Can God Forgive Me?

The Biggest Lie About Salvation

By Pastor John Haggard

Can God forgive me, no matter what I’ve done? Many people fear the answer is no.

One of the most damaging lies people believe is this: “Because of what I did, God will never let me go to Heaven.” That lie produces shame, hopelessness, and spiritual paralysis. But God’s Word presents a clear, life-changing truth: when God prompts your heart and you come to Christ in repentance and faith, your salvation is secure in Him — and no person can take it from you.

The biggest lie that’s ever been told is that a person can never go to heaven because of something awful they did. People believe that Jesus will not forgive what happened, no matter what. But at God’s prompting, if you invite Jesus Christ into your heart, proclaim Him your Lord and Savior, repent (turn away), ask forgiveness for your sins, believe that He rose from the dead, you are going to heaven. And no matter what, nobody can take your salvation (eternal life in heaven) away from you. Jesus said in John 10:28–29 (LSB),

And I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish — ever; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.

The Unforgivable Sin

Rejecting Jesus Christ leaves an unbeliever without any hope for salvation and is the unpardonable sin. John 3:36 (LSB) says,

He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.

Why Do People Lie?

So why is it that people lie to you? Here are some reasons, but the most basic reason is it’s a condition of the human heart, and nobody can change the heart except God.

Jeremiah 17:9 (LSB):

The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick; who can understand it?

Reasons Why People Lie to You

Fear of consequences (self-preservation). People lie to avoid punishment, loss, exposure, or discomfort.

Proverbs 29:25a (LSB):

Trembling before man brings a snare, But he who trusts in Yahweh will be set securely on high.

Shame and the impulse to cover sin. After sin enters, humans instinctively hide and deflect blame rather than confess.

Genesis 3:10–13 (LSB):

And he said, ‘I heard the sound of You in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.’ And He said, ‘Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?’ And the man said, ‘The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave to me from the tree, and I ate.’ Then Yahweh God said to the woman, ‘What is this you have done?’ And the woman said, ‘The serpent deceived me, and I ate.’

Greed or desire for unjust gain. Scripture explicitly links deception to profit-seeking.

1 Timothy 6:10 (LSB):

For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evils, and some by aspiring to it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

Love of human approval (image management before others). People conceal truth to preserve acceptance, status, or belonging.

John 12:42–43 (LSB):

Nevertheless many even of the rulers believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they were not confessing Him, for fear that they would be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the glory of men rather than the glory of God.

Pride and desire to appear more righteous or spiritual than reality. Lying can be a form of self-exaltation — curating a false righteousness.

Acts 5:1–4 (LSB):

But a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property, and kept back some of the price for himself, with his wife’s full knowledge. And bringing a portion of it, he laid it at the apostles’ feet. But Peter said, ‘Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back some of the price of the land? While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not under your authority? Why is it that you laid this deed in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God.’

Other Reasons People Lie

Manipulation and control (steering outcomes through deceit). Deception becomes a tool to control relationships, decisions, and consequences.

Proverbs 24:28–29 (LSB):

Do not be a witness against your neighbor without cause, Nor deceive with your lips. Do not say, ‘As he did to me so I shall do to him; I will render to the man according to his work.’

Avoiding conflict (a “peace at any price” impulse). Some lie to dodge hard conversations, confrontation, or relational fallout.

Proverbs 26:24–26 (LSB):

He who hates disguises it with his lips, But he sets up deceit within himself. When he makes his voice gracious, do not believe him, For there are seven abominations in his heart. Though his hatred covers itself with guile, His evil will be revealed in the assembly.

Hatred, malice, or a desire to harm. Scripture treats some lies as weapons — used to injure reputations or destroy trust.

Proverbs 10:18 (LSB):

He who covers up hatred has lying lips, And he who spreads a bad report is a fool.

Hardness of heart and a pattern of the “old self.” Lying can become habitual — flowing from a corrupted, unrenewed inner life.

Ephesians 4:22–25 (LSB):

to lay aside, in reference to your former conduct, the old man, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, and to be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and to put on the new man, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth. Therefore, laying aside falsehood, SPEAK TRUTH EACH ONE of you WITH HIS NEIGHBOR, for we are members of one another.

Spiritual deception (alignment with “the father of lies”). Jesus identifies Satan as the archetype of deceit; persistent lying can reflect spiritual bondage and falsehood’s dominion.

John 8:44 (LSB):

You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

What Scripture Says About Deception

Scripture condemns deception across multiple contexts.

• Lying lips are described as an abomination to God, while truthfulness brings His delight (Proverbs 12:22). Liars face eternal judgment, having their part in the lake of fire (Revelation 21:8). The commandment against bearing false witness (Exodus 20:16) and the prohibition against dealing falsely or lying to one another (Leviticus 19:11) establish truth-telling as fundamental to God’s moral order.

Our prayer should echo that of the Psalmist,

Psalm 120:2 (LSB):

O Yahweh, deliver my soul from a lying lip, From a deceitful tongue.

God somberly forewarns us,

Psalm 101:7 (LSB):

He who practices deceit shall not dwell within my house; He who speaks lies shall not be established before my eyes.

Revelation 21:8 (LSB):

But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and sexually immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.

What Jesus Said About Being Saved

Jesus said in John 6:44,

No one can come to Me, unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day.

This verse means that it is the Father, by His grace, who saves us. No one and no other thing can save us.

What You Can Do Right Now

If you feel a stirring in your heart, it may be God prompting you to accept His Son as your Lord and Savior. Invite Him into your heart, repent (turn away) from your sins, ask forgiveness of your sins, and believe that He rose from the dead on the third day.

There is no second chance to accept Christ after you die, so now is the time to accept Him if you have not done so already.

John 3:16 (LSB):

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.

And you can reach God any time that you want to simply by going to His Word, the Bible.

Hebrews 4:12 (LSB):

For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

The Spirit of God (also known as the Holy Spirit) uses the Word of God to help Christians become more like the Son of God, Jesus Christ.

Next Step to Take

Your next step is to get into a good Bible-based church that features expository preaching, and to spend 10 to 15 minutes each day with God. You can easily do that by reading His Word, the Holy Bible. A good place to start is by reading one verse a day (about 7 minutes) in the Book of Proverbs. Proverbs contains all of the wisdom you will ever need on how to live. Then read one verse a day in the Book of John. John will explain to you what Jesus is all about — that He came to earth not to condemn the world but to save the world.

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Learn More

To continue studying what the Bible teaches, you may also enjoy these related articles on TreasureTop:

• What Does It Mean to Be Born Again?
• How Do I Know If I Am Really Saved?
• Do Not Be Deceived: What the Bible Says About False Preachers
• What We Believe