“You forgave my error and my sins” (Ps. 32:5).
1, 2. What does Jehovah do when we repent, and how does that make us feel? (See also the picture.)
When we truly repent, confess our sins, and do everything possible to avoid repeating them, Jehovah forgives us and completely erases our sins, as if we had never committed them. This makes us feel happy, relieved, and at peace, just as King David felt when he received Jehovah's forgiveness.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
When we sincerely repent, Jehovah responds with love, forgives us, and covers our sins with his mercy, giving us the opportunity to start over. This brings us great joy, deep happiness, and a strong desire to continue serving him. As Psalm 32:1 says, it brings happiness and joy.
Psalm 51:3 says: “My sin is ever before me.” But, in contrast, 2 Samuel 12:13 shows that Jehovah forgives and that sin is as if it had never been committed, because he forgets it.
Ezekiel 18:21-22 expresses beautiful words by showing that Jehovah will not hold any of our sins against us, provided there is genuine repentance. This gives us the assurance that if we sincerely repent, Jehovah will forgive us and forget our sins as if we had never committed them.
The image depicts King David, happy, relieved, and grateful for Jehovah's forgiveness. As Psalm 32:1 says, “Happy is the one who is forgiven.” That is why he was able to write all these beautiful words.
We imagine Jehovah, the most important person in the universe, looking at us, imperfect people who make mistakes. Even so, he is willing to help us. His heart turns toward us, giving us the guidelines and the necessary conditions for us to return to him and maintain a close relationship.
If God forgave David for all his serious sins, why wouldn't He forgive someone who truly repents from the heart? For example, David, driven by pride or a lack of trust in Jehovah, ordered a census of the people to determine the number of his warriors. This displeased Jehovah; however, because David repented sincerely, Jehovah forgave him.
ILLUSTRATION
King David sitting on a balcony, playing the harp and singing.
King David composed many psalms that speak of Jehovah's forgiveness. (See paragraphs 1 and 2.)
3, 4. How did Jennifer feel? What will we cover in this article?
Jennifer felt guilty because, although she had been raised in the truth, during her adolescence she strayed and began to lead a materialistic and immoral life. She also drank heavily and had a terrible temper. Because of this, she found it difficult to believe that Jehovah had truly forgiven her, even though she knew she had already repented and that Christ's sacrifice had cleansed her.
In this article, we'll look at why it's so important to be convinced that Jehovah has forgiven us and what will help us achieve this.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
She found it hard to believe that Jehovah had forgiven her. Despite having repented, she said her heart wouldn't be convinced.
This experience points to where the problem might lie: having a clear understanding of what Jehovah does—that he forgives and forgets our sin. When we analyze our situation, we see that we fall under that forgiveness. But then, our heart disagrees with our mind. It is the heart that needs convincing, made to understand that what the mind says is correct, especially because Jehovah says so.
We will consider two important points: why it is so important to be convinced that Jehovah has forgiven us and what will help us to achieve this. The premise is that Jehovah wants us to be very clear about this and to be certain that, just as he did with David, he can do the same for us.
WHY IS IT SO IMPORTANT TO CONVINCE OURSELVES THAT JEHOVAH HAS FORGIVEN US?
5. What does Satan want us to believe? Give an example.
Satan wants us to believe that we have committed such a serious sin that Jehovah will never forgive us. For example, he tried to make the man in Corinth, who was guilty of sexual immorality and was expelled from the congregation as a result, think that his sin was unforgivable, so that he would feel so sad and discouraged that he would stop serving Jehovah.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
He will do anything to make us stop serving Jehovah. One of the traps he uses is trying to make us believe that we have committed a sin so serious that Jehovah will never forgive us.
We must not forget that Satan is a trickster. He is the one who cannot be forgiven, nor can the demons. If we have committed a serious sin, we can receive Jehovah's forgiveness. As Paul says to the Corinthians at 2 Corinthians 2:11: “so that Satan may not outwit us, for we are not unaware of his schemes.”
