Is forgiveness always possible?

The only unforgivable sin is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit - so yes, we may stray but if we seek forgiveness it is given.

Blessings

Little Brother said:

I certainly feel some kind of animosity against me from God

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I think what you are feeling as 'animosity again you from God' is the sense of your own guilty feelings. (I hope that does not sound harsh, because it is certainly not meant as such). You are feeling bad about what you have done, BUT we are under Grace.

Go to him in prayer, take your heart to Him and ask for forgiveness. That all - no need for horse hair shirts or anything!

I will keep you in my prayers Little Brother, that you feeling His healing and forgiving touch on your life.

Blessings

Little Brother said:

Can we stray and still be forgiven?I remember reading that"God is our shepherd and will always bring back the sheep that stray." Thats not an exact quote.How can we always forget about God and still be forgiven? Personally, I never forget about God.Even when I'm p'oed at Him, He's always there.I say this when people ask me if I believe in God:"He's the only thing in my life that has never turned away from me, no matter how many times I have turned away from Him".


The voice of God guides me, although I do not listen sometimes.

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The reason Jesus said that the only unforgivable sin was blaspheme of the Holy Spirit is because when the religious leaders accused Jesus casting demons out in the name of demons, they are not recognising God's power of the Holy Spirit. They are basically not believing that Jesus came from God. As long as they don't believe Jesus came from God, then they cannot be saved. It is after all the Holy Spirit that will regenerate them to eternal life (Titus 3:5).

Mark's Gospel render's it this way:

"But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation." - Mark 3:29

I believe in this context, Jesus is saying that one who continues to believe in this blaspheme is in danger of eternal damnation. For if the person does not repent in his thinking about the very thing that can save him, how then can he be saved?

You say that you strayed from God. That must mean that at one time you gave your heart to Jesus and you backslid. Well even Isarel in the OT continuously backslid from God, but God was always willing to take them back. Look at jeremiah 3:

"The LORD said also unto me in the days of Josiah the king, Hast thou seen that which backsliding Israel hath done? she is gone up upon every high mountain and under every green tree, and there hath played the harlot.

And I said after she had done all these things, Turn thou unto me. But she returned not. And her treacherous sister Judah saw it.
And I saw, when for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed adultery I had put her away, and given her a bill of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Judah feared not, but went and played the harlot also.
And it came to pass through the lightness of her whoredom, that she defiled the land, and committed adultery with stones and with stocks.
And yet for all this her treacherous sister Judah hath not turned unto me with her whole heart, but feignedly, saith the LORD.
And the LORD said unto me, The backsliding Israel hath justified herself more than treacherous Judah.
Go and proclaim these words toward the north, and say, Return, thou backsliding Israel, saith the LORD; and I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you: for I am merciful, saith the LORD, and I will not keep anger for ever.
Only acknowledge thine iniquity, that thou hast transgressed against the LORD thy God, and hast scattered thy ways to the strangers under every green tree, and ye have not obeyed my voice, saith the LORD.
Turn, O backsliding children, saith the LORD; for I am married unto you: and I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion: And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding." - Jeremiah 3:6-15

Despite Israel's backsliding, God was always willing to take them back, as long as they recognize the errors of their ways to Him and returned to Him.

Jesus was asked how many times we should forgive our brother who sins against us. Seven times?

"Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven." - Matthew 18:22

That's 490 times. Really what Jesus was saying is that we should forgive our brother no matter how many times they sinned against us. And I would think that if Jesus is telling us to forgive our brother that many times, how much more merciful must God's forgiveness and mercy must be.

Little Brother, Dondi is absolutely right saying "And I would think that if Jesus is telling us to forgive our brother that many times, how much more merciful must God's forgiveness and mercy must be."

The cleansing power of Jesus blood is able not only to cleanse all sin and unrighteousness from those who will receive it, but even powerful enough to cleanse the sins of all history from those who won't receive it ("And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.", 1 John 2:2). To think your evil alone can defeat God's goodness is mighty high thinking indeed. Just let His goodness totally defeat you, receive His chastening. "If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?", Heb. 12:7. Grace comes after law for those who won't give up.

Father God, stir up Little Brother's heart to choose life. I plead the blood of Jesus on his behalf. Speak the words to his spirit even now to heal and give hope in Jesus' name.

