Melody Sutter-fisher Supporter Minister - Evangelist - Heart for the Homeless

After receiving Christ as our savior, there begins a whole process of growth in Him. After repenting, and sinning again, as we humans tend to do, The Holy Spirit will Convict us of our sins, so that we know immediately that we have hurt the Heart of God once again.

This is so that we keep trying to change from our former selves, and we repent right away, asking His forgiveness for any new sins. It is very difficult to become 'sinless'. As a matter of fact it is not possible for any man or woman to be completely free of sin. However we need to keep learning and keep striving to be as close to that as we can. 

There is no need to feel you will not go to heaven. You asked Jesus into your heart and you repented for all past sins known and unknown. You will not lose your salvation because you sinned again. You need to repent again, repent the moment your sin convicts you or you are aware of it, and if it is something you can make right, then do it by making peace with someone you fought with, or redeeming yourself from a lie you told someone. 

It is simple, it is not easy, because we tend to be embarrassed about what we have done. But it is the truth that will set us free. So stop worrying, start asking forgiveness, which will not be denied or withheld from you if you are truly sorry. God knows your heart, and he loves you through everything. He wants you to learn more of His Word, and that includes what hurts him. It is time to start growing in Christ, and putting your past life behind you. Let Him set you free, break every chain, that you never have to suffer your old life again.

Peace and Blessings to you.

September 14 2014 • 1 response • Vote Up • Share • Report

Chris Eleam Supporter Chris Eleam

Some individuals continue to harbor guilt over sins for which they have actually been forgiven. If that is true of you, remember that Jehovah forgave Peter and the other apostles for abandoning His beloved Son in Jesus’ greatest hour of need. Jehovah forgave the man who was expelled from the congregation in Corinth for flagrant immorality but who later repented. (1 Cor. 5:1-5; 2 Cor. 2:6-8) God’s Word speaks of gross sinners who repented and were forgiven by God.—2 Chron. 33:2, 10-13; 1 Cor. 6:9-11.

Jehovah will forgive and forget your past errors if you are truly repentant and accept his mercy. Never feel that Jesus’ ransom sacrifice cannot cover your sins. To do so would be to fall victim to one of Satan’s snares. Despite what the Devil wants you to believe, the ransom can cover the sins of all who have fallen into sin and have repented. (Prov. 24:16) Faith in the ransom can lift the burden of excessive guilt from your shoulders and can give you strength to serve God with your whole heart, mind, and soul.—Matt. 22:37.

September 14 2014 • 2 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Danny Hickman Supporter Believer in The Gospel Of Jesus Christ

Why do people who say they have "received" Christ still feel guilty of sin? 

The part that stands out to me is the distinction that is put on their sin. There's the sin(s) committed before "receiving" Jesus, and the ones they feel guilty of after they've counted themselves as being "saved." I think it's a classic misunderstanding of what we are guilty of in the first place. I don't think the church has ever done a good job of explaining the difference in our sin and the results of our sin. Our sins (plural) are the result of our sin. Adam and Eve sinned (ate) after disbelieving God. (sin)

"When He (the Holy Spirit) comes, He will convict the world concerning sin (singular) and righteousness and judgment; concerning sin because they don't believe in Me; (John 16:8)

Our sins are the result of our unbelief (sin). What don't we believe about Him? The people who were there in the part of the world He came to live in, saw His works, the miracles He did, and His majesty. They didn't read about Him in a book, they were at the revival meetings. 

Nicodemus told Him, "Rabbi, we know that You have come from God as a teacher; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him" (John 3:2). He said WE know... He was representing a group, or he'd have said 'I know...' (like the woman at the well in Jn 8)

Jesus said to Nicodemus, 'I told you earthly things and you don't believe.' 
What was it that Nicodemus didn't believe? He believed Jesus "came from God." That's not good enough. 

"For God did not send His Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already... " (John 3:17,18). 

How have unbelievers been already judged? You have to keep reading. Next verse: "This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil.

Willingly walking in darkness is judgment. Coming to the Light is how we "practice the truth," how we expose ourselves, so that our deeds "may be manifested as having been wrought in God"(vs 21). Coming to the Light is an admission of wanting to come out of darkness, a way of confessing guilt. What guilt? Answer: unbelief. (I think it takes a very active imagination to think you can itemize and confess all your offenses to God). 

