I Don't Focus On My Sins, Guilt and Shame destroys a Christian's Walk with God!

[jshiii]

How did this truth reach your heart, you know I can read this and know its truth in my head, but inside I cant seem to grasp it - so I go round and round in circles !

Hi Butterfly! I feel your pain. Took me quite a few years and God has not yet whispered to me the answer to why it took me so long to see his true love, and he still has more to show me. I'm not sure where you are in your walk with the Lord, as we all are at different levels of experiencing the Lord's love, but I will tell you what worked for me. I had come to the realization that nothing in this world would ever make me completely happy and I just gave up all. I started praying like a wild man! For the last year, I have prayed with TEARS, all night long sometimes to understand what I was feeling. I argued, I wrestled, I was not gonna stop until God exposed to me what was going on. Then one day the answer came. I was so broken and mad with the evil one for robbing me of so much joy in this life, I said no more. No more will you make me feel guilty and shameful for any sins in my past. No matter how difficult it might have seemed, I woke up one day and said, "The Lord loves me just like I am. He only wants me to focus on him and not my sins of the past." I trusted in Jesus and never looked back. Now I have that direct line of communication with our Lord. No guilt or shame here. I'm 100% free. Satan will do everything he can to cause you to doubt the Lord loves you Butterfly! It's a Lie and SATAN IS A PUNK!!!!!!!!

 

[Butterfly]

Hi Butterfly! I feel your pain. Took me quite a few years and God has not yet whispered to me the answer to why it took me so long to see his true love, and he still has more to show me. I'm not sure where you are in your walk with the Lord, as we all are at different levels of experiencing the Lord's love, but I will tell you what worked for me. I had come to the realization that nothing in this world would ever make me completely happy and I just gave up all. I started praying like a wild man! For the last year, I have prayed with TEARS, all night long sometimes to understand what I was feeling. I argued, I wrestled, I was not gonna stop until God exposed to me what was going on. Then one day the answer came. I was so broken and mad with the evil one for robbing me of so much joy in this life, I said no more. No more will you make me feel guilty and shameful for any sins in my past. No matter how difficult it might have seemed, I woke up one day and said, "The Lord loves me just like I am. He only wants me to focus on him and not my sins of the past." I trusted in Jesus and never looked back. Now I have that direct line of communication with our Lord. No guilt or shame here. I'm 100% free. Satan will do everything he can to cause you to doubt the Lord loves you Butterfly! It's a Lie and SATAN IS A PUNK!!!!!!!!

I am at the stage of knowing that nothing in this world will make me completely happy, but I am not at the point of praying like a mad women yet - although I have been in ongoing conversation with the Lord internally over things for many years. I can claim so many more truths than I use to , but this whole issue of ' being loved ' seems beyond me at times - it breaks through from time to time - but the assurance is not a constant thing with me yet.
However reading what you and mark have said, gives me hope X
Rita

 

[marks]

Yes, I do pray about it, guess it's about having patience and persevere ( renew the mind )
Rita

Been thinking more about this question.

God knows what sins we will yet commit. God is the One Who sanctifies us. He could do it all at once right now, but He doesn't. I know He can, because the Word says He has the power to subdue all things to Himself. Among other things it says.

Knowing that I'm going to sin, God still loves me, works with me, uses me. So the fact that I will still commit sins isn't the gamechanger that it used to be.

If God is going to say, Nothing for you till you are done sinning, then that's what I should expect. But God says, I'll never leave you nor forsake you, and 'never' includes when I am sinning. Go figure! But just the same, it's true. It's what the Bible says.

So I've come to the conclusion that my sins are a bigger problem for me than they are for God. So perhaps I need to get my perspective more like God's.

Naturally I want to not sin as much as possible, but the reality is, it's God's power, His revelation in me, His work in sanctifying me that leads me away from sin. We need to be patient with ourselves, and with God. Endurance is the watchword.

Much love!

 

[marks]

What do you mean by "unregenerate"? Sorry.

I read it to mean the sin that brought death into the world. You didn't do that. I didn't do that. God saw that as an injustice for the innocent to pay for the sins of someone else. Jesus fixed that. However if we enjoy the idea of sinning and having others pay for our sins, we deserve to be in a world where the innocent suffer for the sins of the guilty. If we crave a world like that, I doubt Jesus is going to fix the problem for us.

