Whenever we repent, do you think it is acceptable...

[Jaxxi]

For us to say a generic " Lord please forgive me for my sins..." Or should we take the time to list the sins we are repenting of one by one? Do you think this matters, does not matter, or it's all the same? How often should we repent?


( personally I think we need to address each one) What do you think?

 

[Dave L]

For us to say a generic " Lord please forgive me for my sins..." Or should we take the time to list the sins we are repenting of one by one? Do you think this matters, does not matter, or it's all the same? How often should we repent?


( personally I think we need to address each one) What do you think?

I cannot keep track of all the sins I've committed. So I just ask God to forgive me for what I am apart from Christ's imputed righteousness.

 

[GreekOrthodox]

I know I need to go to confession more frequently. For me, it isn't pulling out the list of each and everything I've done wrong but rather what have specific sins that have really pulled me away from my relationship with Christ and with other people.

 

[( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)]

First off...Repentance and confession of sin are two different things. Confession of sin simply means saying the same thing God says about our sin. Repentance means having a change of mind which leads to a change of direction. With that being said...I'm of the mind that we need to be specific in our confession. That doesn't mean if we ask God for sweeping forgiveness He doesn't forgive us. But one day that will have to take place, either in this life or at the judgment seat of Christ. Personally, I would like to get the first done in this life and have only the rewards at the Bema seat.

 

[mlepfitjw]

For us to say a generic " Lord please forgive me for my sins..." Or should we take the time to list the sins we are repenting of one by one? Do you think this matters, does not matter, or it's all the same? How often should we repent?


( personally I think we need to address each one) What do you think?

Hello Jaxxi, to your questions.

Repenting is changing your mind. It is turning from darkness, towards the Light.

Do you believe that coming to the Lord Jesus Christ is enough? People come to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ an accept him as the Lord and Saviour however, if people do no progress in their faith. They still fight in-between their flesh and spirit a lot more than people who made the decision to progress in their faith to become mature.

There are many scriptures on becoming mature in the faith.

Philippians 1:25 Knowing this, I am convinced that I will remain alive so I can continue to help all of you grow and experience the joy of your faith.

Colossians 1:9 So we have not stopped praying for you since we first heard about you. We ask God to give you complete knowledge of his will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding.

2 Corinthians 3:16 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.

Romans 8: 29 For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined (our spiritual body) to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.

Philippians 3:12 Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

1 Thess 3:13 and may the Lord cause you to increase and abound in love for one another, and for all people, just as we also do for you;

2 Thess 1:3 We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brethren, as is only fitting, because your faith is greatly enlarged, and the love of each one of you toward one another grows ever greater;

Hebrews 6:1 Therefore leaving the elementary teaching about the Christ, let us press on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God,

 

[( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)]

Trying to turn away from wickedness without the Truth of the gospel in our hearts is merely worthless self-reformation. Repentance doesn't save us. It's the blood of Christ that washes away sin.

 

[mlepfitjw]

God has changed me from my own wicked way of using inappropriate contentography, drugs, and hatred of others. So Jaxxi, also to your statement you are also right, it helps to ask God to help what you need help with, for me it started with dedication of abstaining from the usage of inappropriate content which can damage the mind and how can you have a successful relationship that way.

Here is some useful scriptures from Galatians 5 that expresses the fleshly ways and the spiritual ways.

It seems to me if you also read the word of God, and read the scriptures that you have wrote out for yourself every morning, and maybe through out the day it helps with spiritual strength to abstain and fall away when temptations occurs because everyone is tempted by their own desires and it can drag you away from God.

• Galatians 5:
• 16 So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. 17 The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions. 18 But when you are directed by the Spirit, you are not under obligation to the law of Moses.
• 
  
• 19 When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, 21 envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.
• 
  
• 22 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!
• 
  
• 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. 25 Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives. 26 Let us not become conceited, or provoke one another, or be jealous of one another.
• 
  
• James 1:
• 
  
• 14 Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away.
• 1 Corinthians 10: 13 The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.

