How can repentance for our everyday sins lead to forgiveness? Repentance is not an 'easy way out' like a get-out-of-jail-free card. And doing bad things and planning to repent afterwards doesn't work, because that means you thought the things you were doing weren't really bad after all.
— @djclayworth earlier today (here)

We all do sins daily.
Lie, swear, watch pornography, use drugs, hurt people etc.
These sins are a part of many Christian's life.
Like the quote says, forgiveness does not work if you're planning to sin and then ask for forgiveness.
It would be hard to live without committing everyday sins, as we all do.
So does that mean no one can be forgiven?
Repentance = Changing

Repentance (μετανοεο 3340, a la Acts 2:38) involves a change of mind and heart. There's an implicit sincerity of heart when you do it. One cannot "plan on repenting later" because that's not what repentance is. It involves a rejection of the old way because you know it's wrong.

It doesn't mean that one never commits a sin that has been repented of, but it does mean that it cannot be committed again without incurring real and greater internal guilt.

If I told my friend that I had repented of hitting him and he forgave me, would I be free to hit him later when I got mad? What would he think? Could I punch him and not feel the pangs of guilt because I'm doing something that I know to be wrong and I'm betraying my own word to someone I love.

Jesus' Forgiveness is Continual


  1 John 1:7 (NASB)
  if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.


We have some assurance that Jesus will continually forgive us, but it requires something on our part in which we cannot in good conscience repeatedly commit the same sin and repent over and over.

God is Merciful ≠ We Have License to Sin

Just because God is merciful and is willing to forgive us when we confess and repent, that doesn't mean that a Christian can, in good conscience, continue sinning in the same fashion over and over.


  Romans 6:1 (NASB)
  Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? May it never be!


We are called to leave our sins behind.

In theory, I would say that tomorrow's sins ought to be different than today's. If we truly have repented of something, we cannot again do it without the damage to ourselves being greater. If I continue to do the same thing over and over again, I assert that I have not truly repented of it.