As Christians, it’s safe to say that God plays a significant role in our lives. We worship God with our praise, we worship God with our prayers, we worship God by studying His words, and we even worship God with our money. There is no doubt we do our very best to live productive and godly lives as devoted followers of Jesus Christ. Still, we will never be perfect.

No matter how much we worship God, perfection will always escape us. In fact, as long as we are on this earth, we are going to make mistakes; we will always struggle against temptation and sin. That is one reason Jesus taught His disciples to pray, “Forgive us our sins … And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil” (Matthew 6:13).

God is loving and merciful, and is ready to forgive us of our sins and mistakes! The Bible repeatedly shows us in the New Testament that our Heavenly Father will forgive all of our sins through Jesus Christ. Let’s take a look at one of those scriptures.

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.” (Romans 3:23-26)

You should never be shackled to your past because:

Although, God is eager to forgive the sins of His children, simply asking is not enough. There are several important steps that you must take. Here is a roadmap to God’s forgiveness:

Step 1. Acknowledge Your Sins

“Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions.” – Psalms 51:1

Step 2. Confess to God

“Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord.” And you forgave the guilt of my sin.” – Psalm 32:5

Step 3. Ask God for Forgiveness

“If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” – 2 Chronicles 7:14

Step 4. Change Your Behavior

“Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord.” – Acts 3:19

Step 5. Seek Forgiveness from Others

“If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.” – Matthew 6:14-15

As long as you are pure and honest in your dedication to move beyond your mistakes and sins, God will forgive you for your transgressions and help you to lead a better life in His image. Always remember, the price has been paid and you do not have to live guilty and condemned. You are receiving forgiveness, by faith, through the love, grace, and mercy of Jesus Christ.