Repentance for Sin and Dead Works

Diego      22 Mar 2011, 14:44

You mention "...we shouldn't ask to be forgiven from them again and again. Re-repentance from dead works is an insult to Christ, because it implies that initially he did not fully heal us, and set us free from our sins."

So say in my case, as I have an addiction to masturbation, I have a really guilty conscience after I commit this sin and I confess it. I wish to be turned away from this sin, but I find myself stumbling time and again. Was I fully healed the first time I repented? Shouldn't I continue to confess?

Doug Buckley      23 Mar 2011, 16:41

Hi Diego, that's a pretty good question. When you're "healed" from your sins and dead works it doesn't mean that you'll never be tempted to sin again. Instead, it means that you're free from the spiritual damage that those sins are causing. The sins are washed away so you are no longer being cursed and corrupted by them.

Being a Christian doesn't mean that you aren't tempted to sin and don't sin. We all sin everyday, especially with little things like coveting things or being angry etc. You just have to keep fighting to not sin, and Jesus will forgive you your sins, everyday. So yes, confess, recognize that you've sinned, and recommit youself. Just don't keep repenting for the things you did a long time ago and have already repented for, which is acting like you haven't been forgiven.

Part of becoming a mature Christian is knowing the sorts of triggers and false thinking that pulls us back into our old habits, and learning to nip things in the bud, before we get sucked into things we know are wrong. God bless.

Ryan      24 Apr 2011, 23:47

C'mon guys, really?! We are to be Grace-Focused, not Sin-Focused. As a guy that has already gone through the teenage stage full of raging hormones and struggles with pornography, greed and other worldly temptations, I can say that I feel your pain Diego. Once Jesus gave his life to heal our sick and dying condition, we were set free from the fear of committing sin and God's wrath that would inevitably follow. Diego your comment reminds me of a part of my life where I was definately still a babe in Christ. I wanted to do what was right and do kingdom work, however I was stuck in a rut and never-ending cycle of fear and guilt. I would fall into sin and then immediately after that sin I would ask for God's forgiveness fearful that he would strike me down or cause bad things to happen in my life if I did not repent to Him immediately. Did I have an understanding of the Grace that I had received years prior? Absolutely not! I was taught to Fear God as a literal fear like he was this guy just waiting to punish me if I was bad. That is what we are taught in society due to the Dark Ages of Christianity. However to Fear God in true translation of the word is a term that means to respect God. We are taught in church that God is like an earthly father. We are taught here that any good father disciplines his children. However, after Christ rose from the dead, his blood paid the price of any "old covenent" punishment for sins. I'm not saying that there aren't natural consequences to sin. Sure if you fornicate enough with multiple partners, eventually you will contract a disease. But God does not punish us as he did those before the cross, thanks to the sacrifice of His son. He doesn't get some sick thrill of watching us suffer. Instead, He wants us to get a revelation of His Grace that He has freely given us. I know that "I am free to live my life", as the lyrics to the song goes. Here's the Grace message in a nutshell. Not only did Jesus die to free us from our sins and spiritual consequences of our sins, he "has come that we may have life, and have it to the full" (John 10:10). "For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say No to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self- controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope— the glorious appearing of our great God and Saviour, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good" (Titus 2:11-14). So what teaches us to say NO to sin? The Grace of God does. Not the fear of God's wrath. All punishment, for all sin has been paid for ON THE CROSS!

"But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin" (1John 3:5). "For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with,[a] that we should no longer be slaves to sin- because anyone who has died has been set free from sin" (Romans 6:6-7). "If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory" (Colossians 3:1-4).

God not only wants us to be aware of Grace and our freedom "In Him", He also wants us to "know" Him. The word "know" translates from the Greek word "sozo". This word means to make one whole and complete - spiritually, mentally, and physically. It is also translated in other interpretations as salvation. Jesus' words are thisl; "And this is eternal life, that they may KNOW You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent" (John 17:3). When God gives us the "free" gift of Salvation, He completes us in the literal sense of the word. If we are sin focused and constantly afraid of the wrath of God, how can we truly accept the freedom that He has given us?

So Diego and whomever this is for, I challenge you to try this. Instead of sinning then asking for God's forgiveness, praise God for forgiving you already and for Jesus taking away your past, present, and future sins and paying the price so that our just God won’t have to punish us. Then….. take a deep breath. Ahhhh… smell the freedom.

