Can somebody make sense of this?

Chowder17 said:

Can somebody make sense of this? I'm going through a difficult and trying time, I find myself doubting and questioning GOD like never before. I know this is due to my sin, I've done something not too long ago I can't forgive myself for. I know that the GODly will say I'm forgiven, that GOD has already forgiven me. I question this because I think back to scripture regarding King Saul, he disobeyed GOD and he was in despair because he knew GOD was not with him anymore and that GOD's spirit left him. If GOD could leave Saul for his sin, why not me? Does GOD give up on us?

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[FONT='Verdana','sans-serif']Wow! I stopped talking to God for ten years because I thought Saul got a raw deal. You are falling for the most common trick that satin has “guilt”. I never let my sin, or guilt get in between me and God. If you want to know about God, Read about King David![/font]

itaf said:

Hi Chowder17,

A few years ago I was doing a cover to cover bible read through and I also noticed the same thing that you said about King Saul, I wondered why God left him and with King David it was a completely different story. David also made a lot of mistakes and I really couldn't see much of a difference between he and Saul at that time.

I began to pray about it and I went back and read through the chapters about King Saul again. It hit me that each time Saul spoke to Samuel, he always referred to God as, "The Lord your God." He never said, "The Lord my God."

It was a heart matter. God said of David that he was a man after His own heart. David had a heart for God. If you've ever read through the Psalms, you can see the struggles and triumphs that David endured. It always blesses me so to see that he trusted in the Lord. David knew where his hope was.

Seeing that you are concerned about your sins, I'd say that you, Like David, have a heart for God. Sometimes it's most difficult to forgive ourselves and sometimes there's a reason for that. It's very humbling to examine our own hearts and to face up to our own short comings. I believe that it's all part of changing, growing and maturing. I know that for me, many times, examining my own short-comings became a very sorrowful experience.

This verse has always helped me.

2 Corinthians 7:10 For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.

Keep pressing on!!!!

Philippians 3:14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

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Thanks, itaf, for the thoughful response that encourages all of us. Our sins are no casual matter to God, and our repentance needs to be from a heart broken before God, not just feeling bad because we messed up or sorry we got caught, which is often the case.
Chowder17 - today many sincere believers think we can just ignore our sins like there's nothing to them, but our hearts tell us that won't do. God does forgive us when we confess our sins, and that forgiveness is complete. And he doesn't make us pay somehow to make up for it. We may have natural consequences for what we did, but God doesn't require some penance for our sins. As itaf said, we need to draw closer to the Lord and allow his love and grace to change our hearts, and his peace will flow through our hearts and our doubts will go away. In fact, God may use those failures to enable us to touch others and encourage them. See also Psalm 51.

May be or may be not this thing tell only the specialist.

Dear Chowder17. In Matthew, chapter 22, verses 35-40, Jesus tells a Lawyer: " The first and great Commandment is: Love thy God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. The second is: Love thy neighbour as thyself." On these two Commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets. The Bible also tells us to " Repent," to change from being selfish and unloving to: loving God with all our beings, and loving/treating all we know and all we meet, as we would love to be treated: with kindness and consideration, a helpful hand ( if needed) and No angry words or just ignoring. God will see your sincere efforts, and God will approve and bless you. Let God see your Love for Him and promise that you will try and become more and more loving. Lay your feelings of guilt at Jesus`s feet, and accept God`s forgiveness. I say this with love, Chowder. Greetings from Emmy, your sister in Christ.

sunestauromai said:

Thanks, itaf, for the thoughful response that encourages all of us. Our sins are no casual matter to God, and our repentance needs to be from a heart broken before God, not just feeling bad because we messed up or sorry we got caught, which is often the case.
Chowder17 - today many sincere believers think we can just ignore our sins like there's nothing to them, but our hearts tell us that won't do. God does forgive us when we confess our sins, and that forgiveness is complete. And he doesn't make us pay somehow to make up for it. We may have natural consequences for what we did, but God doesn't require some penance for our sins. As itaf said, we need to draw closer to the Lord and allow his love and grace to change our hearts, and his peace will flow through our hearts and our doubts will go away. In fact, God may use those failures to enable us to touch others and encourage them. See also Psalm 51.

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I couldn't agree more sunestauromai,

2 Corinthians 13:5 Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?

Hebrews 12:8 talks about Chastisement. I believe that as we are maturing from the milk of the word to the meat of the word from faith to faith, knowing that Christ Jesus truly is the way, the truth and the life, there are changes that happen. Paul wrote that we are a new creature in Christ, old things pass away, "behold all things become new." So sin is no longer something that we ignore.

1 John 2:1 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:1 John 2:2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for our's only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

There are times when we are chastened and reproved, and when we have erred, repentance is required.

Jesus said this:

John 3:20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.

I would encourage anyone who will, to do a bible word study on "Change, Changes" and "Holy, Holiness," etc...

Sincerely,

itaf

When Jesus died for your sin He knew all you would ever do. It was even before you were born. He bore it all. Believe the blood is sufficient. The work of Jesus is finished. If there were another sacrifice for sin then you would have a problem, but the Word says "once for all" in Hebrews7:26 For it was fitting for us to have such a high priest, holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners and exalted above the heavens; 27 who does not need daily, like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the sins of the people, because this He did once for all when He offered up Himself.

Remember when you are reading in the Old Testament that they were under the old covenant. You are under the new and BETTER covenant. It is no longer the blood of bulls and goats, but of the spotless Lamb of God.

The critical thing is getting our eyes on Jesus, and off of ourselves. If you could get rid of your sin, and if you could do everything perfectly there would be no need for Jesus to have come. Truth is - we need Him! And all our salvation rests upon Him, and Him alone.

If He declares without spot, holy and blameless, than who are you to say you are not? Agree with Him! This was the thing that helped me a lot, realizing I needed to conform my thinking to His, and to agree with what He says about me.

There is no condemnation for you. You are IN Christ Jesus, and is He condemned? I think not! Surely, He is risen, and your life is hid with Christ.

Stay in the New Testament in regards to how God looks at you.

Having your thoughts renewed to this will cause you to walk in His ways. It's reason to rejoice and praise Him! You'll find yourself singing psalms and spiritual songs, making melody in your heart to Him, because you are so in love with Him!