Can I be forgiven?

[SarahLynne]

Hello, I am Sarah. I'm 14 years old and my whole life I have never really believed in anything. I'm really trying to now.. but I'm alone. The rest of my family is not religious.

I've comitted many sins. I want to be forgiven.
I've commited adultery.

I used to not believe in the Bible or God at all. I'd go to Marilyn Manson/ Slayer concerts.. I said Screw that, that doesn't exist.. I've wripped papers out of the bible and thrown them into the street.
I FEEL TERRIBLE.
this was my past, I want a future

Its REALLY hard for me to believe in God. Like I just can't believe it no matter how hard I try but I really want to more than anything.
What do I do?
Can I be forgiven for what I've done?

 

[cool29801]

God is so great, he will forgive anything! He sent his son to die for our sins so we could be forgiven. Repent, ask for forgivness and mean it fully with your heart. God will forgive and forget, and it will all be behind you. If you need a boost in christianity, goto a local church or dig around this forum a bit, or just send me a private message. I can kinda relate to how you were before, and I can give you some good advice on where to start.

Matthew 18:21-22
Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?" Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.

Luke 6:37
Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.

"Behold, he who has repented of his sins, the same is forgiven, and I, the Lord, remember them no more."

God bless!

 

[LilLamb219]

Yes, SarahLynne, there is forgiveness for you. It seems that God is calling you to Him and that you no longer want to reject His voice You might want to try praying to Him and asking Him to show you more about Him.

 

[Criada]

God forgives us, sweetie, as soon as we ask Him to.

1 John 1:9
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

He does more than forgiving us, He makes us clean and pure again... He gives us a new heart. The bible says that He removes our sins 'as far as the east is from the west'.... and that He 'remembers them no more'.

Praying for you, sweetie.
Talk to God.... He is ready to listen, and He loves you more than you can possibly imagine!

 

[suzybeezy]

May I encourage you to call around some churches in your area and see if any offer any youth programs. Some churches really have some great programs that offer to teens and youths. This will really help you as you seek to learn more about God plus will provide you with some support.

And again, I echo what others have said, there is forgiveness. I was certainly no angel when I was a teenager but God forgave me. As the mother of a 15 year old, I know the struggles she endures. I just try to encourage her to read the Bible, pray and participate in youth programs that will strengthen her in God.

If you every need someone to talk to, know that I am here. Feel free to pm me any time.

 

[Kristen.NewCreation]

I would agree with the posts you've already received - forgiveness is available, and you only need to ask God for forgiveness. Ask Him to help you make good choices and focus on Him then your thinking and behaviors will begin to reflect Him. It is a choice, but it sounds like you've already made the choice to believe in God. He will help you and meeting people who believe in God will help you to learn more as well.

 

[SharonL]

Hi Sweetie - what a beautiful testimony you are - God is calling you and you are responding.

The beauty of it all is once you have asked Jesus into your heart - you are as white as the driven snow (I don't know what driven snow - but have heard it) anyway - the slate is totally clean as if you never did a thing wrong - when we ask for forgiveness and repent - all our sins are thrown into the lake of forgetfulness and God remembers them no more. If you go back and ask God to forgive you for something you already ask forgiveness for - he does not have it on your slate - it is gone.

You have not committed adultry - that is when one is married and cheats on their spouse. If you have participated in sexual acts - when you ask forgiveness that is covered also - just determine that you will now serve God and save yourself for the mate that God will bring to you.

Hold your head up high and see yourself as Jesus sees you - pure, precious, sitting on the right hand of God, covered by the blood of Jesus and walking hand in hand with Jesus and guided by His Holy Spirit that is within you. INvite the Holy Spirit in, that will be that still small voice that taps you on the shoulder and guides you to the truth of all things.

You will be the light that will bring the rest of your family to God - just walk the walk and talk the talk, they will see the joy within you and want what you have - don't let them discourage you - God has called you out - you will be the leader.

