Forgiveness

“Against you, you only, have I sinned
And done what is evil in your sight,
So that you may be justified in your words
And blameless in your judgment.”
Psalm 51:4

How can God forgive sins when the sin is committed against someone? How is it that we have “sinned against God” when we commit a sin, any sin? God is able to forgive all sin, because everything belongs to Him, He made it all and owns it all. Like a man who owns property can forgive someone who steals or damages his property, God can forgive anyone of any sin because the entire universe, including all people on earth, belong to Him. We are His, He made us, whether we believe it or not, and whether we like it or not. We are His. And when we commit a sin against anyone, including ourselves, we are sinning against God, because our sin has affected one of His people, one of His creations.

“Know that the Lord Himself is God;
It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;
We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.”
Psalm 100:3

When we are born again, we move from simply belonging to God to being a member of His family, His children. When we are born again, God adopts us into His family.

“But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God.”
Galatians 4:4-7

And just as we usually pay to adopt a child here on earth, God paid a price to adopt us into His family as well.

“Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.”
1 Corinthians 6:19–20

We have been bought with a price, the blood of Jesus. We are still His, but even more so. When we are born again, we become members of God’s family. Because we are in His family now, He forgives us of our sin. Just as we would forgive one of our children a debt they owed us, God forgives the debt that our sin has created on our account. When we are born again, we are no longer under law but under grace. Those who are not born again, not members of the family of God, will be judged for their sin. Ouch. That’s gotta hurt. So how do we get into the family of God so our sin can be forgiven?

“He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.”
John 1:11-13

“If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.”
Romans 10:9-10

Faith in Jesus. We simply believe in His name, the name of Jesus, tell someone about it, and we become Children of God. It is that easy. There are no mountains to climb, no dragons to slay, we don’t have to bring the broomstick of the wicked witch of the west to God, we simply believe in the Son of God. Anyone can do it. Even a five year old.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”
John 3:16

If you are not in God’s family yet, what is keeping you from becoming one of His children? Why not decide today to join the family of God? Below is a prayer you can pray, or you can simply say, “Jesus, I believe in You and I want to become one of God’s Children.” Then share with someone that you did this. God is waiting for you to do this. He wants you to do this. You are reading this for a reason, it is not an accident. I encourage you to take a step of faith right now, while the Lord may be found. The choice is yours.

“Lord Jesus, I believe in You. I believe that You died on the cross for my sins. I believe that You rose from the dead as the people who witnessed Your resurrection said. I open the door of my life and receive You as my Savior and Lord. Thank You for forgiving my sins and giving me eternal life. Make me the kind of person You want me to be. Bring me into the family of God. In Jesus name I pray.”

Link to more information on what it means to be born again into the family of God.