We have the example of a brother in Corinth who was guilty of sexual immorality, as mentioned in the first letter to the Corinthians, for he had relations with his father’s wife, for which he was disfellowshipped from the congregation. However, in time he repented, and Jehovah forgave him. Then the apostle Paul had to remind the brothers to forgive him as well, just as Jehovah had done, so that he would not become too sad and Satan would not take advantage of the situation.
This teaches us that, just as Jehovah forgives us, we too should forgive our brothers, so that they do not feel overwhelmed or discouraged.
It is clear that Satan does not need to destroy our faith all at once; he only needs to sow a small doubt about Jehovah's love or his forgiveness to make us doubt and stumble. He wants us to remember our faults and mistakes to distance us from Jehovah. But the beautiful thing is that Jehovah's forgiveness does not depend on what we think we deserve, but on the fact that he loves us and forgives us.
Satan wants us to feel overwhelmed, too sad, and to stop serving Jehovah. But thankfully, we know that his tactics are designed to make us fail Jehovah in some way and turn away from him.
We must remember that we all have a role to play in making those who are returning or who have made mistakes feel welcome. We would not want to falsely assume Jehovah's position by judging anyone, but rather to ease their path back and show them affection and a welcoming spirit.
6. What will help us free ourselves from the weight of guilt?
It will help us free ourselves from the burden of guilt, even after we have repented, by convincing ourselves that Jehovah has forgiven us. When we truly believe in his forgiveness, we can leave guilt behind, have a clear conscience, and serve Jehovah with joy.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
We must be truly convinced that Jehovah has forgiven us, because if we are not, we are in grave danger. 2 Corinthians 7:10 says: “Godly sorrow brings repentance leading to salvation, and no one regrets this; but the world’s sorrow brings death.” So, if we feel too guilty after repenting, that discouragement could lead us to the point of wanting to abandon Jehovah.
It's not wrong to feel guilt. If we have committed a serious sin, that means our conscience is doing its job, and that's what will motivate us to change and make things right. But if we give too much free rein to that feeling of guilt, we will end up becoming discouraged and perhaps even reaching the point of leaving Jehovah.
The paragraph mentions that when we are convinced that Jehovah has forgiven us, we leave guilt behind and “turn the page,” so to speak. Then we can serve Jehovah with a clear, peaceful conscience and with joy.
This paragraph analyzes a very interesting, yet also very complicated, point: finding the balance between being aware of past mistakes so as not to repeat them, but not to the point of being consumed by guilt. The key lies precisely in what Colossians 1:11 says: we must serve Jehovah joyfully.
If we see that guilt prevents us from being happy, even though we have repented and done our best to correct things, that is the moment to trust in Jehovah and his forgiveness.
We must remember that a conscience that torments us unduly over something that no longer concerns us is a sick conscience. It's like an autoimmune disease that attacks us, even when we are healthy. Therefore, what we can do is keep a "kit" of texts on hand that help us reaffirm that Jehovah has forgiven us and thus be able to turn the page.
We know that the Bible continually tells us that the heart is treacherous. If our mind is well-balanced and guided by Jehovah's principles, it should train our heart to accept that Jehovah has already forgiven us. Often, the heart is to blame if the mind allows it. Therefore, the mind, guided by Jehovah's principles, must prevail over the emotions of the heart.
WHAT CAN HELP YOU CONVINCE YOURSELF THAT JEHOVAH HAS FORGIVEN YOU?
7, 8. How was Jehovah described in Exodus 34:6, 7, and what assurance does that give us?
Jehovah described himself as “a merciful and compassionate God,” among the many characteristics he could have mentioned about himself. This assures us that he is always willing to forgive those who love him and repent from their hearts. We can fully trust in his mercy and be certain that he also forgives us.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
Jehovah described himself as “a merciful and compassionate God,” and this assures us that he is always willing to forgive those who love him and repent sincerely. Therefore, we should have complete confidence in his mercy and be certain that he forgives us as well.
The note mentions an article about Jehovah’s mercy and also notes that he is slow to anger. Jehovah does not become angry easily or quickly, but is always patient with us humans. He is also abundant in loving-kindness, which demonstrates his great affection for us. Therefore, we can be sure that when he forgives us, he does so completely.
