Can I really be forgiven?

Hey, thanks again for sending in questions related to our recent sermons. We’ve been continuing our series in Jeremiah, and this last week we talked about how sin affects us. Uh, a week prior, we talked really about how sin affects God, how he responds to it, but this last week we talked about how detrimental it is to us, um, to us personally, to the next generation, um, and to all of society, how corrosive it is.

So the question this week is, can I really be forgiven for anything? Can all my sins be forgiven? Um, and the answer is yes. Um, people, um, if you’re familiar with the Bible, a lot of times people immediately want to ask about, what about blasphemy of the Holy Spirit? Jesus says in Matthew 12, you know, all sins will be forgiven except for blasphemy of the Holy Spirit.

So we’ll talk about that in a second, but, um, when people ask, can, can I really be forgiven? If they ask that question, I’ve, they’ve never been asking about blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. If they’re asking about blasphemy of the Holy Spirit, they’ll ask about that specifically. If they’re asking, can I really be forgiven?

It’s about what they have done in their life that they feel is so dark, um, and has caused so much problems in their lives and they feel like they’re so far deep, um, into a hole that no one could ever accept them, especially God couldn’t accept them. Um, and so, you know, they’re burdened with guilt and shame and regret, uh, are usually the people that ask the question, um, can I be forgiven?

And for that person, the answer is absolutely yes. Uh, and Jesus forgives, um, any, anything and everything. Um, there’s, there’s, we cannot be so far gone that he can’t rescue us. And really the picture is the cross, of course. If we say, you know, God can forgive other people, but he can’t forgive me, what you’re really saying, um, is the cross wasn’t enough.

Jesus didn’t do enough. Jesus didn’t pay enough. Um, that, you know, the, the bearing the full weight of the sins of the world, somehow that you’re, uh, excluded from that. Um, and so I would, I would encourage you, just look at Jesus’ love for you on the cross. And if he’s willing to do that for you, that you could be accepted, redeemed, brought home, forgiven, then yes, uh, your sin is not bigger than that. Uh, so take heart.

He’s got you. He loves you. He’s coming for you, no matter how far gone you are, absolutely you can be forgiven. Now the question about, uh, blasphemy of the Holy Spirit, Jesus, you know, specifically says, Matthew 12, you know, all these other things will be forgiven. Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come. Um, and what theologians generally think Jesus is talking about, um, is a, uh, continual, ongoing, repeated, uh, rejection of the Holy Spirit’s

work in your life, trying to bring you to Jesus. You know, how we become Christians is the, is the spirit, um, uh, convicts us of sin, shows us Jesus is the answer, um, leads us to repentance and faith in him. And if we reject that, you know, if, if the spirit is leading us to Jesus, um, and we say, no thanks, and we say, no thanks for our entire life, well then, you know, of course, we’re not, we’re not forgiven, right? Because forgiveness is only in Jesus.

If we reject that, um, then we’ve rejected the means for forgiveness. Um, and so the, the first person who asks, can I really be forgiven? I would say, just don’t be guilty of blasphemy of the Holy Spirit where you don’t go to Jesus. Um, if you’re, if you’re burdened by your sin, go to Jesus, and then you won’t be guilty of blasphemy of the Holy Spirit, right? Um, and so that’s, that’s our encouragement.

Trust Jesus, put your faith in him. Um, you will be forgiven, no matter what is in your past, or really what is in your future. Um, he will receive you. Hope that’s helpful. We’ll see you next time.