Little Brother said:

I've done and said blasphemous things.I definetley don't feel good about it.I was a teenager at that point but am I forgiven now?How would I know?I certainly feel some kind of animosity against me from God.Maybe I just haven't conducted the proper atonement for Him.

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Have you been baptized? No matter what you have done even it is blasphemy will be forgiven at the time you are baptized.

If you have God in your life i think forgivness is always possible.

Little Brother said:

Can we stray and still be forgiven?I remember reading that"God is our shepherd and will always bring back the sheep that stray." Thats not an exact quote.How can we always forget about God and still be forgiven? Personally, I never forget about God.Even when I'm p'oed at Him, He's always there.I say this when people ask me if I believe in God:"He's the only thing in my life that has never turned away from me, no matter how many times I have turned away from Him".


The voice of God guides me, although I do not listen sometimes.

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1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” If we choose to sin, then commit a sin, confession is needed, and forgiveness needs to be granted. As long as sin remains in our life, forgiveness is needed. I believe that where there is sin, a saviour is needed to be given. That is why it is called “to forgive” because it is to give for. Rom. 3:25 says, “Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;” When we pray to God for forgiveness, we ask Him to take away our sin. If sin is done away with, what is left? An empty vessel that needs to be filled. Jesus’ righteousness is given to us instead. If we choose to forgive each other, we are simply giving Jesus instead of the offence. We have the option not to forgive, but because we do, we give Christ’s character to the offender.

Little Brother said:

Can we stray and still be forgiven?I remember reading that"God is our shepherd and will always bring back the sheep that stray." Thats not an exact quote.How can we always forget about God and still be forgiven? Personally, I never forget about God.Even when I'm p'oed at Him, He's always there.I say this when people ask me if I believe in God:"He's the only thing in my life that has never turned away from me, no matter how many times I have turned away from Him".

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Yes I believe we can stray and still be forgiven. Take the parable of the lost sheep or the prodigal son. They were with the father/shepherd, but left to go do their own thing. In the case of the prodigal son, the son realized his idiocy and went back and the father welcomed him with open arms. In the case of the lost sheep, the shepherd sought out the sheep until he found it. So hang in there and never give up. I feel much the same way as you in that Christ has been the only thing in my life that has never turned away or rejected me. With God, there is always forgiveness.

God is our Father and we are His children.

I like to look upon this question from the point of view of a loving father. Even though my children make a mess and screw-up from time to time, I NEVER stop loving them and I'm always ready to forgive them. When they come to me with the mess they've made, I say something like "Come on, let's sort it out".

Most children (when they've caused a problem) will think something like "What will dad say?" - fearing the worst and not wanting to own up beacuse of the consequences. Almost as if we've stopped loving them...

Even though they may think I have an issue with them, I don't, because they are My children. My heart is for them to do the best for them that I can and to help get things sorted....

...and God's even better than me!!!

yes, there is only one sin God wont forgive and im not sure what it is though

Its possible. I myself went Atehist(well more or less) for a day and agnostic for 6 days after, and I've even broguht a few former Satanists (well really just angsty kids who turned to Satan out of rebellion) and I've read an articale by someone who had gone far enough into stanism as to be have evil spirits dwelling with him, and he tried to kil himself but christan friends had prayed for him, so he afiled, and ended up coming back to God. Its possible, you can see plenty of backsiding in the bible

lg3 said:

yes, there is only one sin God wont forgive and im not sure what it is though

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Found it, this is taken out of the Catechism of the Catholic Church

"Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven." There are no limits to the mercy of God, but anyone who deliberately refuses to accept his mercy by repenting, rejects the forgiveness of his sins and the salvation offered by the Holy Spirit. Such hardness of heart can lead to final impenitence and eternal loss.

This is the first book i consulted to see what sin is unforgivable, it is taken out of scripture, so it should fit all religious denominations.

Blessings
Lg3

The only sin that isn't forgiven is the pride of thinking we're somehow so mighty that God can't forgive us.

And even that is forgivable.

I think so. God knows that we are only human, and that we are weak. That is why He is our shepherd (sp?), because sheep tend to stray. I have found that a person is stronger and closer to God when they read the Bible daily and pray. I often feel disconnected and lost when I don't do this. As soon as I bend my knee, I wonder why it took me so long. God is good!

ChurchofChrist said:

Have you been baptized? No matter what you have done even it is blasphemy will be forgiven at the time you are baptized.

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Can I ask where in the Bible does it say this? I have never heard of this before.