Forgiveness

Answer: The Bible tells us that we must be overcomers in order to be in God's Kingdom (Revelation 2:7, 11, 17, 26). To overcome something means to stop sinning and start living in obedience to God's commands. For example, if someone overcomes drunkenness, it means he or she doesn't get drunk any more. This is God's expectation of us.

Yet God also knows that because we are human, we occasionally slip up. We may even make some of the same mistakes over again, especially when fighting an ingrained habit. Yet God is faithful to forgive us if we are sincere and we ask Him for forgiveness. In 1 John 1:9 it says, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

Here it is vital that we have pure, sincere hearts. We must truly desire to live according to God's instructions. To help us become overcomers, God offers us His Holy Spirit when we repent and are baptized (Acts 2:38). If you would like to know more about what it means to sincerely serve God, request our free booklet, Transforming Your Life—The Process of Conversion. It is available at http://www.ucg.org/booklets/TL/.