Seventy seven sins – 30 April 2008

Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?"
Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times*
Matthew 18:21-22 [NIV] *some passages say “seventy times seven”

Patience is a virtue. Fortunately for us, God is patient with us and long-suffering. There are sins that we repeat every day. The good thing is that God does not have a “three strikes and you’re out” rule. We can keep going back in repentance even if we have repeated the same sin more than seven times (seven was the number of completeness).

If you find that the same sin is troubling you over and over again, don’t give up asking for forgiveness – and do see if there is a way to break the cycle of sin. Is your armour intact? Do you need to be stronger in resisting temptation? Is there a bible passage which can help you – or a Christian confidant you can be honest with and accountable to?

Lord, thank you for your long-suffering attitude to our sinful nature. Thank you for forgiving us time after time. Amen.