Is there a sin that cannot be forgiven? I’ve heard that if you already asked for forgiveness but still do the same thing again you will no longer be forgiven.
No, for we shall see from the scriptures that any sin can be forgiven if there is true repentance of that sin. In order to really understand this subject we need to see that there are TWO KINDS of forgiveness. I like to call them ETERNAL (or JUDICIAL) FORGIVENESS and RESTORATIVE FORGIVENESS. Let’s take a close look at each of them and then I trust we will see that any sin can be forgiven.
1) ETERNAL/JUDICIAL FORGIVENESS is the forgiveness the sinner first experiences when he/she comes to repent of their sins and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. We see this forgiveness offered in Acts 13:38-39 when the Apostle Paul preached, “Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that through this Man is preached to you the FORGIVENESS OF SINS; and by Him everyone who believes is JUSTIFIED FROM ALL THINGS from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses.” Paul was “preaching this to sinners” who had never experienced God’s forgiveness. He could preach this good news because “Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures” (1st Corinthians 15:3). The sinner deserves to die and to be judged by God (see Romans 6:23 and Hebrews 9:7) because of their sins, but Christ was willing to take our place in death and judgment on the cross and everyone who believes this is forgiven. The believer can say, “who Himself BORE OUR SINS in His own body on the tree.” The very moment one believes this their sins are forgiven by a holy and just God. God is the JUDGE and He pronounces the believer FORGIVEN. This is a one-time event and thus the believer’s sins are ETERNALLY FORGIVEN by God. The Apostle John was speaking of this kind of forgiveness when he declared, “I write to you, little children, because YOUR SINS ARE FORGIVEN YOU for His name’s sake.” We can call it JUDICIAL FORGIVENESS because when the sinner comes to God He is our JUDGE and from that point on He is no longer our JUDGE; He is our heavenly FATHER. This brings us to the next aspect of forgiveness.
2) RESTORATIVE FORGIVENESS is the forgiveness a child of God experiences when they sin and repent of their sins before their heavenly Father. The Apostle John taught this truth in 1st John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Even though the child of God has been forgiven eternally by a Just God (and thus He will never be JUDGED for those sins), he is still capable of committing sin because of the fallen and sinful nature he possesses. John had already spoken of this sinful nature in verse 8, “If we say that we have NO SIN, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” In verse 10 he goes on to speak of the very act of sinning, “If we say that we HAVE NOT SINNED, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.” When the child of God sins and is made aware of it, he/she should immediately go to God the Father in true repentance and CONFESS THAT SIN. The moment they confess it, THE FATHER FORGIVES THEM and RESTORES THEM back into fellowship by “cleansing them from all unrighteousness.” He cleanses them through the Word of God. Psalm 119:9 says, “How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word.” In Ephesians 5:25-26 we read, “Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and CLEANSE HER WITH THE WASHING OF WATER BY THE WORD.” Once the Word of God cleanses us, we are RESTORED TO FELLOWSHIP with the Father! I would encourage you to read Psalm 51 where David confessed his sin to his heavenly Father and asked to be cleansed from it (verses 1-3). He even acknowledged the SINFUL NATURE that he was born with (verse 5). He earnestly desired God to “RESTORE to me the joy of Your salvation” (verse 12). This is what each child of God should do the moment we sin. One has said that we should “Keep short accounts with God.” I agree! (407.5) (DO)