how do you KNOW that you're forgiven?

[houston]

See title

[Sam]

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).

[houston]

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

[Sam]

Originally Posted by houston

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

are you questioning His integrity?

[Sam]

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.

[houston]

Originally Posted by Sam

are you questioning His integrity?

Maybe the sincerity of my request?

[Sam]

Originally Posted by houston

Maybe the sincerity of my request?

only you and God know the sincerity of your request.

[Sam]

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

[bbyrd009]

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.

[Aquila]

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