The Importance of Forgiveness: Part 2 -- does God forgive future sins?

One of my previous blogs discussed the definition of forgiveness and some Bible passages on the subject. I titled it "The Importance of Forgiveness" and I recommend you read that first before you read this one, which will discuss what to do in situations where a person refuses to repent even when they should. You can find it here http://thegodfiles-hewhohasears.blogspot.com/2009/07/importance-of-forgiveness.html at that link or search for the July 4 post. Many thanks to my readers who suggested that I discuss this thought-provoking and sometimes controversial topic. I must introduce a difficult theological subject in order to write about how God wants us to treat those who do not repent. If God overlooks and forgives future sins, as so many believe, then Christians would be required to do the same thing to their fellow believers, meaning many Biblical passages will be rendered obsolete and my argument faulty. So I must debunk the illogical argument before presenting my views on this subject. I am well aware that my views are unpopular and very different from modern Christianity, so I hope you will continue reading despite your initial reservations. If you wish to argue why my beliefs are incorrect or unBiblical, I urge you to do so in the comment area or by e-mailing me at thegodfiles@gmail.com.

Let me first define true repentance: the act of changing a behavior (or sin) as a result of remorse or contrition for that behavior (or sin). Notice how I made the most important part of that sentence "the act of changing". In today's version of Christianity repentance is merely a form of false remorse, where the sinner feels slightly guilty for his or her behavior and continues to do it even though they know it is wrong. That is not true repentance. If you truly repent for your behavior you will change it. Imagine this scenario: a robber is in the middle of cleaning out a bank vault and you come along to stop his heist. "I'm terribly sorry, I know it's a horrible thing to do," the robber says, "please forgive me. I'd say that I won't do it again, but I know I will, so please forgive me for that too." Then he turns around and continues to rob the vault while you watch in horror at his blatant hypocrisy. This scenario seems absurd, but it is a sad representation of modern Christianity's views on redemption.

Tell me, if God forgives you for your future sins, what is the point of asking for forgiveness? Why would God tell you that you are freed from sin and demand you to live in holiness if He really means that you will be sinning for the rest of your life? Are you telling me that any professing believer who commits adultery and rapes children without repenting of it will go to Heaven because at one point in their life they said the prayer that was supposed to give them salvation? If you say no to that, then why not? If God truly forgives a person for all past, present, and future sins, then an unrepentant murderer, rapist, and adulterer will go to Heaven. Some would protest to this by saying, "but a Christian would not do those things!" All I have to say to that, is EXACTLY. Neither would a Christian steal, lie, cheat, get drunk, or sin in any other way. God's Word is absolute, and He says this:
1 Corinthians 6:9-10
Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.

Galatians 5:19-21
Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

1 John 3:5-6
And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin. Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him.

Some will say to this, "Christians are covered by God's grace, so they don't count when the Bible says 'those who practice this will not go to Heaven'". I will just blink open-mouthed at the absurdity of that statement. There is no contradiction in God's Word. Those who practice these things (sins) will not inherit the kingdom of God, and those who are of God do not practice sin. Therefore, those who are of God do not sin and inherit the kingdom. Do you really think God is going to take an unrepentant child molester into Heaven? What makes you think He'll take a liar? Even Revelation makes the distinction between those who follow God's commandments and those who still sin: Revelation 21:8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

His grace empowers us to overcome all sin and Jesus says He will cleanse us of it completely. We don't have to do anything but obey Jesus, for He fights the battles for us and He rids us of sin! I am not suggesting that a person can lose salvation, what I am suggesting is that Christians are not given liberty to sin when God so clearly instructs otherwise. I believe that those who do not turn from their sinful ways never truly repented, and are therefore not saved. To say that those who merely recite the "sinner's prayer" and never change their lives are going to Heaven is a complete lie. Hebrews 10:26 For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. (Go to this link to understand my views on sin http://thegodfiles-hewhohasears.blogspot.com/2009/06/problem-of-sin.html. I believe it is only ever a conscious decision made in rebellion; I do not consider sin to be an accident or mere lack of knowledge. It is willful and deliberate defiance of God's Known Law.)

