Where To Begin...

[Lukaris]

i suppose my first question should be, i have been praying and repenting for my sins almost every day these past couple weeks, how do i know if i will be forgiven? i have turned away from religion a long time, will God truly give me the chance to make things right, or am i damned for ignoring him for so long?

I would also suggest reading Colossians 1:1-32 ( focus on verses 10-24) & Ephesians 2:1-22 ( & then focus on verse 8). Don’t soft peddle any of the other verses either of course.

Then look at how the Lord tells us how to basically live this out in Matthew 6:1-15. Try to be charitable ( as you can) & pray for yourself & your neighbor ( see also 1 Timothy.2:1-6). Pray for evangelism ( Matthew 9:36-38).He understands that sin still tries to sting us but His Cross & resurrection have saved us from the sting of death ( 1 Corinthians 15:54-57).

As long as you are not hurting others, this is basic living by faith like Paul tells us in Romans 13:1-14.

 

[timf]

repent = metanoia = change of mind

In the age of grace, faith (trust) in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus to pay for our sins results in being placed (baptized) into the body of Christ by the Holy Spirit. All our sins are forgiven. There is no need for confession for more forgiveness.Everything is already forgiven and our salvation has already resulted in eternal life.

However, the Christian should be growing in faith and maturing which means decrease the flesh (selfishness) as a motivating source and begin to increase in the selfless love of Christ-likeness.

 

[timothyu]

Everything is already forgiven and our salvation has already resulted in eternal life.

Explain the lord lords

 

[tturt]

Repentance after salvation as shown in 5 of the 7 churches (Rev 2-3) were told to repent

- church of Ephesus -they had many positives but were loveless Rev 2:5 repent
- church in Smyrna - they weren't rebuked by God
- church in Pergamos - located in satan's city, they compromised Rev 2:16 repent
- church in Thyatira - an adulterous church Rev 2:22 repent
- church in Sardis - they were busy but God said they were dead - nothing positive said about them while all the other churches had positives Rev 3:3 repent
- church in Philadelphia - they were faithful
- church of the Laodiceans - a lukewarm church Rev 3:19

 

[David Lamb]

i suppose my first question should be, i have been praying and repenting for my sins almost every day these past couple weeks, how do i know if i will be forgiven? i have turned away from religion a long time, will God truly give me the chance to make things right, or am i damned for ignoring him for so long?

Anybody who is a Christian in the bible sense of that word (knowing and trusting the Lord Jesus Christ as their Saviour) can know that when they confess and repent of their sins, they will be forgiven. John wrote to Christians:

(1Jn 1:9) If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

 

[TGP2025]

In another thread you mentioned the desire to confess your sins. A noble thing. Confession is good for the soul. Your instinct is correct.

Here is the second part. You realize you need absolution from your sins. Merely confessing is, of course, not enough. You need contrition, a firm purpose of reform in your life, and then absolution.

If you weren't actually sorry for your sins, what good would it be to confess them? None. It would be just a show. I presume you are sorry for your sins. That's good.

The next part is a 'firm purpose of amendment'. Which means you intend real change to avoid the near occasion of sin in the future. Sure, some people are stuck in bad habits and return again and again and again to the same old sins. But we try to make progress, we intend to make progress, and we make progress, some times only bit by bit, but real progress. If a person does not intend to make change, what good is that? The intention for real change is necessary too.

Then comes the absolution from sin, the forgiveness. You get to hear the words "I forgive you." Jesus Christ forgives you. A Catholic can hear those words. So too members of the Orthodox Churches. Not that God can't say this directly to you, but physically hearing those words is a great consolation. And you are not 'too late' as long as you have breath in you.

After that, some reparations for the damage done by sin. All sins are an affront to God. All sins damage our relationship to God. And all sins damage out relationships with other people because we are communal beings. So we need to repair those wounds. It's kind of like the kid who broke the window with the baseball when he was told not to do batting practice near the house. He's sorry. He's forgiven. But the window is still broken. He needs to do something to help get the window fixed.

great analogy, i do think that helps to clarify. i very much do need to fix that window and i will.

 

[Way to Life]

제 첫 번째 질문은, 지난 몇 주 동안 거의 매일 기도하고 죄를 회개해 왔는데, 제가 용서받을 수 있을지 어떻게 알 수 있을까요? 저는 오랫동안 종교와 멀어져 있었는데, 하나님께서 제게 잘못을 바로잡을 기회를 주실까요? 아니면 오랫동안 그분을 외면한 대가로 저는 저주받을까요?