Unregenerate are unsaved. Not born again.

Jesus told the people, all sins will be forgiven men, excepting the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit, that is, to vilify the Holy Spirit, to say He is evil or unclean.

?

 

[marks]

I am at the stage of knowing that nothing in this world will make me completely happy, but I am not at the point of praying like a mad women yet - although I have been in ongoing conversation with the Lord internally over things for many years. I can claim so many more truths than I use to , but this whole issue of ' being loved ' seems beyond me at times - it breaks through from time to time - but the assurance is not a constant thing with me yet.
However reading what you and mark have said, gives me hope X
Rita

My sister, who went to be with Jesus earlier this year, told me that she never undertstood how much God loved her until she was dying from cancer.

I have a similar testimony, although I didn't die, just very ill, yet in that I learned of His love.

In my abject dependency, He came through so clearly and so faithfully, that was how I learned.

it was His timing, not mine. All we can really do, I think, is look to Jesus, and learn to do this more and more. He does the rest. We wait for it.

But reading the Bible renews our minds. The more we read and reread, slowly, with much consideration these things grow in our minds.

Much love!

 

[Giuliano]

Unregenerate are unsaved. Not born again.

Jesus told the people, all sins will be forgiven men, excepting the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit, that is, to vilify the Holy Spirit, to say He is evil or unclean.

?

We may be using different words for different things perhaps. So your question is about the "unsaved"? I'm also not sure we agree on what blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is.

No, I was talking about trying to fool God, trying to take what was meant for good and converting it to evil.

Hebrews 10:26 For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,
27 But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.
28 He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses:
29 Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?
30 For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people.
31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

I think it's hard to do this; but some people who possess the Holy Spirit grieve it so much, it departs. A person can tell the Holy Spirit no only so many times. I think Peter is talking about the same thing when he talks about it being better for some people if they had never been known the way of righteousness:

2 Peter 2:19 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.
20 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.
21 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.
22 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.

 

[Mal'ak]

Why are you punching someone in the face??

We are human, our's is to error

 

[marks]

Hi Butterfly! I feel your pain. Took me quite a few years and God has not yet whispered to me the answer to why it took me so long to see his true love, and he still has more to show me. I'm not sure where you are in your walk with the Lord, as we all are at different levels of experiencing the Lord's love, but I will tell you what worked for me. I had come to the realization that nothing in this world would ever make me completely happy and I just gave up all. I started praying like a wild man! For the last year, I have prayed with TEARS, all night long sometimes to understand what I was feeling. I argued, I wrestled, I was not gonna stop until God exposed to me what was going on. Then one day the answer came. I was so broken and mad with the evil one for robbing me of so much joy in this life, I said no more. No more will you make me feel guilty and shameful for any sins in my past. No matter how difficult it might have seemed, I woke up one day and said, "The Lord loves me just like I am. He only wants me to focus on him and not my sins of the past." I trusted in Jesus and never looked back. Now I have that direct line of communication with our Lord. No guilt or shame here. I'm 100% free. Satan will do everything he can to cause you to doubt the Lord loves you Butterfly! It's a Lie and SATAN IS A PUNK!!!!!!!!

I just read this. It seems like a lot of the time God's word to me is, Forget about, just trust Me. But most often it's shortened to just, Trust Me. Seems that's God's answer to Everything!

I remember well a day when I looked at the pattern of my life, and the mess it was, even as a Christian, but with understanding. And I felt the same way, broken, angry, robbed of my life. But I said the same thing, No More!

OK, I'm a mess, and God made me, and God made me because He wants me, me. Go figure! But He Did make me. So He Does want me. And He knows all about all of that, so much more than I do anyway! And it doesn't change God's desire to have me in righteousness and holiness. That's what He wants!

He knew what He was getting into with me. There are no surprises here for Him. And He knows full well what the outcome is going to be.

So He's not concerned. It's just that He knows best, and we don't, but in all of it the Bible declares His love.

Much love!

 

[marks]

We may be using different words for different things perhaps. So your question is about the "unsaved"? I'm also not sure we agree on what blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is.

