When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “What if Joseph holds a grudge against us and pays us back for all the wrongs we did to him?” (Genesis 50:15).

Have you ever been unsure whether you have truly been forgiven for a past mistake, even when the person you offended or wronged has forgiven you? Sometimes it is hard to believe that someone could really forgive you for what you did. Surely, they couldn’t completely forgive that, right?  

Joseph’s brothers lived under that fear. They had completely betrayed their younger brother. They threw him into a cistern, sold him into slavery in a foreign land, and lied about his disappearance. Pretty rough stuff!  

But Joseph had already expressed his forgiveness and assured them that it was all part of God’s plan.  

So why are they now fearful that he will turn on them? Maybe it was because of their father’s passing? Grief can stir up unresolved issues in our lives. Maybe it did with Joseph?  

Whatever the reason, fear had gripped the hearts of Joseph’s brothers, and they were once again wary of their younger brother and the power he now held over them. 

The truth is, we often feel this way about God. Yes, in theory, we know that God forgives sin, but does God really forgive me for my worst sins? Or my repeated sins? Surely, He must hold some resentment, or could He one day zap me for it? 

This underlying fear can rob us of the promise found in Scripture that “as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us” (Psalm 103:12). 

When we live in the truth of God’s complete and total forgiveness, through the completed work of Jesus’ death on the cross, we can find real freedom to live in a loving relationship with God, quick to confess when we have sinned and gloriously grateful for His abounding Grace in our lives. 

In Christ, you have received forgiveness for your sins. They are no longer counted against you, whether from yesterday, today, or those you will likely commit tomorrow. 

Reflection: Do you live in fear that you have not been fully forgiven by God? Bring that before the Lord and ask Him to reveal the truth of His amazing grace into your heart and life.