Originally posted by Wildfire
God knows what is in our hearts, and what we shall ask of Him before we even ask Him. When we pray and ask forgiveness, it should be with meekness, humbleness and sincerity. Remember we are told to love God with all our heart and all our soul.
Now, when you KNOW the commandments, and break them, and ask forgiveness, and break them again, and ask forgiveness, and break them again...no, you won't be forgiven.
Hebrews 10:26
*FOR IF WE SIN WILFULLY AFTER THAT WE HAVE RECIEVED THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE TRUTH, THERE REMAINETH NO MORE SACRIFICE FOR SINS.
Thats why it is important to have the Holy Spirit dwelling within you. He will guide you to all truth and understanding. He will help you when you feel weak, or when you feel overwhelmed.
Notice that when the Holy Spirit is within you, you can sin no more. But you have to ASK for him to come to you. That is why he is called the Comforter. And he (the holy spirit) will bless you with gifts: faith, miracles, prophecy, wisdom, the word of knowledge, to speak in tongues.
There is diversity among the gifts, but they work together under God. The book of Corinthians further explains this.
The disciples tell us to seek what is above; to go after righteousness, and charity (for it covers a multitude of sin). There is forgivenss with Jesus Christ, yes. But be wise in knowing that the works that you do on earth, will be counted great in heaven. Don't be caught up in the belief that it is okay to sin a little, because it's not.
Remember the woman who washed Jesus' feet with her hair.
He said that she sinned (much), but was forgiven (much) because she LOVED (much). And he said: go and sin no more. From that point onward, she was cleansed of her past.
She humbled herself before Him. She wept as a child before a father. And who is our Father, but God in heaven? And when we see Him as our Father/our Creator, when we <surrender> our hearts to Him, we become his children. That is why Jesus explained that a child is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Because a child will love their parent unconditionally; with innocence, and trust, and believing, and love.
That is how God wants us to have a relationship with Him.
And when we give our hearts over to Him, we sin no more. We walk in his light.
Hope this helps,
Wildfire
Originally posted by SUNSTONE
[For we know that the Law is spiritual, but I am of flesh, sold into bondage to sin.
For what I am doing, I do not understand;
for I am not practicing what I would like to do,
but I am doing the very thing I hate.
But if I do the very thing I do not want to do,
I agree with the Law, confessing that the Law is good.
So now, no longer am I the one doing it, but sin which dwellsin me.
For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is ot.
For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want.
But if I am doing the very thing I do not want, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me.
I find then the principle that evil is peresent in me, the one who wants to do good.
For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man,
But I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which in in my members.
Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death?
Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself, with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin. Romans 7:14-25
I have alot more to come.
Originally posted by SUNSTONE
Paul said this to Cephas "If you , being a Jew, live like the Gentiles and not like the Jews, how is it that you compel the Gentiles to live like Jews?
We are jews by nature and not sinners from among the Gentiles;
nevertheless knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the Law; since by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified.
But if, while seeking to be justified in Christ, we oursevles have also been found sinners, is Christ then a minister of sin? May it never be!
For if I rebuild what I have once destroyed, I prove myself to be a transgressor.
For through the Law I died to the Law, so that I might live to God.
I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.
I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died needlessly. Galatians 2:14-21
HEB 10:17 Then he adds:
"Their sins and lawless acts
I will remember no more."
HEB 10:18 And where these have been forgiven, there is no longer any sacrifice for sin.
Does this mean that we have been forgiven once and for all, and do not need to continue to keep asking each time we sin?