If you are a child of God and are a citizen of His Kingdom, here is a simple truth that we often accept but neglect to embrace: you are forgiven. I know you're saying to yourself, "I know I am forgiven...I asked for forgiveness however long ago it was and God forgave me. Just like that."

The question is not whether or not you know that you have been forgiven, but rather do you dwell in that forgiveness? Do you walk through life with that truth? Do you look at yourself everyday, knowing that you are forgiven?

It is probably the case that you know that God loves you, that Jesus died for you, and that you are no longer chained to the heavy weight of sin and shame. But do you live in the truth that you are forgiven? For all of your sins? For all of your mistakes? Not just the small and seemingly insignificant ones. Every single wrong that you have ever done, are doing, and will do, is forgiven.

You are forgiven.

Over the past week, someone in my life helped me realize why we often struggle to walk in the forgiveness that God has provided us with by putting it into words; "It can get hard for us to walk in forgiveness because we can find it so difficult to forgive others sometimes." This seems so simple, yet it is so infinitely complex and true. Because of our inability to forgive others, we sometimes doubt the validity of God's forgiveness.

"But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin" (1 John 1:7, NIV). *My emphasis*

"In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding" (Ephesians 1:7, NIV).

You are forgiven.

If you have asked and received forgiveness, I suggest that you start living like it. Do not walk around trying to earn forgiveness, because you already have it. Wake up each day knowing that you are already forgiven. Go through life with a forgiven mindset, not a forgotten one. God has not forgotten you, and He has given you everything you need to get through the situations you are faced with.

If you have yet to ask God for forgiveness and genuinely want to, then do not stay silent about it! Reach out to those around you and find out how you too can live in God's forgiveness.