Hi Giuliano,

I'm more talking about the one David describes,

Romans 4
6 Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works,
7 Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.
8 Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.

Whose iniquities are forgiven, whose sins are covered, to whom the Lord will not impute sin.

How can it be in truth, if I commit sins, yet the Lord does not impute them to me?

We are forgiven all sins, and created new without sin. So we can focus on who we are, and who God is, and not on who we were.

No, I was talking about trying to fool God, trying to take what was meant for good and converting it to evil.

Hebrews 10:26 For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,
27 But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.
28 He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses:
29 Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?
30 For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people.
31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

I think it's hard to do this; but some people who possess the Holy Spirit grieve it so much, it departs. A person can tell the Holy Spirit no only so many times.

I don't see that possible, that the Holy Spirit would depart. I don't find it in Scripture. And actually I find the opposite, God's promise to "never leave your nor forsake you".

If God imputes sin against us, we are condemned, but if God does not impute sin against us, then we are free, and His, and no impediment.

This passage above teaches that you can't just go back to offering goats and sheep for sins, as if Jesus' blood were no better than that.

This is written to the Jews who were used to bringing animals to the temple. God is telling them that this is over, and once they've learned about Jesus, the animal sacrifices are not accepted, and are an insult to grace in Jesus Christ.

I think Peter is talking about the same thing when he talks about it being better for some people if they had never been known the way of righteousness:

2 Peter 2:19 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.
20 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.
21 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.
22 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.

These knew the way of righteousness, but turned from the holy commandment, back to their own stuff. But were these born again?

Much love!

 

[Giuliano]

Hi Giuliano,

I'm more talking about the one David describes,

Romans 4
6 Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works,
7 Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.
8 Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.

Whose iniquities are forgiven, whose sins are covered, to whom the Lord will not impute sin.

How can it be in truth, if I commit sins, yet the Lord does not impute them to me?

We are forgiven all sins, and created new without sin. So we can focus on who we are, and who God is, and not on who we were.

If we truly repent, God forgives us and doesn't even remember those sins.

I don't see that possible, that the Holy Spirit would depart. I don't find it in Scripture. And actually I find the opposite, God's promise to "never leave your nor forsake you".

God is not forsaking them. People are telling God to go away. James tells us draw nigh to God and He will draw nigh to us; the opposite is true as well, if we move away from God, God moves away from us.

If God imputes sin against us, we are condemned, but if God does not impute sin against us, then we are free, and His, and no impediment.

It's easy enough to understand. If God knows we learned from it and won't repeat it, we're forgiven. If you get a puppy, you don't remember what did on your floors as a pup after you house train it. You don't hold it against the dog since you know it knows what to do and won't do it again. If it still isn't trained, you can't forget it.

This passage above teaches that you can't just go back to offering goats and sheep for sins, as if Jesus' blood were no better than that.

This is written to the Jews who were used to bringing animals to the temple. God is telling them that this is over, and once they've learned about Jesus, the animal sacrifices are not accepted, and are an insult to grace in Jesus Christ.

You may have been taught this; but look at it again since it mentions "sorer punishment." There is no more forgiveness for sins if we sin willfully after knowing the truth. That means we must pay for them ourselves, one way or another. We can't keep committing the same sin again and again -- God will help us once or twice with it -- but as we harden our hearts, it's harder for God to work in that area of our lives. Eventually, we're left on our own with that sin to work it out for ourselves.

We ought not to believe God is forgiving us if we remain unrepentant. Approaching God with that attitude is inviting damnation.

1 Corinthians 11:29 For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body.

1 Timothy 5:12 Having damnation, because they have cast off their first faith.

These knew the way of righteousness, but turned from the holy commandment, back to their own stuff. But were these born again?

Much love!

The more God has given us, the more He requires from us.

Luke 12:45 But and if that servant say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; and shall begin to beat the menservants and maidens, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken;
46 The lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in sunder, and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers.
47 And that servant, which knew his lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes.
48 But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.

 

[marks]

God is not forsaking them. People are telling God to go away. James tells us draw nigh to God and He will draw nigh to us; the opposite is true as well, if we move away from God, God moves away from us.

