“If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves, pray, seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land.“

Sometimes, we are so focused on our mistakes, our emotions, our beliefs, our guilt, that we forget it’s possible to be forgiven and to have a new beginning. Mistakes exist, but so does grace! We often think our faults, our sins are too great to be erased. Yet, God is simply waiting for us to acknowledge and confess our wrongdoings. He is the one who wipes the slate clean and begins a new story.

However, without repentance, there is no new beginning. Repentance is a change of mindset. It’s recognizing our faults, confessing them to God, and asking for forgiveness.

Repentance draws us closer to God and has a positive impact on our lives. It is through repentance that we are freed from our sins. Everyone makes mistakes. Even among the disciples, we see a difference between those who repented and those who did not. Jesus chose twelve disciples. Among them were a man named Peter and another named Judas. Both made serious mistakes. Peter denied Jesus, lied, and swore he didn’t know Him. Judas betrayed Jesus for money. One asked God for forgiveness, the other felt no remorse. The end of their stories turned out very differently.

Repentance is the key to a new beginning and a new story. Nothing impure, no sin, can enter the presence of God because He is holy.

“The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; He delivers them from all their troubles. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.“ Psalm 34:18–19

Repentance makes all the difference. I remember that when I confessed my sins and mistakes to God, everything changed. I truly experienced a before and after. I used to feel constantly sad and completely hopeless. I honestly believed that nothing good would ever happen to me again. But all it took was one cry to God, and my situation changed. Now I better understand the importance of repentance, deliverance, and the new life. That’s what I want to share with you in this chapter.

Jesus accomplished everything on the cross, and by shedding His blood, He gives us full freedom in every area of our lives. But to experience that, we must grasp this truth and apply it.

No one is perfect; we all sin. That’s human. But God’s grace overflows in spite of our mistakes. Throughout my life, I’ve met many people who believed that God couldn’t forgive them because they had done too much wrong. That is a LIE! It’s not biblical!

Jesus was crucified with two other men. One on His right, the other on His left. They were criminals—perhaps murderers or thieves. We don’t know what exact crimes they committed, but they were guilty. And yet, with a single sentence, one of the criminals was COMPLETELY FORGIVEN. Why? Because no crime, no sin, no mistake is greater than God’s grace. God’s grace and love are bigger.

So, if you think you can’t be forgiven because you’ve gone too far, that’s not true. You’re believing a lie. That guilt will eat you up and keep you from moving forward. And it goes against the plans God has for you. So stop wallowing in your sin. Turn away from it. Ask for forgiveness and move forward.

I’ve often heard people say they’ve gone too far and are too ashamed to talk to God. They think God has rejected them or is angry with them. The issue is that sometimes we have the wrong image of God. We picture Him as a strict father who lacks compassion. I’m not saying God approves of sin, but He is absolutely aware that we are human and that our flesh is weak. The truth is, the more we know God, the easier it is to understand how He responds.

If a child has a father who’s always absent or rarely speaks, that child won’t really know how his father reacts or what he thinks. But if the child has a father who communicates and spends time with him, then when the child makes a mistake, he’ll feel more at ease confessing it, without fear.

It’s the same with God. The more you know Him, the more you’ll realize you can go to Him with your struggles—because you’ll know He loves you. He’s not here to judge you but to help you grow and guide you toward good choices. God doesn’t correct us out of some twisted pleasure but out of love. He wants what’s best for us. He is a good, kind, gentle, and understanding Father.

When we understand God’s character, it becomes easier to draw near to Him—even right after we’ve sinned. After all, you’ll have to speak to Him again eventually, so why not now? God is eagerly waiting for us to talk to Him.

Repentance is not a shameful act—it’s a courageous act, born out of a desire to change. When we truly recognize that what we’ve done is wrong, it leads to transformation.

Let’s take an example: imagine a man who cheats on his wife. If he denies it and believes it’s no big deal, he won’t change—he’ll continue in his behavior. On the other hand, if he acknowledges his wrongdoing and confesses it, he will change for real.

Recognizing your sins, confessing them to God—in other words, repenting—will make you a new person. God will be able to act and transform your story. So it’s a waste of time to put off that conversation with God. Repent, ask for forgiveness, and move forward.

Repentance is liberating!

The more we struggle with a sin, the more suffering increases. But more than that, Satan gains a foothold in our lives.

When we commit a sin (lying, stealing, harsh words, gossip, etc.), we give the devil access to us. He finds an open door and acts in our lives. This is called “opening a breach” to the enemy. If you’ve done nothing wrong, Satan cannot go to Christ’s court and accuse you. But the moment you do something contrary to God’s word, Satan rushes to condemn you.

If he finds nothing, he can do nothing. But Satan loves to accuse. You make a mistake? He accuses you immediately. He tempts you to lie or lose your temper with your spouse? Then he jumps on the opportunity to accuse you! And since you’re guilty, you’re condemned. This gives Satan the legal right to wreak havoc in your life. But repentance cancels all those accusations—even if they’re true.

The moment we ask God for forgiveness and repent, all condemnation disappears. Why? Because, through Jesus’ sacrifice, we are justified and forgiven. But repentance is essential!

Repentance means asking for forgiveness and recognizing the harmful nature of the sin—then doing everything possible not to fall again.

If I steal from my employer and ask God for forgiveness, there’s no condemnation for me. But if I keep stealing over and over and just ask for forgiveness each time, that’s not real repentance. That means the act matters more to me than what God desires.

True repentance is fully understanding and being aware that my actions are wrong and choosing not to repeat them. In fact, it means replacing those bad actions with better ones. And yes, that is within our reach…

This text is an excerpt from the book “HEADED TO HELL?” written by Lydie BRIFFAUT.

We invite you to read the following article: “LIVING AND REMAINING OUTSIDE OF CONDEMNATION.”