God's forgiveness

  • Thread starter Thread starter Jsgirl
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
J

Jsgirl

Guest
Is it possible to sin so many times that God will stop forgiving you? I have gone to confession, been regular at Mass, etc and then just walked away so many times. I am tired of living like this and I want to be restored to God but worry that its too late. Thank You,

Michie
 
We are talking about the same God that was tortured and brutally crucified to save us, right? I really don’t believe He’d ever stop loving us or forgiving us. He’s already seen it all. Remember that He knew you before you were even born. When He shed blood in the Agony in the Garden before being arrested, it was for everything. When He carried that cross with each and every sin that ever had or would happen, it was not by accident. When He poured out His Holy Blood in atonement for every sin that required divine justice and mercy, He absolutely knew what He was doing, and He did it on purpose because He loves us that much.

Trust Him, my friend. Believe in what He said and what He did. There is nothing you can do to keep Him from loving you. All you need to do is say, “YES” and keep going to Mass. You’ll be so happy and find the peace you are seeking if you do.

Teresa
p.s. If you’d like to read some of my thoughts on Catholic Catechism, I’m writing a blog that is making me realize how much God loves us more and more each day.
 
Jsgirl said:
Is it possible to sin so many times that God will stop forgiving you? I have gone to confession, been regular at Mass, etc and then just walked away so many times. I am tired of living like this and I want to be restored to God but worry that its too late. Thank You,

Michie
Click to expand...
No Michie, I do not believe it is possible to sin so many times that God will stop forgiving you. It is not too late to come home. It is never too late. Never. The door is always open. Come home!

And may God bless,
Hope
 
Mother Angelica once put it into perspective for me when I was reading one of her books. One day, back while on a speaking tour, she stopped at a beach, and she got stuck in the sand (she wears leg braces) as the tide was rolling in. It got the hem of her habit, but also a droplet of sea water landed on her hand.

She heard God’s voice in that droplet saying “this droplet is your sin, and the ocean gaping before you is My mercy.”

Do you really think your own sin could possibly surpass the oceans of mercy God pours on us? As long as we are contrite, and want to repent, and try to repent, even if we stumble, God will be there for us.
 
Above posts are correct, God’s mercy is unfathomable. However, don’t forget about his justice. Although your guilt is removed at confession, you will be punished for your sins either in this life or in purgatory. Which means it’s time to rack up on indulgences:

ourladyswarriors.org/indulge/plenary.htm

So now if anything bad happens to you, it’s not because you deserved it 😃
 
Thank You all so much! I needed to “hear” all of this and its helped me to feel free to come back home. Thank You
 
I’m a little bothered by the comments referring to indulgences. 🤷 Perhaps it’s just me, but I believe God’s love and mercy don’t work that way. The more I study and write about our catechism, the more I realize that it’s not about anything man can do, has done, or will do. We are loved! End of story!

Then it gets interesting;)

We are called to respond to that love. So we pray, perform random acts of kindness, learn the faith, share it with others, become virtual vessels of faith in action if you will. Our intention of doing this is not to gain a heavenly reward for being good. It is not to avoid God’s justice. The way we respond to being loved so much is a direct reflection on how we communicate with God and develop our relationship with Him.

Doing things to gain indulgences seems to imply an “if I do this, God will do that” type of relationship. I know in my heart that Jesus didn’t suffer and die for me and all my sins, so I could escape His justice by gaining plenary indulgences. He did it so I would know how much He loves me, and so I would love Him in return. Naturally our response to God’s love could very well lead to exercising plenary acts of indulgence, but my heartfelt response is what determines whether or not I will escape God’s justice.

And if/when I do go to Purgatory, it won’t be a punishment. It will be a cleansing or recovery. Heaven is completely pure and without blemish. It’s only right that I wash up before meeting God face to face. It’s necessary to clean my wounds and let them heal properly before entering the final home of all eternity.

One of my biggest concerns with our faith is all the misplaced guilt that leads us to an unholy fear of God. Recognizing God’s greatness and responding in kind is one thing, but being afraid to live because He might come down and bash us in the head or send us to Hell is neurotic and very unhealthy. We were loved into existence that we might share that love, not to recite rules out of fear that love might not be as great as we know it is.

