Jesus forgave my past. But I am not able to forgive myself. Why?

Dear friend, We receive many emails from our readers on this topic. I have asked for forgiveness for all my past mistakes. I know Jesus forgave all my past mistakes. But why am I not able to forgive my past? Why am I getting the feeling that my past was never forgiven? 

There are two components to our forgiveness of sin. One is grace, and the other is faith. 

Grace

We are forgiven by the grace of our Lord, Jesus Christ. Jesus had to suffer and die on the cross to forgive all our past mistakes. He took all our inequities and sorrows to wash us away from our past. The Bible says, “But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed.” Jesus took all our sins and died on the cross on behalf of us. This is pure grace, i.e., we receive forgiveness from God when we do not deserve it. 

The crucifixion of Jesus Christ guarantees forgiveness for our sins. The Bible says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” The only prerequisite to receiving forgiveness is confessing our past mistakes to Jesus Christ. 

Faith

While Jesus guarantees forgiveness of our past mistakes through grace, we have another component in salvation. That is faith. The forgiveness of our sins is assured through grace when we confess. We need to receive and accept it through faith. If we do not receive the assurance of salvation, then doubts will crop up. The Bible says, “We are saved by grace through faith in Christ Jesus and not by our own efforts or works.” The sentence “through faith” is very important here concerning the above question in the title. You might now ask why I don’t have faith if Jesus has already forgiven my past. The Bible says, “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.“

If we really want to understand the sacrifices Jesus has made for us and the assurance of salvation He has given us, then we need to invest our time in reading the Bible. We would like to show you some of the scriptural promises that offer the assurance of salvation when we confess and ask for forgiveness. 

As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.

People who conceal their sins will not prosper, but if they confess and turn from them, they will receive mercy.

He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases. He redeems me from death and crowns me with love and tender mercies.

But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God.

Dear friend, I hope the above bible promises helped you to understand the assurance of forgiveness Jesus wants to give you. Jesus is not only willing to forgive all your past mistakes but also willing to forget your past mistakes and make you a precious child. Start believing and start building your faith in God. There are many more treasures similar to his in the Bible. If you do not have a hard copy of the Bible you can start with the online Bible at https://www.biblegateway.com/

But try to purchase a hard copy which you can read daily in your mother tongue. 

We are going to pray together now. Jesus is going to change your life. He is going to assure you of salvation. Satan will come and tell you Jesus has not forgiven your past. He is a liar. Tell him what the Bible says and he will flee. Let’s pray to Jesus.

Please place your hand on your heart and say the following prayer in your own words.

Dear Jesus, I come to you with a rejoicing heart. Thank you for your great love and sacrifice for my past mistakes. Thank you for washing all my past mistakes through your precious blood. Thank you for the grace. Please build my faith. I want to receive forgiveness in faith. You have done everything for me. Jesus, Thank you so much for all your promising verses in the Bible. Fill my heart with the assurance of salvation. Help me not to make the same mistakes again. I want to follow you with all my heart. I put my trust in you and believe you. In Jesus’s mighty name, I pray. Amen. 

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