7 Questions God Isn't Afraid Of: Question 7 - Does God Still Love Me When I Keep Sinning?
You have confessed it before. You meant it. You told God you were finished with it, and at the time, you believed you were. Then you did it again, and now you are sitting in the same place you were sitting the last time, trying to find words for a prayer that you are embarrassed to pray one more time.
Somewhere in that moment, the question arrives. Does God still love me when I keep sinning? It’s not the first time I came to Him with this. It’s not even the tenth time. It’s this time.
If that is where you are, this question is for you. It is Question Seven, and it is the last question in our series, 7 Questions God Isn't Afraid Of.
Let me give you the answer up front, because this is not a question that should be left hanging. Yes, God still loves you. His love was never earned by your performance, and He does not stop loving His children when they stumble. But His love never leaves us comfortable in the sin that is harming us.
I also want to be honest with you about another important point regarding God’s love. If I didn’t mention it, I would not be telling the whole truth. And here it is: God’s love never gives us permission to continue comfortably in sin.
The same grace that receives you when you sin is the grace that teaches you to stop sinning. If all you take from this today is that God loves you no matter what you do, you will have heard something true, but you will not have heard the whole Gospel. The Gospel does not leave us where it finds us.
God’s Love Was Never Something You Earned
If God's love for you was ever based on the record of what you have done, then your record would be the thing holding you where you are. However, Scripture removes that idea entirely.
When God explained to Israel why He had chosen them, He did not point to anything they had done. "The LORD did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any other people, for you were the least of all peoples; but because the LORD loves you, and because He would keep the oath which He swore to your fathers" (Deuteronomy 7:7-8). Notice the reason God gives for loving them. He loves them just because He loves them. The explanation of His love is found in His character, not in their qualifications.
Paul says the same thing about us, and he says it in the clearest terms possible. "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8). Read that verse again slowly. Christ did not die for you after you had cleaned yourself up. He died for you while you were still in the very condition you are ashamed of right now. Your best day was not what moved Him, and your worst day did not surprise Him.
John puts it this way: "In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins" (1 John 4:10). God’s love always came first.
Also, through Jeremiah, God tells His people, "Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you" (Jeremiah 31:3). An everlasting love has no beginning that depended on you, and no ending that depends on you either. God’s love for us just exists, it always has and it always will.
You Are Not the First One to Need Mercy Again
The Bible does not hide the sins of the people God used. It records them in detail, and then it records what God did afterward.
Peter did not fail in the background where no one could see him. In fact, he stood in front of everyone and declared, "Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You!" (Matthew 26:35). Hours later he denied Jesus three times, the last time with cursing and swearing (Matthew 26:74). Luke tells us that "the Lord turned and looked at Peter" (Luke 22:61), and Peter went out and wept bitterly.
This is what I want you to see. Before any of that happened, Jesus told Peter, "But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren" (Luke 22:32). Jesus said when, not if. Jesus knew exactly what Peter was about to do. He had already prayed for him and then spoke about Peter's usefulness when he returned.
Then came the morning on the shore. Jesus asked Peter three times, "Do you love Me?" and three times He gave him back his assignment: "Feed My lambs ... Tend My sheep ... Feed My sheep" (John 21:15-17). Peter denied Him three times, and Jesus restored him three times. Notice that Jesus did not minimize Peter's calling to match his sins. He restored him to it.
David is the other one we cannot skip. After his sin with Bathsheba and the death of Uriah, David did not minimize what he had done. He wrote, "Against You, You only, have I sinned, and done this evil in Your sight" (Psalm 51:4). He asked God to "create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me" (Psalm 51:10). Then he said something that every person carrying shame needs to read: "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart, these, O God, You will not despise" (Psalm 51:17).
“You will not despise.” God does not look at a broken and honest heart with disgust. He never has. There were real consequences in David's life, and Scripture does not pretend otherwise. Forgiveness and consequences are not the same thing. The important thing to remember is that God did not discard David for what he did. God used him in a mighty way.
Sinning Is Not the Same as Walking Away
In Question Six we looked at the difference between honest doubt and hardened unbelief. There is a parallel distinction here, and it is just as important.
John writes to believers and says clearly, "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:8-9). John is writing to Christians. He assumes we will have sin to confess and tells us what to do with it.