It is up to people what they do with their own faith.

Everyone has a different measures of faith, according to Romans 12:3

We are to Love God and Love Others which is described in 1 Corinthians 13:1-7;13

God can change a any person around if they believe and trust God, it does not make us better than anyone but we praise the Lord Jesus Christ for his wonderful transformative works. God works on our hearts, and change us from darkness and we step into the Light of the Lord Jesus Christ who is the Light of all mankind.

We love other being forgiving, have mercy on others because we to have made mistakes in our lives and accept forgiveness of God.

Galatians 6:2 Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.

Colossians 3:13 Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.

hope this helps

 

[Jaxxi]

I cannot keep track of all the sins I've committed. So I just ask God to forgive me for what I am apart from Christ's imputed righteousness.

I sat down and started writing out a letter to Jesus for my repentance and front and back I got to page 5 and looked up with tears in my eyes and said " I am so sorry. I had no idea I was this bad" as I knew I have a few pages to go...so I can relate.

 

[Jaxxi]

Trying to turn away from wickedness without the Truth of the gospel in our hearts is merely worthless self-reformation. Repentance doesn't save us. It's the blood of Christ that washes away sin.

You do not have the blood of Jesus without repentance.

This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says: “In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it. Isaiah 30:15

For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign Lord. Repent and live!
Ezekiel 18:32

I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish Luke 13:3

Do not be foolish. It is exactly what saves you.

 

[Beanieboy]

For us to say a generic " Lord please forgive me for my sins..." Or should we take the time to list the sins we are repenting of one by one? Do you think this matters, does not matter, or it's all the same? How often should we repent?


( personally I think we need to address each one) What do you think?

If we were married, and I said, "Honey, please forgive me for all the bad stuff I did today, " would you believe I was really sorry?

In close relationships, you might say, "Sorry I was late today. Do you forgive me?" I will say, "If you understand why you are sorry, and how that affected me." If I only get "you don't like to wait", I tell them to keep trying. I'm trying to get the person to understand when they show up 30-60 minutes late, but I got there on time, my time feel disrespected, I feel disrespected, and an "oh. sorry. whatever." does nothing.

Can you simply ask a general prayer? Sure, but in being asked to shown those sins, or understanding how lying broke trust, etc., you will understand why you need to ask forgiveness beyond "it's a rule."

 

[disciple Clint]

For us to say a generic " Lord please forgive me for my sins..." Or should we take the time to list the sins we are repenting of one by one? Do you think this matters, does not matter, or it's all the same? How often should we repent?


( personally I think we need to address each one) What do you think?

I think it is far more important to be truly sorry than to conform to a system. It is quite possible to be sincerely sorry for everything you have done that has impaired your relationship with God.
There may be things you do not even remember but if you love God you are sincerely sorry for any and all offenses against Him.

 

[Jaxxi]

I think it is far more important to be truly sorry than to conform to a system. It is quite possible to be sincerely sorry for everything you have done that has impaired your relationship with God.
There may be things you do not even remember but if you love God you are sincerely sorry for any and all offenses against Him.

Great answer.

 

[Beanieboy]

I sat down and started writing out a letter to Jesus for my repentance and front and back I got to page 5 and looked up with tears in my eyes and said " I am so sorry. I had no idea I was this bad" as I knew I have a few pages to go...so I can relate.

I am very curious to hear how your list of sins reached 5 pages, and at the end, deem yourself a bad person.

In another post, I remember coming home from 1st grade, and hiding my first math test. I was so angry my parents would be angry. At dinner, my mom went to the room near the kitchen, and came back holding the paper. She said, "what's this Craig? Were you hiding it?" I started crying, telling her how sorry I was. She said, "Why are you sorry?" I said, "I got 4 wrong!!" She said, "And you got 96 correct." I thought anything short of perfection was failing.

