Does true repentance mean no longer having fear?

Dave L

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Will there be no more fear after true repentance? I have begged for forgiveness, but I am still living in debilitating fear each day
“There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.” 1 John 4:18 (KJV 1900)
 
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Jo M

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And have you forgiven yourself? Its also a must.

No I don't think I have. I'm battling against the unforgivable sin so I am having trouble forgiving myself, since Jesus says it has no forgiveness in this world or in the world to come
 
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ViaCrucis

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Will there be no more fear after true repentance? I have begged for forgiveness, but I am still living in debilitating fear each day

What is it you are afraid of?

If it is fear that you are not forgiven, repentance isn't what will drive away that fear--the Gospel will. The good news of God's invincible, unfailing, unconditional love for you, a sinner. You are forgiven because Christ died for you. Repentance is our response to God's Law--that we have sinned and fallen short of what God commands; and thus we are contrite, humble, and grieve over our sin. But it is the Gospel that brings forgiveness, mercy, hope, and the word of God's unshakable love for you, a sinner.

God loves you.
Christ died for you.
He forgives you.

Hear this word, and cling to it like a drowning man clinging to a life boat.

-CryptoLutheran
 
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trophy33

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No I don't think I have. I'm battling against the unforgivable sin so I am having trouble forgiving myself, since Jesus says it has no forgiveness in this world or in the world to come
I do not think its possible to commit the unforgivable sin.
 
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Jo M

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What is it you are afraid of?

If it is fear that you are not forgiven, repentance isn't what will drive away that fear--the Gospel will. The good news of God's invincible, unfailing, unconditional love for you, a sinner. You are forgiven because Christ died for you. Repentance is our response to God's Law--that we have sinned and fallen short of what God commands; and thus we are contrite, humble, and grieve over our sin. But it is the Gospel that brings forgiveness, mercy, hope, and the word of God's unshakable love for you, a sinner.

God loves you.
Christ died for you.
He forgives you.

Hear this word, and cling to it like a drowning man clinging to a life boat.

-CryptoLutheran

It is fear that I am not forgiven, because I believe I committed the unforgivable sin. So I don't think I even have forgiveness no matter what I do
 
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AubreyM

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@Jo M

It is your choice to either see yourself as forgiven or not.

Jesus Christ has forgiven your sins, already. Desiring a relationship with you. If you are able to see that you are forgiven, may the Lord Jesus Christ set you free of your bondage of whatever is holding you down in that trench of guilt, darkness, shame, or whatever it may be.

May the Lord Jesus Christ tell you that does love you, and that His Father loves you, and they care about you, and as a believer believe that they hear you, when you pray.

God doesn't desire for us to look at our flesh and how many times it is going to make mistakes -> God desires us to look and keep our eye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and towards Heavenly things.

Our flesh is always going to be subpar compared to the Spirit that we are given by God.

To see yourself as forgiven, as a Child of God (a Son or Daughter of God).

Not the former person who once was seen a sinner (the flesh) -> but to enjoy the new person that is created with-in you by the spirit looking towards (spiritual and heavenly things).

John 11: 11He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. 12But to all who did receive Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God13children born not of blood (Flesh), nor of the desire or will of man, but born of God -> Made alive by God - being born again by the spirit.

Take care.
 
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paul1149

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One can repent - which merely means a sincere change of mind - and still have fear. The antidote for fear is faith. This is the kind of faith that God is looking for:

he who comes to God must believe that He is and [that] He is a rewarder of those who seek Him. - Heb 11:6​

God wants you to believe in His goodness, His kindness, His gentleness, His mercy and compassion toward those who repent. Jesus paid a very high price for our reconciliation, and He is pleased when we come to Him and bring His efforts to fruition.

The more you trust in God's unfailing love, the freer you become. The fear will fall off you, replaced by acceptance of God's perfect love.

So for starters, do not judge the genuineness of your repentance by the continuing presence of fear. Those are two distinct issues that are at play. Clearly you have repented of whatever you did. And it is equally clear to me you are forgiven. After all, Jesus told us to forgive 79 x 7 times (Mt 18), so He will do at least as much. But you need to work on trusting God and His goodness more. Once you do, the shackles will fall off you quickly.
 