Where does it say God moves away from us? When your two year old kicks and screams for you to go away, is that what you do? Do we have greater compassion and understanding for our children than God has for us? That doesn't seem right to me.

It's easy enough to understand. If God knows we learned from it and won't repeat it, we're forgiven. If you get a puppy, you don't remember what did on your floors as a pup after you house train it. You don't hold it against the dog since you know it knows what to do and won't do it again. If it still isn't trained, you can't forget it.

If you aren't yet matured sufficiently to be in control of your flesh, you remain unforgiven? That doesn't seem right to me either.

Someone very close to me and much loved by me suffers from PTSD, with hypervigilance, and very extreme reactions sometimes. I know that this is just how this person is right now, and even when these reactions are "against me", I don't hold it against them, and instead understand, If you were able to do better than this you would. So what some would look at as, why do you take this?, for me, its, I love you, even like this, and it just means I need to love you all the more.

Is God less than this to us? He asks us to always be forgiving. Is He less than this?

You may have been taught this; but look at it again since it mentions "sorer punishment." There is no more forgiveness for sins if we sin willfully after knowing the truth. That means we must pay for them ourselves, one way or another. We can't keep committing the same sin again and again -- God will help us once or twice with it -- but as we harden our hearts, it's harder for God to work in that area of our lives. Eventually, we're left on our own with that sin to work it out for ourselves.

Actually, this isn't "what I was taught", rather, I learned this from the passage itself.

How are you going to pay for your own sins without being dead at the end? I mean, really dead. Not dead in Christ, which we can survive, but dead?

Are you certain God is counting our sins, and will reach a limit? Love keeps no record of wrongs. When would we EVER be able to solve our sin problem on our own?

God promises to do this for us. And He most certainly does, but it is by faith, not work.

Why is it so difficult to believe that Jesus' death was sufficient for ALL sin? That somehow we are still left on our own to work it all out?

Much love!

 

[Giuliano]

Where does it say God moves away from us? When your two year old kicks and screams for you to go away, is that what you do? Do we have greater compassion and understanding for our children than God has for us? That doesn't seem right to me.

I would probably go away until he calmed down.

If you aren't yet matured sufficiently to be in control of your flesh, you remain unforgiven? That doesn't seem right to me either.

There are some sins which God does not hold against us because we cannot control the circumstances.

Someone very close to me and much loved by me suffers from PTSD, with hypervigilance, and very extreme reactions sometimes. I know that this is just how this person is right now, and even when these reactions are "against me", I don't hold it against them, and instead understand, If you were able to do better than this you would. So what some would look at as, why do you take this?, for me, its, I love you, even like this, and it just means I need to love you all the more.

Is God less than this to us? He asks us to always be forgiving. Is He less than this?

God gave us free will. He is not going force anything on us. We can't force others to love us no matter what we do.

Genesis 6:3 And the Lord said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.

When Saul sinned willfully, the Spirit left him.

Actually, this isn't "what I was taught", rather, I learned this from the passage itself.

How are you going to pay for your own sins without being dead at the end? I mean, really dead. Not dead in Christ, which we can survive, but dead?

I'm talking about sins like drug addiction. If you asked God to remove the desire for drugs from you and He did, what would happen if you chose to use them again? I'll tell you: God would not help you again. You'd have to master it by yourself. It doesn't mean you'd have to die.

Are you certain God is counting our sins, and will reach a limit? Love keeps no record of wrongs. When would we EVER be able to solve our sin problem on our own?

Love keeps track of everything. If I live with someone with a booze problem, I certainly would buy liquor for myself. I know his weakness and will not put temptation in his way.

We will be held accountable for everything some day.

Matthew 12:36 But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.

God promises to do this for us. And He most certainly does, but it is by faith, not work.

If you were drowning and I took my boat to rescue you, would it be enough for you look at me and say you had faith I could save you? Or would you have to get in the boat? I tell you if you only said it but didn't get in the boat, you didn't really have faith.

Why is it so difficult to believe that Jesus' death was sufficient for ALL sin? That somehow we are still left on our own to work it all out?

Much love!

Jesus did not die so we could remain worthless creatures. Human beings have great potential, being made in the image and likeness of God. Jesus wants us to become the way God intended from the beginning. It is Satan who says, "You are trash and will always remain trash." Jesus says, "You can become like me."

