Speaker: Sia Kim Pu — 3 Questions
1. Can God forgive a murderer?
Murder is a very serious thing because every human life is precious. But when the Bible says that Jesus cleanses us from all sin, it means all sin.
1 John 1:7 says,
“If we walk in the light as he himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.”
In the eyes of God, there is no sin that is too great for the blood of Jesus to cleanse. Murder is sin. Stealing is sin. Cheating is sin. Lying is sin.
Sometimes society gives different levels of consequences to different sins. Murder can lead to prison or even death. Stealing can lead to punishment. Lying can destroy someone’s trust. But when we compare ourselves to the holiness of God, sin is sin.
Think about Adam and Eve. God told them they could eat from every tree except one. They chose not to listen. Their sin began with disobedience.
The problem isn’t only the action itself. What leads us into sin is often our choice not to listen to God’s Word.
Look at Moses. Moses killed an Egyptian, yet God still forgave him and later used him to lead the Israelites toward the Promised Land.
David also sinned greatly. He knew Bathsheba was married, yet he desired her. He eventually planned for her husband, Uriah, to be killed in battle so that he could take Bathsheba as his wife. David’s actions were sinful, yet God still forgave him.
Then there is Paul. Before becoming a follower of Christ, Paul persecuted Christians. He was involved in the killing and persecution of believers. Yet Jesus still met him, forgave him, transformed him, and used him. Paul eventually became one of the most influential leaders of the early church and wrote many of the New Testament letters.
When we look at these stories, we see that God’s forgiveness is greater than our sin. The blood of Jesus is enough to cleanse us.
2. What are the consequences of doing sinful things?
Even when God forgives us, our actions can still have consequences in this world.
For example, if I lie to a friend, they may believe me at first. But when they discover the truth, they may struggle to trust me again.
If I steal someone’s phone, God can forgive me when I truly repent. But the person who lost their phone still experiences the consequences. They may feel hurt, angry, or have difficulty trusting me afterward.
So forgiveness does not mean our actions have no consequences.
Our character affects the people around us.
God calls us to do good because we have something inside us that should reflect His love to the world. People should be able to see something different in us because of Jesus.
Even when God forgives us, people may still be affected by what we have done. That’s why our choices matter.
3. Do I still need to do good things after becoming a believer?
Yes.
When we receive Jesus as our personal Savior, we are saved by grace. We don’t earn salvation by doing enough good things.
Ephesians 2:8–10 says that we are saved by grace through faith. Salvation is God’s gift, not something we earn through our works. But it also says that we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works.
Sometimes we can think, “If God forgives me anyway, I can just do whatever I want.”
But the Bible never teaches us to live that way.
We don’t do good things to earn God’s love. We do good things because we have already received His love.
After receiving Jesus, we may still struggle with sin. We may do things we know are wrong, even when we don’t want to. But God’s grace continues to cover us.
At the same time, God has given us a new life for a purpose.
Jesus tells us to be the light of the world and the salt of the earth.
So wherever we are—at school, at work, at home, or with our friends—we should reflect Jesus through the way we live.
You don’t do good to earn His love. You do good because you are already loved.