Blessings,
Ryan

Doug Buckley      25 Apr 2011, 20:35

Hi Ryan, it sounds like you have some good things to say and edify other Christians with. However, it appears that the crux of your message here is that we don't have to be concerned about sin. You are certainly saying that all sins, including sins that haven't been committed yet, are already forgiven. This implies that as Christians, we just enjoy the ride.

This isn't the case. In fact, Peter warns us about where this doctrine can lead us to if we are beguiled by it,

"Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: an heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children: Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray...For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error. While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage. For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are AGAIN ENTANGLED THEREIN, AND OVERCOME, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them" (2nd Peter 2.14, 2.18-21 KJV bible).

How could their latter end be worse than their beginning if their future sins were already forgiven? Peter tells us very clearly that those who become entangled in sin after having received Christ are worse off, "But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire" (2nd Peter 2.22 KJV bible). The gospel of Christ is never a liscence to sin.

Peter also tells us to be diligent and make our calling and election sure, not forgetting were we came from, "Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall. For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ (1st Peter 1.10-11 KJV bible).

In fact there have been many Christian groups over the years that have embraced sin, even reveled in it, under the mistaken belief that they can do whatever want because they are saved in Christ.

Paul tells us to be diligent, resisting evil, "Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled; Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright. For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears" (Hebrews 12.15-17 KJV bible).

This is what Christ warns us about so clearly, "But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken; The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth" (Matthew 24.48-51 KJV bible).

So many churches fail to teach this nowadays because they can't keep the checks rolling in unless they tell people that they are saved no matter what they do. They whitewash the situation to make people feel better just like the false prophets in Ezekiel, "So will I break down the wall that ye have daubed with untempered morter, and bring it down to the ground, so that the foundation thereof shall be discovered, and it shall fall, and ye shall be consumed in the midst thereof: and ye shall know that I am the LORD" (Ezekiel 13.14 KJV bible).

Lastly, let me say that I am not talking about Diego here, as a pig wallowing in the mire. In fact it sounds like some people may be laying a bit of a guilt trip on him. Alot of times the biggest sins are the ones that seem to go unnoticed, "Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel" (Matthew 23.24 KJV bible).

But we need to work towards the standard that Christ gives us, "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect" (Matthew 5.48 KJV bible). We need to fight the good fight to make our calling and election sure (1st Peter 1.10). God bless

Gilbert      05 Aug 2011, 12:55

Thanks for setting the record straight Buckley. Hebrews 12:14 states clearly that without holiness NO ONE will see God. We all became christians so we can go to heaven. If Jesus comes when i am in immorality i will not go to heaven (1corinthians6:9). All the wicked will go to hell,christian or not. For my brother Diego who is in masturbation,get out. The grace of God is enough for us to be set free. I was there and God set me free. I am not special,He will do it for you.

Tom S      10 Aug 2011, 21:57

Ryan says it well enough. Positionally we are righteous in Christ from the moment we believe. I refuse to live believing that I can be caught out by Christ's return at a moment when I have sinned and have not yet repented. That is to say that I was initially forgiven for the sins I had already comitted when I believed and then, I should have listed them all out for forgiveness. Any "new" ones by that thinking would be cause for condemnation until I confess and repent. You are close to the Roman Catholic need for absolution at death in case you missed a few sins!
At the time of Christ's death, how many of your sins were still in the future? All of them. How many were covered/ expiated? all of them. Otherwise you are going to deny the security of the believer and the keeping power of Christ.

Gilbert      11 Aug 2011, 03:39

Thanks for your comment Tom. Indeed when we receive Jesus He forgives ALL our past sins. Infact the Bible says that we become a 'new creation'. But this new creation now becomes the object of Gods' rebuke and exhortation. The epistles for instance were written to christian churches. The intention of these books is to teach christians how to live holy and righteous lives as we wait for Jesus, NOT in unrighteousness like the pagans do. (1 Thesalonians 4) God says be holy in all you do because he who called you is holy. He desires a distinction between his own and those who have not known him. There has to be a difference in our lives when we cross the salvation line. We're not perfect of course and that is why he says when we stumble we should rise, repent, learn and strive for a pure life with the help of the Holy Spirit. The doctrine of future sins being forgiven is a big lie. Infact the bible rejects deliberate and wilful sinners! (Hebrews 6:4-6, 10:24-30). Lets not misunderstand grace,it is not there as a licence to sin but as the power to enable beleivers overcome sin. I have read Christ teaching that some preachers and miracle doers will be shut out of heaven because they were evildoers. To my understanding preachers can only be christians but they did not live clean lives. Use the blood of Jesus to clean your heart and refine your salvation. Christians are called to mature (Ephesians 4) in their walk with God and He who promised is able to accomplish that purification. Be ye holy 1peter 2:14-16

