Is Forgiveness Automatic?

“Have mercy upon me, O God, according to Your steadfast love; according to the multitude of Your tender mercy and loving-kindness blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly [and repeatedly] from my iniquity and guilt and cleanse me and make me wholly pure from my sin! For I am conscious of my transgressions, and I acknowledge them; my sin is ever before me. Against You, You only, have I sinned and done that which is evil in Your sight, so that You are justified in Your sentence and faultless in Your judgment.” – Psalm 51:1-4 Amplified Bible

There is no forgiveness without repentance. We need to acknowledge our sin and seek forgiveness from our Heavenly Father.  King David, in Psalm 51, knows full well that he is a sinner, for he admits to his many transgressions. We know when we’ve sinned, and we must understand that God doesn’t automatically forgive us.  Having said that, He wants to forgive you, but you must acknowledge your guilt and seek forgiveness, with the understanding that you will then make every effort with the Spirits help to alter your behavior regarding that thing in the future. Now some things are difficult to cease doing. They are deeply embedded in our subconscious, and we need to exercise self-control to defeat it; therefore, our ideal response should be to learn from our mistake(s) and improve our behavior going forward. 

            Receiving Christ and relinquishing our worldly lifestyle is very serious business. It takes earnest determination to achieve true Christian living which is based on scripture. God knows our heart, so we cannot fool or deceive Him. To believe you can is a foolhardy endeavor, which is a product of sheer ignorance regarding the characteristics of our God. To know God is to know His Word. You can only know His Word by sitting down and reading it. It requires concentration; in other words, do it at a time and in a place where distractions are either limited or non-existent. I personally have very poor concentration; in that I am distracted by the least little thing. Yet the Lord enables me to focus far better than I can on my own. That’s the work of the Holy Spirit within. 

            To know God is to begin to scratch the surface regarding deepening your personal relationship with Him. Since God has so many layers to understand, it is doubtful we can truly know Him, but to know Him even a little bit can be a very rewarding experience. Until next time, walk with the King & be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries