Misconceptions About Gaining Gods Forgiveness
I have sinned too much to be forgiven.
God forgave David of adultery and murder
As long as we follow the steps that God sets out in the Bible, we will be forgiven, since his capacity to forgive is greater than our sins. He can forgive serious sins as well as those that have been repeated many times.Isaiah 1:18.
For example, King David of Israel was forgiven of adultery and murder. The apostle Paul, who felt that he had been the worlds worst sinner, was also forgiven. Even the first-century Jews whom God held responsible for killing Jesus, the Messiah, were forgiven if they changed their ways.Acts 3:15, 19.
If I confess to a priest or a minister, my sins are absolved.
No human is now authorized to forgive a fellow human for sins against God. Although confessing to another person can help a sinner to recover, only God can forgive sins.Ephesians 4:32 1 John 1:7, 9.
If that is so, then what did Jesus mean when he told the apostles: If you forgive the sins of anyone, they are forgiven if you retain those of anyone, they are retained? He was describing a unique authority that he would give to the apostles when they received the holy spirit.John 20:22.
As promised, the apostles received this gift when the holy spirit was poured out in 33 C.E. The apostle Peter used this authority when judging the disciples Ananias and Sapphira. Peter miraculously knew about their deceptive scheme, and his judgment indicated that their sin would not be forgiven.Acts 5:1-11.
God Doesnt Value You Any Less
Its a dangerous lie to believe that God is angry with us when we give in to sin. Christ utterly absorbed and dispelled the wrath of God on Calvarys tree. Romans 8:1 reminds us there is no condemnation. Our sins are forgotten by God.
Nevertheless, we forget Gods abounding love for us when we relapse because weve fallen into a sin that sometimes seems insurmountable. What God does see in those moments is our pain and our brokenness, and He desires to reside with us in those dark, deep places. He also grieves over the natural consequences of our sin, which in cases of addiction, can be severe. Gods desire for us is deliverance from addictive behaviors, and through therapy, medication, Christian community, prayer and careful attention to our choices, we can come to a point where we truly experience freedom.
Love And Community Are Christian Principles
Anyone who has been through addiction and recovery will tell you that a support network played a significant role in their healing process. By connecting with people around you who share common values and place love, understanding, and fellowship at the forefront of their lives, you vastly increase your chances of abstaining for the right reasons and maintaining the lifestyle long term.
If youre a person of faith who has lost their way or youre looking for somewhere to turn, religion can provide the foundation of support that you need.
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How Do I Experience Gods Forgiveness
Gods forgiveness is powerful, but it is part of a relationship. He wont give it to us unless we seek it and ask for it. This means:Being honest about where we went wrongAsking God to forgive usAccepting that forgiveness with gratitudeMaking what efforts we can to continue turning toward God and away from choices that make us feel shame and painI find it helpful to take my sins to God in prayer, and to talk with someone I trust in my faith community. When my struggles are especially tough, it helps me to ask others to pray for me as I work to overcome them.
The One Unforgivable Sin: Blaspheming The Holy Spirit
Jesus does speak about one sin that is unforgivable.
Therefore I say to you, every sin and every blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men. Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age, or the age to come. Matthew 12:31-32.
In this instance that Jesus is talking about, the Pharisees had claimed that Jesus had worked miracles by the power of Beelzebub, a demon. In fact, He was working these miracles in the power of the Holy Spirit. This was their blasphemy, saying that what was in fact pure and holy was unclean and evil.
The Holy Spirit is also called the Spirit of truth . He points out to you the truth about yourself your sin, and what you need to do about it. If you dont acknowledge the truth, how can you repent? If you dont repent, how can you be forgiven? If you are not forgiven, how can you have any hope for eternal life? How can you be saved?
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Christian Exercises Assist Spiritual Progression
Each of the following practices can aid you in recovery. By applying these exercises during Christian rehab, you become more open to the changes required to move forward.
- Prayer: Through prayer, you can get ever closer to God, seek answers for yourself, and enrich the lives of others.
- Meditation: Biblical meditation helps you to focus on essential passages of the Bible and gain a deeper understanding of the revelations.
