You’ve asked for forgiveness, you’ve heard people say you are forgiven, but you just feel like maybe it didn’t take, maybe there’s something more. Today, I’m going to show you how to walk In the assurance that God has forgiven you, so that you can leave shame and condemnation behind.
I remember standing in the middle of Bible college, with the whole class surrounding me in prayer. I explained that I’d asked forgiveness for my mistake, and I kept asking for forgiveness, but I didn’t feel forgiven. The enemy was having a heyday, shoveling shame and condemnation on me over and over again.
The teacher declared the truth over me, and the whole class prayed. You see, I had grown up in such dysfunction and been in a place of constantly being shamed and condemned for any mistake I made, so it was hard for me to accept that God would actually forgive me of my sins and truly place them in the sea of forgetfulness.
So what do you do When you have confessed your sin to God, and asked His forgivness, yet you still don’t feel forgiven.
Remind Yourself of God’s Truth
First, Remind yourself of God’s truth. We always want to go back to God’s truth first and foremost.
I’ll give you 3 scriptures on forgiveness and then I’ll tell you what to do with them in a moment. All of these are from the NKJV.
1 John 1;9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Isaiah 1:18 “Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the Lord, “Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool.
Hebrews 8:12 For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.”
These are just 3 scriptures on how God forgives us. There are so many more in the Bible.
Walk in the Truth
So, now you have the truth of God’s Word. What do you do with it now?
- Write them down on 3×5 cards, post it notes or somewhere where you will see them everyday, and look at them daily for the next month or so.
- Declare these scriptures out loud, over yourself daily, personalizing them for yourself.
For example, you can personalize 1 john 1:9 by saying, I have confessed my sins to God and he is faithful and just to forgive me and has cleansed me from all unrighteousness.
What About Accusing Thoughts?
So, you’ve got the truth of God’s Word, you’re looking at it, you’re declaring it, but what about the accusing thoughts that come seemingly out of nowhere?
First, recognize that the enemy wants to lie to you. The Bible says that the devil is the father of lies. He wants you not to receive God’s truth so that he can continue to heap shame and condemnation on you.
So, when accusing thoughts come, remind yourself that God has forgiven you. You can say something like,
Lord, I thank you that I am forgiven by you, the first time I confessed my sins I was forgiven. I stand before you now, cleansed by the blood of Jesus. I cast those accusing thoughts aside and take up your truth as my shield now, in the name of Jesus.
This will help you leave the enemies lie of being unforgiven behind.
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