“Every saint has a past and every sinner has a future.”

How true is that? All believers have something in their past that they’d rather forget, whether it was 15 years ago, 15 days ago, or 15 seconds ago. Every saint wishes at one time for a time machine to be able to travel back to that crucial moment and choose differently.

I have done and said some incredibly stupid things. I know you have. Unless you’ve lived in a bubble all your life or have perfected the art of self-deception, you have moments in the past that you regret. It’s easier to receive forgiveness from others and even from God sometimes than to forgive yourself and truly move on.

But forgiveness means just that. You are forgiven because of Jesus. Not because of your stellar track record or your perfectly good intentions, but because of Jesus taking your place and the punishment you deserved for all your failings and shortcomings.

All it takes is confession and repentance.

Every sinner has a future. No matter how badly you’ve screwed things up and how massive the wreckage your life has become, there is still forgiveness. There is still a clean slate and a fresh start. Not just up to three times before you strike out. God’s mercies are new every single morning. With every sunrise there is a do-over, a new beginning, a fresh start.

If you confess your screw-ups, God is faithful and just to forgive you. It doesn’t matter if you feel forgiven. You are. It doesn’t matter if you still feel guilty. That feeling isn’t from God and you don’t have to own it. After all, faith is believing when common sense and feelings tell you not to.

I’m more thankful than ever today for an unending supply of grace and forgiveness that belongs to me in Jesus. I didn’t earn it, I didn’t deserve it, but it’s mine. The same goes for you, too.