Gilbert      11 Aug 2011, 04:23

The correct scripture reference to Gods' call for holiness as posted above is 1Peter 1:14-16 not 1peter 2:14-16. Apologies for the error. Other scriptures relevant to my comments include Leviticus 11:44-45, 2corintians 5:17 and Matthew 25:1-13. Blessings. Gilbert.

Tom S      11 Aug 2011, 07:39

I'd been taught that the verse about the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin was a continuing tense--keeps on cleansing us.

Doug Buckley      12 Aug 2011, 17:39

Hi all, let me just say that I don't believe in a roller coaster ride of salvation (sin, repent, sin, repent). In fact Paul says that after a certain point its impossible to renew someone who has fallen away (Hebrews 6.6). In Christ our sins are covered every day, but Christianiy is a journey and we can back slide and fall off the path. This is why when Christ returns many will be cast into the outer darkness (Matthew 25.30).

The obvious question is at what point do our sins cause us to lose salvation? Paul gives us some idea, "For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins" (Hebrews 10.26 KJV bible). Ultimately it's between us and God, because he knows our hearts. I discussed this at length with John (see the article faith vs. works).

robert oakley      24 Aug 2011, 09:10

Hi, I have read this statements. legimnate and sincere and very important to the discussion in todays world. I would like to say a word or two. There is more to Sin than what has been expressed here and until the real identity of our enemy is revealed we will have this back and forth discussion on the position of Sin in life and how to deal with it.
Col 2:15 And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.So here is Sin.
Then we have Pride of Life, lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes to contend with, which is our carnal mind and natural ways. Two enemys of God being understood here in what I am saying and we have to learn to let the Spirit of Christ move in us being willing to obey his word and truth to wash us from sin and choose in Reverance to resist evil.
To fear God is to hate evil.
I could spend alot of time trying to explain more about my words here but it would take a while to do so. There is a big difference of Living in Sin and carry Sin. In Christ we have power of powers, principaltiies(sins) and if we believe in Christ is has paid for them and will deliver us present and future sins but we have to be willing to humble ourselves and confess and begin to allow Chrsit to re-new our carnal mind into the mind of Christ to be able to resist the temptor in his attemp to cause all of us to fail the grace of God. If you believe Chrsit is the Son of God and that God raised him from the dead; giving your life over to him to do his good pleasure in your life, repented and confessed a sinners life asking him to forgive you and begin a work in you with a pure heart from which God called you; revealed his Son to and accepted Him.
Then those past sins are forgiven but the future is up to us and not already planned, though God knows the path he has for you, we as human free willed beings are giving a choice to either have Christ fulling formed in us with his mind living holy and righteous, being full of light.
Or living in darkness with no life, no hope or love, full of oppression living out the devils plan in our life. God will not make you choose him and will not seperate you from your friends.
Hope this helps anyone. God bless.
If Diego really has that problem, I would tell you to find a deliverance ministry you can trust and have him deal with the perversion and sexual defilement you have been letting in your self and find postive paths to health outlets to help change your mind, its not so much the act of masterbation thats wrong its whats on your mind and are you fornicating with people in your mind. Its a natural function but if you are compulsive then it is a power of darkness causing you to commit the act which is why I mentioned deliverance which will deal with the spiritual aspect. God Bless

dennis      27 Sep 2011, 03:15

DIEGO, IT WAS IF YOU WERE DESCRIBING ME, WITH THE PROBLEM OF MASTURBATION, I TOO HAVE THIS VERY VERY BURDEN, AS I FEEL SHAME AND HATE MYSELF , AFTER KNOWINGLY COMMITTING THE ACT, I VE CONFESSED EACH WEEK TO MY PASTOR, AND FEEL EVEN MORE GUILT, AS I FEEL I HAVE NO CONTROL OVER THIS, IT CONTROLS ME, SATAN KNOW THIS OF COURSE, SO THAT IS WHERE IAM LOST, I BEG GOD TO REMOVE THESE TERRIBLE ACTIONS, AND IAM AFRAID THAT I WILL BE UNABLE TO "LIVE" MY LIFE, WITHOUT THIS RELEASE, GOD HELP ME. , DENNIS.