- Openness to learning: Christianity teaches you to never close your mind off with regard to gaining knowledge and understanding of the world around you.
- Finding love and beauty in the smallthings: When were grateful for the minor things in life, we find perspective.
What Would God Say To Addicts
God still loves those who are broken.
Addiction is a heartbreaking and debilitating disease. Any addict will tell you that they don’t wish the pain they are going through on others. Addiction can really trick those into thinking that their life is meaningless, hopeless, and not worth living.
God however has something very different to say to addicts. God wants to empower addicts to feel in control of their lives and overcome the reigns of such a vicious disease. The road to recovery is a difficult and long one, but it’s not impossible.
If you are a struggling addict than these words from the Lord may help you find peace and get you started on your road to recovery.
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Will God Forgive Me For My Divorce
Will God forgive me for my abortion?
What about my relationship?My lies?My past?
For years, I experienced shame and judgment from others in the church due to my poor choices.
Soon enough, I assumed God would turn his back on me just like his people did.
Those of us representing the church doesnt always do a great job showing Gods grace.
Coming to those hurting with talk of repentance,sin, and transgression before we share Gods love, forgiveness, grace, and mercy pushes away more than we can ever know.
Friend, I dont know what youre dealing with today or for the past few months or years. But know this: Gods grace is bigger than any mistake you can ever make.
My Sins Are Too Great For God To Forgive
If you only knew the things I have done! How could God ever forgive me?
Have you felt this kind of hopelessness and regret, realizing the darkness of your heart? Has the great mountain of your pride, selfishness, cruelty, greed, and lust seemed to block out the light of the love of God?
I want you to know that not only is this feeling common, but it is a natural response from those who have an encounter with the perfection of God. These feelings are evidence that God, in his love, has been showing himself to you.
The Bible records the guilt-ridden cry of many through the ages who were crushed by the weight of their sin as they encountered Holy God. Isaiah saw the glory of God as his presence filled the temple and he cried out, Woe to me, I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips . The Apostle Paul called himself the worst of sinners .
The reason for this common self-assessment is the immeasurable perfection of Almighty God. In comparison to his infinite goodness, even a gentle, loving woman like Mother Teresa looks the same as the worst of all sinners. There is no one who can compare to God’s holy purity and perfection.
It is the unthinkable transfer: the perfect God becoming our unrighteousness, so that we can receive his perfection as our own.
These words from a famous hymn express the truth of Gods grace beautifully:
You can listen to this song< a href=
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It Might Happen Again
Above, I mentioned that were all susceptible to temptation. And that means relapse can happen to anyone, even after theyve found recovery. I once knew an alcoholic in AA who had suffered through relapse after relapse, found sobriety, maintained it for 30 years and then relapsed again in his 70s.
The good news is, he recovered. And as a believer, he credited his relationship with his Higher Power for giving him the strength to overcome something that he thought he had beaten years prior. Yes, relapse can happen, and happen again. But theres no reason to lose hope of victory.
Its easy to think those in relapse arent trying hard enough, or the addict needs to hit rock bottom before realizing true recovery. These are misconceptions that Christians need to work hard to combat. After all, the Church has a major role to play in helping addicts achieve true recovery and freedom in our Lord Jesus Christ.
What The Scriptures Say About Abstaining From Alcohol
As followers of Christ or Christians, our bodies are not our own. Behold, we have been bought with a price , not with perishable things like silver or gold . . . but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ . Upon purchasing us with His own very life, Jesus Christ has delighted to create in us something entirely new, something bizarre. By indwelling us with His Spirit, Christ has turned us into organic temples of sorts. Thus, caring for our bodies is not just a matter of good stewardship. Behold, it is a matter of reverential piety. This is both wondrous and terrifying. Another biblical principle is our susceptibility to deception. Its worth pointing to the fact that as fallible creatures, we are prone to delusion. And because we are objects of Gods intense affection, His enemies are our enemies.
What does the Scriptures say about drinking wine/alcohol?
Biblical facts about drinking wine
How much is too much?
