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Does repenting mean never doing the same sin again?

Discussion in 'Other Christian Denominations' started by xdisciplex, Apr 25, 2006.

  1. xdisciplex

    xdisciplex New Member

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    Does a christian not truly have repented and been forgiven if he does the same sin again?
    Because if you only have forgiveness when you have repented and if repenting means turning away from sin then a christian who does habitual sins would not have forgiveness! :eek:
    I notice that if I do not really make a decision not to do a certain sin again and if I do not really decide to fight against a sin then the next time I'm tempted I'll just do it again. If I don't gear up my will I have no chance at all, I won't even fight it.
    This sucks. It's the same with sweets. If I do not make a decision to no longer eat sweets I'll eat them the next time I have the chance to. The last few months I have been saying to myself that I have to stop eating sweets but I always fail to really make the decision and to start following the decision. One day after the other passes by and I have not geared up my will and continue eating sweets when I see them. :(
    Do you also know this or is it just me? I really wish I had a stronger will. There are people which have a strong will which could stop smoking from one day to the other but unfortunately I do not have such a will. I rather sin and then whine about it later. :mad:
    I really wish I had a real strong will but I'm always such a whimp. I have so many things I would like to change but I don't do it cause I fail, this angers me. Can God not give me a stronger will? But then again people might ask me wether I want to break free from sin with my own power, my will, and this won't work. But what shall I wait for? For God to miraculously free me from sin and until this happens go on sinning? This also makes no sense so what is reasonable? If I try to resist sin I fail most of the times but if I tried to resist I at least don't feel as bad as I feel when I don't even try to. Somehow I think that at least God sees that I'm trying to resist, but I don't know if this is really a reason to feel good just because I tried to resist.
    It's really frustrating. I wish I could simply do all these things I want to do and not give in to temptations. :(
    But maybe this is only wishful thinking and maybe this is idealizing your own person and thinking how you could be if you had no weaknesses but the question is wether this is really attainable.

    [ April 25, 2006, 04:15 PM: Message edited by: xdisciplex ]
     
  2. SpiritualMadMan

    SpiritualMadMan New Member

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    Take a look at this Scripture, what think you?

    Hebrews 12:1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

    It would seem to me that there are 'besetting sins' which are not easily overcome and that require patience (not to mention practice) to overcome (or win that battle).

    Strength of will does not come to everyone 'naturally'...

    Look at this scripture:

    2 Corinthians 10:4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)
    2 Corinthians 10:5 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 10:6 And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.

    -also-

    1 Corinthians 11:31 For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.

    -lastly- (The most important verse of al! [​IMG] )

    Phillipians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

    Christ gives us the strength to do the job...

    But, it take self discipline and practice to pull some tasks off...

    Mike Sr.
     
  3. rbell

    rbell Active Member

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    also,

    Why would Jesus tell us to forgive our brother "seventy times seven" if God isn't willing to do the same with us?

    (Temper the above sentence heavily with Romans 6:1-2)
     
  4. SpiritualMadMan

    SpiritualMadMan New Member

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    Thought I's post the actual reference...

    Romans 6:1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?
    Romans 6:2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?
     
  5. SpyHunter

    SpyHunter New Member

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    Excellent, SpiritualMadMan! That was the exact passage I was thinking about.
    xdisciplex, I suggest you should read Romans chapters 6 through 8. It will really give you a tidy explanation of the issue, and will delve into the implications of the will.

    But as for repentance, the word "repent" in English and the word "metaneoe" in Greek literally mean "to rethink" or to "change one's mind." Any dictionary or lexicon will say so.
    Continuing in that line of thought, "repentance" is not an action on our part; it is receiving a new mind, that is, the mind of Christ. Through sufficient surrender of the will and changing of our way of thinking, from our way to God's way, we are granted repentance-- having a new mind-- and do not struggle against sin. Of course, this is a product of the Holy Spirit at work, since one who has not encountered Him and been regenerated will not have much desire or direction in their thought-life, God-wise.

