The whole world was absolutely shocked and shaken to our core this week when the news broke that a "German Wings' aircraft had crashed in the French Alps killing all 150 on board.
Our hearts broke as the news flashed around the world that the Co-Pilot looked as though he had deliberately crashed the aircraft because of his on-going depressive illness. It was shocking to the say the least and very very disturbing.
Deliberate acts like this one astound us and we are so ready to judge and condemn. It was only last month here in Australia that the news broke that a father may have deliberately driven his car at high speed into a tree killing his wife, his eldest son and himself, leaving the youngest son in a critical condition and also an orphan.
We cry out in frustration WHY?? - When there is so much help readily available do people commit these atrocities and harm others?
When I was pondering these types of situations I couldn't help but ask the question that I guess many have asked before me - "Can I deliberately keep sinning and keep asking forgiveness?"
A very tough verse in the Bible regarding "deliberate" sin is found in Hebrews 10:26. "If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of truth, no sacrifice for sins is left."
Can't get much plainer than that! But let's just think about it for a moment. What does 'sinning' actually mean and what do we mean by 'deliberate' sinning.
Sinning is anything that comes between you and God - of course there is the obvious sins as laid out in exodus 20, greed, wanting what others have, sexual immorality, murder, stealing and the list goes on.
Sinning also includes unforgiveness, haughtiness, gossip and even not giving God His rightful place in our lives or not giving Him His due reverence. in fact anything that hinders our relationship with Him.
So if we sin and harbour say unforgiveness in our hearts and we are convicted of that and repent, does that mean we can never be forgiven? Of course not - Our Lord is so willing to forgive us.
After all it was from the words of Jesus Himself that Peter was told in Matthew 18: 21-22 when he asked the question "Lord how often do I have to forgive a believer who wrongs me? seven times?" Jesus said "I tell you not just seven times, but seventy times seven".
But the author of Hebrews talks about deliberate sinning, the fact of 'keeping on' or 'going on' sinning deliberately.
I feel the key here are the words "keeping on" or in some versions "going on" sinning deliberately.
"Going on" sinning means that you are continuing in deliberate sin without feeling the least bit repentant or confessing this sin regardless of what that sin is.
You don't feel any remorse about this deliberate sin in your life and you have given up and/or refusing to go to battle over it.
So in other words if you are continuing in deliberate sin regardless of what that sin is, without confessing it, if you are happy in that state and feel nothing, no compunction to cease it then you are committing a 'deliberate' sin against God which leaves you in a very precarious situation indeed.
Jesus died for all of our sins, the past, present and future. He died for ALL sins BUT we need to confess those sins, turn away from them and ask His forgiveness.
But if you are 'going on' or 'keeping on' sinning feeling no remorse at all and no confession of your guilt then like it says in Hebrews 10 "there no longer remains a sacrifice for your sins"
Gods judgement is very clear. the Hebrews chapter goes on from verses 27-30 to explain the judgement of those who deliberately "KEEP GOING" into sin.
Okay, so how do we go about ensuring that we are indeed safe eternally with Jesus? Well, if right now you are walking with Christ, you are trusting Him daily, and you have given Him all of your life, then you will never face His judgement. You are safe in His arms and your eternity is assured with Him.
You may ask "well what if I do fail?" We are saved by faith alone through Christ. Depend on Him to forgive you and be ever so willing to keep asking for that forgiveness.
We all fail, but the closer we walk with Christ and the closer we draw to Him the less likely we will be to keep falling over the same tricks of Satan who is so intent of driving us away from the presence of God.
We can trust God that ALL sin is paid for at the cross - but we have to ask and accept that forgiveness from God Himself.
If you turn to Jesus right here where you are and confess your sin, acknowledge that you can nothing without Him, then He will forgive you - He will indeed!
So if you are struggling with deliberate sin, ask God's help, genuinely ask His forgiveness. You need to fight this sin with faith and a contrite and humble heart.
Don't harden your heart and soul to the wiles of Satan. In 2 Corinthians 2:4 in the Message Bible Paul says "After all we don't want to unwittingly give Satan an opening for still more mischief - we're not oblivious to his sly ways."
If we keep on deliberately sinning, our hearts will eventually harden to the extent that we will feel nothing of the guidance of God's Spirit. Don't give Satan an even chance, turn your deliberate sin over to Christ the only one who paid the price to obliterate sin from our lives in the first place.