rebecca      03 Oct 2011, 12:25

This is very interesting. I was always taught to ask for forgiveness right away. But my friend disagrees with this as she is a preacher of free grace... and when Christ died on the cross for our sins....this means all our sin...past present and future. And I defiantly see the good in accepting that and not living in fear....it IS almost disrespectful to not acknowledge the fact that indeed we are forgiven. On the same note, as someone mentioned above...It is wise to know what your triggers are when it comes to past addictions,stumbling blocks to your old life, ect ... And when those things come us... we should turn away (or repent) To repent is a choice, choosing not to do something....So, I don't think that it's too far off to say that we SHOULD repent from some old ways of living....If we make a mistake we should recognize it and pray that we have the strength to turn away next time, and know that we are forgiven....God was once human (although perfect) but recognizes and understands our fallen nature.....We are forgiven!....but being conscience of our stumbling blocks and repenting and turning away from that is WISE!

Doug Buckley      04 Oct 2011, 14:06

Rebecca, I basically agree with what you're saying. Repenting isn't really avoiding sin, but recognizing it and regreting it after the fact.

Let's say we are like countries. When we are saved Christ takes control of the government in us. Sin is ALWAYS invading and working to overthrow the government of Christ in us. Repenting, and avoiding pitfalls and stumbling blocks makes his government more dominant in us. However its not as though if we sinned or were at a low point or forgot to repent about something we are not saved. As long as sin doesn't overthrow Christ and take back control of our lives we are saved.

jeremy kinuthia      27 Oct 2011, 15:23

every thing is done in faith so by faith we are forgiven by faith we receive our blesssing and never by works if you thing whatever you do is a sin /not a sin then it means you want to please God by your works christ saved us to restore us to the initial status god created us in he dont want us to partake from the tree of knowledge of good and evil coz that knowledge led to falling of mankind and made man worship God nit from his heart but just to be acepted before god so as a christian christ calls you to be led by the spirit of God through which you will never sertisfy the desires of the flesh if you are lid by the spirit be sure you will live a sinless life hence no repentance but if you want to exersice your'free will' you will bump in to sin not so long so just be led by the spirit do not be sin concious partake from tree of life and seek God first.REMEMBER HE CREATED YOU TO WORSHIP HIM NOT TO LOoK AFTER YOUR OWN LIFE. HE IS ABLE TO LEAD YOU IN PATHS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS. after abraham believed God it was counted to hism as righteousness let us emmulate his life for we are his descendants do you see him repent after he lied about his wife. there are many examples but if you ask God he will teach you make him alone your teacher. be blessed

AdoptedJew      30 Oct 2011, 02:06

Matthew 5:8 Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.

What does the bible say about our heart?

Jeremiah 17:9-10
9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?
10 I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.

So, we know we can't even trust ourselves. We can only depend on God and the bible to guide us and show us where we're wrong in our lives.

1 Corinthians 15:50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth *corruption inherit incorruption*.

When you give your life to Christ, that doesn't mean you stop sinning. This is why we strive for righteousness, drawing closer and closer to God and shedding our will in the process, sacrificing ourselves to do the Father's will. Sin cannot inherit the kingdom of God. Paul preaches constantly that it is possible for one of our "brothers" to be sinning still (1 Corinthians 5:9-13, 1 Corinthians 6:9-10)

1 John 3:2-3
2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
3 And every man that hath this hope in him *purifieth himself*, even as he is pure.

To purify is a process of cleansing yourself from all unrighteousness. Right after that, John says...

1 John 3:4 Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.

It is still very much possible to sin after being saved, and if you do, you've transgressed the law. However, under the covenant of grace, we can ask for forgiveness and guidance to strive for Holiness.

1 John 3:5-10
5 And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin.
6 Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him.
7 Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.
8 He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.
9 Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.
10 In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.

Sin CANNOT inherit the kingdom of God. This doctrine of "living in sin until we die or Christ returns" will send you straight to hell...we need to purify our hearts in THIS lifetime, otherwise, we will not inherit the kingdom of God. Ask God to show you what's in your heart that isn't of Him and HE WILL! He wants us all to inherit the kingdom but it's up to us on whether we decide to live in righteousness or not. IF Christ was to "perfect" us when He returns, then this scripture would be void.