Titus 1:2 states that Jehovah cannot lie. In fact, Psalm 31:5 mentions that Jehovah is the God of truth. Therefore, we can be completely confident that when Jehovah says he is merciful, we can believe him. So we can be absolutely certain that he forgives us as long as we repent sincerely.
The note states that Jehovah reveals himself to us as someone who cares, like a father who loves his children deeply and is profoundly interested in their well-being. We cannot imagine any father who, upon seeing his child truly repentant for a mistake, however serious, would be cruel or cold enough not to forgive him. It is impossible for Jehovah to act cruelly or coldly by not forgiving his children.
These verses give us a complete picture of Jehovah and what He wants, making it clear that He wants us to know what He is like and how He acts. The article discussed how He has two sides: He forgives us, but He is also just. Therefore, He will not let anyone who does not repent escape the consequences of their actions. So, if He is transparent and assures us that He can forgive or punish, when He tells us that He forgives us, we can have confidence that it is so.
9. What does Psalm 32:5 teach us about Jehovah’s way of forgiving?
Psalm 32:5 teaches us that when Jehovah forgives us, it is as if he lifted a heavy burden from our shoulders and carried it away. We no longer have to carry the weight of our sins, because they are truly gone. This demonstrates that his forgiveness is complete and frees us from guilt, allowing us to feel relieved and happy, just as King David felt when he said to Jehovah, “You have forgiven my error and my sin.”
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
It teaches us that Jehovah truly forgives us. There are no cracks in his forgiveness, and it helps us visualize his way of forgiving. We see this in the example of King David. In Psalm 32:4, we see how he felt; he said that his bones wasted away and that his strength had evaporated.
In Psalm 32:5, David could say: “You forgave my sin.” The expression used in this psalm, “forgave,” comes from a Hebrew term meaning “to lift up” or “to carry away.” Thus, it conveys the idea that Jehovah takes away the guilt, as if he had lifted up David’s sins and carried them away. Just as he felt happy and relieved, we too can meditate and feel the same.
Psalm 32:5 teaches us that we don't have to keep dwelling on a mistake we made in the past, because it assures us that Jehovah has already taken it away. Therefore, that burden no longer rests on us, and we don't have to continue carrying something that Jehovah has already removed.
This verse reminds us that the path to forgiveness is sincere confession of our sins to Jehovah. This helps to cleanse our conscience and strengthen our faith.
King David expressed in Psalm 32:4: “My strength evaporated like water in the dry heat of summer.” Perhaps he felt like a tree that, in that intense summer heat, dries up and loses its moisture; that is, he felt completely desolate. But, in the next verse, he takes action: he confesses his sin, and Jehovah washes him clean.
This reminds us of carrying many bags after grocery shopping. We have to walk with them; at first, the weight seems unbearable, but if someone helps us carry them, it becomes easier. In the same way, when we take action and confess our sins, we receive that relief as a result.
An illustration of carrying our sins is like carrying a garbage bag and putting it in the bin. But if we keep carrying it, it's as if we never left the bag behind. Therefore, we should think of those sins as gone, that Jehovah has forgiven them. Let's leave the bag behind and not take it back home.
10, 11. What does Psalm 86:5 teach us about Jehovah?
Psalm 86:5 teaches us that Jehovah is “ready to forgive” and that doing so is part of his nature. His loyal love for those who seek him is immense, and that love motivates him to generously forgive all who repent from their heart. This assures us that Jehovah is also willing to forgive us.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
It teaches us that Jehovah is good and willing to forgive. And this is not something He does grudgingly or only on rare occasions, but rather it is part of His very nature. Every day He shows us that He is a generous God to all those who sincerely seek Him.
It is true that sometimes it may be hard for us to believe that Jehovah will forgive us, but when we consider that he is willing to forgive all who repent and ask for his mercy, we understand that he can indeed forgive us. This makes it much easier for us to leave guilt behind and focus on serving Jehovah with all our strength.
In Isaiah 55:7, Jehovah confirms his love by inviting those who have strayed down bad paths to return to him, because he will generously forgive them.
