Is Forgiveness Possible? Are you ready for the hard truth?

I have been pastoring for almost 12 years now and I have had so many chance to talk to people who have lived a life of regret. One of the most frequently asked question in my 12 years of pastoral work is this:

IS FORGIVENESS REALLY POSSIBLE?

Twelve years ago, if a man who have fully lived a life of sin and rebellion against God would ask me this question, I would have given him my BIBLE PAT ANSWER – since most people would expect this from pastors.

PAT answers are the easy, politically correct answers you hear often when people would ask hard controversial stuff. Some might call them the bumper sticker answers. Most of the pat answers are to pacify people’s feelings because we don’t want to hurt their already hurt feelings.

But the more I read the Bible and the more I understand God’s grace and also with numerous experiences in the mission field, I have been getting a clearer picture of the Bible and how we could answer some of the toughest questions of the people like the question “Is forgiveness possible, especially for a sinner like me?”

Here is a video clip from the TV series ER. I am posting this because it reflects a man’s search for the real and absolute truth and not the sugar coated PAT answers we usually give.

So are you ready for the real, absolute truth? If yes, scroll down. If no, then don’t read the next few lines

1. YOU ARE A SELFISH, SPOILED, ROTTEN SINNER.

2. YOU DESERVE THE WRATH OF GOD.

3. HELL IS REAL AND YOU ARE ON YOUR WAY THERE.

4. GOD IS LOVE AND HE DOESN’T WANT YOU TO GO THERE. HE WANTS YOU TO RECEIVE FORGIVENESS AND LIFE.

5. ONLY THROUGH CHRIST CAN YOU RECEIVE THE FORGIVENESS OF SIN.

6. JESUS DIED ON THE CROSS FOR THE FORGIVENESS OF OUR SIN.

7. CHRIST CAN TURN YOUR LIFE AROUND.

I think the main reason that the good news of the gospel doesn’t make sense to so many people today is because we have never told them the bad news. What is a good news if there is no bad news.

Bad news – wrath of God, hell, sin

Good news – Jesus died for you, God’s unconditional love and forgiveness, eternal life in Christ.