This blog is all about how to move forward in Christ.
“Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead,” Philippians 3:13 NKJV
No Christian is completely perfect. We all have fallen, slipped, made mistakes, and needed God’s grace. The only thing that matters is getting up after you have sinned and moving forward.
But with the shame, guilt, and overwhelming temptation, how can we possibly find the strength to carry on?
In this article, we will discuss the top five ways to move forward in God and restore your faith and righteousness after you have sinned.
How to Move Forward after you sinned
1. Take Accountability (Repent)
“If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” I John 1:8-9 NKJV
The first step in moving forward is to repent. Repenting seems like an easy task, but so many of us don’t do it. When we have sinned, we must understand that it was wrong and affirm that we will not engage in that behavior ever again. This is the one of the most important steps in this journey because this is where God begins his work of transformation. If we don’t acknowledge and confess our sins, we don’t develop that place in our hearts where God can enter in and change us.
Repenting of our sins has two key factors. First, it allows us to come face to face with what we have done wrong. When we openly confess to our mistakes, we are no longer hiding them or burying them away under the disguise of quiet acceptance. We are shining a light on our flaws and although hard to do, it is a must to be able to get better from it.
Secondly, it allows you to reconnect with God and reestablish your fellowship with him. Remember, sin is the only thing that separates us from God, and once we sin, we leave God’s presence. Asking God to forgive us is a way to reenter into that peace and community with God and allow him to be able to dwell within us as a holy temple of his Spirit.
How do we repent? Kneel down before God in prayer and tell him what you did wrong. Admit and confess to everything and acknowledge how abysmal the behavior was. You then tell him you won’t continue in your sin (lest you find yourself in the same predicament – Romans 6:1-3) and ask him to forgive and restore you. This must be done with a true and sincere heart. You truly have to be sorry for what you have done, and really mean that you will not do it again. God only goes as far as we do, and if we do not truly mean what we say (God can read our hearts), then we will not get very far.
A good example of a repenting prayer is found in Psalms 51. This is when David sinned against God and asked for forgiveness. God was able to restore him because David meant every word that he said. (If you struggle to understand why your sin was wrong, ask God to open up your understanding as well. Sometimes we sin and we don’t even know that we sin, much less understand why it was against God’s word. Ask God, with a sincere heart, to reveal if what you did was wrong, and seek his word for further clarification.)
2. Acceptance
“But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.” I Corinthians 15:10 NKJV
A key component to moving forward is accepting the tragedy of your mistake. Depending on your situation, this wrong that you have done may come with acute to severe consequences. In God’s word, he states that he chastises us when we have gone astray. (Hebrews 12:5-7). In the aftermath of sin, we are left with pain, regret, and the overwhelming guilt of the deed. After we repent, it is hard to hold our head up high and move forward knowing what we have done. Don’t allow shame to cause you to run away from God.
Paul knew this well. Throughout the beginning of his life, he was terribly lost. He would persecute the church, help murder the saints of God, and wrongfully held the pride of a righteous Israelite. And yet, after all of this, God was able to redeem his story and restore him unto proper righteousness. Paul came from a mighty long way, and he is not afraid to admit his mistakes. In fact, he is very upfront and clear about what he has done. But Paul is able to do this because he also knows what God has done in his life. He knows that what God has done supersedes everything wrong and sinful he has done, and through this, God has completely changed his life.
This is why Paul can proclaim: “By the grace of God I am what I am!” And you can proclaim that too. Yes, you have made mistakes and have fallen. But Jesus has died on the cross and has taken away that shame and guilt. It is no longer your burden to carry. Let your mistakes be proof of how loving and gracious God is because he will rewrite your story into something so beautiful and so amazing that people will marvel at how far you have come.
3. All things work together for good- yes, even this!
“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28 NKJV
When we find ourselves in the ruins of our mistake, we can often think to ourselves, “I messed it all up. How can God still bless me after what I have done?”
The most important thing to remember is: You can never ruin God’s plan. God’s plan for your life will always happen. God knew you before you were born, he knew your weaknesses and flaws, and he still chose you! Yes, you made a mistake and yes, it may hurt now but God is not going to give up on you. It doesn’t matter what you have done. Your story is redeemable, and your sins are always forgivable.
Sometimes the real challenge is learning how to forgive ourselves and accept God’s grace. We may not feel like we deserve it, especially after all we have done, but that is the beauty of salvation. Nothing we can ever do or say can earn our spots in heaven. Nothing we can ever do or say can earn God’s mercy and forgiveness. It is a gift! (Ephesians 2:8)
Don’t ruminate on your past and beat yourself up over your mistakes. Realize that God can use even this for his glory and for the good in your story. Who knows? Maybe this is a lesson for the future. Or maybe this happened as an example for others. You never know what God can do through you, so don’t sell him short. God never wastes anything, and his purpose and plan is unsearchable. Don’t get so caught up in this roadblock but look in faith at the bigger picture.
4. Don’t look back
As you try to move forward, you might get the lingering feeling of temptation to return to the previous sin that you have committed. It might be something that was pleasurable, easy, or natural to do in this world. Recognize that this feeling is common but not something you should give space to. We will never grow if we never completely give up on and leave our sin. We must quit all things that tempt us, allure us, or even give us a slight hint of that behavior. Although difficult, this can mean avoiding certain places, activities, and people.
God calls us to be holy, and to deny ourselves the lusts of this world. I know that it can seem harmless at the time, but all sin leads to death. Sin is corrosive, and it only needs a small entry to come into your heart and completely wreak havoc. Don’t give into the lie that some sin is okay. Any sin can allow you to be denied entry into heaven. Be sober, be vigilant, and guard your mind and heart. Rely on Jesus for the strength to overcome the temptation to sin through prayer, worship, and reading his Word, and know that God never allows us to experience temptation above that we are able to handle but will always provide an escape (1 Corinthians 10:13).
5. This is all temporary
““Now, therefore,” says the Lord, “Turn to Me with all your heart, With fasting, with weeping, and with mourning.” So rend your heart, and not your garments; Return to the Lord your God, For He is gracious and merciful, Slow to anger, and of great kindness; And He relents from doing harm. Who knows if He will turn and relent, And leave a blessing behind Him— A grain offering and a drink offering For the Lord your God?” Joel 2:12-14 NKJV
You won’t be lost forever.
You can still do great things. Don’t listen to the enemy and feed into the lie that your story is over because of this mistake, or even because of several mistakes. Many great men and women of God in the Bible have tragically fallen and found themselves in a mess that only God could have saved them from. And God did. God is able to restore any situation that you are in.
After you have made a mistake, especially if it’s public, many people will try to condemn you and tell you that you are no longer worthy and you are no longer a Christian. It doesn’t matter what they say. Don’t look at them, look at God. Don’t listen to what they say about you, listen to what God says about you. God says you are chosen, holy, and loved- yes, after all you have done! All you need to do is repent and move forward. Don’t look back there. God wants to do something new in your life. Trust and his saving grace. Trust that you are forgiven. No one is better than anyone, because we all need God’s mercy, and we are all forgiven.
If you are truly sorry, and turn away from your sin, God can pick you up and redeem you. You are never too far gone.
This post was all about how to move forward in Christ.
Want to learn more about God’s word? Click here to read all about how to study the Bible.