As others have said - PM me anytime you want to talk or have a question - I will be gone until the 30th so if I don't answer I'm not ignoring you.

As others have said - find a church with a good youth group - get around people who love the Lord - there is no comparison to the peace you will feel.

Very proud of you and Jesus is also - you are listening to His call and you will be fine.

 

[emilia0415]

when i was 14, i struggled like you - i turned from God because i was confused. i ignored His voice because i was angry, hurting, and felt alone. its so encouraging that you can hear Him. just talk to Him. listen. think, relax, and be still. God bless.

 

[Fritz_John3:16]

Sarah,
There is forgiveness for you, and its free. You only have to believe in Jesus Christ that he died on the cross for your sins and that he was raised from the dead to go and prepare a place for you in heaven.

I would also like to encourage you to be willing to forgive yourself. Once you have decided to ask Christ into your heart and life, be prepared to give yourself the same love and forgiveness that Christ has given.

I know from experience that this is sometime the harder thing to do. You say you have done so many bad things, but know this, Jesus washes that all away never to be brought up again. You can rest assured in that.

If you are ready to ask Christ into your heart and be saved, its so easy you will be amazed.

Simply talk to God like you would any other person. Think about him like a wonderful friend who loves you with all his heart. Tell him you want forgiveness for your sins, and that you believe in his son Jesus Christ. Tell him you believe that he died for your sins and was risen from the dead. Tell him you want to accept Christ into your heart and follow him and all his teachings.

That’s it my friend, when you do this, you are a believer and you are born again. Which simply means your life is reborn with Christ as your lord, savior and best friend.

I would also suggest you find a good easy to read Bible and read the book called JOHN. It is a great start to understand who Jesus is and what he has done for you.

Also like others have said, find a good church so you can be encouraged and prayed for by other believers. They will help you grow in your christian faith.

You need anything just pm me.

I am praying for you.

 

[flaglady]

You know what? Getting the forgiveness from God is a whole lot easier than we think. It's the forgiving OURSELVES that takes the doing. We constantly relive the bad we've done and keep reliving it until it consumes us. And all the time Jesus is there, reaching out to us, desperate to have us reach back. And He'll gladly take on all our demons for us.

Watch this short sideo ... Says it all

http://www.godtube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=ee73e63418003b47d7d5
​

 

[Brendan1000]

Sometimes I have similar feelings - it's easy to feel like you're a bad person. We've all done bad things that we're not proud of.

I hope I can offer a few words to help you on your journey.

First, the feeling of guilt you are feeling is partially due to your subjective feelings about the past. As humans, it's hard to step outside of our selves and view things in the light of truth and accuracy. I'm sure you have people around you who would support and love you like friends and family and that making mistakes does not mean you are a terrible person.

Also, we all in our lives have feelings of imperfection. In my beliefs, I feel that we try to compare ourselves to Jesus and it's hard to measure up but that doesn't mean people are inherently bad and there truly is hope in this world.

 

[lilmissmontana]

I really don't have a lot to add other than you have been given some extremely caring and gentle love in this thread. That speaks to me that you are indeed being called. He's making the way for you right here.

I have four daughters. Trust me. There isn't anything you could tell me I probably haven't dealt with in the sin department. I want you to know something. Not all Christians agree on everything and I don't know what you've been told about what I want to say. I want to say first that what information you take in is important. So anything I or anyone else tells you ask the Lord to confirm it. He will. Keep your eyes open it comes in odd ways sometimes.