Psalm 139:1, 2 says: “O Jehovah, you have thoroughly examined me, you know me. You know when I sit down and when I rise up.” This gives us great comfort, because if we have sinned, Jehovah knows why we did it. He knows what it has cost us to return to him, the circumstances and consequences that led us to make that mistake. He also knows that our heart is willing to move on and return to him. That is a great assurance that Jehovah gives us, and we should cling to it to be convinced that he truly forgives us.
It is interesting that forgiveness is mentioned as being part of Jehovah's nature. It is something that comes naturally to him. Jehovah did not foresee that he would have to forgive, for he created his creatures perfect, but his merciful and compassionate nature makes him a God who forgives.
The expression “is willing” is very interesting, because when someone is willing, for example, to play soccer and is asked if they want to, there's no need to convince them, and they don't think twice. That's how Jehovah is: he is willing to forgive. He does it gladly; there's no need to convince him.
REMEMBER ONLY WHAT JEHOVAH REMEMBERS
12, 13. According to Psalm 103:14, what does Jehovah remember and what does he feel compelled to do?
According to Psalm 103:14, Jehovah “remembers that we are dust,” that is, that we are imperfect and have limitations. Jehovah not only knows we are imperfect, but he also remembers it. This prompts him to treat us with mercy and forgive us when we repent, because he understands that we sometimes make mistakes.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
Jehovah remembers that we are dust and knows that we are imperfect. That is why he is willing to forgive us as long as we repent sincerely.
It is said that even if humans were perfect, they would have needs and limitations, such as eating, breathing, and sleeping. Now imagine, being imperfect, all that imperfection entails. Jehovah truly knows what it costs us and remembers it.
David not only said that Jehovah knows we are imperfect, but that he also remembers it. As Psalm 103:14 says, “He knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust.” This “remembers” not only means that Jehovah has us in mind, but also that he is moved to do something good for us. Thus, he understands that we sometimes make mistakes, but if we repent, he will be moved to treat us with mercy and to forgive us.
Psalm 78:38, 39 says that Jehovah “was merciful, forgiving their sins and not destroying them.” This psalm speaks of all the Israelites did, how their decisions and actions upset Jehovah. So it is not just about David’s life, as discussed in this paragraph, but about an entire nation. Even so, Jehovah forgave their sins, and as verse 39 says, “he remembered that they were mere humans.” We should apply that to ourselves as well.
Sometimes we are unable to forgive ourselves for our own mistakes and we think that we do not deserve Jehovah’s forgiveness. However, Jehovah tells us: “You do deserve forgiveness, and I am willing to give it to you. I remember that I must give it to you, and I do so generously.”
Jehovah remembers that we have limitations and needs. How wonderful it is to know that Jehovah understands us, because just as he cannot ask us not to eat or not to breathe—since he knows that would cost us our lives—he also cannot ask us not to make mistakes, because he understands that this is not possible for us. Therefore, he remembers our limitations, shows compassion, and is able to forgive us.
Like Jehovah, being aware of our human limitations, he provides for our needs and helps us. We know that he gives us what we need; and, just as he remembers all of this, he also remembers that we are imperfect, and that is why he shows us mercy and forgives us.
14. (a) What does Psalm 103:12 teach us about Jehovah’s way of forgiveness?
Psalm 103:12 teaches us that when Jehovah forgives us, He removes our sins “as far as the east is from the west.” It could be said that the east and the west are infinitely far apart. This means that if sin is carried that far away, we can be sure that He completely removes it and no longer remembers it.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
The psalmist illustrates this with the distance between east and west: these points will never meet; they are diametrically opposed. So, when a sin is taken to such a extreme, what Jehovah wants us to think with this figure of speech is that even its memory has vanished. Jehovah will not hold that sin against us again if we are repentant.
This teaches us that Jehovah’s forgiveness is not superficial, but complete. When he blots out our sins, he leaves no trace or memory that can be used against us. Thinking about this encourages us to accept Jehovah’s forgiveness with joy, to strive not to repeat the same mistake, and to feel completely forgiven.