Revelation 22:11-15
11 He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.
12 And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.
13 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.
14 Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.
15 For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.

Just like Jesus did it in the flesh, so can we (THROUGH CHRIST). If you say it isn't possible, you call Christ a liar and our salvation is all a lie and you're wasting your time.

Live holy, live in righteousness! We inherited the kingdom of God through the unbelief of the Jews! Time is running short, and more and more of Abraham's true seed is accepting Christ. We've been adopted through their unbelief, but it will not last forever. Christ is soon to return and we do not have time to be fiddling our thumbs. God bless you all

-I already know there are three responses to what I've said. Those who will disagree and be upset, or those who will agree, or those who disagree but will pray on it and research and look it up to see if it's true. Please, do not be one of those who are lukewarm and is comfortable living in sin.-

haena      17 Nov 2011, 03:34

hi! This conversation made me jump! haha.. This is all about Sin and Forgiveness,, yeah. Praise You Lord. When Jesus died on the cross, we are not existing yet, that was 2000 years ago, and so, our sins are being not committed yet, that proves that ALL sins have been forgiven even before they were comitted. We, Believers confess our sins NOT for us to be forgiven, BUT BECAUSE WE ARE FORGIVEN.

haena      17 Nov 2011, 05:25

wait I'm not done yet .. hehe.. well, we ARE ALREADY FORGIVEN for all of our sins. We confess not for us to be forgiven again and again, we confess for us to have the realization of HOW DEEP the Forgiveness of OUR God is. God is the ALL-Knowing GOd, even before Jesus was born, He already knew that you will commit such sins TODAY, TOMORROW, and so on, but STILL He chose to sacrifice His ONE AND ONLY SON JESUS just for someone like you. Did you ever realised that TRUTH? John 3:16 -- "For God so loved the world that he gave His One and Only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." -- If you could just realised, God gave Jesus as our Salvation NOT because we need to be saved, BUT simply because HE SO LOVED US. He wants us to be saved. His Love is extreme. For he Himself is Love. While committing such sins, just imagine how God has forgiven you. When you stumble, don't fall away from Grace, but fall into His Grace. Jesus is our Righteousness, we are not righteous by ourselves, we can never be. Jesus is our Hollines -- "And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all." (Heb 10:10)

Self-condemanation leads us away from God, and that condemation is the fruit of our sins.
John 16:8-11 "When He comes (the Holy Spirit), He will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment: in regard to sin because men do not believe in Me; in regard to righteousness because I AM going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; and in regard to judgment, because the prince of this world stands condenmed."
--The HS will expose the guilt of the world because men do not believe in Him, are you still belong to this world? God's only requirement is to BELIEVE IN HIS SON (read 1John3:21) Yes we will still sin as long as we live, but more than feeling the guilt, we should give more emphasis on the depth of His Mercy, Love and Forgiveness, that is if you are TRULY believing Him, because if not, guilt will swallow you wholly. The sin will either guilt you to-death, or will cause you to stand in awe -- feeling the Father's intimate and unconditional love. And if you are a true believer, here's for you -- 'in regard to righteousness because I am going to the Father....' -- If you are a TRUE believer, then the HS will CONVICT YOU of Your Righteousness which is Jesus that is sitting at the right hand of the Father, He is our Representative in Heaven, that because we Believe in His Son wholeheartedly, our Father will always be reminded of His punishment to us through His Own Son. So how could He condemned you whenever you sin? If the HS is the one who makes you feel guilty whenever you sin, then what's the use of crusifiction? Instead of reminding how heavy your sins are, He will rather remind you of HOW GREAT your Salvation is! of How loving your God is! Of how depth His Grace is! And so instead of falling away from Grace because of your sin, He will make you fall inlove more into His Grace with great awe.

Romans 5:20 " But where sin is increased, grace increased all the more..." -- Sin may bring you to the depth of God's grace, but Grace will never bring you to sin. It is the grace that will say NO to ungodliness, not your guiltness. I've been to a situation before that whenever i sin, I repented immediately (almost evry moment). Unitl God made me understood His PURE GRACE -- no effort from me. the Bible is true, Grace will teach us to say NO to sin in a way that our attention will be on His Greatness ALONE, on His Grace, on His power, on His Majesty, on His Love, all in all our focus will be on Eternal things ALONE. Wherein temptations are not so tempting anymore, where our bitterness are soaking in His sweetness, where fears are hiding in His Presence, wherein SEEKING Him is the only thing i've ever wanted.. Not even noticing that while seeking the King, His Kingdom follows me. I almost forgotten the things about sinning, and realized that my sins can't enter to His Presence. Amazing God.

