Seeking Forgiveness For Repeated Sins: Is It Possible?

Many Christians struggle with repeated sins, but the good news is that God's forgiveness is infinite for those who are truly seeking it. God promises to forgive us if we confess our sins and sincerely repent. This means turning away from the sin and asking for divine grace to overcome it. While it is important to strive for holiness and avoid repeated sins, we can have peace knowing that God's grace is greater than all our sins.

God's forgiveness is infinite

In Jeremiah 31, quoted in Hebrews 8, we read that part of the new covenant is that God will "forgive our wickedness" and "will remember our sins no more". God is intentionally refusing to keep a record of our wrongs.

God's forgiveness is not a promise with an asterisk. When we confess our sins, Jesus cleanses us. In 1 John 1:9, it is written: "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness."

However, it is important to understand the nature of salvation and our union with Christ. Our union with Christ is forever, and we are connected to all the blessings of Christ. This means that His record is forever ours. We always stand forgiven because we stand in Christ. This is why God continues to forgive the sins we continue to repeat. He forgives all sins, past, present, and future, through the shed blood of Jesus Christ.

It is important to note that a believer will not pursue a lifestyle of habitual and continual sin (1 John 3:8–9). As Christians, we do stumble, but we do not live a lifestyle of continued, unrepentant sin. When our faith grows weak, and we deny our Lord in word or deed, there is still a chance to repent and be forgiven.

To receive God's forgiveness, we must humbly seek it and sincerely repent. Repeated sin can be an indication that a person hasn't truly repented and is only saying that they have. God sees right through insincere repentance (Galatians 6:7). When we sin, the Spirit will convict us of sin, resulting in godly sorrow (2 Corinthians 7:10–11). But the Spirit will not condemn our souls as if there is no hope, for there is no longer any condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1).

God's grace is greater than our sin

God's grace is indeed greater than our sin. The apostle Paul writes about the struggle between a mind that wants to serve God and a sinful nature that just keeps on sinning. Jesus Christ delivers him from this body of death (Romans 7, esp vv 24-25). Jesus' blood is powerful enough to wash away all sin, even repeated sins.

The concept of forgiveness is a profound one. God not only forgives our sins but removes them completely from His presence. This is a difficult concept to grasp, which is why it is so easy to worry and wonder about forgiveness instead of just accepting it. The key lies in giving up our doubts and our feelings of guilt and resting in God's promises of forgiveness.

In Jeremiah 31, quoted in Hebrews 8, we read that part of the new covenant is that God will "forgive our wickedness" and "will remember our sins no more". God is intentionally refusing to keep a record of our wrongs. He is throwing away the ledger.

However, we must be careful not to abuse God's grace. We must not use it as an excuse to sin. Sin must be faced honestly; it must be called "sin", and it cannot be treated as harmless. We must repent and be sincere in our repentance. God sees right through someone who is not repenting sincerely. Repeated sin can be an indication that a person hasn't truly repented and is only going through the motions.

But for those who are truly seeking forgiveness, God's forgiveness is infinite. There is no place we can go that God's grace cannot reach, and there is no depth to which we can sink that God is no longer able to pull us out.

The devil tries to make us doubt our salvation

The devil is a liar and the father of lies. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. He is the accuser of the brethren, who accuses them before God day and night. He wants to steal souls from the Lord, so he uses our weaknesses against us in order to cause us to sin, in hopes that we will stray from God and continue to live in sin.

Satan knows the weaknesses of our minds and uses these weaknesses to influence fear over us. He uses fear for several reasons:

• To diminish our courage and cause us to retreat
• To affect our ability to do the things we need to do
• To steal our peace of mind
• To influence our rational thoughts and actions in a negative way

The most important reason why Satan uses fear as a weapon against us is that fear is in direct opposition to our faith. Being fearful completely contradicts an important promise of God in 2 Timothy 1:7: "For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind."

Satan uses doubt as a weapon, too. He wants us to doubt:

God's love, grace and mercy towards us

Remember... it's God's love, grace and mercy that led Him to send Jesus Christ to the earth to lay down His life for us. Jesus giving up His life is what leads to our salvation. When you accept the gift of salvation, you begin to understand and accept all that the Word of God says and realize the TRUTH of His Word. Satan doesn't want any of that for us.

Have you ever wondered how in the world God could love you? Have you ever questioned your salvation? Satan puts these thoughts in our minds to make us doubt.

God's forgiveness is not an excuse to sin

God's forgiveness should not be an excuse to sin. While the Bible makes it clear that God forgives all sins, it is also clear that this does not give Christians a free pass to sin. In Romans 6:1-2, Paul writes that "grace is not an excuse to sin".

The concept of God's forgiveness is based on the idea of repentance, which involves a sincere change of heart and a commitment to turn away from sin. True repentance involves a change of mind about a particular sin, seeing it as God does, and agreeing with Him that it is odious. This change of mind leads to a change in behaviour, where the believer hates the sin, repents, and seeks divine grace to overcome it.

Repeated sin can be an indication of a lack of true repentance, and God sees through insincere repentance. As Christians, we are called to examine ourselves and test our faith (2 Corinthians 13:5). We should not live a lifestyle of continued, unrepentant sin. Instead, we must work to overcome our sins and strive for holiness, with the help of the Holy Spirit.

While God's forgiveness is always available, we must not take it for granted or abuse it. We must face our sins honestly, call them what they are, and strive to turn away from them. This involves taking practical steps to avoid temptation and seeking help from God and trusted Christian friends.

In conclusion, God's forgiveness is not an excuse to sin but rather a call to repentance and a motivation to strive for holiness. We must remember that God's grace is greater than all our sins, and we can always find cleansing and restoration in Christ.

God's forgiveness requires sincere repentance

God's forgiveness is infinite, and He will forgive all sins, even those that are repeated. However, sincere repentance is necessary for God's forgiveness.

The Bible states that God will "forgive our wickedness" and "remember our sins no more" (Jeremiah 31, quoted in Hebrews 8). This means that God actively chooses to forget our wrongdoings and not hold them against us. As it is written in Psalm 103:12, "As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us."

However, it is important to understand that forgiveness from God does not mean that we can continue sinning without consequence. While God's mercy is infinite, we must not take it for granted. True repentance involves a change of mind and heart, where we agree with God that our actions are sinful and seek to turn away from them. As Christians, we may stumble and struggle with sin, but we should not live a lifestyle of continued, unrepentant sin (1 John 3:8-9).

The apostle Paul writes about this struggle between a desire to serve God and a sinful nature (Romans 7:15, 24-25). He emphasizes the need to hate sin, repent, and ask for divine grace to overcome it. When we repent and confess our sins to God, we can find cleansing and restoration through the blood of Jesus Christ.

Additionally, repeated sins can indicate a lack of sincere repentance and a need to work harder to avoid temptation. It is crucial to recognize and address weaknesses and take practical steps to avoid situations, decisions, activities, or friends that lead to sin. Seeking support from a trusted Christian friend who can pray with you and provide encouragement can also be beneficial.

In conclusion, God's forgiveness is always available, but it requires sincere repentance and a desire to turn away from sin. We must remember that God sees through insincerity and is not fooled by mere words. By humbly seeking His forgiveness and striving to live a life pleasing to Him, we can experience the fullness of His grace and mercy.

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