How to Be Forgiven by God: Practical Steps Toward Healing
Years ago, I realized I’d made such a mess of my life that I wasn’t sure how to be forgiven by God—or if forgiveness was possible for someone like me.
I’d grown up going to church, but I’d drifted in my faith. Angry with God over some disappointments, I turned away from him. When I finally hit rock bottom, I wasn’t sure I could be forgiven.
Maybe you can relate.
Today, we’ll talk about how to be forgiven by God and cleansed from our sins and mistakes.
Be sure to read to the end of today’s post for a free devotional eBook to help you grow closer to God.
How to Be Forgiven by God
We can break the forgiveness process into three basic steps: confession, repentance, and forgiveness.
Let’s take a closer look.
How to Be Forgiven by God: Confess, Repent, Receive
1. Confess your sins to God.
The first step toward forgiveness is acknowledging that we need it. This might seem obvious, but some people are unable to recognize, or admit to, the need to receive forgiveness from God.
All people have sinned and fallen short of God’s perfection (Romans 3:23). We all need forgiveness. Once we recognize our sin, confession is the first step toward healing.
Confession is agreeing with God by telling him we have sinned.
As specifically as possible, we are to confess our sins to God. He already knows, of course, but we tell him as a way of acknowledging our need for forgiveness.
First John 1:9 reads, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
2. Repent by turning away from sin and turning toward God.
Along with confession, we receive forgiveness through repentance.
Repentance is the deliberate act of turning away from sin and turning toward God. We make up our minds not to continue sinning.
Acts 3:19 reads, “Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out.”
It’s important to note that God forgives us through his Son, Jesus. In John 14:6, Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
Jesus drew a hard line. He declared that there were not many paths to God or many ways to receive forgiveness.
Let’s take a closer look at why Jesus suffered and died on the cross.
Romans 6:23 reads, “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
God is good. Because he is a good judge, he is also just. He cannot let sin go overlooked.
Before Jesus came, God’s followers sacrificed animals to make payment for their sins. It was bloody, but the blood was an indication of just how serious sin is. Sin is so serious that there must be payment, and if there is no payment, an eternity in hell awaits.
Followers of Jesus no longer have to sacrifice animals to pay the price for sin. If we turn to Jesus, receive him as the Savior and Leader of our lives, and follow him, God forgives us. We are also assured eternity in heaven.
How to Be Forgiven by God Through Jesus
John 1:12 reads, “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.”
This verse offers a key word: “receive.”
The Bible states that even the demons believe Jesus died on the cross to pay for the sins of all who follow him.
Receiving Jesus goes beyond believing in him. When we receive Jesus, he is no longer a distant deity we cry out to in crisis moments. He comes to dwell within us. He promises to be with us always, never leaving us.
We commit to lives spent doing our best to follow him (and we will all do this imperfectly). As we walk with him, our relationship continues to grow deeper and stronger.
This is a good test to determine whether you will go to heaven: Have you received Jesus as the Savior who took God’s punishment for your sins? Are you growing in your relationship with him?
What Happened at the Cross
John 3:16 reads, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”
When I became a mother, this verse meant something very different to me.
I realized I would never allow my precious child to suffer, let alone die, for another person. To do so would be the ultimate demonstration of love.
This is what God did through Jesus. He demonstrated his love for us, for you, once and for all, when he sent his Son to bear the punishment you deserve for sinning.
We struggle to wrap our minds around this because God was also the one who poured out the punishment.
Remember, God’s ways are not our ways. They are higher than ours.
When God punished Jesus, his heart was broken. It was not a vengeful or enjoyable moment for him. He was doing what he had to do out of his great love for us.
3. Receive forgiveness from God.
Our sins are forgiven when we receive Jesus as our Savior and as the Leader of our lives.
We acknowledge that he took the punishment we deserve from God, and we commit to following him. When this happens, God forgives our sins and also promises eternal life with him.
Romans 10:9 reads, “Because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”
In his letter to the Roman church, Paul wrote that confessing that Jesus is Lord and believing he was resurrected are keys to eternal life with God.