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ViaCrucis

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No I don't think I have. I'm battling against the unforgivable sin so I am having trouble forgiving myself, since Jesus says it has no forgiveness in this world or in the world to come

You haven't committed the unforgivable sin.

If you had, you wouldn't be in so much stress and duress over this.

What makes the "unforgivable sin" unforgivable isn't that God is unable or unwilling to forgive us; God forgives all sin, as St. John says, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us of all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9).

What makes the unpardonable sin unpardonable is that the sin consists of a deliberate, willful, stubborn, consistent, and knowing rejection of God's love and mercy. Not a one time thing, but living in this way. That is the warning Jesus gives to those who accused him of working with devil; He says that blasphemy against Him is forgiven, but blasphemy against the Holy Spirit won't be. Blasphemy against Him, such as speaking evil of Christ as the Pharisees did in that passage is pardonable--but if they remain in that place of anger, resentment, and hatred toward God, resisting the Holy Spirit, and turning away again and again from God's love, mercy, and forgiveness--then there is no forgiveness. Not because God is unable or unwilling to forgive them, but because no matter how much love and forgiveness God richly pours out on them, they insist on their own way, onward and onward.

I can bring you into my house, set a table for you, bring you all the food in the world, and throw the biggest, most fabulous dinner party for you--but if you angrily sit there, grumble, and refuse to eat, and choose to be miserable and unhappy; it is not a lack of my kindness, generosity, and hospitality that is the problem--but your own desire to choose to be miserable. The only one making yourself miserable at that point, is yourself.

That is the unpardonable sin--it is having a seat at the table, as the honored guest, and shoving the food to the side, taking off your dinner attire, leaving the house, and going to live by yourself in the mud. But as long as there is still a you, there is still hope--that is the Parable of the Prodigal Son. The prodigal took his inheritance, left, squandered everything, lived in the pig slop--but he returned home. And even from a great distance, the father saw him coming, and then ran to meet him. Embraced him, loved him, and then said to bathe him, get him dressed in the finest of clothes, and throw a huge party to celebrate. That's who God is to us: He who throws a party for us who were lost.

Such a God does not turn you away, but comes to you. He comes to you in your sin. That's Jesus, the only-begotten Son sent by His Father, in order to rescue the world. God became man, dwelt among us, He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; and descended into hell destroying it, rising from the dead in victory over sin, death, hell, and the devil. And He did that for you, He is for you; all that He has done, all that He has accomplished, and all that He has is yours, as pure gift. That is God's grace to you, of His love for you, His mercy for you.

Believe this, it is most certainly true.

-CryptoLutheran
 
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SabbathBlessings

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Will there be no more fear after true repentance? I have begged for forgiveness, but I am still living in debilitating fear each day
God promises to forgive, so you can count on that. After you pray for forgiveness, ask God to help you no longer commit that sin. True repentance is turning away from sin after you asked for forgiveness. Our God is more powerful than your sin, but you have to really want to change. God bless
 
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ViaCrucis

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It is fear that I am not forgiven, because I believe I committed the unforgivable sin. So I don't think I even have forgiveness no matter what I do

The one who tells you that you are not forgiven is the devil. He is a liar and a thief, do not believe him.

You are forgiven. Christ is yours, you are His.

God says you are forgiven. He says that this way:

Iv3SkghJOONANKQeZl0FvJE30hqBj3roI4Vf7ndk5pIHHcFllu69P7nFS1FW63qrPmRviG3ppQHoXbZCGDH7sQj_xr_6j1ggDdN0p93Fx1B3IwbP_cAiqKCHaQ


-CryptoLutheran
 
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Simon D

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Will there be no more fear after true repentance? I have begged for forgiveness, but I am still living in debilitating fear each day
The Bible tells us that it is good to be afraid,

Provide 24:8a, 'Happy is the man that feareth alway..'

Being fearful is good. Being afraid of losing our jobs means we will be on work on time. Being afraid of having bad credit will mean we will make sure we pay our bills.

The difference is, Prov 3:25, 'Be not afraid of sudden fear..'

This means that we are not to be afraid of being afraid. People often do not try new things because they are afraid of being afraid.