Just look at the cross, my friends. Does that look like a God who would cast you out on a whim? Jesus on the cross and in the Eucharist, humbly handed to us through the hands of another with no choice of who receives Him, regardless of what is in their hearts, is the God of the Catholic Church. He is the one and only true God, the one that would do anything to save our souls. I really don’t believe we need to be so scared of Him. I think we might be better off just loving Him in return.

Blessings to all 🙂
Teresa
 
God is good, and will forgive you as many times as you need to be forgiven.
Mat 18:21 Then came Peter unto him and said: Lord, how often shall my brother offend against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?
Mat 18:22 Jesus saith to him: I say not to thee, till seven times; but till seventy times seven times.
Click to expand...
 
Teresa Lee,

It’s clear that you do not understand the doctrine of indulgences which is understandable as it can be a tough one to grasp. It’s not about “if I do…God will…”… Rather it is founded upon our participation with the sufferings of Christ on the Cross which to a lesser but none-the-less effectual extend will impart graces either to your self or another individual for the payment of the temporal consequences of sins.

This is a doctrine which (both east and west) goes back to the persecution of the Church under Rome. The fathers were known to write notes offering up their sufferings durring martyerdom to pay for the temporal punishments of the sins created by another believer.

God bless,
 
God loves us 😃
When we realize how much we are loved, many of us respond in turn and love Him back with all our hearts. As we do this, our lives change (for the better). We pray more, exercise works of mercy, and look at the world much differently. We respond to the love that already saved us and paid for each and every sin ever committed throughout all of time.

The doctrine of indulgences states that certain actions relieve some of the consequences of sin. However, we cannot pay for sins by performing indulgences. Sin has already been remedied by Christ. Misconceptions about catholic indulgences are rampant throughout the world. It is my understanding that once we realize how much we are loved, which is a very difficult concept when you think about it fully, our lives reflect the faith instilled in us through God’s grace.

It is that reflection, that often leads to performing good deeds, visiting holy places, praying for the pope’s intentions, etc. (all of which can be listed as acts of indulgence). The act of performing indulgences therefore, is in direct response to the faith we have received upon accepting the gift of salvation. Faith is a prerequisite; indulgences are not something we can do to earn forgiveness, ward off punishment for sin, minimize God’s judgment, or activate God’s mercy. First and foremost, God’s mercy is a free gift for all who truly and honestly seek it in the depths of their hearts.

Yes, my friend, I understand the doctrine of indulgences. I also understand that they happen almost automatically as a direct result of reflecting upon the suffering that gave us salvation. The Cross of Christ is the love that saved us from ourselves. Reflecting on it changes lives, embracing it makes us better people working for the good of all.

Holy Mary, pray for us!
Teresa
My Catechism Blog
 
God requires us to forgive others, ‘seventy times seven times’ (that is, infinite times) so we know for a fact that He will forgive us infinite times also when we seek His forgiveness.
 
I know about some criminal (even murderers) who apparently got forgiven by God. And if I understood what I read from the bible, Moses killed 1 man.
 
Jsgirl said:
Is it possible to sin so many times that God will stop forgiving you? I have gone to confession, been regular at Mass, etc and then just walked away so many times. I am tired of living like this and I want to be restored to God but worry that its too late. Thank You,

Michie
Click to expand...
While we are still breathing, we still have hope. How many times did Jesus tell Peter that we should forgive others for their offenses? 7 times? No, Jesus said seven times seventy seven, meaning an infinite number. You must forgive yourself first friend. Something dawned on me not to long ago, while I was praying the Rosary. I thought about something that Jesus said and the words felt like they echoed into my soul and I internalized them. “Remain in my word and I will remain in you.” Meaning that when we stop praying, reading Scripture, reading about the lives of the Saints, etc, we stop watering the plant. Do you kind of get the analogy that I’m making here? It also occurred to me Today at Mass, that we have all been given the gift of the Holy Spirit and the more we exercise this gift, the more it will grow. You have the Holy Spirit working within you now, and thats why you feel so awful for your sins. Jesus told us that he was sending the Holy Spirit among us “to remind us of His words and direct us in our lives.” and thats exactly what is happening in your life now. Also remember one more very important thing that Jesus says: “I tell you solemnly, whatever you ask for in prayer, if you believe that you will receive it, you already have.”

Good luck on your faith journey friend. I and many others here will be praying for you.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top