Do you feel like you've fallen too far for God to forgive you? Read here to learn how to be forgiven by God no matter what you've done. Share on X
If you have decided to follow Jesus and received him as Lord and Savior, you need only to confess your sins to God, and he will forgive you. If you haven’t yet received Jesus, I invite you to read to the end of today’s post and respond to his pursuit today.
How to Be Forgiven by God Through Jesus
I was 14 years old when I stumbled into a Scripture verse I that grabbed my heart: “Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me’” (John 14:6).
It was a decision point.
Either Jesus was just a fanatic who falsely claimed to be the Messiah, or he was the Son of God and the only pathway to God.
That summer, I came to believe that Jesus was (and is) the Son of God. I received him as my Lord and Savior and committed to following him.
I came to this conclusion by studying the following biblical truths:
1. No one is “good enough” to get into heaven by being a good person.
The Bible reminds us in Romans 3:23 that we all fall short of being “good enough” to earn our way to heaven.
We have all sinned and fallen short of God’s perfect standards.
None of us are good enough to earn our way into heaven.
2. Everyone needs a Savior.
We can’t earn our way to heaven by making sure good deeds outweigh bad deeds. We can’t give up swearing or lying or cheating or gossiping and suddenly feel confident of our eternity with God.
We’re broken people, and we need someone to save us from ourselves.
We all need a Savior.
3. God is just, and he has to punish sin.
God is good. Because he is a good judge, he is also just. He cannot let sin go overlooked.
Sin is so serious that there must be payment, and if there is no payment, an eternity in hell awaits.
4. Jesus took the punishment we deserve when he died on the cross.
Jesus died on the cross so that God would punish him instead of punishing us. He did away with the old system in which animals had to be sacrificed to pay for sins. This is why he is the “Spotless Lamb of God.”
God punished Jesus instead of punishing you and me.
I wouldn’t send my precious children to die in the place of anyone on this earth. But this is how God showed us just how much he loves us. He willingly sent his Son to die as a demonstration of his love.
5. You can know you are going to heaven by asking Jesus to save you.
It sounds too simple. In our humanness, we feel a deep need to prove our goodness and earn our way into heaven.
This is where grace comes into play. Grace is a free gift. You don’t deserve it and cannot earn it. It is given because of love.
Because of love, Jesus paid the price for your sins.
Because of love, he died on the cross for you.
He would have died on the cross even if you were the only one on earth.
You can rest assured that you will go to heaven if you believe he died on the cross for you and that he rose from the dead to prove that he is indeed God’s Son. Tell him you believe, ask him to forgive you for your sins, and make a decision today to live for him.
Romans 10:9 tells us that if we confess with our mouths and believe with our hearts, we will be saved. If you have never professed belief in Jesus, tell him today. Thank him for dying in your place and ask him to be the Master of your life.
Turn to Jesus in the Middle of Your Mess
Maybe you’ve been wrestling with the idea of surrendering your life to Jesus.
Perhaps you’ve done unspeakable things, and you’re sure Jesus won’t accept you.
You might be afraid that Jesus will ask you to walk away from something you’re not ready to give up just yet.
Sadly, when we think we need to have our lives together before coming to Jesus, we have it backward.
Jesus wants us to run to him in our messiness, brokenness, and sinfulness, and he will do the work of helping us honor him with our choices. This is a process, and it rarely happens overnight. It takes time, and the longer we seek Jesus, the more he works in our lives to help us become more like him.
Today, I gently invite you to consider where you are with Jesus.
If you know that you’ve received Jesus as your Savior, I pray that you will continue to surrender every area of your life to him as you trust him to guide you.
Conversely, if you’ve never surrendered your life to Christ and received his gift of salvation, I encourage you to take this step today. Jesus has been pursuing you all of your life, and he is pursuing you at this very moment.
If you sense that Jesus is pursuing you and asking you to follow him, begin by humbly admitting that you need him. Tell him that you realize you have sinned and fallen short of God’s perfect standards.
