How often should Christians pray for forgiveness? I have decided not to pray for forgiveness anymore because I want my relationship with Christ to be based in love and not fear. What do you guys think about this decision?
Repentance
- Thread starter Jones12849
- Start date
-
Welcome to Christian Forums, a Christian Forum that recognizes that all Christians are a work in progress.
You will need to register to be able to join in fellowship with Christians all over the world.
We hope to see you as a part of our community soon and God Bless!
I believe you have a few things a little mixed up. It would be best for you to go back through the New Testament and find out what is written there. You do not need opinions. Better still, invest in Nave's Topical Bible (KJV) and study the topic of forgiveness of sins.
quietthinker
Well-Known Member
I grasp God's forgiveness because he has given it. When I mess up I feel like I need to clean up before I'm acceptable again but herein is the lie. The desire to not mess up again is evidence the spirit is always wooing.....it is not the reason for my acceptance.
I therefore come boldly to the throne of Grace in gratitude and acknowledgement of failings knowing I am a Son, not a slave
CharismaticLady
Well-Known Member
Now that I've walked with the Lord for a long time, I have discovered that true repentance is not something that needs to be done daily as some believe, but is something you do once to be filled with the Holy Spirit. From then on, just obey your conscience where He lives, and don't do anything against your conscience. 1 John 3:21-24.
What do I have mixed up specifically? What would you suggest I focus my studies on in the NT?
Since you have asked, let's take a closer look at what you posted:
1. "How often should Christians pray for forgiveness?"
Christians are meant to focus on righteousness and righteous deeds. But Christians can and do sin. So whenever you sin, it is time to confess your sin and ask for forgiveness and repent (1 John 1:6-10).
2. "I have decided not to pray for forgiveness anymore because I want my relationship with Christ to be based in love and not fear."
Jesus says: As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. (Rev 3:19)
Do you see the connection between the love of Christ and His command to be zealous and repent? Why does He rebuke, unless there is sin to be rebuked? And why does He require repentance, unless there is sin to be repented of? That does not change His love but establishes it.
God says that He chastens only His children, no one else. Just like human fathers discipline children because they love them, God does the same. So your response in love is to repent. But first their must be confession of sins as John has said. This is not about fear but about fellowship.
How do you then know you have repented enough? Daily? Hourly? Weekly? How can you be sure you meant it when you did? I just know in a lot of ways for me, repentance turns into a "work" where I am trying to be clean enough and perfect enough to be worthy of God's love, and it has been very detrimental to my walk with Christ because I will never be perfect.
FHII
Well-Known Member
- Apr 9, 2011
- 4,833
- 2,494
- 113
- Faith
- Christian
- Country
- United States
I want to review the from Luke:
Luke 18:10-11,13-14 KJV
Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. [11] The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican..... [13] And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. [14] I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other...
The overall concept Jesus wanted to get across was not to be self exalting, but rather to be humble. However, look at how the publican repented: he simply asked for mercy as a sinner. In this story, he did it once and was justified. I suppose technically he didn't really repent, but admitted he was a sinner and needed God's mercy.
I wonder if its really possible to repent of all of your sins one by one. You'd have to remember them all and know all points of the law! The way the publican did it covers them all at once: he admitted he was a sinner.
Luke 18:10-11,13-14 KJV
Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. [11] The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican..... [13] And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. [14] I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other...
The overall concept Jesus wanted to get across was not to be self exalting, but rather to be humble. However, look at how the publican repented: he simply asked for mercy as a sinner. In this story, he did it once and was justified. I suppose technically he didn't really repent, but admitted he was a sinner and needed God's mercy.
I wonder if its really possible to repent of all of your sins one by one. You'd have to remember them all and know all points of the law! The way the publican did it covers them all at once: he admitted he was a sinner.
