Will God Forgive Me?

The following question was posed by a fellow aspirant, and the answer was provided by the author, based solely on the scriptures and the wisdom of the Mahātmās.

Question: "Do you think God will forgive all my wrongdoings and carry me like a child?"

Answer: Of Course, He Will. There is ample evidence throughout the history of devotees to support the assertion that God never forsakes anyone, least of all His devotees.

So long as we cry out sincerely, regret our errors, and surrender ourselves at His lotus feet, the Lord will respond swiftly to our earnest pleas. One such instance is found in the life of Gajendra, the King of Elephants, in Śrīmad Bhāgavatam, Canto 8, Chapter 3. Owing to a sin committed in a previous life, he was cursed to "enter the region of darkness and receive the dull, dumb body of an elephant." (8:4:10)

As he wandered in the wild, he one day encountered grave danger. In that pitiable situation, having nowhere else to turn for refuge, Gajendra cried out pleadingly to the Lord: "I take shelter of His lotus feet (8:3:5)... give me protection (8:3:6)... I... surrendered unto You... release me from this dangerous position. Indeed, being extremely merciful... deliver me. (8:3:17)"

Because he was sincere, the Lord "...seeing (his) aggrieved position... immediately got down from the back of Garuḍa... (8:3:33)" and saved him from the clutches of his past sin.

Similarly, in Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa, the Lord forgives even His worst enemies and grants them better lives. For instance, Lord Rāmacandra forgives Vibhīṣaṇa’s transgressions and promises to install him as the king of Laṅkā. When the Lord further offers to forgive Rāvaṇa—if only he repents and rightfully restores Sītā Devī to Him—Sugrīva asks what reward Rāvaṇa would receive, given that Vibhīṣaṇa has already been promised the throne. The Lord, in His infinite mercy, replies that while Vibhīṣaṇa shall reign over Laṅkā, Rāvaṇa would be made emperor of Ayodhyā. Such is His mercy.

And there are many other examples like these.

The point is that He is ready to forgive all our sins—provided we surrender unto Him unreservedly. It is a matter of opportunity cost: one cannot have one’s cake and eat it too. "Ye cannot serve God and Mammon." (Matthew 6:24, King James Version)