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"Instant" Repentence


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[quote="JohnnyGotham"]
I was wondering what you think of what I like to call "Instant" repennters, people who plan on sinning and then pray for forgiveness of that sin. They make a habit of sinning and repenting, with no intention of giving up the sinful behaviour they repented for.
[/quote]

Faith without works is dead.

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[quote="JohnnyGotham"]
I was wondering what you think of what I like to call "Instant" repennters, people who plan on sinning and then pray for forgiveness of that sin. They make a habit of sinning and repenting, with no intention of giving up the sinful behaviour they repented for.
[/quote]

Are you talking about specific areas of the person's life that he/she is struggling with? Or are you talking about someone who just disregards sin altogether?

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I forget exactly who said this, but I'll try to relay this quote to you as well as I can remember it:

"We are saved by faith alone; but the faith that saves can never [b][i]be[/i][/b] alone."

James 2:14, [b][i]"What [doth it] profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?"[/i][/b]

James isn't saying that we're saved by faith plus works. He's saying that works are evidence of a professed faith. In other words, if you say you have faith but there aren't any works to demonstrate it, your words don't mean anything.

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Right Chelle.

To answer the question: If someone deliberately heads into sin and then confesses that sin to God but is not grieved at it - with a desire to turn from it - then they are not repentant.

It is not how often we give in to a specific sin or struggle with it that shows our repentance though. There could be some habits we have formed that are sinful, and we can find ourselves easily caving in to that sin - and immediately afterward be grieved and repented at yet another compromise and stumble.

Is the person content to stay in the sin? If they were not, they may fall into it - but they will want to get cleaned up again when they come to their senses - they won't want to stay (referring to when they are not backsliding, but simply struggling).

Proverbs 24:16 [i]For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief.[/i]

Repentance is a change of mind - not an emotion - so there may not be tears or emotional feelings involved, but there will be a desire to turn from it and not commit it again in the immediate future. If as soon as a person "repents" they are planning on the next time they can give in to that sin, then they are not really repentant, because nothing has changed in their mind - even if they did not religious rituals (penance or prayers, or said I'm sorry, sorry, sorry a million times).

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[quote]
Proverbs 24:16 For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief.
[/quote]

I think I'm going to print this out and put it on my computer. It will help me to get back up again, I think. Thanks, Jerry. :D

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Here is another cross-reference, well worth memorizing:

Psalms 37:23-24 [i]The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand.[/i]

If you are His child, He is holding you and will help you get back up each time you fall.

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I've had professing Christians tell me I'm being "too holy" for not partaking in some worldly things that they take part in. I've had them tell me it's no big deal to sin sometimes because we can always pray for forgiveness latter.

This actually shocked me when it first happened. I had never heard of Christians making such statements. I had a Catholic friend when I was a youth and I had heard such things from him, which I've found out is common among Catholics, but never from professing Christians.

One of those professing Christians, who ended up getting caught up in the Charismatic stuff, actually said I was wasting my time trying to live righteous if I wasn't speaking in tongues!!!

We lost three of our Bible study members to the Charismatics, they were mostly caught up with Hagin, Hickey and Copeland. They became very militant Charismatics and believed everything hinged upon whether one spoke in tongues or not. Very sad.

Some years latter another of our Bible study members ended up converting to Islam!

I only know for sure of two of us that were in that Bible study who are still walking in Christ. I know we brought three others out of Catholicism but after university I don't know where they went. There were several others that passed in and out of our Bible study through the years I don't know about either; except one who was Eastern Orthodox and was determined to remain Eastern Orthodox.

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[quote="Jerry"]
Here is another cross-reference, well worth memorizing:

Psalms 37:23-24 [i]The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand.[/i]

If you are His child, He is holding you and will help you get back up each time you fall.
[/quote]

You are correct! I copied it and will print this out also.

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[quote="JohnnyGotham"]
You don't know how many people I've met that say they'll "sin now, and repent later." They treat it like a credit card bill.
[/quote]

Now if [i][u]that's[/u][/i] not "presuming upon the grace of God", I don't know what is! [i]*shakes head*[/i]

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