So it is wise to have fears, and normal. but we are not to be afraid of being afraid.
 
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Maria Billingsley

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Will there be no more fear after true repentance? I have begged for forgiveness, but I am still living in debilitating fear each day
Welcome. There is no fear in love and God is love. Repentance is changing your direction from a sinful life through the power of His Holy Spirit. You can not do it by your own flesh driven power. Hope this helps. Be blessed.
 
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A_Thinker

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Will there be no more fear after true repentance? I have begged for forgiveness, but I am still living in debilitating fear each day
God has forgiven you. Go on to live your life in His joy, peace, and love.

Understand that God truly fancies you.

1 John 3:1 Behold, what manner of love the Father has bestowed upon us, that we should be called the children of God ...

As you become aware of how much the Lord loves you, ... your fears will fade ...
 
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Will there be no more fear after true repentance? I have begged for forgiveness, but I am still living in debilitating fear each day
No. As faith builds, fear melts away. But repentance is totally separate from that. Repentance is turning from your sin and returning home to God. It is not contingent on lack of fear.
 
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aiki

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Will there be no more fear after true repentance? I have begged for forgiveness, but I am still living in debilitating fear each day

Fear is never from God. Fear is the result of your desire to protect yourself. Such fear is you-centered, not God-centered. This is why God rejects fear as any sort of basis upon which to know and fellowship with Him.

1 John 4:16-19
16 We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.
17 By this, love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He is, so also are we in this world.
18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love.
19 We love, because He first loved us.


It's one thing to know that God loves you; it's another to believe it, to be fully convinced, that He does. But it is this full confidence, this certainty, in God's love for you that casts out fear. When you are settled well into the belief that God loves you, joy and rest are the result, never fear. Your fear, then, exposes your lack of trust in God's love for you.

Why don't you trust that God really, truly, awesomely loves you? Was sending His Son to die for you not enough to convince you that He loves you? Christ set aside his heavenly glory, left heaven and humiliated himself to become one of us, then suffered at the hands of those for whom he would die, finally being crucified to save us all from our sin. Do you know anyone else who loves you this much, who has gone to such lengths to show you such love? God loves you. Believe it and fear not.

God has also given you a world with glorious sunsets and sunrises, stunning mountain vistas; with chocolate, and coffee, and cinnamon bread; with humor, and romance, and love; with kittens, and puppies and, flowers; with self-awareness, and the capacity to reason, and the ability to appreciate beauty and truth. God is not out to get you, to make your life miserable, but to bless you and give you joyful rest in communion with Himself.

Matthew 11:28-30
28 "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.
29 "Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS.
30 "For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."


You don't have to "beg for forgiveness." God forgives and accepts you because you have trusted in Christ as your Saviour and Lord (Romans 10:9-10), not because you beg. You can't earn God's acceptance by a big show of regret and sorrow over your sin. He only accepts you because you trust that Jesus has paid the penalty for your sin and through himself, through his atonement on the cross for your sins, has made a way for you to know and enjoy God all the time.

God moved toward you when you were caught in sin, bound under the power of the World, your own flesh, and the devil. (Ephesians 2:1-3) You were weak - helpless, really - to do anything about your sinfulness and the penalty your sin incurred.

Romans 5:6-11
6 For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.
7 For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die.
8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him.
10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.
11 And not only this, but we also exult in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.


Your weakness and sin didn't stop God from drawing you to Himself (John 6:44); it didn't stop Him from revealing to you the saving truth of the Gospel; it didn't stop Him from loving you and inviting you into relationship with Himself. And your sin is no barrier to Him loving you after you're saved, either. God accepts you only in Christ. If, by faith, you're in Christ, you are accepted by God forever. Christ is perfectly righteous and so always accepted by God. If you're in Christ by faith in him as your Saviour and Lord, then you, too, are always accepted by God. You have, then, nothing to fear from God. He has become your loving heavenly Father, not your wrathful Judge and Punisher.

Romans 8:15
15 For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, "Abba! Father!"

2 Timothy 1:7
7 For God has not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
 
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JulieB67

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This verse always brings great comfort to me. If we truly want to know God's mindset,

II Peter 3:9 "The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.


 
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