How to Be Forgiven by God: The Gift of Salvation
You can pray a prayer similar to this as a way of affirming your commitment: “Jesus, I believe that you died in my place, and I receive this gift. Thank you for forgiving my sins. I want to follow you. Come into my life and be my Lord and my Guide.”
Jesus is pursuing you. Turn to him. His love will transform your heart and your life.
As for me, Jesus has changed my life in remarkable ways. After surrendering to him, our relationship continued to strengthen and grow. His love empowered me to make slow changes over time. I now look back and hardly recognize the woman I once was.
The same can be true for you.
How will you respond to Jesus today?
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If these words about how to be forgiven by God blessed you, or if you’d like to help a child in your life grow closer to God, I invite you to explore our family devotionals below. Also, scroll to the bottom of the post for a free devotional eBook to begin growing closer to God today. You’ll find an entire library of free eBooks and devotionals.
Calling All Parents and Grandparents!
As the parent of two sons and a daughter, I have a heart for helping parents develop deeper relationships with their children and with God. Our kids, ages 6, 11, and 15, share this vision. They have helped me write three family devotionals for parents or older relatives to read with the children and teens they love. You can find all three books here or read more below.
Attention All Boy Moms (and Dads)!
God’s Warrior: Devotions for Boys Who Want to Grow in Courage and Strength helps young boys, ages 5-13, learn what it means to trust God and become strong warriors for his kingdom. Now, more than ever, our world needs men who are willing to boldly carry God’s love into the world. I wrote this boys’ devotional book with our two young sons, Aiden and Caleb, ages six and eleven! You’ll enjoy their honesty as we teach boys how to be strong warriors for the Lord. Find this life-changing devotional book here.
Mother-Daughter Devotionals by a Mom and Daughter
Girl to Girl: 60 Mother-Daughter Devotions for a Closer Relationship and Deeper Faith is written for girls ages 7-12. It includes 60 devotions with Scripture, conversation starters, and a shared journaling section for moms and daughters after each devotion. I wrote this book with the help of our daughter, Bekah, when she was eleven. Find this one-of-a-kind shared devotional here.
Heart to Heart: A Mother-Daughter Devotional With 50 Devotions for Teen Girls is for teenage girls ages 13-20. It includes 50 devotions, each with a shared journaling section to help moms and daughters connect through writing. This is a great book for moms who want to communicate about awkward topics—like dating, sexuality, peer pressure, and more—but don’t know where to start. Bekah and I will help you right here.
Find Our Family Devotionals Here
Find all three books right here. They are also free on the Kindle Unlimited plan, which you can enjoy with a free three-month trial! These books make great gifts, and you don’t need to be the parent of young children to read them. Share them with your grandchildren, nieces, nephews, or the young ones you love.
Learn Why Willpower Doesn’t Work and Experience God’s Deliverance and Healing
God wants to work in your life to accomplish what you’ve been unable to do through willpower alone. Lean Into Grace: Let God’s Grace Heal Your Heart, Refresh Your Soul, and Set You Free shares practical ways to experience God’s freedom, healing, power, and presence in your life. Find this life-changing book as a free eBook on Kindle Unlimited or for 12.99 in print right here. (If you do not have Kindle Unlimited, you can try it out with a free three-month trial!) This book will transform your life and revitalize your relationship with the Lord!
A Free Devotional to Help You Grow in Faith
Lastly, if these words about how to be forgiven by God blessed you, I have a gift for you today: my free 31-day devotional Mornings With Jesus. Mornings With Jesus is not your average daily devotional—it is so much more! This devotional is unique because, in addition to daily readings and reflection questions, it also offers a special section at the end of each post called “Your Invitation to Encounter God and Begin Well.” These exercises will help you actually encounter the Living God during your quiet time. Instead of asking $9.99, I’m offering this devotional for free with promo code JESUS for a limited time right here. I also offer a library of free online devotional eBooks for free. I invite you to explore the collection right here!