It teaches us that when Jehovah forgives our sins, he stops dwelling on them and focuses on the good things we do to reward us. So, if Jehovah has decided to forget our past sins, why should we keep remembering them?
At the end of the paragraph, a beautiful example is given. This happens to us often: we're anywhere, thinking about something else, and suddenly we perceive a smell that transports us back to a past situation or memory. But it says that Jehovah makes sure that not even the slightest, not even the faintest, smell remains. In other words, nothing will make us return to the regret of that mistake we made, because Jehovah has forgiven it.
14. b) How does David’s example show that Jehovah’s forgiveness is complete? (See the box “Jehovah Forgives and Forgets.”)
David's example shows that Jehovah's forgiveness is complete. Although David committed very serious sins, he sincerely repented, and Jehovah forgave him completely. Later, God no longer reminded him of his mistakes, but described him as a man of integrity and uprightness. This shows that when Jehovah forgives, he forgets our sins and focuses on the good things we do to reward us.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
It is beautiful when Jehovah summarized David's life and said that he had served him with integrity and uprightness. But, as we see in the picture, David had made mistakes on some occasions. This teaches us that Jehovah does not dwell on sins, but when he forgives us, he focuses on the things we have done right.
Jehovah offers complete, divine forgiveness, without remembrance and forever, out of love for his creation and as an act of compassion. But also, in Isaiah 43:25, we can see that he does so out of love for himself, not only out of love for his children, but as a glorious act of power. We learn, then, that his forgiveness is an act of love and salvation, motivated by his greatness and his compassion.
The box explains that Jehovah not only forgave David but also generously rewarded him for his faithfulness. So Jehovah did not stop at a superficial forgiveness but did much more for him. Likewise, in our case, he will do the same.
Recently, in a Watchtower article, a red stain on a white shirt was compared to something else. We know that it is quite difficult to remove a red stain from a white garment, but Jehovah completely erases it and leaves it as good as new. We can compare this to the way Jehovah forgets our sins and completely blots them out.
15. What can we do if we still feel guilty about past sins?
If we continue to feel guilty about past sins, we can meditate on Psalm 103 to convince ourselves that Jehovah has already forgiven us. We must remember that if He chooses to forget our sins and never hold them against us again, we must also forget them. When we accept Jehovah's forgiveness, we can forgive ourselves and let go of the guilt.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
We can try to see ourselves as Jehovah sees us. He knows we are imperfect and that we will sin, but if we show that we want to improve, he will forgive these sins and even forget them. As mentioned at Psalm 130:3, if he kept a tally of all our sins, no one would be able to stand. Therefore, if we reflect on this and see ourselves as he sees us, we will stop feeling guilty about past sins.
The key is to convince ourselves that Jehovah has forgiven us. As Psalm 103:9 shows, Jehovah does not keep a record of our sins, so we should meditate: if Jehovah has forgiven us, why should we doubt? That will not help us at all.
In fact, dwelling on our sins could be very dangerous, as we might become discouraged, and that could affect our spiritual activities, even causing us to stop attending meetings. So, if Jehovah has decided to forget our sins, why should we keep dwelling on them?
The analysis of the paragraph indicates that we must first convince ourselves that Jehovah has forgiven us. Once we are convinced of this, it becomes much easier to forgive ourselves, move on, and forget the matter.
Psalm 103:10 encourages us to take stock, and perhaps we should even write it down. The final part says: “He has not given us what we deserve for our sins.” If we meditate on the sins we know we have committed and see that Jehovah has not punished us for them, it is because he has forgiven us. Perhaps we need to do the math and see how many times Jehovah has forgiven us to convince ourselves that he truly forgives us.
Jehovah's forgiveness is a gift he gives us, and when we don't accept it, it's like a friend giving us a gift we need—in this case, forgiveness—and us rejecting it. There comes a time when we must consider whether we are truly appreciating his forgiveness, and perhaps we are not.
Some questions mentioned in the paragraph are: “Should I remember it or should I forget it too? Why should you?” It is not that we owe Jehovah the right to forget those sins and turn the page, but he wants us to serve him joyfully, and if we do not, we are not responding to that forgiveness.
