Romans 11: Can I Mess Up So Bad God Won't Take Me Back?

"11Did they stumble so as to fall beyond recovery? Not at all! 

...

²²Consider therefore the kindness and sternness of God: sternness to those who fell, but kindness to you, provided that you continue in his kindness. Otherwise, you also will be cut off.²³And if they do not persist in unbelief, they will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again."

In this passage Paul is talking about the Jews and Gentiles. He speaks of the mistakes the Jews have made and the blessings the Gentiles have received. The Jews messed up. They were God's chosen people, but they turned away from Him, rejected His Son, and got caught up in rituals and failed to truly live a godly life. However, Paul insists that they are not beyond recovery.

We all mess up. God is both kind and stern when He deals with us. He is kind and blesses us for our obedience, offers forgiveness when we seek it, and invites us to receive eternal life. However, God is stern with those who are disobedient. He is angered by sin, and will condemn those who reject His free gift. However, even the worst, most disobedient people are offered the chance to turn their life around and find favor with God. Paul illustrates this through the metaphor of a tree having diseased branches cut off and healthy branches grafted in. God has no choice but to cut off those who are "diseased" with sin, lest they infect the entire tree. However, people who seek forgiveness and turn their lives around are welcome and "grafted" onto the Tree. 

I am a frequent Stumbler. I mess up. Does this mean I'm a "diseased branch" to be "cut off"? Not necessarily. I rest assured that I am not because I choose to "continue in God's kindness", seeking forgiveness and trying to live a life guided by the Holy Spirit. I have declared my belief in Jesus and I seek forgiveness. The "branches" that God cuts off are those who choose not to believe. Those who don't seek forgiveness. 

In fact, the Bible says "³¹every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven" (Matthew 12:31 NIV). What does this mean? This means that every single horrible thing anyone has/will do can be forgiven. The only exception is "blasphemy against the Spirit", which I believe is cursing the Spirit and choosing not to listen when the Spirit tries to guide us to the Truth. In essence, the only sin you cannot be forgiven of is being hostile and abusive towards the Spirit... which means you likely can't be forgiven because the one who commits it would never seek forgiveness. They hate God, they do not believe, so why would they seek forgiveness?

As a person with a long track record of mistakes--big and small--I am so grateful that God will always forgive me for my shortcomings. God expects me to be obedient and try my best to live a perfect life (after all, Christ is my role model), however when the inevitable mistake happens, I only need to turn to Him in sincere repentance and I'll be forgiven. The slate will be wiped clean. 

We need to make sure we aren't so embarrassed of our sin that we hide from God. We're all shameful. We're all undeserving of forgiveness. However, it is necessary we seek forgiveness so that it can be given to us. We don't need to live under the weight and shame of our sin. There is freedom in belief in Christ. 

God,

Thank you for being so forgiving. I am so sorry that for all the times I messed up in the past... and I apologize now for all my future mistakes. I would ask that you please forgive me and give me the faith and perseverance to avoid future pitfalls. Help me to resemble my Role Model more and more everyday.

Thanks,

-Me