When someone has treated another person badly or wrongly, this damages their relationship and brings the wrongdoer into a position of debt to the wronged party. He needs to compensate for the hurt or loss the other person has suffered – for example financially or emotionally. Forgiving the wrongdoer means to give up any claim for compensation, to let go of any negative emotions towards this person, and to restore the relationship whenever possible.
In Luke 15:11–32, Jesus Christ illustrates forgiveness through the story of a father and his son. The son deeply wounds his father by demanding the share of the inheritance he would normally receive in the future. He then leaves for a distant land and wastes all the money. Believing he may never see his son again, the father loses hope. Later, when the son falls into serious hardship, he recognizes his mistake and decides to return home. Instead of turning him away, the father warmly receives him—with embraces, kisses, and a festive meal—showing complete and heartfelt forgiveness.
We are in debt to God
The Bible teaches that every human being stands in debt to the Lord God. Because He created us good and righteous, with the purpose of glorifying Him, He has every right to expect our complete devotion. However, when the first humans chose to disobey their Creator, sin entered the world and affected all their descendants. As Romans 3:23 states, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Sin touches every one of us: we fail to give God the honor He deserves and repeatedly break His command to love Him above all and to love others as ourselves. As a result, we stand guilty before Him, and our relationship with Him is damaged.
God wants to forgive us
Because God is righteous, He does not simply overlook wrongdoing or “forget” our offenses. For the relationship between humanity and God to be restored, the debt of sin must be completely removed. Yet no human being—not even the most respected religious teacher—can accomplish this. Forgiveness cannot be purchased with money, sacrifices, or any other offering. After all, the entire earth already belongs to God; He needs nothing from us.
Nor can we make up for our sins by trying to live extra-righteous lives. The prophet Isaiah states that even our good deeds are like unclean rags (Isaiah 64:6). Instead of repairing our situation, we continually fall short of God’s perfect standard, making things even worse. This truth is echoed by the apostle Paul in Romans 3:20, where he explains that no one will be justified by works of the law. The law only reveals how sinful we truly are. The sobering conclusion is that we cannot make ourselves right with God.
Yet the Lord God is fully aware of our inability to restore this relationship. He does not desire that humanity perish, and therefore He Himself provides the solution. God the Son willingly took upon Himself the burden of human sin and guilt and paid the ransom by dying in our place. As Jesus Christ said in Matthew 26:28, He poured out His blood for the forgiveness of sins. His sacrifice was the only true and final answer to the problem of human sin. As Hebrews 9:22 declares, “Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.” Because a perfect sacrifice was required, God the Son became man in order to shed His own blood for sinners.
How can we be forgiven?
Jesus Christ has paid the price for our guilt. What remains for us is to confess our sins—to acknowledge that we have done wrong and to ask for forgiveness. When we do this, God is willing to forgive us and restore our relationship with Him. In this way, He is like the loving father in the parable found in Luke 15. God delights in showing mercy and forgiving those who return to Him. The Bible even says that there is joy in heaven over one sinner who repents, as stated in Luke 15:7.
What if I sin again?
Asking for and receiving forgiveness is not a one-time event. As long as we live, we continue to fall into sin. The Bible speaks honestly about this reality: “If we say we have no sins, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.” (1 John 1:8). Yet the following verse assures us that sin does not have to separate us from God: “If we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9). When we confess our sins, we experience freedom. If we sincerely repent, God will forgive us.
Do we need to confess every sin in order to be forgiven?
The verses quoted above raise an important question: If I die before confessing a particular sin, will God still forgive me, or will I be lost because that sin was never confessed? There is no need to fear losing your salvation. No one is able to confess every single sin they have committed, and we often forget many of them. A barrier in our relationship with God only arises when we deliberately choose not to confess certain sins because we enjoy them too much and are unwilling to give them up. In such cases, our relationship with the Lord is harmed.
Relationship with God
Let me list some Bible verses about the tremendous change in your relationship with God that happens when you become a believer.
- God adopts you as His child: “See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God”, 1 John 3:1.
- You receive the light of life: “For at one time you were darkness. But now you are light in the Lord”, Ephesians 5:8.
- You used to be spiritually dead, but God made you alive. “God… even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ”, Ephesians 2:4-5.
- You have become a member of the church, which is the body of Christ: “Now you are the body of Christ”, 1 Corinthians 12:27.
- You have received forgiveness for all your sins: “Everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins through His name”, Acts 10:43.
- You are God’s possession with a special position: “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood. A holy nation, a people for His own possession”, 1 Peter 2:9.
- You have an eternally secure position as a sheep in Jesus’ care: “I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. And no one will snatch them out of My hand”, John 10:28.
Does all of this change when we sin as believers? No, it still remains true. Does it change when we do not confess that sin before we die? No, it still remains true. These are all unconditional promises for God’s children, and descriptions of their position in God’s sight.
Confess your sins to God
Our position as a child of God does not change, but the relationship will be affected if we don’t confess a particular sin. A child may do something that makes his parents angry or sad, yet that does not mean he is no longer their child. Still, he needs to admit what he has done and change his behavior in order to restore the relationship with his parents. The same is true for God’s children. God’s love for you has not changed, and you do not lose your salvation when you sin. However, to experience closeness with God again and restore the relationship, you need to confess your sin and receive His forgiveness.
Moreover, if you are aware of a particular sin, why would you choose not to confess it to God? Read Psalm 32 and see how deeply it troubled David while he kept silent about his sin with Bathsheba. We are called to confess our sins and turn away from them.
If you are a believer and you die with unconfessed sins, you will not end up in hell. But why leave those sins unconfessed? Do not delay in bringing them before God. Confessing your sins and receiving His forgiveness helps you walk in joy and fellowship with the Lord every day of your life.