Now. sin. What an ugly creature. sin is sin. It doesn't make one difference what it is other than some are more seducing than others. (they suck you in easier) The trouble is they all wreck havoc on your life. The first thing that will probably happen is you will notice those being weeded out. You see, we can't do it alone. We must lean on the strength of the Lord. He will carry you through it. One of my favorite songs has a line it that goes 'If He carried the weight of the world on His shoulders, my friend, He can carry you'. And when you ask Jesus to reign in your life, you can expect the enemy to tempt you. On that note is what I came to day. The enemy is what most call the forces not of the Lord. His strongest weapon is deception. And his strength in that weapon is our very unbelief. The enemy has NO control over you unless you choose so. And occasionally we don't see it coming. The Lord does not look at what we didn't know to do or anything like that. He looks first and foremost at the INTENT of our heart. If you trust the Lord you can't loose. He doesn't lose any He saves because when you come to Him He knows it's your time. You may stray. Trust me He knows exactly where you are. He won't let you stray too far. I would never tell you that at some point you probably won't like him having to round you up. The choice is and must be yours. I trust the Lord knows you're here and I will pray this is your time. God bless and take care of your heart. It is what counts.

REMEMBER this. I will come back with some verses. But he says when we ask for forgiveness He forgives and never remembers it again. The problem is we condemn ourselves by continually bringing it up and to the front by not letting it go ourself.

lilmissmontana

 

[lilmissmontana]

Here's some verses:

When I saw this one I smiled because it helped me see you as having an opportunity to be a witness to your family down the road in God's time.

Acts: 16:31
And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.

These are promises from God directly from the bible. If you believe in these promises you will do just fine. It is hard work to believe, though. Don't think it's not. The enemy works hard to deceive us. BUT he can't hurt us unless we believe him.

Acts 2:39
For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord shall call.

The Lord can not lie.

Matthew 11:28,29,30
Come unto me, all ye that labor and are
heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me;
for I am meek and loewly in heart:
and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

You might already know this but for anyone who doesn't in the New Testament the red writing is Jesus himself talking. Theses verses here in red are known as the Great Invitation because Jesus, Himself, tells you He will watch over you and that He so wants you to come to Him.

Psalm 9:9
The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed,
a refuge in times of trouble.

What an awesome promise this is! Our Lord is telling you He will protect you. If you don't know what do do all you have to do is ask Him to take over and then you can rest and He will take over.

Psalm 27:14
Wait on the Lord:
be of good courage, and he shall strengthen
thine heart:
wait, I say, on the Lord.

This is a promise that took me awhile. I'm not always patient. Just because we don't see our promise being worked on, trust me, it is. I've finally lived long enough to see some of them. And many were answered immediately. Remember the bible teaches us one day in the Lord's time is 1000 days in our time. The understanding the Lord gave me is He answers as soon as we ask. It just is in His time that it is completed.

Psalm 31:24
Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart,
all ye that hope in the Lord.

This is one that is precious to me. I have had to stand on it until I'm blue in the face. But it has NEVER failed me. The Lord ALWAYS comes through. I'm not going to sit here and tell you it'll be easy. It won't. It's not the 'popular' thing going on. But I know this I could never be popular growing up without having to give away a piece of me. God will NEVER do that. He sees you as so very precious to Him. He is our Father in heaven. The way a father should be. Strict and firm and demanding you walk right but always tenderly giving you every little thing you need and desire if you do.

Proverbs 16:7
When a man's ways are pleasing to the Lord,
he will make even his enemies at peace with him.

I love this one! I've seen it in action. It's like your enemies can't even see you!

John 6:47
Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on
me hath everlasting life.

Another totally awesome promise from Jesus! Everlasting life!

Hebrews 11:1
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for,
the evidence of things not seen.

This is an important verse. It's faith that we walk. The whole journey with the Lord requires this faith in this verse. Because there will be times it will be hard. But, oh!, the reward when the end result of something we are faithing in comes to pass!!!! It's a joy like no other!

Psalm 31:24

Be of good courage and he shall strengthen your heart,
all ye that hope in the Lord.

I'm going to end with this verse because I just love scripture and the Lord and could do this all day!

I pray this opens ears and eyes. in Jesus very precious name

God bless you on your journey, young lady!