No matter your circumstances, Jesus can offer help and strength. He suffered for your sins, so He can show you how to overcome them.
Many Christians fear they have committed an irreparable sin. You can take comfort knowing that God forgives all sins – including any that are repeated again and again.
Table of Contents
1. You Are Not Repentant
The Bible makes it abundantly clear that those who continue in sin without repentance are not saved, yet many struggle with this concept and question if there is ever hope of getting back on track with Him. Yes, but first it is essential to understand what true repentance looks like.
Repentance is the practice of altering one’s thoughts and convictions in order to lead one towards changes in behavior. Repentance is not something one does once and is part of being a disciple of Christ; therefore it should continue throughout their lives as part of a spiritual discipline.
Step one of repentance involves admitting your wrongdoings, which is an essential first step to being forgiven and realizing you need Jesus as your savior.
Next, you must acknowledge to God that your sin is wrong – this process is known as confession. After confessing your sins, make a commitment to change your ways; whether that means simply refraining from certain behaviors, situations, decisions or activities which lead to them, or altering behaviors leading to them altogether. Make time to connect with Him regularly and pray for strength so you do not slip back into old patterns of sinful behavior.
Finally, it is vital that you trust in Jesus’ blood as being powerful enough to wash away any and all sin, including repeated transgressions. Doing this allows you to place your trust in God’s forgiveness through His son; also remembering that He does not allow his children to suffer indefinitely is vital in this regard.
God knows no bounds when it comes to forgiving us; He will forgive as many times as necessary if you truly repent of your sin, while otherwise the consequences will continue and you won’t enter His kingdom.
2. You Are Trying to Fool God
As soon as sin becomes part of your daily routine, it can be easy to become disillusioned and lose faith. But God is not fooled. He knows when someone attempts to manipulate His grace by using their own strength against temptation instead of trusting in His power to break free of sin’s hold on them. And He won’t forget those who attempt to manipulate Him out of forgiveness!
Like an experienced con-artist, some Christians can become duped into thinking they can convince you they care deeply for you by telling lies – only to later find out they were only fooling themselves and you eventually discover their lies for what they were. Repentance without true change doesn’t work – saying sorry doesn’t change anything – true repentance means changing habits that harm yourself as well as refraining from actions you know to be wrong and stop engaging in behaviors you know to be detrimental.
If you find yourself engaging in the same pattern of sinful behaviors again and again, something in your heart may be stopping you from breaking that pattern of behavior. This could include fear, pride, anger or jealousy being present and not addressed; without dealing with these root causes it will likely never leave you free to break free of this particular vice.
As such, it is imperative that you ask God’s forgiveness and for help to overcome your sinful behavior. Communicate this struggle to other Christians so they may pray for you and hold you accountable when temptation strikes in life. Additionally, identify which situations, decisions, activities or people lead to sinful tendencies within yourself.
Fools are those who refuse to listen to correction or instruction and continue following their own desires without regard for consequences. According to scripture, fools rarely prosper but God can deliver them from such a state if they repent and turn towards Him for help.
3. You Are Not Changing Your Ways
If your sin continues after genuine repentance, it could be because you’re not changing your ways. While God wants us to stop sinning and live according to His will, He won’t forgive your repeated offenses if they remain the same. To be forgiven by Him, simply acknowledge your transgressions, show true repentance, and ask for his pardon – this way He shows His love and allows His grace to save you from your transgressions.
Some may worry that by continuing to sin, they have committed an act so egregious that God cannot forgive it. Most Bible experts, however, agree it is unlikely for anyone to commit such an act on purpose, nor during moments of weakness.
Instead, chances are high that you are simply not exerting enough effort to stop sinning. Perhaps your sinful habits involve dishonesty or lying and you know this behavior is wrong; but you do not make enough of an effort to be truthful with those around you on a consistent basis. Even though someone could ask you directly for the truth at any time if necessary.
God can help you overcome any habit or addiction you may be struggling with, including smoking or gambling. He will show you how to put aside what is earthly in yourself and embrace all that is divine within, becoming like Christ in his righteousness and holiness. He can give strength for severing chains of sin from you.
God has used various means throughout history to deal with human sin, while upholding His core principles of love, mercy, kindness, and justice. While in the Old Testament God required animal sacrifices as atonement for sins committed, in the New Testament He provided Jesus Christ who became our perfect sacrifice and offered forgiveness for any past or future transgressions we commit if you trust in Him and commit yourself fully. He promises no less!
4. You Are Trying to Destroy Your Relationship with God
Sin is evidence that we are not seeking God with all our hearts and that we are trying to prevent him from forgiving our transgressions. To get back on the right track, start by praying a prayer of confession and repentance – ask Him for forgiveness for any act, thought or word which has put distance between you two; ask Him for healing of broken paths or hearts that He may need to repair; ask for cleansing from every harmful influence in life and ask for His cleansing presence and light on you and those you love.
Satan often tells us we’re better than everyone else, which inflames our ego and makes forgiving others’ mistakes difficult. Yet it is essential to remember that God sees everyone equally and loves each one equally as His children.
Many people fear that God will eventually tire of forgiving their repeated sins and refuse them further forgiveness. This is an entirely untrue belief. Jesus made clear in Matthew 7:7-8 that He is merciful; therefore He will always forgive your transgressions and forgive your trespasses.
An effective way to combat sinful impulses and temptations is to remember who you are in Christ’s eyes: they do not judge our actions but our essence. By keeping this perspective at the forefront, bad behavior becomes less appealing and tempting.
If a habit is keeping you from drawing closer to God, take time for prayer and reading of Scripture before making changes in your life. Perhaps listening to worship music more often or taking a break from social media would help focus on your relationship with Christ more closely while letting go of things which keep getting in your way of growing closer to Him. As you strive to improve your habits, don’t forget that He is always with you and ready to provide help where needed.
