As recorded in the book of Genesis, Adam and Eve, the first man and woman, sinned by disobeying God’s commandments (Genesis 3). Since that time, generations of mankind have continued to sin, and sin brings death, as the Apostle Paul states in Romans 6:23. The second half of this verse further teaches that forgiveness of sin is granted through the sacrifice of Jesus. This forgiveness is described as a “gift from God.” A gift is something that is freely given, regardless of whether the recipient feels worthy of it. However, even though God’s forgiveness of our sins, for Christ’s sake, is freely given, it can be difficult to feel that forgiveness in our own hearts and minds.

Feeling God’s forgiveness first requires an understanding of God’s nature and His plan for mankind. God wants us to know Him and to feel His love, which is why He created mankind, separate from all of His other creation, “in His image” (Genesis 1:26-27). However, God expects us to express a desire to draw closer to Him before He begins to bless us in return (James 4:6-8, Psalms 1:1-3). Drawing closer to God has many aspects, but two of the primary paths of doing so are through study of the Bible and interacting with others who have similar goals of drawing closer to God. Both are necessary to better understand God. Through understanding comes trust, and through trust comes a better acceptance of His forgiveness.

As one draws closer to God, one gains, with God’s blessing, a greater insight into one’s own thoughts and actions. One begins to understand God’s will and standards. Through contemplations on them, one begins to see where one’s life is out of harmony with them. The goal of developing this kind of self-awareness is not to cripple oneself with guilt over an inability to perfectly follow all of God’s expectations at all times. God intends us to be productive in His service, not overwhelmed by the many times we may fail (Hebrews 12:1). God also expects us to improve as we grow in His service (2 Peter 3:18, Jude 1:20-21, 2 Timothy 2:15). This means we must recognize of our shortcomings and demonstrate a desire for forgiveness, accompanied by a mindset to work all the more diligently on the work He would have us do. The Apostle Paul understood this need to see and accept one’s weaknesses, and to seek and trust in God’s forgiveness for failures. Over time, as one’s heart becomes more attuned to God, failures become fuel to focus one’s determination to more fully serve God (Romans 7:17-25, 1 Corinthians 9:26-27). That fuel should in turn drive works (James 2:17).

One of the works of a heart that is attuned to God’s will is the forgiveness of others. In order to feel fully forgiven by God, it is vital that we, in turn, forgive all who need our forgiveness. This lesson is taught by the parable of the king who forgives his servant’s debt in Matthew 18:21-35. In this parable, a servant owes his king a debt too great for him to pay back. Moved by the servant’s plea for mercy, the king forgives the servant his debt. Consider how God, for Christ’s sake, forgives us of our sins (Ephesians 4:31-32). This is a debt we cannot hope to be able to repay, just as the servant could not hope to repay the debt to his king.

As the parable continues, the servant, now forgiven of his debt, encounters one of his fellow-servants who, in turn, owes him a debt. Instead of demonstrating the forgiveness of his king, the servant violently demands that the fellow-servant repays his debt to him. Upon hearing of this lack of forgiveness, the king becomes displeased with the servant, and condemns the servant to punishment. In this comparison, Jesus taught that God, who forgives us of our sins for his (Jesus’) sake expects us to demonstrate the same mercy to our fellow people. This type of forgiveness is not something that we inherently possess. It must be developed over time as we draw closer to God. Without action, there will be no development, and without development of a heart that fully and freely forgives others, we cannot expect to feel God’s forgiveness of our own shortcomings (Matthew 6:14-15).

God will forgive us our sins. In order to feel that forgiveness, we must first grow to know God to develop our trust in Him. Jesus taught his followers to ask for this forgiveness when he taught them how to pray in Matthew 6:12 as a means to further our trust in God. As part of that asking, however, as Jesus taught in the second half of Matthew 6:12, we are expected to cultivate a heart that forgives others as well. Having such a heart will, in turn, help us to feel that God has fully forgiven us for our own sins.

Additional Resource:
Christian Questions Podcast
Episode #935: “Does God Really Forgive Me?”
How our forgiveness from God and for each other works
Preview Video
CQ Rewind Show Notes

Episode #1289: “How Do I Know If I Have Really Forgiven Someone?”
The depth, power and appropriate applications of true forgiveness
Preview Video
CQ Rewind Show Notes 

For children, parents and Bible class teachers:
Animated video: Why should we forgive others?