 

[marks]

It is Satan who says, "You are trash and will always remain trash." Jesus says, "You can become like me."

Are you thinking that's what I'm saying?

I'm not.

As I read your reply, it doesn't seem to me that you've really responded to what I've written, which is your perogative, of course, just the same, I wonder if you are really hearing what I'm saying.

My wife tells me to go away, but I don't divorce her. I know this comes from her fallen nature, and I ignore it, except to consider what I can do differently to improve our relations.

God has promised, I will never leave you. Will He leave you, even if you cry and yell and stamp your feet?

I'm talking about sins like drug addiction. If you asked God to remove the desire for drugs from you and He did, what would happen if you chose to use them again? I'll tell you: God would not help you again. You'd have to master it by yourself. It doesn't mean you'd have to die.

Is that so? I don't think one size fits all.

Jesus is able to save to the uttermost!

Jesus did not die so we could remain worthless creatures. Human beings have great potential, being made in the image and likeness of God.

We never were worthless creatures. We were created in God's image, to be His children. Our Father wanted a family. But we have no potential outside of Christ. Jesus died to make us right with God, so we could then share His nature. And even though we live our lives imperfectly, we remain right with God, because Jesus' death is greater than our shortcomings.

Much love!

 

[marks]

Law empowers sin. Focus on your sin, and you will sin more. Focus on doing righteousness, and you will do more righteousness. It's just a matter of where your head is at.

Much love!

 

[amadeus]

I think it's hard to do this; but some people who possess the Holy Spirit grieve it so much, it departs. A person can tell the Holy Spirit no only so many times. I think Peter is talking about the same thing when he talks about it being better for some people if they had never been known the way of righteousness:

I do agree and would look also to the OT for types of the same problem expressed. Not easily or quickly will God abandon us to our own resources... but when we say to Him, no, too many times, the limit to God's patience and mercy with us will be found.

"Because all those men which have seen my glory, and my miracles, which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have tempted me now these ten times, and have not hearkened to my voice;
Surely they shall not see the land which I sware unto their fathers, neither shall any of them that provoked me see it:" Num 14:22-23

God who has never changed repeatedly forgave the natural children of Israel as the repeatedly rebelled against Him. The verse says "ten times" they tempted God before they were excluded from entrance into the Promised Land. People will say that was a different time and a different promise but they miss the point when they don't realize that God is always the same God. They limited God and suffered for it. We may also limit God and will also suffer for it. How many chances will God give us? How many times will we be allowed renig on our repentance and He accept us one more time?

Jesus told his disciples to forgive those who sin against them seven times seventy times. How many times will God forgive us? Seeing our heart, He knows when repentance is insincere. He may hear a fervent prayer of a righteous man on our behalf and as a result gives us another chance [Luke 13:7-9]... but eventually God will simply allow our course to come to an end when we are astray instead of with Him.

 

[Giuliano]

I do agree and would look also to the OT for types of the same problem expressed. Not easily or quickly will God abandon us to our own resources... but when we say to Him, no, too many times, the limit to God's patience and mercy with us will be found.

"Because all those men which have seen my glory, and my miracles, which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have tempted me now these ten times, and have not hearkened to my voice;
Surely they shall not see the land which I sware unto their fathers, neither shall any of them that provoked me see it:" Num 14:22-23

God who has never changed repeatedly forgave the natural children of Israel as the repeatedly rebelled against Him. The verse says "ten times" they tempted God before they were excluded from entrance into the Promised Land. People will say that was a different time and a different promise but they miss the point when they don't realize that God is always the same God. They limited God and suffered for it. We may also limit God and will also suffer for it. How many chances will God give us? How many times will we be allowed renig on our repentance and He accept us one more time?

Jesus told his disciples to forgive those who sin against them seven times seventy times. How many times will God forgive us? Seeing our heart, He knows when repentance is insincere. He may hear a fervent prayer of a righteous man on our behalf and as a result gives us another chance [Luke 13:7-9]... but eventually God will simply allow our course to come to an end when we are astray instead of with Him.

Sad to say, some people have to learn the hard way.

