How's God's Forgiveness?

[Button]

Okay I'm a newbie in all of this but I do have a pretty good underst
anding of christianity.

God forgives everything.

Right?

No matter how much you've sinned.

But on some other place or maybe on the same page, it says; God forgives you but true forgiveness only comes when you repent.
Now what does repent mean? Repent means you've been reborn in the holy spirit so I'm thinking there's no chance any of us are being forgiven because who can claim to be reborn in the holy spirit not many.
Jesus did it, although to be fair he was the son of God.
Trained in the gym with his dad and got private lessons; while the rest of us we've got tablets to work with.
So to continue the story, am I supposed to forgive or am I supposed to make it harder for them and earn my forgiveness I've been hearing a lot about forgiving this and that and the other but I can't bring myself to forgive what I know isn't right.
And that's not how god does it either. If anything: he doesn't forgive - he keeps his heart open to forgiveness but lays out the law in what it means to forgive: you show to me, that you're actually sorry, by becoming somebody else.
And you reach me, my generosity consists in leaving the door open for you to pass through it but I won't be leaving it at your doorstep: the higher the better; preferably on mount everest.

 

[public hermit]

Welcome! I think God's forgiveness exceeds our usual ability to forgive, by far. Christ prayed forgiveness for those who crucified him. That's pretty astounding. I don't know that I could do that. He said they didn't understand what they were doing, and I think that's probably true for all of us to some extent; we have no idea what we are doing-at least, not the full extent of it. At the very least, I hope God doesn't forgive like we seem to when harmed. I do like your idea about God keeping an open heart. That makes sense to me.

 

[SavedByGrace3]

Repentance is a difficult thing for many people. Yes, we are called to holiness and righteousness. But if you wait until you are completely free from all sin, you will never be forgiven. The older you get, the more you will perceive the dept of sin and darkness we live in. If you know you have sinned, then confess your sin, and HE is faithful and just to forgive your sin and cleanse you from all unrighteousness. That act of forgiveness is based on HIS faithfulness, not yours. It is based on HIS justness, not yours. Yes, strive against all sin, but know your salvation is based on His goodness and faithfulness.

 

[Maria Billingsley]

Okay I'm a newbie in all of this but I do have a pretty good underst
anding of christianity.

God forgives everything.

Right?

No matter how much you've sinned.

But on some other place or maybe on the same page, it says; God forgives you but true forgiveness only comes when you repent.
Now what does repent mean? Repent means you've been reborn in the holy spirit so I'm thinking there's no chance any of us are being forgiven because who can claim to be reborn in the holy spirit not many.
Jesus did it, although to be fair he was the son of God.
Trained in the gym with his dad and got private lessons; while the rest of us we've got tablets to work with.
So to continue the story, am I supposed to forgive or am I supposed to make it harder for them and earn my forgiveness I've been hearing a lot about forgiving this and that and the other but I can't bring myself to forgive what I know isn't right.
And that's not how god does it either. If anything: he doesn't forgive - he keeps his heart open to forgiveness but lays out the law in what it means to forgive: you show to me, that you're actually sorry, by becoming somebody else.
And you reach me, my generosity consists in leaving the door open for you to pass through it but I won't be leaving it at your doorstep: the higher the better; preferably on mount everest.

Welcome to CF. Who can claim to be reborn in His Holy Spirit? Anyone who believes and loves Him with all their heart, soul and mind are in Him. If this first step of repentance, changing ones mind from unbelief to belief, is not taken then there is no forgiveness for sin. Blessings.

 

[ViaCrucis]

You're forgiven.

How can this be? How is it that you, a wretch and sinner who has earned nothing, done nothing, and can never hope to do anything to be righteous could be forgiven?

Jesus. Jesus did everything. You're forgiven.

Repentance is not the prerequisite to forgiveness. Forgiveness is free, because it's what is declared to the whole world from Mt. Calvary, where the Son of God was crucified, His blood has covered the whole multitude of sins. All of them. Every. Single. Sin.

So what is repentance? The Greek word we translate to repentance is metanoia, somewhat literally "over-mind" or "a change of mind" if you will. When we are confronted with the Law of God, what God has commanded, and we behold the brutal and horrible truth of what we are in the reflection we see in God's Law (that we are sinners, that the Law says "do this" and we don't do it, and we do what it forbids us to do) it produces guilt, shame. Think of the story in Genesis after Adam and Eve had eaten of the fruit, they heard God calling in the garden and what do they feel? Shame, they feel shame and try to cover up their nakedness. That's the shame and guilt of the Law--we are sinners, we know we are sinners. Repentance, therefore, means to recognize this truth: You are a sinner; you do not do the good you ought to do and you do the evil you shouldn't do. What does this repentance do? It brings us to our knees before God, where we can say "God save me, I am a wretch; God have mercy on me, a sinner."

Repentance, therefore produces what? The deep awareness of our need for grace. Where is grace found? In no one and no where else except Jesus Christ and His once-and-perfect work which He has accomplished for us by His life, death, and resurrection. And now, through faith, God takes what Christ has done and makes it yours: You, therefore, stand justified before God for Christ's sake. His righteousness covers you, you are forgiven, you belong to God because you belong to Jesus, and the Holy Spirit dwells in you and makes all this to happen.

So now what? "Show forth works worthy of repentance" said St. John the Baptist. Yes you are a guilty and condemned sinner deserving of death and hell, but what of it? The word of the beloved and gentle Savior says to you "That where I am you shall be also". His word never fails. Now go and love your neighbor, because your neighbor is hungry. God and clothe the naked, because he's naked. Go and carry your cross, following Jesus as He tells you to.

Will you fail? Yes. Will you fall? Oh yeah. Will you sin a hundred times daily? You better believe it. But He forgives you. You are forgiven.

Repent, believe, take up your cross and follow Him. Daily. Every day. Every moment of every day. You need Jesus every day.

-CryptoLutheran

 

[Svt4Him]

You can repent of a bad turn you made in your car by simply doing a u-turn. Repentance doesn't have to come out of being reborn, we have the law written in our heart and can be remorseful and turn from wrong because of that. Repentance unto salvation is a gift, but to repent from wrong is something a child can do.

 

[JimR-OCDS]

The true meaning of the word, "repent," is to have a change of mind and heart.

So, when we repent, we're confessing to God our sins, and asking Him to
change us. It's a surrender of the heart and soul of the individual to God.

 

[nhisname]

True Repentance is allowing God to change your nature. The Holy Spirit will work thru you by helping you grow spiritual fruit. You will be known by your fruit and how you treat others, this is your testimony. We are even to forgive and pray for our enemies, because at one time we were enemies of God. Showing kindness to others shouldn't be done just to those who show us kindness in return but to those who aren't loveable.