Sin and repentance

[maybenotcrazy]

How does one determine that they have repented of a sin? Certainly tomorrow you can do it again. Also. What does a person do when they trust they've repented and then months years, eons later they do it again. Is that it? Is all the grace gone? Certainly many of us have had this problem to varying degrees. Another question. It seems to me God has this thing about allowing us to sin when we get arrogant about our righteousness. Is this because satan is so jealous of our gloating, whether internal or external or is this because God himself tells satan: "GO! Make him sin." I think it is the latter. It never fails. Just when I think I've come clean, repented done the mourning fasted etc. finished with something. I often even post about it or tell someone about it. Within 24 hours I sin! It is like clockwork. I feel as though, after having put all my trust in God that he has abandoned me or proven to me to be untrustworthy- in that I feel all repentance is not due to our efforts but his allowance or grace.

 

[bling]

How does one determine that they have repented of a sin? Certainly tomorrow you can do it again. Also. What does a person do when they trust they've repented and then months years, eons later they do it again. Is that it? Is all the grace gone? Certainly many of us have had this problem to varying degrees. Another question. It seems to me God has this thing about allowing us to sin when we get arrogant about our righteousness. Is this because satan is so jealous of our gloating, whether internal or external or is this because God himself tells satan: "GO! Make him sin." I think it is the latter. It never fails. Just when I think I've come clean, repented done the mourning fasted etc. finished with something. I often even post about it or tell someone about it. Within 24 hours I sin! It is like clockwork. I feel as though, after having put all my trust in God that he has abandoned me or proven to me to be untrustworthy- in that I feel all repentance is not due to our efforts but his allowance or grace.

Acts 26:20 might help: First to those in Damascus, then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and to the Gentiles also, I preached that they should repent and turn to God and prove their repentance by their deeds.

You actions will show your repentance.

You might be going about this all wrong. The indwelling Holy Spirit can help you from sinning but not by holding you back from sin, you still are in control and can quench the Spirit. The way to stop sinning a particular bothersome sin is by doing something good to replace the bad you would do. The indwelling Holy Spirit can and does participate with you in doing good stuff to the point your life can be full of doing good stuff. The idea of not doing bad stuff just does not work by itself, but you can keep doing good stuff to the point of not having time to do the bad stuff. This what I have found works and is consistent with scripture.

 

[StevenMerten]

How does one determine that they have repented of a sin? Certainly tomorrow you can do it again. Also. What does a person do when they trust they've repented and then months years, eons later they do it again. Is that it? Is all the grace gone? Certainly many of us have had this problem to varying degrees. Another question. It seems to me God has this thing about allowing us to sin when we get arrogant about our righteousness. Is this because satan is so jealous of our gloating, whether internal or external or is this because God himself tells satan: "GO! Make him sin." I think it is the latter. It never fails. Just when I think I've come clean, repented done the mourning fasted etc. finished with something. I often even post about it or tell someone about it. Within 24 hours I sin! It is like clockwork. I feel as though, after having put all my trust in God that he has abandoned me or proven to me to be untrustworthy- in that I feel all repentance is not due to our efforts but his allowance or grace.

Hello maybenotcrazy,

I think some reflection on Christ's parable on the Pharisee and the tax collector would help you with your spiritual situation. The answer, I think you will find, is to just keep coming before the Lord confessing your sins, repenting with all your heart, and continuous prayer, as the tax collector, who went away forgiven, did. It does not seem as if the tax collector ever felt assured he had repented enough. And this was a good thing to keep him humble before the Lord.

Take a special look at Christ's use of the word "eucharisteo", in describing how the Pharissee, who was not forgiven, felt about God's grace.

Peace
Steven

NAB LUK 18:9 The Pharisee and the tax collector.

He then addressed this parable to those who were convinced of their own righteousness and despised everyone else. "Two people went up to the temple area to pray; one was a Pharisee and the other was a tax collector. The Pharisee took up his position and spoke this prayer to himself, 'O God, I eucharisteo that I am not like the rest of humanity--greedy, dishonest, adulterous--or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week, and I pay tithes on my whole income.' But the tax collector stood off at a distance and would not even raise his eyes to heaven but beat his breast and prayed, 'O God, be merciful to me a sinner.' I tell you, the latter went home justified, not the former; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted."

Eucharisteo; with the dative it always stands where there is implied a kindness done, a favor, a charis, a grace for an undeserved gift received where it appears as thanks for any good experience.
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Charis; from chairio, to rejoice, or chara, joy, favor, acceptance, a kindness granted or desired, a benefit, thanks, gratitude, grace. A favor done without expectation of return; absolute freeness of loving kindness of God to men finding its only motive in the bounty and freeheartedness of the Giver; unearned an unmerited favor.

quoted from: Lexicon to the Old and New Testaments, by Spiros Zodhiates, TH.D AMG publishers.
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[BrotherHicks]

You could have truly repented and then later went back into sin. Adam and Eve did not have any sin but they still chose sin. You can get right with God, get cleaned up, and then still choose to sin. Unfortunately the option always is there, but that does not necessarily call the validity of your repentance into question.