Rosa was a young girl of about eight years old when she first heard that the Lord Jesus loved her and wanted to be her Saviour. For many nights she had prayed and cried and wondered how she could be saved from her sins. Then one day she told God that she was sorry about her sins and asked Him to make her heart clean with the blood of His Son, Jesus Christ. Rosa was so happy! She told her parents, brother, aunts and cousins about her Saviour, and some of them came to know and love Him too.
But several years later Rosa got to worrying. As we sat talking one day she said, “Sometimes I ask God to forgive me. I ask and ask and ask, but I don’t feel forgiven. Isn’t there something more I can do?”
I told Rosa, “No there isn’t. Jesus paid the whole price for your sins when He died on the cross. He rose from the grave and is now in heaven, and there is nothing for you to do. Just trust Him. How you feel has nothing to do with your forgiveness. You will always be forgiven.”
I had Rosa take a red pencil and underline some words in her Bible. One of them was John 5:2424Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. (John 5:24): “He that heareth My word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.” Notice that it doesn’t say “might have eternal life,” or “probably will not come into condemnation,” or “might pass from death unto life”!
I think these words helped Rosa, and I hope they will help you if you are wondering if you are really forgiven. Why not look in your Bible for some more “for sure” words. Look in John 3:1616For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16), Acts 16:3131And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. (Acts 16:31), and Romans 10:99That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. (Romans 10:9) for starters.
ML-10/31/1993