Q:
My friend says God can forgive anyone, but I don't believe it. I got involved in some really bad things when I was younger, and I know God must hate me for all the hurt I've caused. I wish I could live my life over again, but of course I can't.
A:
One of life’s hardest truths is exactly what you’ve discovered: we can’t go back and change the past. In hindsight we would have done things differently—but what is done, is done.
And God can’t change the past either; He knows every act we ever did and every thought we ever had. But listen: He can forgive the past! Don’t make the mistake of assuming that God deals with us the way we often deal with each other. If someone deeply hurts us, the memory lingers on, and we refuse to forgive them—even if they ask us to. But God isn’t like that. The Bible says, “The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love” (Psalm 103:8).
How do I know God is willing to forgive you? I know it because of Jesus Christ. Sin has separated us from God—but God loves us, and He sent Jesus Christ into the world to forgive us and cleanse us from all our sins. He did this by becoming the final and complete sacrifice for sin through His death on the cross. God loves you this much!
Don’t carry your burden of guilt and sin any longer. Instead, give your life to Christ and trust Him to forgive you. No sin is too great for God to forgive—including yours. God’s promise is true: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).