Christian Forums

This is a sample guest message. Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

  • Focus on the Family

    Strengthening families through biblical principles.

    Focus on the Family addresses the use of biblical principles in parenting and marriage to strengthen the family.

  • Guest, Join Papa Zoom today for some uplifting biblical encouragement! --> Daily Verses
  • The Gospel of Jesus Christ

    Heard of "The Gospel"? Want to know more?

    There is salvation in no other, for there is not another name under heaven having been given among men, by which it behooves us to be saved."

Can God Forgive?

2024 Website Hosting Fees

Total amount
$905.00
Goal
$1,038.00
C

Cow Man

Guest
This has been bothering me for a while.

Sin is a problem for me. I try and try to avoid it, but it always comes back with a vengence.

I've just been through a period of... turmoil.

Anger, Attempted Scuicide, Masturbation, theft (minor, but still...), and lies.

I feel almost as if my sins are too great to be forgiven.

I know that God is all-forgiving and such, but even when I pray for forgiveness, and don't feel it.

I don't feel as though I even can be forgiven, and there is an emptiness inside me that God used to fill, and he isn't there anymore.

How do I know that God is listening? How can I know that he is responding to me? I want God to be there, but I can't find him.

What can I do to remedy the situation?
 
Cow Man said:
This has been bothering me for a while.

Sin is a problem for me. I try and try to avoid it, but it always comes back with a vengence.

I've just been through a period of... turmoil.

Anger, Attempted Scuicide, Masturbation, theft (minor, but still...), and lies.

I feel almost as if my sins are too great to be forgiven.

I know that God is all-forgiving and such, but even when I pray for forgiveness, and don't feel it.

I don't feel as though I even can be forgiven, and there is an emptiness inside me that God used to fill, and he isn't there anymore.

How do I know that God is listening? How can I know that he is responding to me? I want God to be there, but I can't find him.

What can I do to remedy the situation?

Hello Cow Man
you did not mentioned if you believe that you are a Christian. That is where one starts. Simply asking forgiveness will not get it. Many people today are seeking forgiveness for guilt, but they do not want to give up the things that cause the sin that bring the guilt. Let me give you an explanation of what repentance is since this is where most people fall short and without true repentance there is no salvation and no forgiveness.
The bible says that we need to have repentance towards God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Repentance and faith are both required for salvation, but what are they?

First the word that we call repent simply means a change of mind. The bible says that we must repent towards God. So to repent we must change our minds about God or towards God. Every person who is not saved has not turned to God, His way. This is not something we do in part, but in total. Repentance is 100% turning to gof from the heart. Some do not want anything to do with God at all and some want God, but they want Him their way. Others are indifferent to Him. They do not hate Him or love Him. So to repent means that we turn from our way and turn to God His way. This happens when we come to understand that God is angry with us over our sin, but He is willing to forgive us IF we will turn to Him. At repentance we are in spirit (from the heart) saying that we now want God in our life as He decides He should be. Many people believe in God and Jesus, but they have never surrendered to Him. This only can happen when we are at the point that is described in 2 Corinthians 7:10 which reads; 10For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death.

Then we are ready to hear the Gospel and come to faith which is the only way to be saved. Ephesians 2:8-9. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.

The Gospel or good news is that God has provided a way for sinful people to be saved. The bible teaches that all people are sinners and have come short of the glory of God. Romans 3:10-18. God being just MUST punish sin, but, God being rich in mercy has provided for us a way to get right with Him and that is through His Son Jesus Christ who died for our sin and paid the price for us so we can go to heaven one day. If we will come to faith in Jesus we will be saved.

Faith is not simply believing the facts. True saving faith is more then just believing what is true. Biblical faith is committing to what we believe. For instance someone may say that they believe in Hitler. They may mean that they believe he was real without any desire to follow in what he stood for, or that they believe in what he stood for and follow all his teachings. The later is an example of biblical faith. When we come to the point that we are inwardly ready to follow God, He says all authority has been given to My Son. Hear Ye Him. In other words we turn to God by putting our faith in Christ Jesus to obey all He says. In Jeremiah 29:13 it reads like this; " 13And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart."

So we repent when we decide to turn to God. God then points us to His Son, Jesus Christ, and we come to faith when we put our trust in Him as Lord and Savior. Jesus said, " no man comes unto the Father, except by Me." Turning to Him alone is the only way for men to get to heaven, for there is no other name given to men by which they must be saved. So what we are doing is taking the heart of repentance we have towards God and placing it on the Lord jesus allowing Him to be Lord. When we do this we get salvation and forgiveness.

When we close our eyes for that final time we need to be sure we can say what another has said;

I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the Righteous Judge, shall give me that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also who love His appearing. 2 Timothy 4:7-8

Do this and you will find peace.
 
