Why not just live a sinful life then ask forgiveness?

[Reformationist]

While I agree with the wisdom of the above posts, there is one thing that I see which, surprisingly, noone seems to have pointed out.

What makes you think a sinful life is to be preferred over a righteous one? In other words, the way the question comes over (at least for me), is to say that a sinful life is to be preferred over a righteous one, and that somehow repentance is an undersireable act, best put off for as long as possible...

I find a life lived (even poorly) for God is far more appealing to me than a life of sin...

Does noone find holyness, mercy, righteousness, goodness and truth appealing any more?

Second... if you don't like the ways of God now ... why would you convert later? Only to avoid punishment, it seems... who here thinks God can be tricked so?

Both good points Asar'el. Thanks for sharing.

God bless

 

[Faith In God]

If one can always be saved, and Jesus is forgiving - even to a prostitute, why not just live a sinful life and ask for forgiveness later?

That would be called using the blood of Christ for an occasion of the flesh. The heart is not right if it says that it will sin now and ask for forgiveness later.

 

[Sharky]

If one can always be saved, and Jesus is forgiving - even to a prostitute, why not just live a sinful life and ask for forgiveness later?

That's not repentance. That's shoving Jesus' face in the mud after all he went through to save you.

On the day of judgement, he will say, depart from me you worker of iniquity.

 

[LegomasterJC]

Asar'el, I thought of that same thing but I think I posted about it a little indirectly. Good that you brought it to full attention.

 

[The_White]

Here is another point for everyone to consider that I have heard before. (note this is not my point of view, just playing devil's advocate to get us all thinking(I hate having to put disclamers like this but in my experience internet forums dumb a lot of people down, although this one is better than most in the respect))

If God loves to forgive sin, I will go out and sin more. That way God can do more of what he loves. Therefore I am serving God by sinning.

 

[Bain_Adaneth]

Because if you truely have a relationship with Jesus, and love Him, then you would want to do His will instead of yours. You'd want to please Him....If you had lived a sinful life, and then come to know Christ and love Him, you'll truely be sorry for you sins.....then why would you want to repeat them?

 

[Riddick]

If one can always be saved, and Jesus is forgiving - even to a prostitute, why not just live a sinful life and ask for forgiveness later?

Because you never know when your time on this earth is over. You could die in a car accident tomorrow, then you'd be in trouble because you haven't asked for forgiveness.

 

[All4one]

Another very important reason not to do this is because we only find satisfaction in life by living for God. A part of us, the most vital part, needs Him. Life is miserable without Him. When witnessing to a non-saved person I always keep in mind that they NEED something it is just the faction of if they are wanting it or not.

Life was not meant to live confussed and in earthly things. We were made to walk with God. A dog made by God to eat dog food cannot eat wood and survive.. so it is with us... We were made to eat at Gods table.

All4one

 

[InnerPhyre]

Jesus said that those who go to heaven will be those who do the Will of the Father, not those who cry "Lord Lord." If we repent with our mouths and not our actions, have we really repented at all?

 

[12volt_man]

If one can always be saved, and Jesus is forgiving - even to a prostitute, why not just live a sinful life and ask for forgiveness later?

1. No one is promised a tomorrow. In my little town of Newark on Sunday, a little girl at the University was killed when she became lost and wandered onto a railroad trestle, trying to get back to the dormitory she moved into just a few days before.

She was eighteen years old with her whole life ahead of her. A million tomorrows, each one better and brighter than the day before. Walking home alone from a party, what was she thinking about? A cute boy she met there? The excitement of being on her own for the first time? The endless possibilities of tomorrow? Maybe she was thinking about the Sunday School teacher who told her about Jesus and how she would seek Christ "tomorrow".

Then, in seconds, she stood face to face with an oncoming train, stuck on the trestle, high over the highway, with no place to run to and nowhere to hide.

She was found the next day with her life and all of her tomorrows taken from her.

The Bible tells us, "Today is the day of salvation".


2. God knows who is serious about seeking Him and who isn't. If you're living for yourself just to sin in the knowledge (or hopes) that you can repent later, are you really serious about seeking Him or are you just looking for a "get out of jail free" card?

Remember what Paul says (and I am paraphrasing two verses here), "We know that where sin abounds, God's grace abounds even more but does that mean that we can continue to sin just because we know that God is going to pick up the check? Heaven forbid!"


3. When, exactly is "later"?

 

[klewlis]

Here is another point for everyone to consider that I have heard before. (note this is not my point of view, just playing devil's advocate to get us all thinking(I hate having to put disclamers like this but in my experience internet forums dumb a lot of people down, although this one is better than most in the respect))

If God loves to forgive sin, I will go out and sin more. That way God can do more of what he loves. Therefore I am serving God by sinning.

Paul has already considered and refuted this in Romans.

 

[LegomasterJC]

heh and some other letters of his as well.

 

[All4one]

Let me drop this line. To love and obey is so closely related in the old testament as to almost be undistiguishable. If we truly love God we cannot just go on sinning and then one day say "I want to obey you." If you love Him now you want and cannot wait to serve Him... If not then there is only one other thing to love in the world and that is the world itself.