 

[Way to Life]

마음을 나누고 눈물을 흘리며 하나님께 기도해 주십시오. 진심으로 당신을 통곡할 수 있는 눈물을 흘리도록 기도해 주십시오.

That kind of prayer is the mark of true repentance.

 

[David Lamb]

I wondered what Way to Life's post meant, then discovered that it was Post 1 from this thread, translated into Korean.

 

[Way to Life]

Way to Life님의 게시글이 무슨 뜻인지 궁금했는데, 알고 보니 이 스레드의 첫 번째 게시글을 한국어로 번역한 것이었습니다.

한국어로 게시되었나요?

 

[David Lamb]

한국어로 게시되었나요?

Google Translate tells me that the message to which I am replying, which appeared in Korean, means: "Was it posted in Korean?" Yes it was, so was the first part of your post 28, which Google Translate gives as: "Please open your heart, shed tears, and pray to God. Pray that you may shed tears of heartfelt wailing."

 

[SabbathBlessings]

i suppose my first question should be, i have been praying and repenting for my sins almost every day these past couple weeks, how do i know if i will be forgiven? i have turned away from religion a long time, will God truly give me the chance to make things right, or am i damned for ignoring him for so long?

You can trust the promises of Jesus!

1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Jesus not only forgives us but cleanses us of our sins when we confess and repent which means a change of mind, He cleanses us from all unrighteousness and through His power we can overcome sin Rom6:11-14

One thing I would consider is ones definition of sin. A lot of people use their own definition and not the Bibles definition.

1 John3:4 Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.
James 2: 11 For He who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” Now if you do not commit adultery, but you do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law.

What is He who said that is being quoted and contrasted that breaking one we break them all and are deemed sinners?

The Ten Commandments, written by God, spoken by God Exo31:18 what is under His mercy seat that His blood atones for Exo25:21 and is in heaven for final Judgment Rev11:18-19 Ecc12:13-14 John12:48 James 2:11-12

Correctly understanding sin is important because if we are doing something God deems as sin and we are not confessing it and asking God's help in forsaking our sins, the sin doesn't go away, we just cover it and that's not where we want to be when He comes back Heb10:26-30.

Pro 28:13He who covers his sins will not prosper,
But whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy.

Trust God in all things including His definition of sin and His ability to save us from our sins Mat1:21 a complete transformation Rev14:12 that leads to reconciliation Rev22:14

 

[iHarken]

i suppose my first question should be, i have been praying and repenting for my sins almost every day these past couple weeks, how do i know if i will be forgiven? i have turned away from religion a long time, will God truly give me the chance to make things right, or am i damned for ignoring him for so long?

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
‭‭1 John‬ ‭1‬:‭9‬ ‭ESV‬‬

The Bible says you will be forgiven upon your confession through Christ’s blood, when you repent. There is no example in scripture where someone has done these things & was rejected by God. Might I recommend you review the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32). It sounds like you need to forgive yourself; God bless.

 

[Way to Life]

구글 번역에 따르면 제가 답글을 달고 있는 한국어 메시지는 "한국어로 게시되었나요?"라는 뜻입니다. 네, 맞습니다. 28번 게시글의 앞부분도 한국어로 되어 있는데, 구글 번역 결과는 "마음을 열고 눈물을 흘리며 하나님께 기도하세요. 진심으로 통곡하며 눈물을 흘릴 수

Google Translate tells me that the message to which I am replying, which appeared in Korean, means: "Was it posted in Korean?" Yes it was, so was the first part of your post 28, which Google Translate gives as: "Please open your heart, shed tears, and pray to God. Pray that

 

[Way to Life]

It sounds like you understand. Please pray that way

 

[David Lamb]

It sounds like you understand. Please pray that way

I understand via Google Translate. I don't know Korean, and I doubt if many people on these forums do either. You would reach more people here if you posted in English, as you have in the post I'm replying to.

 

[RamiC]

i suppose my first question should be, i have been praying and repenting for my sins almost every day these past couple weeks, how do i know if i will be forgiven? i have turned away from religion a long time, will God truly give me the chance to make things right, or am i damned for ignoring him for so long?

You will not be damned for ignoring God however long you have been doing it, because you are repentant now.

The company of other believers is a good thing, have you considered going to a church? Any church worth your time should be very welcoming to a newly contrite sinner, and be able to offer you opportunities to learn more of the Bible, prayer to support your own prayer life, and a way to persue Baptism, if you are not already Baptised.

Jesus is alive, and will hear your heart's intentions anyway.

 

[Way to Life]

Pray to God for tears that tear your heart apart. Pray that He will give you tears with which you can truly wail before Him.
That is what true repentance looks like
.
I'm posting this again