We all can be forgiven. Jesus died so we can be forgiven. I too have done things I regret, but all can be forgiven. If you read the New Testament you'll see that many were forgiven.

Praying for forgiveness sometimes leaves you wondering were you really forgiving? Catholic's practice Reconciliation which provides assurance of forgiveness. I have never been through confession yet , but I hear it leaves you with a cleansed feeling. Plus you don't have to worry about others knowing, because of the seal of confession,

Not trying to push Catholicism on anyone though. :fadein:

If you haven't been baptized than you should. It will cleanse you of all your sin. (read Acts 3:38-39 if you have a Bible)

Don't worry. I know how it feels. God will forgive you. Repent, be baptized if you have not, read the Bible, pray, attend Church. The Lord will forgive. If it is a closer relationship with God you seek than open your heart to him.
 
I just prayed for you. :angel: :biggrin

Luke 7:47 & 50:

Therfore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven the same loves little....................Then he said to her "Your faith has saved you. Go in peace."
 
Though many Catholics worry about their sins, few understand the true seriousness of the matter. Consider how the following three practices of Roman Catholicism affect how Catholics think about sin and its consequences.
Sacramental Cleansing of Sin

One way that Roman Catholicism misleads its people as to their sinfulness is through the sacrament of baptism. Usually administered as soon after birth as practical, the Church teaches that this rite has two powerful effects upon a person. Baptism cleanses the soul of original sin, the guilt inherited from Adam. At the same time it infuses or pours sanctifying grace into the soul. This grace makes the individual holy and acceptable to God. The Church says that through baptism a person is born again, brought into a state of grace, made spotless and innocent before God, and becomes a member of the body of Christ.

None of this is biblical. The Scriptures teach that sinners come into a right relationship with God through personal repentance and faith in Christ (Mark 1:15; Romans 10:9-10). This involves a decision that each person must make for himself (John 1:12-13). Baptism follows as the public expression of one’s commitment to Christ as Lord and Savior.

The Roman Catholic Church, on the other hand, teaches that baptism is the cause of spiritual rebirth. Parents can and must decide for their children. They bring their infants to the Church; the priest baptizes them and issues a baptismal certificate; and their children grow up believing that they are heaven-bound.

Consequently, when Catholics are told that they are sinners who need to be born again, it makes no more sense to them than it did to Nicodemus when Jesus told him the same (John 3:1-21). For Catholics it actually makes less sense, for according to the Church they have already been born again.

Formalized Excuses for Sin

The second way that Roman Catholicism misleads its people as to their true spiritual condition is by classifying sin into categories. Catholics are told that there are two kinds of sin, venial and mortal.

Most sins are venial, that is, pardonable infractions against God’s law. They weaken one’s spiritual vitality and incur a temporary form of punishment. But venial sins have no ultimate bearing on whether a person goes to heaven or not.

Mortal sins kill the life of God in a person, removing sanctifying grace from the soul. Should a person die in that condition, he would spend eternity in hell. To be forgiven of a mortal sin, a Catholic must confess it in the sacrament of confession.

It is not easy, however, for an act to qualify as a mortal sin. The Church says that the sin must meet three requirements. First, it must be a big sin, serious or grave in the vocabulary of the Church. Second, the person performing the sin must be conscious that the action is grievously wrong. Finally, the individual must willfully choose to disobey God, though fully aware that God is able to help him to resist the temptation.

In practice these requirements become ready-made excuses to rationalize sin away. For example, if two people, driven by passions that they feel are beyond their control, fall into sexual immorality, the act, according to the Church, is only a venial sin. In the same way Catholics often wink at drunkenness, arguing that a person may be struggling with a deeply-rooted bad habit, breaking under pressing mental strain, or succumbing to a genetic weakness toward alcohol. If committed under such circumstances, not even a lifetime of practicing immorality or drunkenness is punishable by hell. Neither is such conduct a reason to question whether the person is truly born-again.

The Bible teaches the opposite. It says that all sins are mortal: "the wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23). The Scriptures warn fornicators and drunkards not to deceive themselves; they will not inherit the kingdom of God unless they repent and forsake their sin (Proverbs 28:13; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10). Those who continue to practice sin should realize that they have never been born again (1 John 2:3-4; 3:4-10).

When Catholics raised with Rome’s definition of sin are first exposed to what the Scriptures have to say about it, they find it unreasonable and excessively severe. Jessa Vartanian, writing in the San Jose Mercury News, described her first exposure to biblical preaching on sin as shocking. Though raised with a solid Catholic upbringing, Vartanian stopped going to Mass during her college years, finding it somewhat meaningless. A few years later, sensing a void in her life, she visited an evangelical church looking for spiritual strength. The minister spoke that day of his own mother, describing her as the most loving, caring, and unselfish woman he had ever known. Vartanian recounts, "The whole congregation, including me, was feeling warm and fuzzy." Then, Vartanian writes, the preacher "dropped the bombshell." He said, "But my mom isn’t going to heaven."