All4one

 

[Flynmonkie]

We don't become a Christian simply by asking for the forgiveness of our sins. The verbal asking for forgiveness is a small part of a larger image of repentance and calling Jesus as Lord. Repentence suggests an active turning away from sin, not simply feeling sorry for it and verbally requesting forgiveness. Calling Jesus Lord is an acknowledgement of our sinfulness and submitting ours lives to what he wants.

That doesn't mean Christians never sin or want to sin because we do. God is graceous when we approach him with a repentant heart asking for forgiveness and submitting once again to his Lordship to experience the freedom and transformation that his gift provides.

Just wanted to make sure this was bumped.

We do not have to ask for forgivness for sins. Christ's blood was sufficent for forgivness of ALL our sins past present and future. However we should always be striving for the Best way to Glorify God. Part of that is feeling repentance (remorse) for not doing this. But to hang on to our mistakes and not allowing God to forgive is also a sin. He remembers No More. And if we do, it is like saying that we do not believe that He is just and will keep His promises to us.

Speaking for myself, I want to strive to live my life for Gods purpose. His plans are so much greater than my own. It took many years for me to realize that, and I wish very much I could go back and change things giving Him more Glory for things than I did. But you know what? No matter what we do. His will - will be done. God is always in control.

 

[TheMainException]

You could, sure...but the thing is, if you really love God, you will want to do his will. I know that it took me some time to come to loving him and now that I found his love and love him back, I find myself really just wanting to do his will constantly...but it does take time sometimes. That's just what I have found out about me. I will pray for you.

 

[Sketcher]

Technically, you could do that, but even if you live long enough to turn around and actually follow God, that will not change the fact that all your previous years were utterly wasted.

Life in sin is good for nothing. I know some people who got deep into sin. They came to God and are Christians now. But do they regret their past life? Absolutely. I'd rather have a life with no regrets.

 

[LegomasterJC]

King Solomon asked God for Wisdom and was given it. What did he do with it? He acquired more wealth, women, animals, slaves, land... And He, with the wisdom God gave him said it is all dust in the wind, worthless compared to the love of God.

 

[Emmy]

Dear Samantha,I don`t know what you call a sinful life,but Jesus died,that we might have life abundant.If you love God with all your being,thank Him for all you have and all you are,think of God with love,gratitude and always remember who God is(He created us and everything around us)And love everybody like you love yourself.Treat them not differently,as you would treat yourself.You can have fun and enjoy yourself,God loves you and He is no spoilsport,but always remember that God loves all His creation.I assure you Samantha,you will feel good and at peace with yourself and everybody else.God`s Law stands:"What you sow,you will reap"Love will reap Joy and good friends,sin will reap tears and much sorrow.Sincere greetings from Emmy,a sister in Christ.

 

[ajuran]

made the worst sin in my life almost 6 months ago. and i´m still trying to get my life back on track. just almost everything i tried in the past didn´t work out. there have been so many disappointments, and i still do not even know if it was really my mistake. but it really helped my to trust god, and to be passioned, with myself and with others. not to judge others, because of what they are doing. cause i know, that it´s so easy to loose sight and to slip away. but as there was hope for the people of israel in the old testament, there is hope for me that god will not forever forsake or forget me. cause his love is greater. and it helped me to say "i hate sin" and not just play around, trying out what is still ok, and what´s bad...

 

[IntimateFriend]

If one can always be saved, and Jesus is forgiving - even to a prostitute, why not just live a sinful life and ask for forgiveness later?

Dear Samantha,

" What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?" Romans 6:1,2.

Well, my dear friend why in the world would you keep on sinning when you know that sin brings you such destruction?... " For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Jesus came to save us from our sins so why then you want to go back sinning? True Jesus is forgiving but the Lord don't want us to stay in sin. He wants us to enjoy abundant life, and that is only found in Him. Sin separates you from God and without God there is no life. I don't know if there is a single person out there who is happy in his sinful condition. That is true sin brings you pleasure for a season but then it puts you in bondage if you want to continue in it. This is the fact of the matter "sin kills".

If you read Romans chapters 6-8 you will find that sin has no power over you as a christian. I have always a problem with this phrase "dead to sin," but now I understand what it means. You see after you accepted Christ as your Lord and Saviour sin has no longer power over you... Christ Jesus became your new master. Being a christian does not mean you cannot sin... until you are in this vile body of ours you are absolutely capable of rebelling against God; that's why Paul encourages us to know what Christ has done for us to overcome sin. As you know we are really dead to sin positionally because we are seated with Christ... We are perfect in God's sight because of our position in Christ. It is really liberating to know your position in Christ.

Everyday we will be on a stuggle wether to deny ourselves or fulfill the lust of our flesh... that is the reason why Paul said " I die daily..." he chose to live in the spirit instead of submitting to his flesly lust. The main problem of ours is not really sin it is self. Until self is surrendered to God we will always have problem with sin. That's why we need the cross everyday for this self of ours. Remember you are crucified with Christ positionally (objectively) if you believe this you will experience (subjectively) the crucified life. Faith is huge factor in our walk with God. You cannot really experience everything God has for you if you don't believe His word with all of you heart.

Remember the Greatest Rule- Love the Lord your God with all of you heart, soul, adn strength. God bless!!!