Subject: Re: Apostasy
Date: Mon, 15 Nov 1999 15:17:08 GMT
From:  (Neil Davey)
Reply-To:  
Newsgroups: uk.religion.christian

As if by magic the shopkeeper, “John Regan”
< > appeared and wrote the following missive on Fri, 12 Nov 1999 23:11:18 -0000:
>Can somebody please explain Apostasy to me, and more specifically Hebrews
>10:26-27
>
>It says here that if christians deliberately sin then there is no sacrifice
>for those sins. I realise that Christians can not sin all the time thinking
>that we will be forgiven, but surely it doesn’t mean that christians who
>have sinned once can never be forgiven for it.
>
>Please help me as I am confused

Don’t worry John, we can still go back to 
God and ask for his forgiveness, (story of the 
Prodigal Son for instance). There is not a single 
Christian here present, (or at any time ever) who
has not sinned since becoming a Christian. If 
there is no way back after a Christian had sinned 
then there would be no-one going to Heaven, and 
I don’t think that anyone believes that will 
happen. We can always go back to God and ask for 
his forgiveness, and he *always* gives it.

One of the things that the Holy Spirit works in us 
is a wish to not sin. This can sometimes mean that 
we feel guilty as we commit and sin and then 
guilty about it afterwards. Sometimes we don’t 
want to talk to God about it because we are ashamed. 

Part of this feeling is useful, we know that we have 
done something wrong and we might not do it again 
because we don’t want to feel guilty again. Part 
of this feeling can be bad and can be used by the 
enemy in order to make us feel bad about ourself and 
not want to go back to God. We have to fight through 
such feelings and go back to God and ask his 
forgiveness. I guarantee you that he will give it.

For me, if I have sinned then, once I have gotten 
over my guilty-not-wanting-to-speak-to-God stage, 
I will pray and ask for forgiveness. If this comes 
from your heart, if you *really* want to be forgiven, 
then you will be. If you then ask God to refill you 
with his Holy Spirit, in order that you don’t 
want to sin again, then he will give you his Holy 
Spirit. We have at least one person on this group who 
has gone through exactly this process over the past 
few months and he is most certainly loved by God.

I hope that helps. God bless.

Neil