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The Unforgiven

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Dear God,

I don't know if You remember me or not. I put my trust in Your Son Jesus a few years back, and I was really on fire for awhile. But lately I have been thinking about some really stupid choices (that seemed like a good idea at the time) that I made before and after I became a Christian, and now I feel like I'm a million miles away from You.

I guess what I'm struggling with the most is guilt. My past haunts me like a recurring nightmare. The fact that You died for me makes it even worse when I think about how I have turned my back on you. And then there's that one sin I committed - I'm too ashamed to even write it out. God, how could you ever forgive me for that??? I feel so guilty, I can't go to youth group, read the Bible, or even talk to you (which is why I'm writing).

I've heard of a thing called the unpardonable sin. Father, is it possible that I've committed it? Jesus, if you're there, please write me back. If you don't I completely understand. After all, if I can't even forgive myself, why would you?

Sarah

My precious child,

Of course I remember you. I will never forget the day you came to me with a broken heart and trusted Me for complete forgiveness. Since that day I have never stopped thinking about you and loving you. In fact, my thoughts for you outnumber the grains of sand in the sea! (Psalm 139:17-18).

Let me tell you about my thoughts and feelings toward you at this very moment.

I love you. Not with a fickle, changing kind of love, but with the kind that lasts forever. Take my words to heart - I've never quit loving you and I never will. Expect love, love, and more love! (Jeremiah 31:3)

Because of this love, I hold nothing against you. Every sin you have ever committed or will commit in the future has been completely forgiven and forgotten. On the cross, I screamed out the words "It is finished!", and so it was. There is no record of wrongs in your file, because I have removed your rebellious acts as far away as the east is from the west, (Psalm 103:12) and I have thrown your sins into the bottom of the sea (Micah 7:19). So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to me! (Romans 8:1)

I am more concerned for you than you will ever know. If I were not, would I have come down to earth in the flesh and allowed people to mock Me, spit on Me, beat Me, and nail Me up on a cross for all to see? I poured out My very life's blood in order to pay a price for your life and to set you free!

And yes, you have been set free from the unpardonable sin. It is impossible for any child of mine to commit this sin. Only those who die fighting the work of the Holy Spirit to bring them to trust in Me for salvation are guilty of this.

Sarah, you must understand that it is Satan who is whispering the words "guilty" in your ear. One of his names is "Accuser", one of My names is "Savior". I have saved you from the penalty and power of sin, and one day I will deliver you from the presence of sin as well. From now on, when Satan whispers the word "guilty" in your ear, I want you to hear My voice saying "forgiven". When the devil brings back memories of your sin, picture Me hanging on the Cross looking deeply into your eyes saying "it...is...finished!"

Come back to Me, Sarah. Draw close to Me and I will draw close to you (James 4:8), because I will never let you down, I will never walk off and leave you (Hebrews 13:5).

Love,
Jesus

Head: What you need to know about this truth

At the very moment a person places his/her trust in Jesus' death and resurrection as his/her only hope of salvation, he/she is declared righteous before God. All sins past, present, and future are completely forgiven. The only unpardonable sin is to die without trusting Christ.

Heart: What you need to feel about this truth

Forgiven. If you have trusted Christ as your only hope of salvation, you are forgiven. Meditate on this truth and let it soak into the very fiber of your being. God accepts you unconditionally, you can go to your Daddy anytime, anywhere and never fear that He points an accusing finger at you. Ernest Hemingway tells the story of a father and son who had become estranged. The son ran away, and the father set off to find him. He searched for months to no avail. Finally, in a last desperate effort to find him, the father put an ad in a Madrid newspaper. The ad read: Dear Paco, meet me in front of this newspaper office at noon on Saturday. All is forgiven. I love you. Your Father. On Saturday 800 Pacos showed up, looking for forgiveness and love from their fathers. If you feel like Paco, know that you are forgiven, and you can go home. Here's a good formula to remember:

1 CROSS + 3 NAILS = 4 GIVEN

Hands: What you need to do about this truth

If you are being haunted by guilt, try this exercise. Take a container of some kind and write in big letters: FORGIVEN. Next, make a list of all your past sins, especially the ones that you think God could never forgive. Beside each one, write the words 'not guilty'. When you are finished, tear up the paper into little pieces and put them in the container. Repeat this procedure as necessary!

As well, knowing and feeling the forgiveness of God should be a huge motivation to forgive others. We were guilty of murdering God's Son, and He forgave us - how then could we not forgive others? If you have any bad feelings toward someone else, let the forgiveness you found in God spill over into your life and let it go!

Finally, the forgiveness of God is one of the foundations to sharing our faith. Witnessing is not about condemning people, it's about setting people free! You have the cure for the worst kind of spiritual cancer called guilt. Don't keep the good news to yourself - go out today and cry freedom for the captives! For help with this, check out the GOSPEL Journey.