As I grew up, I was constantly told how we were to strive to be perfect, that God hates sin, and at some point, I started to believe a lie from Satan - that God will love you when you are perfect, when you no longer sin. And you understand, even 96% isn't good enough.

But I believe, as Christ said to the sheep and goats, that there is far more emphasis on how you actively showed others love. Was someone hungry and you fed them? Did you stand with someone being picked on? Did you listen to someone who looked upset?

I kind of laugh at the people who pat themselves on the back for keeping the 10 Commandments. "I didn't steal anythjng! I didn't kill anyone!" Yeah, but what did you do?

I challenge you to write yourself a letter, ask the HS to give you words, and show you the 96%

 

[Jaxxi]

I am very curious to hear how your list of sins reached 5 pages, and at the end, deem yourself a bad person.

In another post, I remember coming home from 1st grade, and hiding my first math test. I was so angry my parents would be angry. At dinner, my mom went to the room near the kitchen, and came back holding the paper. She said, "what's this Craig? Were you hiding it?" I started crying, telling her how sorry I was. She said, "Why are you sorry?" I said, "I got 4 wrong!!" She said, "And you got 96 correct." I thought anything short of perfection was failing.

As I grew up, I was constantly told how we were to strive to be perfect, that God hates sin, and at some point, I started to believe a lie from Satan - that God will love you when you are perfect, when you no longer sin. And you understand, even 96% isn't good enough.

But I believe, as Christ said to the sheep and goats, that there is far more emphasis on how you actively showed others love. Was someone hungry and you fed them? Did you stand with someone being picked on? Did you listen to someone who looked upset?

I kind of laugh at the people who pat themselves on the back for keeping the 10 Commandments. "I didn't steal anythjng! I didn't kill anyone!" Yeah, but what did you do?

I challenge you to write yourself a letter, ask the HS to give you words, and show you the 96%

In my 5 pages it wasn' t sin by sin- it was the generalization of a multitude of sins, for example " for all the times I committed fornication, for the times I dressed seductive to seduce men, for the times I was rude to people or made fun of someone, for doing drugs and struggling with depression, for not trusting You and thinking my way was better, for not helping someone when I had the means to, for lusting after men and going on the prowl, for lying to make a sale, and the list goes on and on. Yeah, I had a few wild years in there so I am far far far from 96%. I still struggle with some things but I am so much better than I was. I mean like night and day. Some things I have walked away from completely! Whats funny is that right after I made up my mind to honestly change, like 2 hours later I got text messages from 2 different men that I had not spoken to in over 2 years. I texted back. " Begone!" And blocked them. Then I smiled to myself and said " Nice try."

 

[Dave L]

I know I need to go to confession more frequently. For me, it isn't pulling out the list of each and everything I've done wrong but rather what have specific sins that have really pulled me away from my relationship with Christ and with other people.

I live in a constant state of prayer so the confession of sin is on the fly for me. Jesus links our thoughts to sin. So I often confess sinful thoughts and repent throughout the day. Outward sin is rare in my case. Here's Paul's advice.

“Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;” (2 Corinthians 10:5) (KJV 1900)

We censor every impure thought or imagination. And change the channel in our thinking on any thought that does not conform to obedience to Christ.

And we replace it with:

“Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” (Philippians 4:8)

Knowing Jesus is God and God is love, Jesus is Lord of our lives when love rules our thoughts and actions.

 

[longwait]

For us to say a generic " Lord please forgive me for my sins..." Or should we take the time to list the sins we are repenting of one by one? Do you think this matters, does not matter, or it's all the same? How often should we repent?


( personally I think we need to address each one) What do you think?

Yes, repent of each sin as far as you can remember and pray that the Lord forgives you of those sins that you can't remember. I guess that's how it should be done.

 

[Jaxxi]

Yes, repent of each sin as far as you can remember and pray that the Lord forgives you of those sins that you can't remember. I guess that's how it should be done.

Thank you. I have been writing a letter confessing them all and it is a work in progress, 5 pages front and back and still growing as I remember more.