All have sinned . . . and are
justified freely by his grace.
—Romans 3:23
He was a good man, sincerely sorry for a long-past mistake. He had confessed his sin and repented, but remained so guilt-absorbed he could hardly function.
He had been to my office several times, dragging his heavy baggage of remorse.
“God must be sad,” I said, “because you don’t trust him.”
“Why do you say that?” he asked.
“Because he promised to forgive you, and you don’t trust him to do it. You have confessed your sin, repented, and asked forgiveness, haven’t you?”
“Yes!” he said, “a thousand times.”
“You should have repented and confessed it once, and thanked God a thousand times for his forgiveness.”
I hope you aren’t spending your days as a spiritual invalid, paralyzed with guilt over a forgiven past.
Don’t keep talking to God
about something he’s forgiven and forgotten.