The Bible affirms that God is gracious and merciful; He is willing to forgive all those who confess and turn away from their sins (Exod. 34:6-7; Psa. 32:1; 130). In the Old Testament God normally forgave sin on the basis of sacrifice and transference. Sin was removed from the nation of Israel, for example, by means of conferring the sins of the community onto another scapegoat (Num. 16:20-26). As Christians, we at Victory Outreach affirm that our sins are forgiven by grace through faith in Jesus Christ who as the sacrificial Lamb of God bore our sins on the cross. When we place our trust in Christ and repent, our sins are forgiven and we are declared not guilty before God (Isa. 53:12; Matt. 26:28; John 1:29; Rom. 3:25; Heb. 10:12-18; 1 Pet. 2:21-24). Jesus himself had the power to declare a person’s sins were forgiven (Mark 2:1-12; Luke 7:36-48; John 8:2-11). In the New Testament “to forgive” means to release or pardon (aphiemi; aphesis) and show oneself as gracious (charizomai). Forgiveness not only involves God’s pardoning of our sins, but our ability to forgive others who have wronged us (Matt. 6:14-15; Eph. 4:32; Col. 3:13; 2 Cor. 2:6-10; cf. 1 John 4:2021).
Victory Outreach believes that because Christ died for our sins, there is no sin too great for God to forgive. Here are some prime examples of how faithful God is to forgive sin and to what extent He will pardon the wrongdoer: The Corinthians were involved in swindling, thievery, idolatry, drunkenness, sexual immorality (including prostitution and homosexuality), and yet by the grace of God their sins were washed away and they were set apart as saints for God’s kingdom (1 Cor. 6:9-11). Saul participated in the persecution, imprisonment, and execution of Christians (Acts 22:4; 26:10; Gal. 1:13-14; 1 Tim. 1:15), yet he was converted to become one the greatest saints of all time – the Apostle Paul. Jesus claimed that the one who is forgiven much loves much (Luke 7:36-48). No one is too great a sinner that God cannot reach.
Not only does God forgive our sins when we repent, but we also believe that He does not hold our former sins against us. Micah illustrates it this way: God throws away our sins “into the depths of the sea” (Mic. 7:18-19; cf. Ps. 25:7; 130:3-4; Isa. 43:25; Jer. 31:34; Heb. 10:17-18). In other words true forgiveness involves the removal of offenses committed against God or the person offended. This results in reconciliation between the two parties so that a harmonious relationship is once again restored.
What then do we make of the unpardonable sin or blasphemy of the Holy Spirit mentioned in the Gospels (Mark 3:28-29)? The fact that a person desires to repent before God and turn away from his/her sins authenticates that he/she has not committed the unpardonable sin. If a person committed this sin today, his/her heart would be so hardened that he/she would not repent or ask for forgiveness in the first place (see Question #4).
Sin, however, does have its consequences. A person who has committed murder and then becomes a Christian is still liable for his actions under government law. A person who commits sexual promiscuity all week and then confesses her sin every Sunday opens herself up to sexually transmitted diseases, unwanted pregnancies, guilt, emotional trauma, abuse, and so on. A presumptuous attitude in which we declare that we can go ahead and deliberately indulge in sin because “God will forgive me anyway” invites dire consequences. People who have such an attitude are either not truly converted or they will likely find themselves so hardened and enslaved by their sin that they end up losing their close connection with God. Repentance must be true repentance involving godly sorrow and a determined effort not to commit the sin again (2 Cor. 7:9-11). Paul writes that we are not to be presumptuous when it comes to God’s grace (Rom. 6:1 cf. Deut. 29:19-21).
What should a Christian do if he/she commits sin? The Bible declares that if we confess our sins, the Lord is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins (1 John 1:9). Jesus understood our weaknesses and how we sin on a daily basis; hence, he established the way we should pray in the Lord’s Prayer – we are to ask our heavenly Father to forgive us our sins as we also forgive others who sin against us (Luke 11:4; Matt. 6:12).