John also says in that same letter, "Whoever has been born of God does not sin" (1 John 3:9). Many sincere believers read that verse and think they have failed. John is not contradicting what he said earlier about believers confessing their sins. In the larger context of the letter, he is describing a life no longer characterized and governed by sin. A Christian may fall into sin, but sin is no longer permitted to hold the position of master in the life of someone born of God.
I want to address one more verse, because it has frightened a lot of tender-hearted people. "For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins" (Hebrews 10:26). In its context, Hebrews is warning about deliberately rejecting Christ and turning away from the only sacrifice that can save. It is not describing the believer who has fallen into sin, is grieved by it, and is returning to Christ for mercy. Your concern should not drive you into despair. It should drive you back to the Savior whose sacrifice is sufficient.
The question is not simply whether you sinned. It is which direction you are facing afterward. Are you moving toward Jesus with it, or walking away from Him?
Repentance Is Not the Same as Regret
Two men in the Gospels failed Jesus in the same week. Both of them felt terrible about it. Only one of them was restored.
Judas betrayed Jesus. Matthew tells us he "was remorseful and brought back the thirty pieces of silver" (Matthew 27:3). I believe that Judas felt the weight of what he had done. He said out loud, "I have sinned by betraying innocent blood" (Matthew 27:4). After that, he went and hanged himself. His sorrow was real, but rather than turn back to Christ, he moved away from Him.
Peter denied Jesus three times and then wept bitterly. The difference is that he went back to Jesus. He was in the room with the others. He ran to the tomb. He stood on the shore. Weeks later he was preaching Christ to thousands of people.
Paul explains the difference between the two examples: "For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death" (2 Corinthians 7:10). Godly sorrow moves you toward God and produces change. Worldly sorrow spins in place, punishes you, and eventually convinces you that there is no point in going back.
The feeling of being sorry is not the test. The direction it moves you in is the test. If your sin is driving you to your knees and back into God’s Word, that is not the mark of someone God has given up on. That is the Spirit of God working in you.
But Does God Still Love Me When I Keep Sinning?
This is usually the real question sitting underneath the other one. It’s not "will God forgive my sin," it’s "will God forgive this sin… again?”
Peter asked Jesus a version of this. "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?" Jesus answered, "I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven" (Matthew 18:21-22). Jesus was not handing out a number to count to. He was saying that forgiveness is not something we should ration. In other words, there is no limit to the number of times we should forgive.
Now consider what that tells us about the One who gave the command. If Jesus commands His people to forgive without keeping a tally, we can be certain that His own mercy is not smaller than the mercy He requires of us. We never need to fear that a repentant heart will discover that Christ is unwilling to forgive.
John writes, "My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous" (1 John 2:1). Look at both parts of that verse. The goal is that you would not sin. The provision is that when you do, you have an Advocate in Jesus Christ.
Jeremiah wrote in the middle of the worst season of his life, "Through the LORD's mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness" (Lamentations 3:22-23). God’s mercies are new every morning. They are not rationed, running low, or thinner today than they were the first time you came to Him.
I do want to say one practical thing here, because grace is not passive. If you keep landing in the same place, the answer is not only to confess it again and hope for a different result next time. You have to take the fight seriously. That means removing whatever gives that sin easy access to you.
You can tell one trustworthy believer about it and ask them to check on you. James tells us to "confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed" (James 5:16). Surround yourself with God's people instead of isolating yourself. Hebrews 10:25 warns us not to forsake "the assembling of ourselves together." Fill your mind and your heart with the Word of God so you have something to answer with when the desire to repeat a particular sin arises.
Remember, repentance means turning away from sin, and that change of heart must eventually produce a change of direction.
Grace Is Not Permission
Again, I would be doing you harm if I stopped without elaborating on this part.
Paul anticipated the misuse of grace. In Romans 6:1-2 he addresses this very thing: "What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?" Paul also wrote to Titus that grace does something active in us: "For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age" (Titus 2:11-12).
The grace of God is meant to teach us. It is not a loophole for treating sin casually. Anyone using God's forgiveness as a reason to go on sinning without any conflict about it has reason to be concerned rather than comforted.
