Does God Forgive Your OCD Thoughts? – A Biblical Analysis

You are a Christian, you suffer from Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, and you ask yourself, “Does God forgive my OCD thoughts?” For that question, I found some great Bible verses that will give you a comforting answer.

In general, God forgives any sin if we earnestly ask for forgiveness. If OCD thoughts remain mere thoughts and don’t lead to sin, there is nothing that needs to be forgiven. Should they be sinful and lead you to sin, the Bible states that God is faithful and just to forgive those that confess their sin.

An Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder can be difficult to bring into a balance with what God says in the Bible. I want to help you find peace of mind by looking at some helpful Bible verses that will answer major questions like, “What does God say about intrusive thoughts?”, “Is it a sin to have OCD?”, and “Where in the Bible can I see that God forgives my OCD thoughts?”

Does God forgive OCD thoughts?

A person that suffers from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is suffering from overpowering thoughts and compulsive urges that seem not logical for outsiders. With that, OCD is a symptom that usually has a bigger hidden root.

The worldly science traces its root back to natural causes like damage to the brain through brain trauma or an infection that causes the Basal Ganglia in the brain to malfunction. Sometimes, they say, genetics might be to blame because the physical defect runs in the family. The latter can be spiritually explained by generational curses that can be broken in Jesus’ name. Others say it might stem from childhood trauma or any other traumatic experience.

In any case, God looks at the heart. He sees your thoughts. And He sees you being tormented by anxiety and being pushed to compulsive behaviors. But He also wants to deliver you!

But the Lord said to Samuel, “(…). 

For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

1 Samuel 16:7 NKJV

If your thoughts are sinful thoughts or thoughts that lead you to sin, you might know that you obviously need forgiveness. The good news is that Jesus wants to forgive you and cleanse you 100%! That’s the kind of person He is!

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.“

1 John 1:9 NKJV

Above that, He wants to deliver you! The full gospel of Jesus is not just about being saved but being healed, delivered, and restored. I wrote a dedicated article about that to encourage you in the full gospel of Jesus, you can read it here.

So, if you’re seeking forgiveness, you can get even more than that. To encourage you and build up your faith, I just wrote about that in my last email newsletter and covered it in a dedicated article: Jesus is still in the miracle business!

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me,
Because He has anointed Me
To preach the gospel to the poor;
He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives
And recovery of sight to the blind,
To set at liberty those who are oppressed;”

Luke 4:18 NKJV

What does God say about intrusive thoughts?

There are many Bible verses that show God’s heart about intrusive thoughts. The Bible shows us that we can renew our minds by thinking about things that are noble, just, pure, lovely, good, and praiseworthy. God wants to help the peace of our minds by taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.

In 2 Corinthians 10:3-6 the apostle Paul gives us a powerful weapon:

“For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.”

2 Corinthians 10:3-6 NKJV

In Jesus, we have powerful weapons that are able to destroy anything that exalts itself against the knowledge of God. And anxiety does exactly that. The Bible says that “(…) God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” (2 Timothy 1:7). Therefore, what you are going through is not of Him. You can be healed and delivered from it! You don’t have to suffer any longer! God is on your side and wants to manifest His victory in your life! (Isaiah 53:5)

Additionally, we can take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ and release the mind of Christ that He has made available for us through the work on the cross. (1 Corinthians 2:16 – “(…) But we have the mind of Christ.” NKJV)

This is a form of spiritual warfare. To learn more about that you can read this helpful and inspiring article.

The Bible states in Romans 12:2 that you should “(…) not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”

This happens by spending time with God in worship, prayer, and in His Word. We are filling our mind and spirit with good and holy substance. This will help to think on “(…) whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy – meditate on these things“. (Philipper 4:8)

This video testimony of this lady getting delivered from OCD might be encouraging to you!

How do I forgive my OCD thoughts?

You can forgive your OCD thoughts by receiving Jesus’ forgiveness of your sins and then forgive yourself and others just as Christ has forgiven you. Remember that He bore the filthiest of sins on the cross, which includes any sinful OCD thoughts. Remind yourself of this truth and release yourself as Jesus did too.

As I mentioned before: Christ does forgive you when you truly repent. Receive His forgiveness. It is free. It is just for you!

If you need to remind yourself, read or print Bible verses that talk about these truths. Think about these truths and marinate your mind and spirit with them.

Then when you have received God’s forgiveness, forgive and release yourself or other people if necessary, just the way Jesus released you from all this sinful weight.

If God is for you, who could be against you? (Romans 8:31)

Why should you be against yourself? Let it go. If need be, every single time!

Maybe in this process, God will touch and heal your heart. To learn more about how God heals a broken heart, you can read on in this helpful guide.

Is it a sin to have OCD?

As a whole OCD can be more of a torment than be sinful. Given the fact that people who suffer from OCD feel mostly overcome by their compulsive urges, it can seem that they are powerless against them and therefore not guilty of any sin. But in Jesus, they can find total forgiveness and deliverance from OCD.

A thought itself might not necessarily be a sin. Anxiety and fear on the other hand are. Let me explain:

The Bible states clearly that we have not been given a spirit of fear from God. But He gave us power, love, and a sound mind. So, if there is something in us that is the opposite of these good things, then they are clearly not of God. Then we need to repent and receive deliverance through Jesus. Besides, we ought to walk in faith and not in fear which is a form of doubt.

I wrote a dedicated article on how to find freedom from fear that you might find helpful.

But we need to know that OCD as with so many other more common things people suffer under like pornography, addiction, fighting in the family, or hatred in the heart are just symptoms of an underlying issue. Therefore it might help you to look at the root of the issue. What is the spiritual root of your Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder?

Figuring this out and dealing with the root of the problem might end a sinful cycle and bring you the healing and deliverance you desired for so long.

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