What are the scriptures in the Bible about a christian backsliding into sin and wanting to repent and have a new relationship with God?

Sincerely,
A Fresh Start

Dear A Fresh Start,

There are several key verses that deal with backsliding and several more that deal with returning to God.  Heb 6:4-8 is the clearest passage on the danger of falling away from Christ.  Paul warns the Galatians about falling away (Gal 5:4), and the book of Hebrews says that we can fall away by drifting back into a life of sin (Heb 2:1).  If we return to old ways and faithless living after becoming christians, we have crucified Christ again (Heb 6:6).  Even Paul said that it was possible for him to become disqualified if he rejected christian living (1 Cor 9:27).

If someone falls away from Christ, they must repent and start living properly (Rev 2:5).  It is important to admit the sin and own up to our mistakes (1 Jn 1:9).  Christ is ready to forgive us innumerable times if we honestly seek Him (Matt 18:21-22).  As long as there is breath in our bodies, there is time to repent.  If you have fallen away, start over now and let today be your day of salvation (2 Cor 6:2).

My wife feels God is God, not Jesus is God.  She prays to God, not Jesus ands needs clarity on 3-is-1 and 1-is-3.  She feels Jesus is God's Son, not God.  She feels He came out of Mary's womb, was a baby in need of food, water, etc., and wasn't God.  Are there different beliefs among christians on this?

Sincerely,
Head Count

Dear Head Count,

There are different views on this topic – but only one correct Bible answer.  The Father is God… and Jesus is God, too.  There are three parts to the Godhead: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.  This is most easily seen in Matt 3:16-17.  When Jesus was baptized, the Father spoke from heaven, and the Holy Spirit descended as a dove.  Each of them is eternal (they were all at the creation – Gen. 1:1, Gen. 1:2, Col 1:15-17).  John 1:1 specifically says that Jesus is Deity.  Jesus is different than the Father, but He is part of the Godhead.  Jesus even said that He had always existed (Jhn 8:58).  The apostles worshipped Jesus as God (Jhn 20:28).

Jesus was God in the flesh (1 Tim 3:16).  In Jesus, we can see all the fullness of the Godhead (Col 2:9).  Jesus cried to the Father when He was on the cross because the Father was in heaven while Jesus was here suffering on earth (Mk 15:34).  The Scriptures clearly back up that Jesus is deity.

I heard someone teaching that we are little gods.  Is this true?

Sincerely,
Demi

Dear Demi,

We are not "little gods".  The Scriptures state that we are children of God (Jhn 1:12) and that we are sons of God (Gal 3:26), but that is very different from being deity ourselves.  Mankind was designed in the image of God (Gen 1:27), and we have souls that are eternal in nature (Eccl 3:21), but the Scriptures never state that we are god-like beings.  To be a god, you must have no beginning and no end (Ps 90:2).  Only the one, true God has always been and will always be (Heb 13:8).

Can you repeatedly ask God for forgiveness? I always tried to be a good person, however, things have changed.  I have been cursing and using God’s name in vain because I am so angry at God because what I have asked God for lately is not answered.

Sincerely,
Angry Again

Dear Angry Again,

There are two pieces to the puzzle of repetitive sins:

1. How many times can I ask for forgiveness for the same sin?
2. How do I remove this sin from my life, so I can start living without guilt, fear, and pain?

The answer to the first part is simple. You can ask for forgiveness an innumerable amount of times. Christ told Peter that we should forgive ‘seventy times seven’ (Matt 18:21-22). Paul was forgiven of his sins even after killing christians and actively persecuting the church (1 Tim 1:16). As often as we truly repent, God is ready to forgive (Lk 17:4). It is quite possible to truly repent of something and then find yourself doing that same thing not minutes later. It happens in arguments all the time! You say something mean, apologize, then find yourself upset again, and again use rash words. The repeating of the cycle is not necessarily an indication of false sorrow.

However, the second part deals with stopping this cycle. God will forgive you for stumbling again into the same sin, but only if you are truly attempting to change your mind. Paul reminds us that we are to do everything we can to flee from the slavery to sin (Rom 6:1-2, Rom 6:12-13). God is ready to forgive you ‘seventy times seven’ as you fight to defeat sin, but you must look yourself in the mirror and make sure you are taking the steps necessary to change your life.  In your case, you must ask yourself, “Am I ready to stop being angry with God?”  Are you ready to start trusting that when your life doesn’t turn out the way you hoped, that God has a better plan?

Are all curse words equally sinful (with the understanding that all sin is weighted equally), or is cursing that involves taking God's name in vain more offensive to God than others?  Is this considered blaspheming God?

Sincerely,
Clean Mouth

Dear Clean Mouth,

All cursing is corrupt speech, but using the Lord’s name in vain is corrupt speech and blasphemy.  Eph 4:29 tells us to avoid all corrupt speech.  We need to avoid any and all language that sounds filthy or derogatory – this would include all swear words.  However, using the Lord’s name in vain is corrupt and irreverent.  God tells us to revere Him (Heb 12:28).  All sin will equally send you to hell (Rom 6:23), but there is an attitude of disrespect behind using the Lord’s name in vain that is especially troublesome.  The word ‘blasphemy’ means ‘to speak evil of’.  When we use God’s name as a cuss word or exclamatory term, we demote Him in our minds from the lofty position He deserves.  All our speech needs to be both clean and reverent, so that God’s name is spoken well of amongst His people (1 Tim 6:1).