16. Why is it so dangerous to obsess over past mistakes? (See also the image.)
Obsessing over past mistakes is dangerous because it can make us feel so guilty that we can't give Jehovah our best. Remembering mistakes only to learn from them is helpful, but dwelling on them constantly prevents us from advancing spiritually. Therefore, we must keep our eyes on the future and on the path that leads to the new world, where the bad things of the past "will no longer be remembered."
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
Because if we become too fixated on past mistakes, we will feel so guilty that we will not be able to give Jehovah our very best.
Because, just as if we want to drive safely, we must keep our eyes fixed ahead, even if we sometimes use rearview mirrors, we must also think from time to time about the mistakes we have made in the past to strive not to repeat them, but at the same time keep our eyes ahead and not obsess over them.
We must look forward, remembering that the new world is coming soon. As Isaiah 65:17 says, there will be new heavens and a new earth, and the evils of the past will not be remembered or come into our hearts.
The illustration helps us understand that it would be very dangerous to constantly look in the rearview mirror on a winding road, as we could run off the road at any moment. However, it is also important to remember the mistakes we may have made in the past. If we focus on the future and on Jehovah's blessings, our journey will be much smoother and safer.
Jehovah wants us to be balanced and happy, and he wants us to serve him with joy and gladness. Therefore, if past mistakes rob us of that happiness, we may see them as an obstacle to serving him fully. For this reason, we should do all we can to ensure that they do not become a hindrance or a stumbling block in our service to him, but rather help us to avoid repeating those mistakes and even motivate us to serve him more fully.
The words of Proverbs 4:25 give us a suggestion: “Your eyes should look straight ahead; yes, keep your gaze fixed before you.” Why? Because by keeping our eyes on the future, we can reach the new world that Jehovah has promised us. Jehovah has helped us overcome all the obstacles we have encountered, and one of them is being convinced that he has forgiven us. It is as if Jehovah were telling us: “You have to look ahead, because I am waiting for you in that new world.”
ILLUSTRATION
A man driving along a winding road looks in his rearview mirror.
Just as a driver should focus more on what's ahead than on the rearview mirror, we should focus more on future blessings than on past mistakes. (See paragraph 16.)
KEEP CONVINCING YOUR HEART
17. Why do we need to keep convincing our hearts that Jehovah loves us and forgives us?
We must continue to convince our hearts that Jehovah loves us and forgives us, because Satan will always try to make us believe otherwise. His goal is to make us doubt God's love and forgiveness so that we will stop serving him. Therefore, we must strengthen our faith and not give him even the slightest opportunity to make us doubt Jehovah.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
We must convince ourselves, because the footnote at 1 John 3:19 says that we must persuade our hearts. As the paragraph mentions, what Satan wants is for us to stop serving Jehovah and for this thought to constantly torment us, preventing us from reaching the goal.
As we see in Revelation 12:1, Satan knows that his time is very short. Therefore, in these last days he is trying, to the fullest extent possible, to separate us from Jehovah's people.
This article reiterates the idea of convincing and persuading the heart, as mentioned in 1 John 3:19. Someone might ask, “How do I convince myself?” Perhaps the goal, if someone is dwelling on past mistakes, is to have a serious conversation—with whom?—with themselves, to convince themselves, review the arguments, and move forward.
Because Satan will keep trying to convince us that the sin we committed is so great that Jehovah doesn't love us and will never forgive us. His goal is for us to stop serving him, and he will try harder each time.
We must always strengthen our faith and not give Satan even the slightest opportunity to make us doubt Jehovah.
We must ask ourselves if we are capable of seeing ourselves as Jehovah does and if, moreover, we have the same attitude toward others. Therefore, we must strive to see things as Jehovah sees them, because that is the only way we can be truly happy and feel good.
