Can sins be forgiven? It's an excellent question. If sins cannot be forgiven then evil is perpetual, and suffering is inevitable and everlasting. Wouldn't incurable disease seem normal, too?
Some think that one can avoid punishment for sin because God does not know sin, that "He is of purer eyes than to behold evil." Here is where Christian Science helps us understand God's law in a practical way. Mary Baker Eddy states in Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, "Error excludes itself from harmony. Sin is its own punishment." (Error is another word for evil. Error means that evil is a mistake, a misconception, like 4+4=5.) The way to be free of the punishment of sin, is to totally forsake sin. Error's agony aids in destroying error. Hiding sin as a means of preserving peace, or giving the illusion of peace, causes error and the suffering to grow.
Once the sin is forsaken, the suffering is removed. It's a law of God-good. God is patient with our mistakes. He gently leads us back to the right way. He does not tolerate the sin, but is very patient with our failings. We should be so patient with each other. "Through the wholesome chastisements of Love, we are helped onoward in the march towards righteousness, peace and purity, which are the landmarks of Science." (S&H 323:6)
When sin is rebuked, we discover something. We discover our true sinless nature. We discover that in God's eyes, we never strayed. And, we are home. "In this Science, we discover man in the image and likeness of god. We see that man has never lost his spiritual estate and his eternal harmony." (S&H 548:5)
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