remain in sin. That is part of repentance. It is not just acknowledging it is wrong, it is a heart's desire to get away from that which is sin. I will add, that one trapped in an addiction may find forgiveness and healing to be a process. The key is the heart and its desire to be free of sin, even if in the flesh you are trapped. But if the heart embraces the sin, then was there ever any real repentance?

With all that said. Do you want forgiveness or only release from guilt? Go to God and seek His face. He is ready to hear you and deal with you. Spend time at His feet. I will be praying for you as you walk through this difficult time.

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Permalink Reply by Ron Payne on June 15, 2008 at 3:06pm

When for the first time in my life, I kneeled in prayer repenting of my sins, asking God to forgive me and make me His child. The devil whispered those same words in my ears, as he is whispering in yours now.:
"How do you know that God has forgiven you and made you a child of God?"
A verse that I had learnt in Sunday school, settled the question immediately for the rest of my life, just as it already has for you.

The answer The Holy Spirit gave me was "My God is a God who cannot lie." Titus 1:2

The Lord Bless you as you hold onto this verse.

There are many of God's promises, below are only a few:

Psa 103:12 As far as the East is from the West, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.

Joh 16:4 But these things have I told you, that when the time shall come, ye may remember that I told you of them.

Isa 1:18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

These are God's promises to you and everyone who turns to Him in repentance asking for forgiveness. As the Bible says: "God is a God Who cannot lie" He will keep His promises. Believe God when He tells you this..

Your Friend - Ron

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Permalink Reply by Carla on June 15, 2008 at 8:51pm

Hi Priest,

I recommend studying Romans 6,7 and 8. I would post it here, but I think it would be too long.

Romans 6 talks about sin's power being broken.
Romans 7 talks about how we are no longer bound to the law.
Romans 8 talks about living life in the Spirit.

Cling closely to Christ.

Blessings, Carla

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Permalink Reply by Scribe D on July 15, 2008 at 11:58pm

If you have turned to God and trusted his word and believed his Gospel, then you call him a liar if you think he has not forgiven your sin.

Usually, I find that I get this kind of thinking when I have not been reading his word. You need to hide his word in your heart AND be daily seeking him in prayer and reading his word.

Your feelings will be transformed when you begin confessing what God has already promised.

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Permalink Reply by Nonoy on September 25, 2008 at 1:50am

How do i know if i am really forgiven when i ask for it.?

If you don't repeat your sins.

God Bless you.

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Permalink Reply by Sarah78 on October 2, 2008 at 7:52am

Hi Priest,
For me I know that in the past few months, the enemy did a great job blinding me of my sins before God. I felt myself making excuses and telling God it was not my fault etc... I heard a sermon that knocked me to my feet. The fact simply was I was on the wide path that was leading to destruction because I had chosen to fulfill my sinful nature. It devastated me to know this because I still believed I loved God and that I couldn't help my sins, they were a product of lots of other stuff I wont get into. I even found myself in a support group trying to figure them out...Anyways the point is, I know I am forgiven because I have repented with all my heart and I am feeling clean and eager to continue my NARROW walk with Jesus. You need to trust in God and stay in the word. His word is truth and I know you will feel peace from that.
God Bless You.

Sarah

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Permalink Reply by Shari Burgess on February 11, 2009 at 7:45am

I am sorry I don't have that answer for you but I will tell you that a lot of the forgiveness you seek starts within you. I don't know it seems that sometimes we are just programmed to continue with self hate self doubt not realizing that this is the trick of the "enemy" he wants you to be confused and not feel that you have been forgiven. Anything or anyone that makes you feel guilty or sad or hurt is not of God. Yes God does allow us to have guilt when we have done wrong but his word says that he forgives you and what ever you have done in the past is not a part of his memory. We are our own worst critics I know I suffer with the same problem I cling to all the hurt and the wrong I've done but we got to dig deeper into ourselves and understand if we were that bad we would not have the unique blessing to rise each and every day honor God in our actions and live to see another day.

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Permalink Reply by Sherwood MacRae on February 11, 2009 at 12:45pm

Priest, you have received a number of excellent commentaries on how you might know you have been forgiven and while I agree with most, I took a few moments to recall those days when I had much the very same experience. I was approach-ing my 45th birthday and everything seemed to go wrong in my life. I had been going to church all of my life, I had been married in the church, my children had been baptised in the church, I had served in official positions in my church, I was known as a "good" Christian; yet there I was, as lost as anyone could be.

I came upon the word "repent" in the Bible and I really had no idea as to what it meant, so I merely asked God what He was trying to say. To my utter amazement, He responded. I was - for the lack of a better word, dumb-founded.

But His response woke me up. The thoughts that were now racing through my mind were precisely what I needed to hear and so, I decided to follow Him, regardless of the outcome. Let me assure you, that decision on my part was the best thing that ever happened to me. That was almost 34 years ago. There is not the shadow of a doubt that my sins have been washed away and I write to you as a free man - ..."he who the Son sets free is free in deed, in fact!"

You have read a lot of scripture offered to you, by friends. Take hold of each verse and vow to youurself, this was written for me, I accept it and I will never let it go. Then move on - free of your depression, severed from your sadness, pardoned by God to live as a free man, as a freed man.

God is no respecter of persons, what He has done for me, He will surely do the very same for you.

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Permalink Reply by RoxChelseaGilmore on July 10, 2009 at 6:06am

what kind of burden do you have on yourheart?????? Why are you sad and depressed all the time?????/ what is the crisis???? Yes I do sometimes I feel sad angry alone jealous mad I have te same problems that you have I will do everything I can to help you I promise ok what is your name?????? how old are you?? what is your email adress???????

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Permalink Reply by RoxChelseaGilmore on July 11, 2009 at 4:21am

I totally agree

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Permalink Reply by littlesheep88 on July 10, 2009 at 10:18am

"There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." Romans 8:1

This means there is no reason for you to be feel sad or burdened by anything in life. Because the Lord said in Matt 11:30 "For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." You are forgiven beloved. All, thats right, ALL of your sins are forgiven once you have ask for forgiveness.

You understand what guilt is, but I don’t believe you fully grasp the greatness of God’s forgiveness. I want you to understand that when you accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior, God promised that He would never stop forgiving you, no matter what you do wrong. You are forgiven, Satan wants you to feel guilty. Satan, the prince of darkness, knows your feelings of guilt keep you (in your mind) separated from God.~christiananswers.net

God gave His only begotten son Jesus Christ just for you to be forgiven. Trust that God loves you and that His word is true. God Bless!! ..and Be Blessed

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