In simple terms, a person has had too much alcohol when his drinking makes him or others vulnerable to harm. The Bible points to the fact that drunkenness is identified, not by a persons passing out, but by such behavior such as walking unsteadily, being disoriented, having slurred speech, or becoming contentious . The Bible tells us that even those who avoid getting drunk can still become weighed down with . . . heavy drinking and face its consequences .
Complete abstinence from drinking alcohol
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Its Really Hard To Break From
One of the most difficult things to do is to break an addiction, and relapse actually makes it worse. When Christians relapse, the feeling of failure is often so strong that it drives them even deeper into addictive behavior. That sense of failure is manipulative, and its so harmful.
The best thing a Christian sister or brother can do for someone struggling to gain release from relapse is to remind them theyre not a failure. That the progress theyve made is real, and that further progress is achievable. Pauls admonishment to the churches in Galatia, to bear up one anothers burdens, is critical for us to remember, especially when the burden of addiction is so heavy and relapse makes it so difficult to pick oneself up.
God Wants Us To Experience Trials Because Its How We Grow
Learning to overcome difficult moments in life is the primary method we grow both emotionally and spiritually.
James 1:2-4 emphasizes this fact and reminds us to find joy in tumultuous life experiences.
It states: Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
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Examples Of God Helping Drug Addiction
Dealing with addiction can drain you of your strength and cause you to wonder what youve done to deserve such punishment. Fact is, God does not promise that you will never stumble and fall. On the contrary, He stresses that everyone will face trials and tribulations through those darkest hours. He will guide your steps with these promises:
2 Corinthians 12:9 God tells you that his strength is all you need because His power is greatest when you are weak. When you are facing an addiction that makes you feel feeble and defeated, remember God is your strength and there to carry you through those moments.
Psalm 91:1-2 God promises that when you run to Him for safety, He will protect you. He is your defender that can help you defeat all things, including the addiction, that have plagued you for so long.
John 15:4-5 God is there to remind his children that their strength and power is derived from His strength and power. He states, Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. He does not care that we are all imperfect creatures. He embraces our faults and encourages everyone to use those faults to draw closer to him.
No person is alone in this life if they call to the Lord and ask for His love and guidance. He promises to support his children and deliver them from all the obstacles that aim to defeat them.
Nakedness As A Stumbling Block
Also, Jesus warned us in the Sermon on the Mount that men and women are not to lust after one another.
You have heard that it was said, You shall not commit adultery but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. Matthew 5:27-28
In 1 John 2:16 we are told that the lust of the eyes is a sin and that is what happens when a man looks on a naked woman and sometimes when a woman looks on a naked man.
For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. 1 John 2:16
We often hear that men lust after women, but no as often do we hear that women lust after men. But women can and do lust after men. Experienced counselors know that women lust after men too! Women strongly desire a man of character who is loving, kind and warm. The next step is to lust after him. For example, in Song of Solomon 1-5 King Solomons bride was physically desiring him as she anticipated their wedding night. Yet, men lust even more because they are visually attracted to a womans naked body. Some women are attracted by naked bodies too!
Jesus warns us in Matthew 18:7-10 to not be a stumbling block to others.
Woe to the world because of its stumbling blocks! For it is inevitable that stumbling blocks come but woe to that man through whom the stumbling block comes! Matthew 18:7
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Here Are Seven Of The Many Things Jesus Might Say To You If You Are Struggling:
1. I love you so much that I died for you, not for you to feel guilty but to be set free!We read in John 3:16 that God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. A Christians faith hinges upon this passage. Our Saviors love is beyond comprehension because it caused Him to die to take away the wrong things we have done. For the struggling addict, this means that Christ has a love for them that will never fail.
2. No matter how much you relapse and struggle, I still love you, and I always will.The guilt and baggage that go along with addiction often keep people from accepting the help that is offered to them. They feel undeserving of a new life, and sometimes spend months or years trying to make up for their past. But Jesus reminds us that even the addiction, the lies, and all the past wrongs cant keep him from loving us. He reminds us in Jeremiah 31:34 that I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.
Through Bible study, prayer, and interactions with other Christians, someone in recovery can learn what things Jesus has to say to them. This is one of the reasons Christian treatment for your addiction can be most effective. Let us help you find the right treatment program to meet your needs.
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