18. What can you do to convince yourself that Jehovah loves you and has forgiven you?
To convince myself that Jehovah loves me and has forgiven me, I can meditate on how he describes himself and what the Bible teaches about his way of forgiving. I must remember that Jehovah always remembers that I am imperfect and treats me with mercy, and that his forgiveness is complete. If I reflect on these truths, I can feel the same confidence as David and thank Jehovah for forgiving “my error and my sins.”
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
We should meditate on Jehovah's personality. We have learned that he is a merciful and compassionate God, and that is why it is so important to reflect on his way of forgiving. We must also remember that he always keeps in mind our imperfections and that he will treat us with mercy. Let us also remember that Jehovah forgives completely and fully.
If we think of someone we love, and we know that person loves us and has hurt us, but we see that they are truly repentant, we usually forgive them without much thought. Well, Jehovah, who sees everything from a much broader perspective and knows that we are imperfect, will do it in a much better way than we could, without a doubt.
WHAT WOULD YOU ANSWER?
Why is it so important to convince ourselves that Jehovah has forgiven us?
It is very important to convince ourselves that Jehovah has forgiven us because it protects us from the traps of Satan, who wants to make us believe that our sins are unforgivable so that we will stop serving God. Furthermore, being assured of Jehovah's forgiveness frees us from the burden of guilt and allows us to serve him with joy and a clear conscience, just as he desires.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
First, it frees us from paralyzing guilt. Second, it allows us to let go of the past. Third, it strengthens our relationship with Jehovah. Fourth, it gives us a clean conscience. Simply put, if Jehovah has already forgiven you, don't keep carrying something he has already left behind.
Because if we don't, Satan can use that to discourage us, making us think that what we have done is unforgivable.
It is important to convince ourselves that Jehovah has forgiven us, because in this way we will make efforts to rectify and change our attitude and our actions; otherwise, we could abandon the truth and continue sinning.
What can help you convince yourself that Jehovah has forgiven you?
To convince myself that Jehovah has forgiven me, I can meditate on how he describes himself: a merciful and compassionate God, who always tells the truth and is willing to forgive those who truly repent. It also helps me to reflect on what the Bible teaches about his way of forgiving. Also, remembering that Jehovah understands that I am imperfect and shows me mercy reassures me that his forgiveness is real and complete.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
Paragraph 9 discussed how the word “forgive” implies that Jehovah takes away sin. Then, in paragraph 14, it mentioned the place where he takes it. According to the Psalm, he places it in a location as far west as east, and these are locations without a fixed point: you can travel west, but you will never arrive, because it will still be far away. Likewise, Jehovah has placed our sins in a place we will never reach. Let us not insist on bringing them back.
Another thing that can help convince a repentant person that Jehovah has forgiven him is what we saw in the case of the sinner in the Corinthian congregation, who committed a serious sin and was removed from the congregation. But later, when the apostle Paul told them that he had repented, they were to forgive him; otherwise, he might become overwhelmed with sadness and leave the congregation.
It often happens that someone who has been reinstated in the congregation doesn't realize that the brothers have forgiven him, and he may even doubt that Jehovah has forgiven him as well. As a result, he may become so saddened that he even distances himself from the congregation. This places a responsibility on us: sometimes we think that we will never be able to forgive certain things, but we should reflect, because it may be a personal responsibility that we can overcome.
One kind of antidote to guilt is meditation; not just reading, but meditating on Psalm 103, which contains phrases such as “He will not continually point out our faults” and “He does not repay us according to what we deserve for our sins.” Reflecting on these words helps us to be convinced that Jehovah has forgiven us.
Why do we need to keep convincing our hearts that Jehovah forgives us?
We must continue to convince our hearts that Jehovah forgives us because Satan will always try to make us believe otherwise. His goal is to make us doubt God's love and forgiveness so that we will stop serving him. Knowing his time is short, he intensifies his efforts to discourage us. Therefore, we must strengthen our faith and constantly remember that Jehovah is merciful, compassionate, and always willing to forgive those who sincerely repent.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
Because in this way we will prevent Satan from convincing us that Jehovah does not love us and will never forgive us. He wants us to stop serving Jehovah, and since he knows his time is short, he will try harder and harder.
As 1 John 3:19 shows, our heart should feel secure before Jehovah.
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