I want you to read this carefully: The fact that your sin grieves you and causes you to desire freedom is important. Grief alone is not repentance, but when it moves you toward confession, obedience, and practical change, it is evidence that God is working within you. "For it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure" (Philippians 2:13).
Hebrews even tells us that the Lord's correction is proof of belonging to Him rather than proof of rejection: "For whom the LORD loves He chastens, and scourges every son whom He receives" (Hebrews 12:6). God’s correction is not evidence that He has rejected His children. Hebrews tells us that His discipline of us is one expression of His fatherly love.
The Lie Hiding Inside the Sin
Remember how this whole series started. The serpent came to Eve with a question: "Has God indeed said...?" (Genesis 3:1). He began by making her unsure of what God had said. Then he went one step further and attacked God's character directly: "You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil" (Genesis 3:4-5). In other words, he wanted Eve to believe that God was holding out and not as good as He claims to be.
Seven questions later, the enemy is still working those same two angles. First, he tries to make you unsure of what God said. When that does not work, he tries to make you unsure of who God is and how He feels toward you.
Scripture calls Satan "the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night" (Revelation 12:10). Did you catch that? He accuses day and night. This is the voice that shows up after you sin, and it never once brings you to the cross. It only ever brings you the list of things you’ve done wrong.
When that voice comes to you, answer it the way Jesus answered the enemy in the wilderness. Answer with what is written.
It is written that "there is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus" (Romans 8:1).
It is written that "if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9).
It is written that "as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us" (Psalm 103:12).
It is written that He "is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them" (Hebrews 7:25).
It is written that “neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38-39).
Read those last two verses from Romans again. No power in creation is strong enough to tear God’s people away from His love in Christ. Your sin must be confessed and forsaken, but you do not defeat sin by running from the One who loves you. You overcome it by returning to Christ, receiving His mercy, and walking in the power of His Spirit.
Where This Series Ends
We started this series with a question asked by the enemy in a garden, and we are ending it with a question asked by tired believers who feel as if they are in darkness. This is not by accident. Every one of these questions has been the same fight wearing a different set of clothing.
Can I really trust the Bible? Why does God allow suffering? Why does God feel silent when I need Him most? Am I hearing God, the enemy, or just me? Is it a sin to doubt? Does God still love me when I keep sinning? Underneath all of these questions sits the very first question ever asked about God, and the answer to every one of them has come from the same place and that’s not in how we feel on a given morning, but from what God has actually said Himself.
God is not afraid of your questions, He never was. He answers them, He corrects what needs correcting, and He does not walk away from the person who keeps bringing them to Him. So, bring Him this one too. Bring Him the sin you are tired of confessing. Do not clean it up first, and do not wait until you feel worthy, because that day is not coming and it was never a requirement. Come as you are, confess honestly, receive the forgiveness He has promised, and then get back up and keep walking.
"Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, to God our Savior, who alone is wise, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever. Amen" (Jude 24-25).
God is able to keep you. And on the day you stand before Him, you will not be standing there in the garments you are ashamed of today. He will have already taken them from you. Rest in that and seek Him. God has not moved away from you. Draw near to Him, and He will draw near to you.
This Week's Question Sheet
Reference Sheet 7, "Does God Still Love Me When I Keep Sinning?" is ready for you. This sheet lays out the difference between repentance and regret, walks through what happened to Peter and to Judas side by side, and gives you the verses to answer the accuser with the next time he shows up carrying your list.
This is the last sheet in the set, which means the complete collection of all seven is now waiting on the sheets web page. If you are already signed up, you can find the reference sheet there. If you are not, you can grab the whole reference sheet set by filling out the information below:
This week we learned that repeated sin does not cancel the love of God, and that His grace will not leave us where it finds us. And with that, this series comes to a close.
Seven weeks ago we started with a question asked in a garden, and we have spent every week since on the questions that still get asked in kitchens and cars and at two o'clock in the morning.
If you are new here, start with Question 1 and work your way through. If you have been with me since the start, all seven reference sheets are now waiting for you on one page.
Keep them somewhere you will find them again, because these questions have a way of coming back, and the answers do not change when they do.
Blessings,
Amy
I would love to hear from you. When have you gone back to God with the same thing again and found Him merciful? Share it in the comments below. Someone reading is deciding right now whether it is worth going back to Him, and your story may be the thing that settles it.
