When Jesus Christ died on the cross for you, He took upon Himself the punishment for every sin you have ever committed—or ever will commit. God’s mercy is infinite! This is why the Bible says, “As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us” (Psalm 103:12).

Does this mean that it doesn’t matter how we live, or that we don’t need to confess our sins and seek His forgiveness when we do wrong? No, certainly not. God is holy and pure, and sin is an offense to Him. When we sin, we dishonor Him and act as if we are more important than He is. Sin also cuts us off from God and breaks our fellowship with Him. The Bible warns, “If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened” (Psalm 66:18).

But God still loves us even when we sin and yearns for us to come to Him and seek His forgiveness. Don’t ever doubt His love, and don’t ever doubt His willingness to forgive us when we truly repent! God loves you so much that His Son was willing to die on the cross for you.

Have you opened your heart to Christ? Make sure of your commitment to Him. Then ask Him to help you conquer those things that keep pulling you down. You can’t conquer them in your own strength—but with Christ’s help you can. Thank Him for His mercy, and turn to Him each day for the power to overcome sin.