Answers about forgiveness

At what point does the hand of God leave us?

The questioner has quoted: “For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother’s womb. I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, And my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from You. When I was made in secret. And [...]

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Can you reach a point where forgiveness is impossible?

When we have died repentance is no longer possible. Some people may reach that stage even before they have physically died. Judas Iscariot could not be forgiven, not because his was a more outrageous crime than anyone else’s, but because Judas believed that God could not forgive him, or even worse, did not want God [...]

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I want to become a Christian but I have sinned a lot. Is it too late?

It’s never too late, and your sins can be forgiven. The people in the church in Corinth had done all sorts of sinful things (1 Cor 6:9) but Paul says “But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” [...]

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Can you go to heaven if you have sinned?

There are two issues here: 1)     Everyone sins. 1 John 1:8-10  If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.  (9)  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.  (10)  If we say [...]

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If you fail to stop sinning after becoming baptised, can you still be forgiven? How do you deal with sexual desire?

Wrong behaviour needs to be avoided. Gal 5:19-21  Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality,  (20)  idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions,  (21)  envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will [...]

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What does the Bible say about taking up an offence against your brother?

There are examples in scripture of dramatic turnarounds. Joseph was kidnapped and sold into slavery by his brothers. His response is interesting. Joseph did not lightly dismiss the evil that was done to him. He dealt with his brothers, ultimately winning them back, but not before testing them severely. Joseph saw beyond what had happened to [...]

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Will God forgive suicide?

Note that the subject of suicide has already been discussed (What does the Bible say about suicide?), though not this question. Suicide is usually an act of despair by someone with depression. There are remedies for the root causes behind suicide. Taking ones own life causes enormous pain and damage to those left behind, as [...]

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What does Rom 4:8 mean when it says blessed is the man whom God will not impute sin?

The word “impute” means “count” or “take account of”. So, “blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin” (ESV). Paul here is using Old Testament examples to explanation how we can appear before righteous before God. He cites the example of Abraham, who “believed God and it was counted to [...]

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Will God forgive those who are not baptised if they ask him to?

There is a series of events recorded in Acts 10 that will help to answer this question. In Acts 10 there is a man called Cornelius who, although he is described as ‘a devout man who feared God’ (v2), isn’t baptised. However, even though he isn’t baptised, God still hears his prayers: About the ninth [...]

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If I had sex and then was baptised, am I a virgin again?

When someone believes in Jesus, repents of their sins and is baptised then their sins are wiped away as though they had never been committed. This would not literally make you a virgin again, but would make you righteous as a virgin in the sight of God.

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