    Romans 12:2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

    Blessings,
    SpyHunter
     
  6. DHK

    DHK <b>Moderator</b>

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    That may depend on the context in which repentance is used. In 1Cor.5, a man was sleeping with his father's wife. This was a horrible case of incest, not even done among the Gentiles. It was scandalous. Paul gave instructions to discipline such a one out of the church. The object of the discipline is to bring the man to repentance. According to the Second Epistle of Corinthians that object was achieved and the man was accepted back into the church. It is a difficult thing to do for many people. However, true repentance means that such a man will never do or fall into that type of sin again.

    On the other hand if you repented of the lie you just told to your wife, that may be different. Man is born a liar. The heart is deceiful above all things and desperately wicked. It may be that you will lie again. It may be that you will have to repent again. The Bible also says:
    "Let God be true but every man a liar." (Rom.3:4)

    I am sure that almost everyone of us have lapsed back into sin that we have asked forgiveness for. Some of you have lost your temper, gotten angry at someone. Have you repented, and then done it again. Can you stop completely? Perahps some can. There are many things in our lives that are very difficult to control because the simple fact of the matter is: Though we are saved, we are still sinners--sinners saved by grace.
    DHK
     
  7. SpyHunter

    SpyHunter New Member

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    "Back to repentance" would indicate, since "to repent" means a change of mind, that he would reject the sin at its root. Is that done by action? Sin is in the heart, in the very being. I cannot physically reject an emotion or thought.

    I'm not saying we never struggle, and I'm not say that our salvation is not assured. But repentance is not "feeling sorry." That is conviction. Repentance is not "asking forgiveness." That is confession. Repentance is a decision to stand for the better-- which is why we can turn from repentance. It is by this decision that faith flourishes; without it, we wither and every evil thing is rampant. If you feel plagued by compromise, then REPENT. More than feeling sorry, more than asking forgiveness, it is a new mentality and paradigm derived from the former (godly sorrow and forgiveness). After all:

    2 Corinthians 7:10 For godly sorrow produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly sorrow produces death.

    Blessings,
    SpyHunter
     
  8. Dave

    Dave Member
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    I think you are right on the mark with this, DHK.

    There seems to me that sins can be categorized into willful and natural, meaning that there are sins where your will drives you into it. Your flesh wants something so you do that thing, or something to attain that thing.

    Natural to me is something that is even more insidious as it is so deep in our nature that we do it without thinking. Lieing can be an example of this. In a tough spot a man will often tell a lie without really thinking, it is a purely natural response (self-preservation [​IMG] ). Same goes for losing ones temper, exceeding the speed limit (usually because of not paying close enough attention to it). We need to be vigilant to guard against this, but it still happens because it is very difficult to be vigilant 100% of the time.

    I think my point is that the willful sins are in a sense, easier to recognize for what they are and resist then the ones that are so ingrained in our fallen nature. I think these are the ones the Psalmist calls "presumptuous sins".

    I also believe that nobody will ever be free from sin in this world. You would need to be blind and deaf to avoid any sinful thought, which is as much sin as the action. Drive down the highway and try to keep your eye from falling on a billboard that triggers an impure thought. Watch TV and you'll have the same problem.

    We live in a world that promotes sin at every turn. How easy is it to go from working to feed your family to it becoming a lust for money? This can cripple some of us. You need money to live, but when does it become a bad thing (the love of money). There is such a point that some encounter, not all.

    Also, you can't address everything at once. We just don't have the capacity. If you have 20 besetting sins, for example, can you give full attention to defeating all 20 at once? I think that this also is part of growth and it doesn't happen all at once. It takes time. It also takes a lot of prayer and baring you're soul before God. I think it is even used by God to root out pride and make us humble. Former sin is often used by God for His glory.

    In any case, I probably have gone on too long, but I know where you are coming from on this. As DHK said, we are still sinners--sinners saved by grace.
     
  9. Claudia_T

    Claudia_T New Member

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    People with sinful human natures as we all have ... have certain inherited and cultivated sin tendencies and so yes they should want to and try to stop doing that sin but more than likely they will find themselves being tempted over and over by some certain sins and will fall over and over till they finally get the victory over it.

    Thats why the Bible says little children do not sin but if you do sin we have an advocate.
     
  10. Matt Black

    Matt Black Well-Known Member
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    Hold onto your hats, the Apocalypse is nigh: I agree with DHK! I sincerely hope it's right, otherwise I'm well and truly stuffed.
     