Instead of seeking the commandments, His Grace taught me to seek the Commander; instead of seeking His Promises, His Grace taught me to seek the Promise-Giver; instead of seeking for the blessings, His Grace taught me to seek the Blesser.

I still sin ofcourse (lighter but still have same punishment ), but according to the Bible, NOTHING CAN sepearate me from my God. (Rom8:38-39). 2Corinthians 5:17 -- "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, NOT COUNTING MEN'S SINS AGAINST THEM. And He has committed to US the MESSAGE of reconcillation." -- Just think about it, I believe that Jesus will reveal to you the Depthness of Himself.

There is only One way to avoid sin, and that is JESUS. If you are still 'enjoying' in doing some sins, BELIEVE in the NAME of your Savior. You are indeed in the working progress of your growth in Him. when you do sin, realised how He's convicting you that you are righteous-- in Him, you will cry in awe, that even though you're still sinning God still sees you righteous. Then that will be the greatest feeling you could ever have, being in His very Presence. Sinking in His Grace. He understands our nature, and He already made a way. Then gooluck to yor sins (great sins) if they could still tempt you.

One more question: Do you wash yourself before taking a bath?
He is our purifying water. Feel free to soak youself.

Let us love ourselves the way God is loving us, and we will learn to love others the way He loves them.

More Grace be upon us. I would love to read your response. ^_^

Doug Buckley      17 Nov 2011, 12:33

Hi Haena, yes, Jesus died for our sins two thousand years ago, and yes whoever believes in him will have eternal life (John 3.16), and is free from their sins. Jesus loves us, and his love is extreme to forgive us of our sins. We all agree with that, but none of that is biblical evidence that a person cannot turn away from Jesus and lose salvation.

Ultimately, what is the final authority, Jesus or a church? He is the Living Word and the bible is his book. The bible is unequivocal on this subject.

"For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are AGAIN ENTANGLED THEREIN, AND OVERCOME, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire" (2nd Peter 2.20-22 KJV bible).

"But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken; The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth" (Matthew 24.48-51 KJV bible).

Jesus will not be mocked and if a believer chooses this sinful world over him they will not be saved from the consequences of their sins.

You quote Hebrews 10.10, but when the verse is looked at in context (which is critical) its actually not saying what you think it is. Its really saying that Jesus sacrificed himself ONCE on the cross, because his offering was perfect, unlike the continual animal sacrifices of the first covenant.

Paul goes on to tell us, "For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth NO MORE SACRIFICE for sins, But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries" (Hebrews 10.26-27 KJV bible).

You quote Romans 8 that nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ, but again look at the context. Paul mentions "things" like powers and principalities. He's not saying we can't choose the world over Christ.

"For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ" (2nd Corinthians 11.2-3 KJV bible).

So there you have it. I'm not trying to scare anyone, but the reality is that believers have to take heed and keep their lamps lit like the ten virgins. Nothing can pull a believer away except for their own poor choices, and willingness to be deceived by some doctrine other than what Christ teaches in his Word.

Tom      15 Dec 2011, 14:03

I think I have Scrupulosity, and OCD. This affects my christian faith, and I believe every day I sin. For thoughts that are blasphemous.

But this gets me absolutely paranoid, that if I can't what exact thought i had that was wrong I can't repent every day when I get these thoughts.

I might lie by accident like saying, Feliz Navidad was french - i thought it was and it wasn't. So then I lied and sinned again! Then i said 'no one cares about you' to myself and got paranoid thinking i said it to the holy spirit.

I can't repent every day can I? I'm worried about turning forgiveness into something cheap and meanless, but i still need forgiveness daily. Or do I?

I'm worried i'm requiring Prayer for entry into heaven and insultnig God. Have I not already got forgiveness for future sins? can't i just thank god every day with the Lords Prayer? Which even mentioned forgive us our tresspassers.

Please help!

haena      15 Dec 2011, 20:57

Hi Tom =) Please read my previous post. I'll try to leave more comment later.

May Jesus speak to your very heart. =)

Doug Buckley      16 Dec 2011, 01:14

Hi Tom, I struggle with some of those issues myself.

