Accountable2You » Resources » Personal Accountability » Does God Still Love Me After I Sin?
As the most mischievous of the three children, I was well acquainted with the pain that came with discipline. My dad would sit me down and explain what the Bible says about the consequences of disobedience. Even though I knew I was the one who had sinned, I would still leave the room with a guarded demeanor, feeling fearful of the one who had just administered discipline. Guilt and shame convinced me to keep my distance from him.
Just as my younger, disobedient self feared my dad and pulled away from him after being disciplined, we often respond to God in the same way after we sin. We speculate about what He must think of us and adjust our approach to Him accordingly. In reality, our choice to sin already reveals a distorted view of our Heavenly Father, and that same wrong belief often persists even after we’ve sinned. We imagine that God’s nature has changed, so we hesitate to draw near.
However, Scripture provides us with clarity and assurance about how God views us in our sin. We don’t have to live in fear or uncertainty, and ask ourselves, “Does God still love me after I sin?” Instead, we can renew our minds with the right knowledge of God’s character, believe His promises, and respond with a transformed heart.
It might be hard to believe when you're feeling guilty and ashamed, but God really does love His children unconditionally. He knew every sin you’d ever commit, and still, He sent His Son to show you just how deep His love goes (Romans 5:8). You didn’t do anything to earn that love, and you can’t do anything to lose it. If you belong to Him, nothing can separate you from His love (Romans 8:35–39).
The Father loves you the same way He loves His Son (John 17:23). That doesn’t mean He’s indifferent when you sin. Because He loves you, it grieves Him when you turn away (Ephesians 4:30), and out of that same love, He’ll discipline you to help you grow and turn back to Him (Proverbs 3:12).
The Father loves you the same way He loves His Son.
God’s unconditional love isn’t meant to make us careless; it’s meant to change us. When we really grasp how much He’s given us because of His love for Jesus, we can’t help but be in awe. His love isn’t a free pass to do whatever we want. He calls us to love Him back with all our hearts (Mark 12:30). And because He knew we couldn’t do that on our own, He gave us new hearts, hearts that actually want to love Him more than sin (Ezekiel 36:26). With that new heart, we’re called to turn away from sin and love Him above all else.
Not only is God’s love limitless, but His mercy is too. And that’s good news because He does not keep a record of how many times you have asked for His forgiveness. He promised to be faithful and just to forgive your sins when you confess them, and cleanse you from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). He shows mercy toward your iniquities and remembers your sins no more (Hebrews 8:12). Because of Jesus’ sacrificial death on the cross, God doesn’t hold your sins against you. Jesus’ death paid for your past, present, and future sins (Romans 6:10).
God’s infinite forgiveness should encourage us not to take sin lightly, but to be quick to repent.
God’s infinite forgiveness should encourage us not to take sin lightly but to be quick to repent. When we delay going to God after we sin, we undermine the consequences of a broken fellowship with Him (Psalm 32:3–5). Being quick to repent doesn’t mean doing it mindlessly out of routine or with a cavalier attitude. Yes, God’s forgiveness may be infinite, but it did not come free; it came at a great price at Christ’s expense. Our unworthiness of God’s mercy should remind us to grieve over our sins and take them seriously (Psalm 51:1–10). We must hate sin, see how it is offensive to a holy God, and resolve to live in holiness.
Yes, God’s love and mercy are incredible, but let’s not forget that He’s also holy and righteous. He does not turn a blind eye to your sins or sweep them under the rug. You cannot get away with your sins; they need to be settled and paid for. God knew that, so He showed His grace by sending Jesus to pay the debt that you could not pay. A great exchange happened on the cross when He bore your sins and gave you His righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21).
You’re a new creation now. The old you is gone, and the new you has come.
When God looks at you, He sees His Son, whose image you are being conformed into (Romans 8:28–29). One day, you will be completely transformed into His likeness (1 John 3:2–3). Until then, Jesus Christ the Righteous stands as your Advocate before the Father whenever you sin (1 John 2:1).
God didn’t just forgive your sin and leave you where you were: He gave you a whole new identity. Because you’ve been made righteous in Christ, you’re now called to live that out. That means choosing to put sin to death and putting on Christ’s righteousness every day (Romans 13:14). You’re no longer a slave to sin; You’ve been set free to serve righteousness instead (Romans 6:18). You’re a new creation now. The old you is gone, and the new you has come (2 Corinthians 5:17). As a result, your desires begin to change as well. You start to love what Jesus loves and hate what He hates, not out of guilt, but because His Spirit is working in you.
Whenever I distanced myself after getting disciplined, my dad would reach out to me. A simple invitation to sit at the dinner table with the family reassured me that I still belonged with them. My sin might have created a momentary rift in our father-daughter relationship, but it did not lead to my disownment. No matter what my feelings told me, I was still part of the family. My story would be different if I were only a visiting family friend. I would not get disciplined for disobedience, nor would I experience the love of a parent. In the same way, God only deals with those who are His.
When you fall into sin, remember that your Heavenly Father bids you to come to Him. He loves you unconditionally, grants you forgiveness when you repent, and sees Christ’s righteousness in you. Run to Him.