how do you KNOW that you're forgiven?
 

See title

Re: how do you KNOW that you're forgiven?
 

by faith.

God says that if we confess/admit, then He is faithful to forgive and cleanse.
So, if we've admitted, He's forgiven (unless He is not true to His Word).

What if I ask for forgiveness but don't believe that He forgave me?

Re: how do you KNOW that you're forgiven?
 

are you questioning His integrity?

Re: how do you KNOW that you're forgiven?
 

Psalm 32: 1-11 from The Living Bible

1,2 What happiness for those whose guilt has been forgiven! What joys when sins are covered over! What relief for those who have confessed their sins and God has cleared their record! 3 There was a time when I wouldn’t admit what a sinner I was. But my dishonesty made me miserable and filled my days with frustration. 4 All day and all night your hand was heavy upon me. My strength evaporated like water on a sunny day 5 until I finally admitted all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide them. I said to myself, “I will confess them to the Lord.” And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone.
6 Now I say that each believer should confess his sins to God when he is aware of them, while there is time to be forgiven. Judgment will not touch him if he does.
7 You are my hiding place from every storm of life; you even keep me from getting into trouble! You surround me with songs of victory.
8 “I will instruct you (says the Lord) and guide you along the best pathway for your life; I will advise you and watch your progress.
9 Do not be like a senseless horse or mule that has to have a bit in its mouth to keep it in line!
10 Many sorrows come to the wicked, but abiding love surrounds those who trust in the Lord.
11 So rejoice in him, all those who are his, and shout for joy, all those who try to obey him.

Maybe the sincerity of my request?

Re: how do you KNOW that you're forgiven?
 

only you and God know the sincerity of your request.

Re: how do you KNOW that you're forgiven?
 

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9 KJV

8-10If we claim that we're free of sin, we're only fooling ourselves. A claim like that is errant nonsense. On the other hand, if we admit our sins—make a clean breast of them—he won't let us down; he'll be true to himself. He'll forgive our sins and purge us of all wrongdoing. If we claim that we've never sinned, we out-and-out contradict God—make a liar out of him. A claim like that only shows off our ignorance of God. 1 John 1:8-10 The Message

If we [freely] admit that we have sinned and confess our sins, He is faithful and just (true to His own nature and promises) and will forgive our sins [dismiss our lawlessness] and [continuously] cleanse us from all unrighteousness [everything not in conformity to His will in purpose, thought, and action]. 1 John 1:9 The Amplified Bible

Re: how do you KNOW that you're forgiven?
 

Amen, Sam. I can relate, tho,
and surely there is often a sense
in which we feel we are hypocritically
asking for forgiveness; recurring sins, etc.

But I think naming this also,
as you have done, will bring a cleansing
of the hypocrisy, painful tho it may be.

I believe this is the point of admitting sin;
if one feels compelled to admit it,
every time they re-commit a sin,
light is cast onto the issue, continually,
and finally a person gets determined not
to have to ask forgiveness for that again.

It is when one goes the other way,
sweeping it under a mental carpet,
that I think problems arise. Ok, know.
If God cannot forgive you for a sin like this,
and Scripture indicate He cannot, then
work on the "recurring" part--of any sin--
for a while. There is a lesson here for you,
its prolly just a tuffy, from God.

Know that God loves you and considers you His child,
or you would not be convicted.

Re: how do you KNOW that you're forgiven?
 

Maybe you're not forgiven. However, maybe it's not God who needs to do the forgiving.... maybe you should forgive yourself.

Re: how do you KNOW that you're forgiven?
 

A very real problem. Huge. I've always classified as lack of "accepting grace," which I guess can be very difficult sometimes. We tend to feel we need punishment, when maybe we don't, past a certain point.

I think this is due to being raised death-centric
(in our Christianity) I won't bore you guys with
the link again...

Re: how do you KNOW that you're forgiven?
 

When you put your faith in Christ.

Re: how do you KNOW that you're forgiven?
 

Then I'd pray God deliver you from guilt and doubt

Re: how do you KNOW that you're forgiven?
 

I know people who don't believe they are forgiven until they speak in tongues.

They won't confess that this is their theology, but it will be the basis of their safe-standing in God after commiting and then confessing sin.

Re: how do you KNOW that you're forgiven?
 

Oh, goody; another way to deny that Christ is sufficient. Not surprising to me, even a little, that their mechanism is glossolalia, which Idon't even find an instance recorded of in Scripture. Little help, somebody? Nevermind, diff thread.

Re: how do you KNOW that you're forgiven?
 

speaking with tongues, or feeling a load lift, or crying, or dancing, or feeling forgiven are all irrelevant. God said…
if you confess/admit your sin
then Has will forgive your sin
but not only forgive
He will cleanse you of all unrighteousness.

If He would not forgive and cleanse then He is not faithful to His Word.

we KNOW we are forgiven by faith, not by feeling.

Re: how do you KNOW that you're forgiven?
 

:thumbsup

Re: how do you KNOW that you're forgiven?
 

Well that IS in fact a contingency. You must not only confess it with your mouth, but also believe with your heart.

Beyond that, the answer is "The Holy Scriptures declare it to be so". It depends not on how we feel about it at all.

Re: how do you KNOW that you're forgiven?
 

The answer is simple. If we believe what the Word says, we will know when we are forgiven. I believe in water baptism in Jesus name for the remission of sins, but afterwards, when we sin, if we confess our sins, Jesus is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. I believe in the surety of the promises of the Word, to the lost that they can be saved, and to the saved that they can be cleansed.

Re: how do you KNOW that you're forgiven?
 

Amen. I believe all that, too; and also remember
doubting my belief. I think God withdraws so that
we may grow out to Him; but this is not pleasant,
feels like abandonment. If one is able to follow Spirit
when it seems like God isn't looking, and not go into
tailspin or decline (as at first?), in my experience, one
starts to get little signs. You're in my prayers in this test.

Re: how do you KNOW that you're forgiven?
 

For the remission/forgiveness/cleansing of sins

For meaning 'because of"
or
meaning "in order to obtain"
???