Vartanian couldn’t believe her ears:

I held my breath. What did he mean? He’d just painted a picture of a saint. Despite being a good person, he said, his mom didn’t believe Jesus Christ was her savior. And, according to him, if you didn’t believe that, no matter how wonderful a person you were, you wouldn’t be taking the Up escalator.

Jessa Vartanian was equally amazed by the reaction of the congregation. Apparently no one but she was bothered by what the preacher had said. This caused her to question whether Christianity, regardless of the variety, was right for her. Since that time she has developed her own philosophy of life.

What I’ve come to believe is simple: that if you live a loving, caring life with respect for yourself and othersâ€â€basically, if you’re a good person (and I realize my definition will differ from yours)â€â€that you will "go to heaven," or whatever it is that happens when you die, if anything happens at all.

Though Jessa Vartanian may not realize it, what she has come to believe has much in common with what she had been taught as a child by the Roman Catholic Church: we are not defiled sinners; sin is not punishable by eternal death; and if you live a good life, you will probably go to heaven.

The preacher’s text the day Vartanian visited that evangelical church may well have been "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23) or "the wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23). Both are incompatible with Roman Catholic thinking.

Trivialized Punishment for Sin

Roman Catholicism further misleads its people as to the magnitude of their guilt through its teaching that sinners can make up for their sins. The Church says that when a person commits a venial or mortal sin, he stores up temporal punishment which must be paid for either now here on earth or later in purgatory. In this life a Catholic can make satisfaction for his sins by performing voluntary acts of penance, such as abstaining from certain foods, saying a series of prayers, offering up his sufferings, or giving money to the poor. The individual may choose what form of penance he will perform, or, as in the sacrament of confession, a priest can assign an act of penance.

In either case the result is the same. Catholics are left thinking that sin is not that big a deal. How could it be, if saying a few prayers can make reparation for it?

When I told Tony, an easy-going Catholic, that "the wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23) he wouldn’t accept it as truth.

"That’s not fair," Tony objected.

"What would be a more just sentence?" I asked.

"Seems like two weeks in hell should be enough," Tony answered, betraying what he thought about his sins.

Acts of penance also leave Catholics confused about the uniqueness and significance of Christ’s sufferings on the cross. Pope John Paul II says that we all share in the redemption through our sufferings. If that’s the case, a Catholic might easily reason, what’s so special about Christ’s sufferings?
by James G. McCarthy
 
Hey Cow Man, I have this list that was given to me from a good friend of mine :wink: .

The next time you feel like God can't use you, just remember . . .
NOAH was a drunk.

ABRAHAM was too old.

ISAAC was a daydreamer.

JACOB was a liar.

LEAH was ugly.

JOSEPH was abused.

MOSES had a stuttering problem.

GIDEON was afraid.

SAMSON had long hair, and was a womanizer!

RAHAB was a prostitute!

JEREMIAH and TIMOTHY were too young.

DAVID had an affair and was a murderer.

ELIJAH was suicidal.

ISAIAH preached naked.

JONAH ran from God.

NAOMI was a widow.

JOB went bankrupt.

JOHN the Baptist ate bugs.

PETER denied Christ.

The Disciples fell asleep while praying.

MARTHA worried about everything.

MARY MAGDALENE was, well, you know ...

The SAMARITAN WOMAN was divorced ... more than once!

ZACCHEUS was too small.

PAUL was too religious.

TIMOTHY had an ulcer . AND

LAZARUS WAS DEAD!

... no more excuses now.

God's waiting to use your full potential.



God will forgive a repentant heart who humbily comes before Him. His grace and mercy are endless.

God has plans for you, just got to have faith.
 
MARY MAGDALENE was, well, you know ...

LOL, you wanted to say prostitute, didn't you Mikey?. :wink: I don't think the Bible says she was. It does say this though..

(Luke 8:2) And certain women, which had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities, Mary called Magdalene, out of whom went seven devils.....

Nice list though! :angel:
 
man, i was gonna post something, then scrolling down i saw Mike's post and he nailed it! lol, that was slick! there you go, all you confused little sheep! God says it's aaaaaaall good! if you worry too much about your sins, then your focusing on that, and not God!
 
God loves us and if repentance is in our heart and we ask for forgivness he is just to forgive! :Fade-color :B-fly:
 
if u feel lik u havent been forgiven maybe u havent the bible says " if a man cannot forgive others i cannot forgive him" do u have nebody ur angry at or havent been able to forgive? if so forgive them so matter how hard it is!! i did it so can u!! just pray bout it! :angel:
 
Back
Top