There are some people who do not learn from others being kind to them. They see it as a reason to exploit the kind people. I understand returning good for good and evil for evil; and I understand returning good for evil. What I do not understand is returning evil for good; and being kind and gentle with this type of person can make them worse. The only way they will learn is the hard way. There have been people I loved a lot, but I treated them coolly because I knew they had exploited me in the past when I was kind to them. If they thought I stopped loving them, I let them think it. Maybe they will treat the next person they meet who love them better. I once walked past a woman I loved a lot about when she said hi as if I didn't hear her. She was probably trying to play me again.

It's interesting too that if you tell someone you forgive him when he wants you to allow him in the same situation as before. If someone stole money from me, I don't think he should say to me, "You don't really forgive me if you hide your money." He's trying to dictate things to me as if I was the guilty party. Why does he want to know where my money is? Over time, I may come to trust him again; but don't confuse trust with forgiveness.

What should a man do when his wife catches him committing adultery after he lied and said he had been working late? Should he expect his wife to wonder where he is when he gets off work -- or should he care about her enough to let her know where he is? If he is indeed working late, his wife could verify that by calling him back. I say such a man should do everything he can to ease his wife's mind so she's not worried about where he is and what he may be doing. If he's really sorry for the adultery, he'll do that.

Notice that Jesus didn't say to forgive a person 490 times for the same thing. If someone comes back to me on second offense, I tell them something like this. I'd like to forgive you. I'd like everything to be right again between us; but you do know if you keep doing this, you're not really sorry, you're not really learning from your mistakes. My forgiving you won't help you." Also the first offense, I don't usually ask for any penance. On second offense, I want some evidence.

I find it interesting that the word "perfection" in Hebrew equals 490. I wonder if there's 490 ways to be imperfect? Probably so if not even more. If I can see someone improving again and again by learning from his mistakes by coming to me to discuss them, I don't mind him offending against me. That's probably better than offending against someone else and not learning from it. If I could help someone master 490 flaws, that would be a good thing.

 

[FollowHim]

One simple heresy is this statement.
"God never rejects us"

Scripture is full of rejection and judgement. It is the why rejection happens, and what is God's will that matters. God's love when it invades ones heart it seems He accepts all, yet clearly He does not. God is not blind or unjust, but we are fragile and week.

I have read of talented and gifted people destroyed by gambling, by the stock market, by greed, by the possible over the actual. We are called to a holy walk. Without holiness we will not see God.

But it appears for some belief is all one needs, because Jesus is our everything, and we can remain sinners continually sinning.

 

[brakelite]

I am at the stage of knowing that nothing in this world will make me completely happy, but I am not at the point of praying like a mad women yet - although I have been in ongoing conversation with the Lord internally over things for many years. I can claim so many more truths than I use to , but this whole issue of ' being loved ' seems beyond me at times - it breaks through from time to time - but the assurance is not a constant thing with me yet.
However reading what you and mark have said, gives me hope X
Rita

Hi Rita. When Jesus died, do you understand that He paid a ransom? And that ransom was a price that God considered was your worth to Him. Once we realise the true value of Christs sacrifice... The true cost to Christ and the Father, we should never again doubt His love. Christ is given to every man. Therefore each person gets the whole of Him. The love of God embraces the whole world, but it also singles out each individual. A mother's love is not divided among her children, so that each one receives only one fifth, or one third of her love. Each child is the object of all her affection. How much more so with the God whose live is more perfect than any mother's? (Isaiah 49:15)
Christ is the light of the world. But light is not divided among a crowd of people. If a room full of people be brilliantly lighted, each individual benefits from all the light. Just add much as if he were the only person in the room. So the light of Christ... So the love of God... Is for you.
You can be absolutely sure of your acceptance with God, because the price has already been paid. Our acceptance has forever been settled. Christ has bought us.. Paid the price... Now you are His.
Why does anyone go shopping? Because he wants something. And if he is satisfied that the article he wants is worth the value being demanded, then he will pay the price. That price is the value of the article to the buyer. Now God gave His only Son to die for you... At an infinite loss. Christ did not come to be a sacrifice for just 33 years. Christ is forever, for all eternity, now encumbered by human flesh and bone... Never again to be as He was before the incarnation. But not only so... The price Christ was willing to pay for you was equal to the value of His own life. If Christ had sinned, He would have been forever lost, the human race lost, and the sacrifice been in vain. Yet God considered you worth that risk. Jesus did not consider heaven a place to be desired while you were lost. None is more, or less, favoured by God than you Rita.
Although the priests and rulers mockingly challenged Jesus to step down from the cross, it was because Jesus was thinking of others, thinking of you and me, that He stayed up there. Looking down through the ages to our time He sees a mother spurned by her children and gave His life for her. He sees an abusive father and husband, and loves him, and lays down His life for him. He sees children neglected and abandoned, and thinks to Himself, they need to live for I love them, therefore I shall die. He sees the oppressed and downtrodden throughout all of time and human history and shoulders their cares and burdens and suffers in their stead. He sees dictators and warlords, slaves and masters, laborers, kings, paupers, priests, pimps, drugdealers, businessmen, politicians, tradesmen, sinners, the self-righteous, the proud, the arrogant, the bigot, the wicked and the lost. His love knows no bounds. Whatever colour whatever race, whatever creed, tongue, nation, tribe, gender or age, His love remains constant, unflinching, unending and unconditional.

