Forgiveness

[servant4ever]

Hi,

I am not sure at all if God will forgive me. I have done so many awful things in my life. Yes, i have asked God to forgive me, but I surely don't feel forgiven. does anyone else feel this way, and how do you make sure god will forgive you? i don't know, maybe I am really messed up, but God is probably really mad at me for all I have done.

servant4ever

 

[TheThirdLink]

I've felt that way too. I read Scripture a lot, but I had to have God make me be reassured that nothing was wrong with me, I couldn't do that myself because I kept blaming myself for everything.

 

[skeetercts]

Well, you may not feel forgiven, because not only do you need God to forgive you, but you need to forgive yourself. God will always forgive you, but if you don't forgive yourself and lay down that burden, all you are doing is holding onto it.

 

[TheThirdLink]

Well, you may not feel forgiven, because not only do you need God to forgive you, but you need to forgive yourself. God will always forgive you, but if you don't forgive yourself and lay down that burden, all you are doing is holding onto it.

True.

 

[herev]

Hello my burger king fan friend!!!
I spent years refusing to answer God's call to ministry because I believed that the sins that I had committed were not forgiveable--even though I knew the Bible said differently!!! When I finally realized that my refusal to believe that I was forgiven was the same as denying Jesus' death on the cross--it clicked for me. What Jesus did--his death, his resurrection, his promises--cannot be defeated by ME! The sins that I have committed were (in my mind) horrific!!!!!!!!! But Jesus's perfection trumps my horrific any day!! What clicked for me was to realize that it wasn't God who hadn't forgiven me--it was me that hadn't forgiven me~!! And that was at the best, denying Christ's power to attone for even my sins--God is bigger than you. Jesus' death is bigger than your sins.
I had to seek counseling to finally get it, you may want to, but know this, if you have confessed, repented, and asked for forgiveness, Jesus doesn't even remember your sins anylonger--they have been wiped clean!!!

 

[servant4ever]

I have been in counseling, but I am on a 6-week break because I am home for the summer. . I am sure going back to counseling once I get back to school because I am getting worse here at home, by myself, where no one here in my hometown knows what I'm going through.

servant4ever

 

[Deamiter]

you know, you really need to tell somebody! I think you mentioned you liked your pastor there! Why don't you request a lunch date or an appointment in his office during the week? He won't turn you down as it's his calling and his job. You don't have to go over everything with him. But it WOULD give you some grounding. For example, he could answer questions like this face-to-face.

Even if you don't want to have an actual meeting with him, I would suggest that you get involved at church either way. Ask the pastor what you can do to help because you're bored and you want to get out of your house! I'm sure he can come up with some jobs around the Church. In exchange, you will be doing work for God, AND you will be around more Christians who can help to build you up!

So go to your church and volenteer first. If you want to take my advice and talk to the pastor, all the better. But the ESSENTIAL point here, is go get involved at church!

 

[servant4ever]

I already had a lunch meeting with my pastor, the conversation didn't lead that way, we ended up talking about a Bible class I took last semester. Also if I want to volunteer, I have to take a class to even start volunteering, and all the classes are full until September . I know, I'm a huge loser; I should have talked to my pastor about it. He is really busy also, it took a long time to find a good appointment time for him the last time we met. I am such a failure.

servant4ever

 

[Deamiter]

you're a loser because the classes were full? That's incoherant.

Sometimes God closes doors. You should fill your life with action. Move toward any opportunity that you think God may be pushing you toward. Especially as a young Christian, it is often hard to figure out exactly where He wants you. Certainly prayer isn't the sole solution to discerning God's will! I find that when I pray, I often get urges to serve God in certain ways. And I move to fulfill those serving opportunities. But if God doesn't want me there, He closes the door and I move on to serve Him in the next area.

What you end up finding is that you won't hit a whole series of closed doors. If you're praying and spending time in the word, AND moving to serve God in any way you can, you will start to see a pattern and a direction. Sometimes it changes 180 degrees, but that's God for ya. You're not supposed to understand!

But the point is, your 'failure' in volenteering at your church sounds like a door closed by God to me! I can't imagine why a church would refuse volenteers until they finished a class (which has limited capacity) but that CERTAINLY doesn't make you a failure! God has closed a door for you. He's saying that you are not SUPPOSED to volenteer at the Church. It doesn't mean you should give up at the first sign of adversity, but neither should you bash your head against the door when it stays shut! Keep trying, keep working. Find another church! Churches everywhere need volenteers, and there are tons of children's or outreach programs that won't discriminate as to your home church! Keep trying, and you'll find your open door!

