How long does it take to feel forgiven by God? New study tracks Christians day by day after wrongdoing

Christian adults who have committed a moral wrongdoing often report feeling unforgiven by God in the days immediately following the incident. According to new research published in Psychology of Religion and Spirituality, these individuals typically experience a rapid increase in both repentance and feelings of divine forgiveness during the initial days.

However, this heightened sense of forgiveness tends to level off over the subsequent two weeks. The study, conducted by Richard G. Cowden of Harvard University and Kaye V. Cook of Gordon College, aimed to track the day-by-day timeline of divine reconciliation for Christians who have experienced a personal sin. Repentance, which involves acknowledging one's wrongdoing and turning back towards God, is believed to precede the internal sense of being pardoned.

The latter is characterized by an internal assurance that God is forgiving the believer and has erased their guilt. The research involved 175 practicing Christian adults from the United States who had committed a specific personal sin in the past 24 hours and did not feel assured of God's forgiveness. Participants completed surveys on Days 1, 2, 4, 8, and 16 following their wrongdoing, rating their levels of repentance, absolution, and communion with God.

The sample was diverse, with participants ranging in age from 19 to 78, predominantly female, White, and predominantly Catholic. The most common types of wrongdoing reported were sexual sin, anger or resentment, and dishonesty or lying. The study suggests that actively engaging in repentance with God may be a critical step in the process of feeling forgiven, and that this process unfolds gradually over time.