Hi PJ my friend.
To me your first two paragraphs are excellent and I agree.
I am assuming as a result of conviction you mean to repent is to realise we got it wrong, confess and agree with God we got it wrong. For me when I do this I thank God that I am forgiven. I don't make excuses for my sin, I hold my hands up and fess it up.
I am guilty as charged but I thank God that my guilt and sin has been taken care of by Jesus.
Just so everyone knows I am not a greasy grace. Just a greasy who needs Gods grace.
I think for me the biggest problem has always been, if I have to come back to God and do the same thing at some point God will say "Sorry mate 3 strikes now you are out"
That has been a real burden for me and still is to a certain extent.
A total lack of understanding of God and his amazing love for us. He knows we are weak and made from dust and he remembers this and does not deal with as we deserve.
I would say that most of us on this thread want to be conformed to the image of Jesus and want others to be as well.
We all express how we think it works for us and what doesn't work.
In a sense that's what this thread is about "Not by works"
We all want to do good works, because Jesus has asked us to. That's why we have the Holy Spirit in us.
I know that one of your issues is concerning future are forgiven but I think they are (correct me if I am wrong)
To me and I hope for all others on here that it doesn't give an excuse to sin.
But I do have to say that my sins are forgiven even before I commit them. When the Holy Spirit tells me I got it wrong and lets be honest unless the Holy Spirit reveals to us that we got it wrong we will not know we got it wrong.
So when I get it wrong and I know I have I come before God, confess (agree I got it wrong) thank him I am forgiven and ask for help.
Hi Bill, God bless you my friend.
"Sorry mate 3 strikes now you are out"
This made me think of teaching my daughter how to drive and reverse park.
We went to a big supermarket car park
We park in one parking spot and she had to reverse and park in one behind like an open
parking place but in the row besides. Now I said she had to do this exercise 20 times.
Now she was disappointed, so many times.
After 5 failures disappointment sunk in.
Then at 10 times the approach was getting better.
At 15 the turning got reasonable
At 20 she could do it.
Over the whole experience she learnt 5 or 6 different skills, areas to learn
maybe more.
Now sin is so involved in so many layers, issues, experiences behaviour rarely
changes until we change, and we change because we grow and it takes time
and practise. You become someone with different skills, insights, understanding
which until you start to work it through one would never see or know.
This is why when we talk eternity, we are not talking this world, or simple things,
or something we just do and it is known. This is all new.
My issue about our walk is just that we have a walk, and we need to learn.
It is this power and reality. Love is our guiding principle. The Lord and the Holy Spirit do
the rest. It is why I wonder at the dispute, because this is the reality of those who love
Jesus. God bless