 

[TheMainException]

You will be forgiven...Christ's blood is enough...his love is enough...it's all you need....stay in the love of Christ. You are the beloved. Get the book by Brennan Manning called "Abba's Child." It's about the love of Christ...it rocks.

 

[johnfiredup]

ah those feelings,
suppose a wife got up in the morning and said "i dont feel like i'm married today"
or
Maybe you got out of bed and said "i dont feel i'm their child anymore"

you can see where im going ...

the bible says this "without faith it is impossible to please God"
honey just believe what God says
He said" i have put your sin into the sea of forgetfullnes and ,I have put it as far away as east from west (they never meet)
(its not that God has forgotten-just that He chooses to forget)

the next time the devil reminds you of your past remind him of his future!!

GBU john

 

[servant4ever]

I have tried that before. It doesn't work. I'm going to tell my counselor about me not being able to forgive myself the next time I see him.

servant4ever

 

[I'ddie4him]

I know exactly how you are feeling my young friend. I did so much bad stuff thru my life that I don't know or understand how God could ever forgive me. I know that that God forgives us if we truly repent and pray for forgiveness. I have done this, But, I still question if I am truly forgiven. I guess it's my own doubts coming out. I have felt the same way myself alot of the time. but, I think it all comes down to trust. Do we trust that God has forgiven us ? Do we believe that we are forgiven ?
I say yes to both counts.

 

[servant4ever]

I guess the thing is, I have a hard time forgiving myself. I shouldn't have done all the stupid thigns to myself. I shouldn't have done the stupid things to make my roommates mad freshman year. I should have done more to make my roommates like me last year. I did try a ton, but I must not have done enough. I tried to talk to every roommate at least once a day, but I guess I failed. I am not thinking of transferring to another college because I can't stand all the pain at this college. Maybe I will be able to forgive myself if I get away from that college. I really don't want to go back. I seriously don't. I don't have one friend at my college. No one ever comes and visits me. I told several people to come visit me and to see my room, no one did. I know what you are going to say, so dont' say it. I couldn't go visit the people because I am disabled. I could not get up all the stairs and everything to see them. I MUST HAVE DONE SOMETHING TO DESERVE BEING DISABLED. What did I do to be born disabled? Was I mean to God while I was in my mother, or what? I must have done something.

servant4ever

 

[EbonNelumbo]

I really don't want to go back. I seriously don't. I don't have one friend at my college. No one ever comes and visits me. I told several people to come visit me and to see my room, no one did. I know what you are going to say, so dont' say it. I couldn't go visit the people because I am disabled. I could not get up all the stairs and everything to see them. I MUST HAVE DONE SOMETHING TO DESERVE BEING DISABLED.

Buddy I know that life is hard. Life is so hard and I do know how you feel, not to every degree, but I have a good idea. God is waiting for you with open arms, he doesn't count the past sins if you have asked Him to forgive you. I mean it, I think that everyone everywhere can write a book series about all the sins that they have commited and still left out half, but those same people, are often the people that we look to for guidance; The people like pastors. It is not for us to decide when we are forgiven, it is for us to decide when we are sorry. I believe wholeheartedly that if God is willing to send Jesus to be crucified for our sins so they could be forgiven, with the torment of his very own Son, it is only logical that He would offer forgiveness to those who struggle and those who are sorry.

Repentance is simply a 180*...you head one way and fall down, you get back up and head the other.

I cannot offer you biblical scripture to show you that you are forgiven when you come to the Father with a humble heart, but I can tell you that I KNOW it is in there.

 

[Jonesy]

I Struggled with Forgiveness, and still am for some stuff i done just at the start of this summer.
I asked God for forgiveness, and i know he forgave me....but it didnt feel like that.
Every time ur past comes up, or you dont feel forgiven, or what u done comes up etc....its satan....so just tell him to get his ass back to where he came from.

I see it like this....everything satan does is a reaction to God doing something....eg. in this case...you HAVE been forgiven...so satan in reaction to that is trying to make u dwell on the past. I dont know if you guys agree with that...its just a personal theory.

---------------

Oh yeah, dont let being disabled get you down. I know this sounds rubbish, coming from me, and not knowing what its like....but i see it like this. Nobody knows how God works. Maybe being disabled in one way, gifts u in another?

I think im rambling now, sorry if that was no help what so ever.

Mark