We all sin every day, and it takes a true Christian to recognize that. Yes you should recognize and repent for your sins, and thank Jesus for forgiveness. However, God does not keep a laundry list of your sins that you need to repent for. It's not like if you forget to repent of one sin you're no longer a Christian. If a Christian sins the minute before they die they are still forgiven. If you are in Christ all the sins you commit are forgiven.

However, your future sins are NOT forgiven. Jesus continually heals us of our sins IF we have faith in him. The bible is clear that Christians can and do fall away. If we choose the world over Jesus, and let our light of faith die out, our sins aren't forgiven.

"And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out" (Matthew 25.8 KJV bible).

GP      23 Dec 2011, 15:08

As I read These passages, I hear one saying all sins are forgiven, past present and future. I also hear this same one saying that increasing knowlege of the Word initiates a responce of not wanting to sin anymore, although we all do. On the other hand I hear one who says that to sin willingly after being forgiven, there is no more sacrifice for sin, although we all do. What I hear both saying is that we all sin, and we all know better and don't want to. You all are in accord. Christ said when two or more are in agreement with asking anything, I will do it for them. Pray that we all can stop sin within ourselves to the Great Father through Christ. I also hear both sides saying we must acknowlege our sins, one side says they revelle in the fact they are already forgiven and one says you have to ask to be forgiven. The fact remains that we do have to acknowlege them and from what The word has taught me, you have to ask forgiveness with a pure heart. The one says as you get closer to GOD you do not want to sin, which is true, and you are already forgiven if you acknowlege it and that means confessing it and asking for pardon. Almighty God knows beginning to end, Telling God you have sinned is the way of letting God know that you know that God knows. Christ died once for all. I have struggled with what Paul said,If you sin willingly after knowing the truth, there is no more sacrifice for sin,and quite frankly it scares the hell out of me. I don't know about anyone else but to me this is the fear of the Lord. I strive for perfection but am always found wanting in the eyes of Him who is perfection in essence. I ask for strength and knowlege but sin every day, well almost every day, but then I ask for strength and knowledge not to do it anymore and also forgivness. I don't know everything, who does but one? But I think I know the chance for freedom is given as a gift, the choice of freedom is earned. We have to make a strong effort and we get better and better at it. Grace is a gift for sure, but we have to take it from there. May the Lord give us all wisdom

tee      12 Jan 2012, 06:09

I have been saved for about a year and a half. And I fornicate at times. I know its wrong and I ask for forgiveness but I also feel so ashamed after because I don't like disappointing god. Sometimes I can sustain myself, and I can be really on track and then I fall. I read the bible a lot, fast, and pray. I thought I had a problem until a prophet said my problem was yielding. I have changed a lot of my bad habits, but this one seems the hardest. People say I'm too hard on myself, but I just want to stop this act of sin and serve the lord wholeheartedly.

Daniel      12 Jan 2012, 10:56

I read your scriptures from above.
I really disagreed for some of the interpretation.
Being in this modern world we are doing sin every movement. Bible says that by our thought also we will commit sin. Human beings are not a perfect creatures.
In our daily bases we have to repent on Him(Jesus).
It's so important to us.
Thank you

Doug Buckley      12 Jan 2012, 22:02

Hi Tee, Romans 6 talks about how we should yield our bodies to God instead of yielding to unrighteousness and sin, so repent and keep trying. For alot of Christians the root of their habitual sinning is a lack of faith, because they're not getting fed in churches.

ctincher      19 Jan 2012, 09:58

hebrews 10:26 is talking about hearing thr gospel of christ and rejecting it. if you say you are saved and continue to live your life like you did before did u truly repent? born again christians sin daily a thought can come into your mind you may say things out of anger. you can sin in your sleep. seek God daily and repent daily even hourly. not one of us is perfect.

Evangelist      27 Jan 2012, 15:53

As children of God, we have to turn away from sin, Quit, give up, Repent, seek the Lord for what ever it is that have power over you. no weapon formed against you shall prosper. Is. 54:17 the battle is not yours, it belongs to God. seek his face, He will deliver you. fast, and pray, VICTORY is yours. remember, 1 john 4;4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He that is within me than he that is in the world. confess Gods word to that spirit, I belong to God, I am a new creature in Christ, I am a child of the King. and I rebuke you, you have no power over me, and with God all things are possible to them that believe. I pray this will help someone to hold on to God, Pray as never before.