Can God Forgive Sin?

1. Greeting

2. Greeting

1. You are looking worried, Brother, are you not well?

2. Well, yes, I am worried. I was gambling last night, and lost this month's wages. We have so many bills to pay. The family has to be fed for the next month. Worst of all I can't pay the school fees.

1. Oh, that is too bad.

2. Ah well, God will forgive.

1. God can forgive, but will He?

2. But God is merciful, so surely He will.

1. If God is merciful then we don't need to worry about sin. We can sin freely, can we?

2. No, I don't think it is like that. We must do more good deeds so our good deeds will outweigh our bad ones-then God will be merciful.

1. Ah-but then how do we know we have done enough good deeds?

2. Yes, that is what troubles me. I am never sure, and I am never free from the feeling of guilt (burden of guilt).

1. My friend, that is the heart of the matter-not the sin of last night-but the fact that we are sinners, and God is holy. God is completely just. He will not overlook sin, and the good deeds we do are worthless in the eyes of a holy God. True goodness cannot come out of a heart filled with sin. Can sweet water come out of a bitter well?

2. Ah, then is there no hope?

1. Let me ask you this. Suppose someone steals money from you. He is caught and taken before the judge. What would happen to him?

2. He would be sent to jail.

1. I know you are a very merciful man. If you offered to go to jail in the place of this man, what would happen to him?

2. He would go free. He would be forgiven. I would bear his penalty.

1. Exactly. This is the true meaning of forgiveness. Someone pays the price so that the offender can be forgiven.

2. That is not going to take away the guilty feeling I have.

1. God did make a way for us to be free from the guilt of sin. We may still suffer the immediate results of our sins. You will have a difficult time paying your bills. But you can know that God will not punish you and that He will help you to not gamble any more.

2. Please tell me more.

1. God is completely just. (He does not look at sin lightly) He does not give cheap forgiveness. His forgiveness changes the life of a person, so that they will not want to sin again. He, Himself, paid the price of our sin. He sent Jesus to this earth. The Bible says, "The punishment for sin is death." Jesus died on a cross taking our punishment upon Himself. Doing this He made a way for us to be forgiven.

2. Jesus really gave His own life to pay for my sin? Our sin must be really bad.

1. Yes it is (and no other payment is sufficient) God can only accept a holy and voluntary sacrifice. Only Christ's sacrifice fulfilled this.

2. But I have done many good works.

1. The Bible says, "The blood of Christ is very costly." The sacrifice of His life is very costly. Only this is sufficient to redeem us. We cannot trust in our ability to pay this price. We could never meet God's requirement. Our only hope is to trust in Jesus Who paid the price fully for us.

2. How can I know God's forgiveness?

1. You must confess your sin to God. You must turn from your sin. Believe that the Lord Jesus Christ has paid the punishment for your sins. Ask the Lord to come into your life. If you do this God will forgive you. You will have peace with God. Jesus is the only sacrifice for man's sin.

2. Thank you for telling me this. I will think seriously about this. Greetings.

1. Greetings.