Devotionals by Pastor Rick Warren

“I am the God who forgives your sins, and I do this because of who I am. I will not hold your sins against you.” Isaiah 43:25 (GNT)

Because of God’s grace, you are forgivable. Yes, you sin and make mistakes—sometimes really big ones. But God is always ready to forgive you.

The Bible says, “I am the God who forgives your sins, and I do this because of who I am. I will not hold your sins against you” (Isaiah 43:25 GNT). 

I want you to see two things in that verse. One, God doesn’t forgive your sins because you deserve it; he forgives because of who he is. Two, God “will not hold your sins against you.” In other words, he doesn’t carry grudges.

Those truths may be hard for you to believe! Many people think of God like an unpleasable parent—someone who’s always saying things like, “That’s not good enough” or “You blew it again.” But that’s not who God is. Instead of condemning you, God forgives you and covers you with his love. 

The Living Bible paraphrase says it like this: “Long ago, even before he made the world, God chose us to be his very own through what Christ would do for us; he decided then to make us holy in his eyes, without a single fault—we who stand before him covered with his love” (Ephesians 1:4).

When Jesus died on the cross, he paid for all of your sins—the ones you’ve already committed and the ones you haven’t even thought of yet. He’s paid for every single one of them. And because of that, you don’t have to pay for them. Your sins are covered with his love. 

All you have to do is believe in what Jesus has done for you and receive his forgiveness and salvation. If you’re ready to do that now, you can pray this prayer: 

“Dear Father, I confess that I have sinned against you, and I ask for your forgiveness. Thank you for your promise that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus and that my guilt is taken away through him.

“I believe in Jesus and accept him as my Lord and Savior. I give my life to you completely, trusting in your grace and love. Thank you for saving me and making me new. Help me to follow Jesus every day. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”

If you just prayed to accept Jesus, please email me at Rick@PastorRick.com and let me know. I’d like to send you some free materials to help you start your journey with Jesus.

And remember—whether you’ve just accepted God’s forgiveness today or whether you’ve been following him for many years—you are forgiven and covered in his love.

PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick

Rick Warren is an innovative pastor, renowned author, and global influencer known for founding Saddleback Church, the Purpose Driven Network, the PEACE Plan, and Hope for Mental Health. He has written several best-selling books, including The Purpose Driven Life, which has sold over 35 million copies in 200 languages. Time magazine named Warren the most influential spiritual leader in America and one of the 100 most influential people in the world. Since stepping down from the lead pastor role at Saddleback in 2022, Warren has continued to inspire people through his Daily Hope Devotional and podcast Pastor Rick’s Daily Hope. His first book in a decade, Created to Dream, was released in April 2023.

For more Daily Hope with Rick Warren, please visit pastorrick.com!

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This devotional © 2018 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission.

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