Question: How many times will God forgive me for the same thing? I mean I do "X" sin and ask forgivness, then do it again and again......help!

Answer: Dear J_____,

This is an important question. Thank you for asking it. I'm sure that you must have asked because it worries you a lot.

First, let me let you know that God has forgiven the sins of all who have ever come to him. That includes millions. Therefore, there is no inability in God to forgive a sin thousands or millions of times.

Second, if you are a true believer in Christ, then all your sins, past, present, and future are already paid for by virtue of Christ's death on the cross. Nothing more has to be done to satisfy God's justice than what Christ has already done. Nothing!

True believers could not go to heaven if they were not totally forgiven for all sins. If Christ's death was not enough to pardon all the sins you have committed, then he would have to die again. And that is an impossibility.

Third, God cannot afford to reward our sins. Even though you are forgiven for all sins if you are actually a Christian, your ongoing sinning is not a pleasure to God. If you are his, he promises to chastise you. Chastisement is about love. It is correction. It is about helping you not want to do that sin again. But chastisement is not the same as the vindictive and just judgment of those who are not Christians. So, there is something lost when you sin. But, for the believer, what is lost is not heaven.

Finally, perpetual sinning, especially if there is little concern for obedience, may indicate an unregenerate life. Some people think they are believers when they actually are just religiously minded people who go to church. You may be deceived. The book of First John makes this amply clear.

The true Christian has a repentant heart. He cannot look at sin the same way. He longs for holiness, even though he sins through weakness. His sinning is not from the old rebellion or apathy (a form of rebellion) that used to be there. But he is certainly capable of sinning. He loves practical righteousness, even though he cannot achieve it all the time.

My suggestion is that you listen to the audio selection on the www.WaytoGod.org site under the title Wasted Faith. This was written as a means of examining your faith. I've read the booklet that I wrote for this audio segment. You may also write us and ask for the booklet by the same name.

Don't hesitate to write with more questions after you have listened or read the booklet.

Yours sincerely,

Jim