I love the line from J.I. Packer’s book, Knowing God—

“Nobody can produce new evidence of your depravity that will make God change his mind…He knew the worst about you at the time when he accepted you for Jesus’ sake; and the verdict which he passed then was, and is, final.”

Maybe you’ve thought to yourself, I’ve made too many mistakes – if God really knew what I’ve done, He couldn’t forgive me. We often need reminders of the grace over our lives. That God’s forgiveness is grace itself—a gift He freely offers to us when we confess and repent of our sins.

God isn’t angry at you. When we turn from our sins and turn in faith to Christ, we are washed clean. Guilt, shame, and condemnation aren’t from God. So don’t stay there. Instead, ask God to help you put your past behind you!

“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you” – Ephesians 4:32

Not only is forgiveness freely offered to us through Christ, but it enables us also to forgive others. Before Jesus breathed His last breath on the cross, He spoke one powerful word, Tetelestai. It’s a Greek word that means “it is finished.” But Jesus wasn’t talking about His life or His suffering. He was saying His work of redemption was complete—past, present, and future.

Through Christ’s work on the cross and through His resurrection, as believers we now share in a bond of peace and are called to make every effort to keep unity in the Spirit. Because of this unity, we can rest. We can move from the past of our own transgressions and the memory of those who have wronged us, which in turn allows us to freely extend the grace we’ve received to others.

Because of the cross and the forgiveness Jesus died to give you, God offers you the life you were made for—the life He longs to give.

Dear God, thank you for forgiving ALL of my sins once and for all. Thank you that, because of Jesus, I am free to embrace the new, abundant life you long to give me. Help me embrace the complete forgiveness the cross offers me, and help me to forgive others. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

– Nick Hall