Can repentance cancel out your sins?

Answer 1

I start by defining 'sin'. In all faiths, 'sin' is associated with evil such as the concept of Satan. This tells me that when humans associate an evil act with sin, in reality they are refering to the 'sin in spirit', because Satan is spirit. For example when someone kills another in self defence to protect his/her own life, it is not sin, because there is no intent of evil behind the act except to claim and protect their God-given life. The same reasoning can be applied to 'fornication', 'stealing' and so on. My opinion here is that "acts don't necessarily define sins".

Repentence in my opinion is becoming aware of the evil intent of an act seen by the world as evil and resolving in one's mind and heart not to let that spirit take control again. In the example above, spiritually there is no need for repentence, but socially it leads to some healing of the victim or victim's family. But the effects of an act can not be cancelled. Somebody has to pay for the damages to the society. So physically repentence does not cancel anything except one's own spirit in that act manifested as his/her intent, as in the case of a premeditated murder, as opposed to self defence. Even then there is no gaurantee that similar spirit of harming others can not manifest in some other evil act. So, I think repentencve has some effect on the individual, case by case. After several cases of repentence the person might develop a general resistence to do evil, but I dont think once repented all would be well.

I believe God fogives under His spiritual laws, which is the process described above. One such law from the scripture is ":as you sow so shall you reap", which I believe means that every spirit that forms the basis of an act must be paid back spiritually. Repentence makes such pay back possible in one's self, but not to the society for it's physical or psychological damages.

Answer 2

Yes,repentance can cancel out your sins. Because God is a forgiving God. But your repentance can't be temporary it has to really come from the heart and know that you are truely sorry for making an error. Sins are cancelled out because the bible states "Cast them in the sea of forgetfullness to remember no more" so once you FULLY repent God no longer remembers your sins.

Answer 3

In the bible somewhere it says something along these lines: If we repent our sins He is faithful and just to forgive.
I think it is very clearly biblical to say that if we repent our sins we are forgiven. The act of repentance is turning from your wrong ways and agreeing with God that yes, that behavior was unacceptable, and you want not todo it again.

Repentance and acceptance of Jesus is like starting your life over. Trying, falling, and repenting and trying again forever. The mercy of God will not leave you.

Answer 4

Yes repentance cancels all sins if and only if you repent directly to God and to the person you have sinned.

Answer 5

No repentance does not cancel sin. Jesus Christ was the only thing that cancel out sin when he shed his blood and died on the cross. You should repent of your sin, not because it cancels that sin out but to show your humbleness, that you are weak and have fallen short of the Glory of God

Answer 6

I am a sinner like everybody else, I often lecture myself on my self indulgence when it comes to granting myself sins to commit. Not very strong from a woman who's survived just about everything "As the World turns, and ""Bold and the Beautiful" can throw at you from theTV. I remember being sneaky, a liar, a cheat and unforgiving in my younger days. I suffered a lot of abuse ever since I was a child, but I don't for one second believe it is an excuse for turning out as a bad person. I used to be envious of other people who had more than I.... God had his revenge with me by making me inifferent towards worldly goods.... (I had to run away on numerous occasion leaving everything I owned behind, rendering my homeless again for the time being) . I may serve Creation in any way I can in my Crown Years, which have just begun. Answering questions about lifes important personal issues as truthfull as I know how, is one of the greater rewards I find on my Path nowadays...
A lot of sins, I cannot make up for anymore, because the ties have broken and the people lost over time. I cannot repay them or stop the pain I caused in many cases.
What I can do, is simple but effective... I treat other people, the way I would like to be treated myself... Not a warranty that I will not sin anymore, but a positive path leading to a positive outcome of my Life in the Supererogatory of Life. Katholicism wanted people to believe, that confession followe by a number of Our Fathers and Hail marys would render you free.... Think for once, Is it worth it?

Answer 7

OK i can answer this only if you:
1. define a "sin"
2. define "repentance "
3. and define "cancel out "
These word have no GENERAL meaning accepted by everyone.

Answer 8

Sins don't get cancelled and repetence is like writting I Was A Bad Girl 200 times on the black board.

It's going to be about how you live, you you conduct your life, what's in your heart, what you do that is genuine and who you follow.

Follow God and Jesus not false prophets claiming to represent them or some higher value or saying they speak for them.

There is said to be a book of life and God decides who goes into the book.

Answer 9

A death bed repentence to cancel out the 6 million jews you slaughtered, assuming you were Hitler (hypothetically speaking)...hmmmm

My question is: are you stuck with the clothes you are buried in for all eternity...now that would be hell.

Answer 10

No. It may eventually comfort those you have hurt but once a thing is done that's it. Recognizing our own mistakes is important, specially if this is a lesson to remember and if we avoid to do the same mistakes in the future. As agnostic it's particularly difficult for me to understand the concept of confession followed by "divine" forgiveness in some religions. The way I see it, nothing can erase our mistakes. Live lesson to be taken from this: don't hurt anyone. Ever!