I've blogged about God's forgiveness for a bit.  Why so much? Because for some people it takes that much to convince them of God's forgiveness. It sounds too good to be true. They need convincing.

Have You Been Forgiven?

Maybe you've read these posts, nodding all along in agreement. So let me ask you: have you received God's forgiveness?  Or is it just a concept to which you give mental assent?If you struggle with guilt… if you feel separated from God, then God’s forgiveness is for you.  What if you move from simply nodding in agreement to actually receiving God's forgiveness?  Today might be the day you can hit the "reset" button on your life.

Has God's Forgiveness Changed You?

If you've already received God's forgiveness then I have another question for you: how has God's forgiveness changed you?  How are you different because of God’s forgiveness?Jesus didn’t forgive you just to relieve your guilty conscience so you can sleep better. He forgave you so you can know God, be fulfilled, and dedicate your life to his purposes.The church has made a big mistake by proclaiming God’s forgiveness without asking for a response. Forgiveness is free, but if you truly understand what God did for you, it should change everything.In Eric Metaxas' book about Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Timothy Keller writes in the forward about Martin Luther:

Luther so persistently expounded… 'We are saved by faith alone, but not by faith which is alone.' That is, we are saved, not by anything we do, but by grace. Yet if we have truly understood and believed the gospel it will change what we do and how we live.”

In other words, God's forgiveness never stands alone. It always adds to a person's life.  So if nothing has been added to your life, if you aren't a better person, a more generous person, a more pleasant person (I hope you get the idea...), then maybe you need to double-check your forgiveness.  Did you really receive it?Feedback: I'd love to hear back from you how forgiveness has changed you and/or added to your life. What's different on this side of God's forgiveness?  Please leave a comment. Thanks.Special offer: Subscribe to this blog and receive a free ebook sampler of my upcoming book "STUCK...how to mend and move on from broken relationships."