God bless you as you hand your sins deliberately over to God - Asking His forgiveness and accepting His miraculous saving gift of cleansing and mercy.
Our hearts broke as the news flashed around the world that the Co-Pilot looked as though he had deliberately crashed the aircraft because of his on-going depressive illness. It was shocking to the say the least and very very disturbing.
Deliberate acts like this one astound us and we are so ready to judge and condemn. It was only last month here in Australia that the news broke that a father may have deliberately driven his car at high speed into a tree killing his wife, his eldest son and himself, leaving the youngest son in a critical condition and also an orphan.
We cry out in frustration WHY?? - When there is so much help readily available do people commit these atrocities and harm others?
When I was pondering these types of situations I couldn't help but ask the question that I guess many have asked before me - "Can I deliberately keep sinning and keep asking forgiveness?"A very tough verse in the Bible regarding "deliberate" sin is found in Hebrews 10:26. "If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of truth, no sacrifice for sins is left."
Can't get much plainer than that! But let's just think about it for a moment. What does 'sinning' actually mean and what do we mean by 'deliberate' sinning.
Sinning is anything that comes between you and God - of course there is the obvious sins as laid out in exodus 20, greed, wanting what others have, sexual immorality, murder, stealing and the list goes on.
Sinning also includes unforgiveness, haughtiness, gossip and even not giving God His rightful place in our lives or not giving Him His due reverence. in fact anything that hinders our relationship with Him.
So if we sin and harbour say unforgiveness in our hearts and we are convicted of that and repent, does that mean we can never be forgiven? Of course not - Our Lord is so willing to forgive us.
After all it was from the words of Jesus Himself that Peter was told in Matthew 18: 21-22 when he asked the question "Lord how often do I have to forgive a believer who wrongs me? seven times?" Jesus said "I tell you not just seven times, but seventy times seven".
But the author of Hebrews talks about deliberate sinning, the fact of 'keeping on' or 'going on' sinning deliberately.
I feel the key here are the words "keeping on" or in some versions "going on" sinning deliberately.
"Going on" sinning means that you are continuing in deliberate sin without feeling the least bit repentant or confessing this sin regardless of what that sin is.
You don't feel any remorse about this deliberate sin in your life and you have given up and/or refusing to go to battle over it.
So in other words if you are continuing in deliberate sin regardless of what that sin is, without confessing it, if you are happy in that state and feel nothing, no compunction to cease it then you are committing a 'deliberate' sin against God which leaves you in a very precarious situation indeed.
Jesus died for all of our sins, the past, present and future. He died for ALL sins BUT we need to confess those sins, turn away from them and ask His forgiveness.
But if you are 'going on' or 'keeping on' sinning feeling no remorse at all and no confession of your guilt then like it says in Hebrews 10 "there no longer remains a sacrifice for your sins"
Gods judgement is very clear. the Hebrews chapter goes on from verses 27-30 to explain the judgement of those who deliberately "KEEP GOING" into sin.
Okay, so how do we go about ensuring that we are indeed safe eternally with Jesus? Well, if right now you are walking with Christ, you are trusting Him daily, and you have given Him all of your life, then you will never face His judgement. You are safe in His arms and your eternity is assured with Him.
You may ask "well what if I do fail?" We are saved by faith alone through Christ. Depend on Him to forgive you and be ever so willing to keep asking for that forgiveness.
We all fail, but the closer we walk with Christ and the closer we draw to Him the less likely we will be to keep falling over the same tricks of Satan who is so intent of driving us away from the presence of God.
We can trust God that ALL sin is paid for at the cross - but we have to ask and accept that forgiveness from God Himself.
If you turn to Jesus right here where you are and confess your sin, acknowledge that you can nothing without Him, then He will forgive you - He will indeed!
So if you are struggling with deliberate sin, ask God's help, genuinely ask His forgiveness. You need to fight this sin with faith and a contrite and humble heart.
Don't harden your heart and soul to the wiles of Satan. In 2 Corinthians 2:4 in the Message Bible Paul says "After all we don't want to unwittingly give Satan an opening for still more mischief - we're not oblivious to his sly ways."
If we keep on deliberately sinning, our hearts will eventually harden to the extent that we will feel nothing of the guidance of God's Spirit. Don't give Satan an even chance, turn your deliberate sin over to Christ the only one who paid the price to obliterate sin from our lives in the first place.
God bless you as you hand your sins deliberately over to God - Asking His forgiveness and accepting His miraculous saving gift of cleansing and mercy.
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