 

[marks]

But it appears for some belief is all one needs, because Jesus is our everything, and we can remain sinners continually sinning.

Why would you want to do that? Remain continually sinning? Is Anyone promoting that? I'm certainly not!!

Much love!

 

[Butterfly]

Hi Rita. When Jesus died, do you understand that He paid a ransom? And that ransom was a price that God considered was your worth to Him. Once we realise the true value of Christs sacrifice... The true cost to Christ and the Father, we should never again doubt His love. Christ is given to every man. Therefore each person gets the whole of Him. The love of God embraces the whole world, but it also singles out each individual. A mother's love is not divided among her children, so that each one receives only one fifth, or one third of her love. Each child is the object of all her affection. How much more so with the God whose live is more perfect than any mother's? (Isaiah 49:15)
Christ is the light of the world. But light is not divided among a crowd of people. If a room full of people be brilliantly lighted, each individual benefits from all the light. Just add much as if he were the only person in the room. So the light of Christ... So the love of God... Is for you.
You can be absolutely sure of your acceptance with God, because the price has already been paid. Our acceptance has forever been settled. Christ has bought us.. Paid the price... Now you are His.
Why does anyone go shopping? Because he wants something. And if he is satisfied that the article he wants is worth the value being demanded, then he will pay the price. That price is the value of the article to the buyer. Now God gave His only Son to die for you... At an infinite loss. Christ did not come to be a sacrifice for just 33 years. Christ is forever, for all eternity, now encumbered by human flesh and bone... Never again to be as He was before the incarnation. But not only so... The price Christ was willing to pay for you was equal to the value of His own life. If Christ had sinned, He would have been forever lost, the human race lost, and the sacrifice been in vain. Yet God considered you worth that risk. Jesus did not consider heaven a place to be desired while you were lost. None is more, or less, favoured by God than you Rita.
Although the priests and rulers mockingly challenged Jesus to step down from the cross, it was because Jesus was thinking of others, thinking of you and me, that He stayed up there. Looking down through the ages to our time He sees a mother spurned by her children and gave His life for her. He sees an abusive father and husband, and loves him, and lays down His life for him. He sees children neglected and abandoned, and thinks to Himself, they need to live for I love them, therefore I shall die. He sees the oppressed and downtrodden throughout all of time and human history and shoulders their cares and burdens and suffers in their stead. He sees dictators and warlords, slaves and masters, laborers, kings, paupers, priests, pimps, drugdealers, businessmen, politicians, tradesmen, sinners, the self-righteous, the proud, the arrogant, the bigot, the wicked and the lost. His love knows no bounds. Whatever colour whatever race, whatever creed, tongue, nation, tribe, gender or age, His love remains constant, unflinching, unending and unconditional.

Thank you xx
I wish I could Express and explain my doubts , but I cannot really put it into words - I hear what you are saying, loud and clear- but something gets in the way of it reaching the inner part of me that just needs to know for sure- it's as if my soul is in need of that truth, if that makes sense xx