  11. Nicholas25

    Nicholas25 New Member

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    NO IT DOES NOT!!!! We are in this sinful flesh and we will struggle with it until we get to Heaven. However that doesn't mean that we have an outright excuse to sin. We can overcome all things through Christ. It might take some longer that others to overcome. I believe that some people have weaker flesh than others. Thanks.
     
  12. Nicholas25

    Nicholas25 New Member

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    NO IT DOES NOT!!!! We are in this sinful flesh and we will struggle with it until we get to Heaven. However that doesn't mean that we have an outright excuse to sin. We can overcome all things through Christ. It might take some longer that others to overcome. I believe that some people have weaker flesh than others. Thanks.
     
  13. SpyHunter

    SpyHunter New Member

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    I think that people forget the various shades of sin.

    There is ANOMOS, which is lawlessness. You willfully violate the standards of God's righteous.

    There is HARMATOS, which the stinking flesh and its corruption-- "that which is natural to do."

    And then there is HUSTEREO, which is simply shortcoming. We can never measure up to God's glory, and since we are to be perfect as Christ is, we fall short. We do not pray like He does, we do not think like He does, we do not love like He does. All of this is shortcoming, and those who walk in it are SINNING.

    However, as John put it in his first epistle, there is sin "which leadeth not unto death." That is, a Christian does not live in a state of rebellion unto God (they are not violating God's moral expectations), and they have crucified the flesh with its passion (their carnality lies dormant under the Spirit's power), but since we all continue to fall short of Christ, then we are still "missing the mark."

    I believe it is this third "sin" which we will never be freed from until we enter Heaven and are fully conformed to the image of Christ. But I do absolutely believe that lawlessness and carnality can be overcome in this life. If you do not, then that's fine-- I will pray for your strength to remain firm. However, if you consider yourself dead indeed to sin, then it's all the more easier to present yourself pure and blameless before God the Father (Romans 6:11).

    Blessings,
    SpyHunter
     
  14. SpyHunter

    SpyHunter New Member

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    One more thing:

    "All of this is shortcoming, and those who walk in it are SINNING."

    That is to say, we must rely on His grace and Holy Spirit all the more due to this shortcoming. I wasn't meaning to sound like an insane legalist; I am not.
    It's just that if we resign ourselves to "anomos" or "harmatos," then we will have all sorts of unnecessary struggling-- innate shortcoming is hard enough itself without having the flesh's passions unnecessarily nipping at our heels.
     
  15. Matt Black

    Matt Black Well-Known Member
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    Sounds like a "faith without works is dead" kind of thing...
     
  16. SpyHunter

    SpyHunter New Member

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    No. Works do not defeat sin. Only the Spirit-- anything else only covers it up. Even works. Works are only the signs of life; they are not life itself. I believe Jesus reserves that post (John 14:9).
     
  17. xdisciplex

    xdisciplex New Member

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    The problem is that I do not try to justify sin but even if I totally agree that something is a sin doesn't mean that I won't do it.
    If repentance means changing your mind then this sounds like accepting that something is a sin, but this isn't really the problem. The problem is still doing this sin and not being able to become free from it because my will is not sufficient. I wish somebody could just tell me a formula but somehow i think there is no formula how to overcome sins.
     
  18. SpiritualMadMan

    SpiritualMadMan New Member

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    When I say repentance means changing ones mind I mean this:

    First, we stop making excuses and agree with the Holy Spirit that it is sin...

    I, personally, don't think we have really repented until we stop making excuses and take responsibility for (committing) our sins.

    Next, implicit in that agreeing with the Spirit is the knowledge that we can not defeat sin in our lives without the Power of God.

    So part of repentance entails asking for help to stop sinning...

    Of course that's just one man's opinion. :D

    Mike Sr.
     
  19. Claudia_T

    Claudia_T New Member

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    ...and a good opinion it is, Spiritual Mad man
     
  20. KellyWhite

    KellyWhite New Member

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    Repenting means that we admit to our sin and that we will do everything humanly possible not to repeat that sin.

    Because we are human, we cannot always keep that promise, but we must be sincere in our attempt not to repeat.
     
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