I hope I have not lost you in a grand theological debate. I assure you that my unpopular views on sin and salvation have everything to do with the discussion of unrepentant sinners. You see, if God truly forgives believers for future sins, then the Bible is painstakingly contradictory. It would mean that you and I would be required to "overlook" (as God presumably does) the many sinful actions of our fellow believers. But as I do not believe those who sin ever truly repented, I can continue my commentary in the next blog.

Recipe for a Godly relationship

Much of our culture’s failure with relationships – platonic, familial, and romantic -- has to do with the unbalanced variables that make a good relationship successful. There are many variables to a relationship. Some are necessary while others are over-exaggerated or non-existent. I believe the variables I have listed below are the universally most important (for Christians and non-Christians alike, though non-Christians might disagree with the first one listed). There are several other variables that could fit under the umbrella of a generalized one that I have listed. If you believe my list should be modified, please comment and let me know. My list comes purely from my own limited observations as well as my personal relationships; needless to say, my way is not the only successful way.

This is the recipe for a healthy, Godly Relationship:

1) Christ. Both of you need to have your own personal relationship with Christ as well as a relationship centered on Christ as a couple. This is the most essential aspect of a Christian relationship for obvious reasons. If you desire to follow Christ and your relationship does not meet His standards, something has gone terribly wrong. Friendships cannot be based on deceit or personal gain and romance is never selfish or impure.

2) Respect. This is where the idea of a wife submitting to her husband comes in, as well as the husband’s demands to love his wife as himself (see my previous blogs titled The Taboo Words: Submit and Obey). If you don’t respect your husband enough to trust him and obey him, why on earth did you marry him? If you don’t respect your wife enough to cherish her and treat her like one of God’s precious daughters, why did you bother marrying her and vowing to do so? Respect is also a vital part of a deep friendship. You should respect your friend enough to tell them when you find them at fault or even encourage them when they make a difficult decision and do something correctly. This then leads into the next vital component relationship.

3) Honesty. Communication is key to any part of a relationship. You must communicate your feelings, your decisions, and your differences in order to maintain a solid relationship. If a friend, family member, or spouse asks you for your opinion you should not lie to them to make them feel better, nor should you exaggerate the truth. The best option is to always tell the truth without any sort of falsehood; however, this does not mean one can disregard basic etiquette and speak harshly without restraint.

4) Love. Love is defined in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 (NASB ) this way: “Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.” Love is necessary in all relationships, especially if Christ is involved, for He is love. 1 John 4:8 says “The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love.” In our society where love is equivalent to mere lust it is awkward to think about platonic love existing between friends in a pure way. But I hope you would treat your friend with kindness and forgive them for their wrongs just as you would a spouse.

I chose not to list other common variables in a relationship, like physical intimacy or emotional intimacy. My reason being that a romantic couple should still treat each other with love, honesty, and respect whether sex is in the picture or not. Sex is an important part of a marriage but without it the marriage will survive. The marriage will not do well if honesty, love, and respect are not in the picture. You could argue that a relationship will be fine without Christ at the center, but chances are that relationship would be ten times better if the two people involved were completely dedicated to Christ’s model of perfect love and selflessness.

Perhaps you have never seen a healthy, Godly relationship modeled for you properly. Let me assure you that it is possible! God would not demand something of us that is impossible to achieve; that would be illogical. I recommend you get to know a Godly older couple in your area that can model for you what a true relationship ought to look like. Every couple will have disagreements in their lifetime, but they should not fight or yell or assert their power over the other. Most people will accidentally hurt the feelings of their significant other with something they say, but it should never be intentional to hurt another or tear them down. Love builds up and encourages in Truth – to do anything else would be a cheap imitation of love and therefore a lie. Do not be deceived by Satan.

If both people are dedicating their lives to putting their significant other’s needs before their own, they will have a very solid and happy relationship. Selflessness on both ends only leads to a Christ-like relationship. If love is in the center, it will not fail.