I've already sinned too much; I can't possibly be saved!

Well, you're half right.

It's true that you have sinned "too much." So have I; so has everybody:

"Whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it." (James 2:10, emphasis mine)

Every sin is a direct offense to God. Even if we don't know the Bible, or the specifics of God's moral law, we sin whenever we do what our conscience tells us not to do. God put a conscience in every human being, so when we sin, it's the equivalent of spitting in God's face and saying, "I DON'T CARE WHAT YOU'RE STUPID LAW SAYS, I'M GOING TO BREAK IT!!"

For us humans, this becomes a way of life. One "little" sin leads to another (it was kind of fun the first time, wasn't it?), "little" sins lead to "bigger" sins, our conscience becomes duller and duller over time, and we care less and less if what we do is wrong. Eventually, this kind of life always leads to inner emptiness (though the outward appearance of your life may be pretty good, or it might be pretty bad), and piles and piles of guilt you can't get rid of.

Maybe you've already tried psychological help, psychic help, or religion (perhaps you are even a Christian!), but still nothing takes away your sense of despair. And a scripture like Romans 2:5 is not much comfort:

"Because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God's wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed."

The future doesn't look much better, does it?

Now about that other half...

Apparently you think that your sins are so terrible that God will never forgive you.

Well, I hate to break this to you, but right now you have a pretty small view of God. In case you didn't know, the ultimate purpose of Jesus' execution was to take the punishment for "the sin of the world!" (John 1:29) If you have sinned, and you are part of "the world," Jesus died to take the judgment that you deserve.

If you could stack up the sins of your whole life (including the ones you will commit in the future), how big would the stack be? Think of some other rotten people, and imagine their sins all stacked on top of yours. Then add all the sins of the people you think are "pretty good" on the outside, but have serious problems on the inside. Then add all the so-called "little" sins of those people you think are "really good." Oh, and don't forget to add the sins of all the people who have lived in the past, and all those who will live in the future. How big is the stack now?

Now let me add one thought to this whole picture:

"Where sin increased, grace increased all the more ..." (Romans 5:20)

"Grace" is simply God's kindness toward people who don't deserve it.

There is no way you could do enough good works to pay for your own sins. It would be like trying to pay off a million dollar debt when all you have is a credit card, and no income. God is the only one who can pay off your debt; if you have a million dollar sin debt, He is willing to give you a trillion dollar forgiveness check, and more if you need it.

How can you receive this kind of blessing? Here's how:

Admit you need forgiveness, and lots of it!

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."
(Matthew 5:3)

Tell God you know how bad your sin condition is.

"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9)

Recognize that the death of Jesus Christ is the only thing that can patch things up between you and God.

"There is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who have himself as a ransom for all men..." (1 Timothy 2:5-6)

If you have done this, realize that your judgment has already taken place, and you have been declared "not guilty!"

"Since we have been justified [declared "not guilty"] through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand ..." (Romans 5:1-2)

Oh, and in case you didn't know, that's what it means to be "saved"!

Let me know if you've been forgiven by God today, or if you have any other questions or comments!

Still not satisfied?  Then keep going ...

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