Q: I have had an abortion and feel so guilty. Can God forgive me?

A: God wants to bring peace, forgiveness, and joy to your life—and He will if you will let Him. Anything that separates you from God, including having had an abortion, can be forgiven if you come to Him in true repentance (Ephesians 1:7, Romans 3:25, 1 John 1:7). This is done by confessing your sins to the Lord and pleading the blood of Christ with its power to remove sin and guilt from anyone who asks. There is no question about God's forgiving, but sometimes we are not willing to confess our sin and commit it to Him for forgiveness.

As we commit the actions of the past to God, we receive peace, comfort, and assurance through Christ. We believe that God, through His Word and the power of His Spirit, can minister peace to you in the midst of your emotional distress; God's Word offers us the peace that passes all understanding. As you fully commit this problem to the Lord, you will begin a new relationship of hope and comfort in Christ which will assure you that "there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus" (Romans 8:1).

David was deeply distraught about overwhelming conditions in his own life which blurred the sense of God's presence, but in Psalm 51 he expresses assurance that the joy and fellowship of the Lord have once again become real to him. In other words, he experienced the unfailing love and compassion of God in times when he was plagued with self-condemnation.

After turning a problem over to the Lord, we often pick the problem up once more and agonize over it again and again. Instead, we must decisively choose to leave the matter with Him and put it out of our minds, refusing to think about it or dwell upon it in any way. As God forgives, He also forgets (Hebrews 8:12). When thoughts of guilt come to your mind, say to yourself and God, "Thank you, Lord, for your great forgiveness and mercy. I praise you that you told me to cast this care upon you (1 Peter 5:7), and I have done so. Forgive me for my worry about this matter; with your help, I will praise you instead."