This was just the message I needed to hear today. Bless you!
not good, its understood that a penitent life brings blessing down from heaven into the world. you're not Jesus, therefore as long as the Lord keep you in this flesh repentance is a good idea. repent, the Lord is faithful to forgive. its as simple as that. He knows, period.
if the Lord show you you are in error, then apparently He wants it corrected.
amigo de christo
Well-Known Member
My friend you are troubled about many things . One thing is needful . learn the JESUS in that bible
and learn what the apostels also wrote . Learn that bible well and may the peace of the Lord be with you .
Imagine if a friend sinned against you, but told you he would not say sorry because he wanted the relationship to be about love?
Is that real love to keep hurting you and not stopping it?
If we confess our sins, Jesus is faithful and just to forgive. (1 John 1:9)
I think your fear of works is not biblically founded.
James 2:20
20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?
Pray for forgiveness as often as you sin. And turn from the sin. This is possible because God's grace teaches us to deny ungodliness (Titus 2:11-12).
I get what he's saying. You can make yourself crazy thinking you have to become good enough for God, or stay good enough, or however you want to say it.
Our reconciliation to God is found in Jesus Christ's life, His righteousness, His obedience death, alone, having believed. If we try to switch that over to ourselves, as if somehow we have our hand on the spigot, and we have to figure whether we are OK with God or not, and if not, we've got to figure how to make it right again, well, I put that behind me, in faith that Jesus has reconciled me to God. Jesus never changes, so His ministry to me never never never changes, and He remains my High Priest FOREVER! Always always interceding for me!
Can you imagine?
Every out of control act, errent thought, work of the flesh, forever and always He intercedes for me! This is the joy of salvation. I am comletely free to be with my Father, my Brother, free to know my Creator, the peace and joy that is in this thought is inexpressible!
Law provokes sin, because sin is hostile to God. Living according to the knowledge of Good and Evil was not God's original design. God's original design was innocence with liberty. And He included 1 test, that if failed, would require correction. This is nothing different than is in our lives.
God gives us tests. If we do the right thing, we've become more firm in our new creation. If we do the wrong thing, we receive correction. Maybe just the emptiness of something that has no value, maybe the pain of something harmful. All these tests/temptations we get through our lives are there to show where we need work, and contribute towards our repair.
God gave humanity, in Adam, that one test, that if he did the right thing, perhaps then there would have been ripe fruit on the Tree of Life. But he did the wrong thing, and showed something about humanity, that being created good isn't enough, we need to be united to our Creator, to be as one with Him, as He alone is intrinsically good. We can have goodness, and lose it, but He cannot.
So failing the test, and the introduction of sin into humanity is now used by God to drive us into His arms, and once there, He removes the burden. Jesus forever lives to intercede for us. "Come to Me, all you who are weary, heavy laden, and I will give you rest."
And in this way, we don't have to wait until we have the incorruptible flesh before we can have pure and true intimate unbroken communion with our Creator. Because this is found not in me, not in my ability, or my good behavior, fellowship with God is found in Jesus Christ, and Him alone. His righteousness, given to me.
It is in this way that we open our hearts fully to God, trusting Him, because we KNOW He holds NOTHING against us, not now, not ever, again, it's in Jesus, and Jesus does not change. Because we are forgiven, and we know we are beloved, received, accepted, His, and He loves us, and takes us to Himself, promises to never cast us out, promises to care for all our needs, promises to sanctify us, empower us, and lets us know this will be a process, that will last over the course of our lives.
When we get out of control, when we fail to walk in the Spirit, and end up in works of the flesh, because of who we are, we hate it. The part inside that seems to want it, well, it does, that's sin that lives in us, in the flesh, that is, the old man born of Adam. Make no mistake - you are the new man born of God, and you hate sin. Isn't that true?
We can only do what we can do, and God knows that. He knows are weakness, He is sympathetic to our weakness. And He's bringing us home.
He promised.
Much love!
Yes! We express to Him our sorrow for causing Him sorrow. For not living up to His gift. For the damage we cause to others, to ourselves. This is love! Honesty in intimacy.
Much love!
Similar threads
