This America can be a messed up place.
You can witness it on any given day.
People, while claiming to have their own reasons, go and repeatedly do the wrong thing - willfully and stubbornly, sometimes - while knowing deep down it is wrong.
They continue this process with the thought that a loving God will forgive them, because it states that in Scripture.
Sometimes the sin is minor (such as a white lie) and sometimes it is more significant (such as repeated cheating on a spouse).
But, in this case doing the wrong thing means the person knew better deep down. It might harm them financially or regarding their health, to use a few other examples, but it does not matter to them.
Some go to church on Sunday and ask for forgiveness and some don't.
But the question for a spiritual blog is this:
Will God keep forgiving the same sin, or there a limit to God's Mercy?
Jesus And Forgiving Sins
To begin with, here might be the thought process (for a Christian).
The Bible says that God forgives sin through the work of Jesus Christ. God is loving and wants his Creation to be saved.
1 John 1:8 reads,
"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."Jesus was asked by the disciples how many times they should forgive someone. Jesus said, " I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven" (Matthew 18:22).
So, there it is in the Bible. It sounds like God will forgive your sin, as long as you repent.
After all, sinning is often the easier choice, even if it means pain later.
People might think that as long as they end up in heaven in the long term, then what does it hurt anyone to sin now? They think in their minds that, as long as they end up in the same place, what does it hurt to sin?
A Life Of Sin
So what is there to stop you from going and sinning repeatedly, with the idea that you will be forgiven?In fact, Scripture is clear those who do not live a changed life and habitually continue in sin are not true believers.
There is also a matter of interpretation.
Take Matthew 12:31, which reads,
"And so I tell you, every kind of sin and slander can be forgiven, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven."And, though this is a hard verse for some, one interpretation states this is speaking of those who do not repent. That means sincerely repenting, changing what you do and living a life of faith. It involves more than sitting in a church pew for one hour a week on Sunday.
Another relevant verse pertaining can be found in Matthew 5:48, where it reads,
"Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect."Please also remember that Scripture mentions the concept of hell in several places. However one interprets this idea, it sounds like God does have some limits on those who repeatedly do the wrong thing.
And, please remember: A person can have eternal salvation, yet still experience consequences of sin. Humans might not understand how that works, but it is important to consider.
In addition to these things, It is also said if you are aware of your sins and they bother you, then the Holy Spirit is working and speaking to you. This is a good thing. It is better to have your sin bother you than to sin with no remorse.
All in all, one should be careful in ascertaining these things, as your eternal salvation is dependent on it. That might sound obvious, but it might be worth pondering.
Scripture is not intended to be black and white, but something to be pondered.
You still have time to change, because as humans we are all probably guilty of this at one time or another.
Yes, God wants you to repent. However, he also wants you to continue to live a life of faith like he directed in the Gospels.In the end, though, God is the judge and it is not based on human reasoning.
The opinion of the author is to try to be aware of your sins and repent.