What is it Jesus wants us to believe that we have difficulty believing? 

"For God so loved the world that He sent His only begotten Son that whoever believes in him will have everlasting life" (John 3:16).

"This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent" (John 6:29). Believe what? That He can forgive sins. 

"If you don't believe that I am He you will die in your sins" (John 8:24). What He? The woman at the well with Jesus in John 4 told Jesus, "I know that Messiah is coming. When He comes, He'll tell us all things." Jesus responds, "I am He." (This she said with scriptures like Deut 18:15 in mind. ~ The Lord God will raise up for You a prophet like me (Moses) from your midst, from your brethren. Him you shall hear). 

What He? On the road to Emmaus He opened the eyes of two of His followers (who didn't recognize Him), "beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in ALL the scriptures the things concerning Himself (Lk 24:27).

Nicodemus was "a teacher of Israel" but didn't recognize the Messiah, about whom he was supposed to be teaching the people. What was he teaching and what were the people learning? He knew the scriptures.
Knowing the scriptures is no proof of believing that Jesus' death burial and resurrection will save your soul. We have a tendency to think and believe that we must live in a way pleasing to God to be in relationship with God. If that was so we wouldn't have a relationship with Him. Some of us don't even consider a relationship with God in the here and now, our focus is on going to heaven when we die..

May 16 2021 • 1 response • Vote Up • Share • Report

Mark Vestal Supporter Proud of nothing of myself. Freed by Christ who did it all!

We may continue to feel guilt if we fail to understand that God is no longer imputing our sins to anyone today (2 Corinthians 5:19).

Jesus Christ, who knew no sin, was made to be sin for us (2 Corinthians 5:21). All our sins, past, present, and future, were nailed to the cross so that we are no longer burdened with the anguish of being unable to live up to God's requirements. Jesus Christ was perfect on our behalf, and God was in Christ on the cross reconciling the world unto Himself (2 Corinthians 5:19). Our job is to reconcile ourselves to God through faith in Jesus Christ and what His finished cross work means for us, believing the gospel that saves today:

1 Corinthians 15:1-4 KJV:
"Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;
2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.
3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;
4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:"

When we believe this, we are sealed with the holy Spirit until the day of redemption, and thankfully not just until we sin again (Ephesians 4:30)…which we will most likely do as humans (Romans 7:22-25) KJV. Our faith in Jesus Christ makes us the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21)!

Turning from sin will not get our sins forgiven. Confessing our sins will not get our sins forgiven. Water baptism will not get our sins forgiven. Humbly asking for forgiveness will not get our sins forgiven. Crying a scalding hot bucket of tears and begging God to forgive us will not get our sins forgiven. Our sins were forgiven nearly 2,000 years ago (Colossians 1:14, 2 Corinthians 5:19), and salvation occurs at the moment of belief in this, the gospel of our salvation (Ephesians 1:13). Nothing that we ourselves do in the flesh can assist in what Christ completed for us (Ephesians 2:8-9, Colossians 2:10). It's literally how we accept Jesus Christ as our savior from this present evil world (Galatians 1:4). We can’t save ourselves by doing anything other than having faith in Christ.

Repentance, from the Greek word μετανοέω, means to "change your mind". Israel had to change their mind on who Jesus Christ was, their promised Messiah, and be baptized. We today are saved by God's grace through our faith in what Jesus Christ did on the cross on our behalf (1 Corinthians 15:1-4), and nothing of ourselves (Ephesians 2:8-9).

We, as saved members of the church, the body of Christ, should absolutely change our minds on living a life of continued sin. Will we sin again as saved members? Yes, but our goal is to no longer serve sin, as our understanding of who we are in Christ becomes clearer during our walk in faith.

Break the yoke of bondage (Galatians 5:1) and live in peace by accepting God’s free gift (Romans 5:18) through faith in what Christ accomplished on the cross for you (1 Corinthians 15:1-4). You've been blessed with all spiritual blessings (Ephesians 1:3), as believers instantly become members of the church, which is the body of Christ (Colossians 1:24).

November 16 2022 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report