Ok, I accept repentance as it is: Necessary for Christ to save me. I can't be saved without it, I give up. But repentance is hard if not impossible for me. So many sins (that may or may not be sins), so many bad thought patterns. I just can't seem to reach that true repentance.
My question then is, if I ask God for help in repenting will he at least hear me? The reason I ask is that I have heard that if you are not saved God doesn't hear you, much less answers your prayers. Is this true? If it is, how will I ever be able to do the thing necessary to be saved (repent). I need God to help me repent. Will he still hear my prayers if I'm unsaved?
The answer to what you are asking is actually in all likelihood based in your theology. It's right down in that little word "repentance" and the problem you have been having in understanding repentance. I had thought you understood, but misunderstanding it is why you are having this problem. Even though you believe, you think you must not be repentant and therefore an unforgiven sinner, and so you are wondering if God hears you.
The thing is, you are clearly a repentant sinner, forgiven by God.
People have fought and died over the understanding of that word, it's that important, this was a big part of the battle of the Reformation.
Catholicism taught that repentance is a three part word. It involves 1. contrition 2. faith 3. satisfaction.
Then Luther came along and the understanding of repentance is much different. Repentance is two parts. 1. Contrition and 2. Faith.
What happened to satisfaction? Well Jesus Christ paid for your sins. It's Christ alone, not Christ gets you started and then you finish.
It's a huge difference. You are thinking you aren't forgiven because you think that peterparker is a part of it. You aren't accepting Christ alone.
Let's see how the doctrine of justification is actually changed by just that difference.
The doctrine of justification is we are saved by grace alone through faith alone for Christ's sake alone.
Needing satisfaction for the forgiveness of sins changes that to one is saved through God's earned love, through faith and works, for the sake of Christ and you.
Now if you've added satisfaction to your understanding of repentance, I would say you certainly are doomed to failure. You'd be sitting there thinking, If I really repented, then I'd never do that sin again. Right? And guess what, you are going to sin again and that's just going to confirm to you that you didn't really repent and so you didn't really receive forgiveness and so you are doomed, right?
You are thinking that based on what you do, you didn't really repent and therefore God doesn't forgive.
Christ alone works very well. When Satan is assailing you and doubts are flying in your head, you look to the cross and you think how there is nothing you could do, no sin more powerful than the blood of Jesus, and God's forgiveness doesn't depend on you being good or good enough but totally on the perfection of Jesus. And since Jesus is indeed perfect, well of course you are forgiven, how could you even doubt? And now you are filled with faith, and that completes repentance. You receive God's grace through faith totally for the sake of Christ.
See how nice that is. That's why it's called the gospel, the good news.
Anything that relies on satisfaction, relies on you, and that's not good news, because you are going to fail. And then the usual response is to whip yourself into a frenzy as you work harder and so you end up looking kind of like a roach in a microwave that's turned on, and then one day comes when just like that roach, you explode.
I'd suggest going for the gospel instead of scurrying trying to be good enough to earn God's forgiveness. Relying on yourself and your works is very dangerous. Rely on Jesus and his works instead, they are sure and trustworthy.
Marv
