DOES GOD FORGIVE ALL WHO COME TO HIM TO CONFESS AND TO TURN FROM THEIR SINS?

Did He forgive all who repentantly came to Him during the Old Testament times? If He did, then we can certainly be assured that He would do no less after the sacrificial death of Jesus (1 Timothy 1:15; 1 John 1:9; Romans 10:12-13)

At first glance, it seems that He wouldn’t forgive all. Rather, it seems that some had crossed the line of no-return:

·       Therefore, thus says the LORD, “Behold, I am bringing disaster upon them that they cannot escape. Though they cry to me, I will not listen to them…Therefore do not pray for this people, or lift up a cry or prayer on their behalf, for I will not listen when they call to me in the time of their trouble.” (Jeremiah 11:11,14 ESV)

However, other verses indicate that the possibility of forgiveness through confession and repentance was always open, even to the worst sinner:

·       …“‘Return, faithless Israel, declares the LORD. I will not look on you in anger, for I am merciful, declares the LORD; I will not be angry forever. Only acknowledge your guilt, that you rebelled against the LORD your God and scattered your favors among foreigners under every green tree, and that you have not obeyed my voice, declares the LORD. Return, O faithless children, declares the LORD; for I am your master; I will take you, one from a city and two from a family, and I will bring you to Zion. (Jeremiah 3:12-14)

Other Prophets of Israel extended this same divine hope:

·       “And you, son of man, say to your people, The righteousness of the righteous shall not deliver him when he transgresses, and as for the wickedness of the wicked, he shall not fall by it when he turns from his wickedness, and the righteous shall not be able to live by his righteousness when he sins.” (Ezekiel 33:12; 2 Chronicles 7:14)

How then do we reconcile these seemingly contradictory verses? While, in certain circumstances, God would not relent of His promised punishment, He would forgive, as He had with David. King David paid a high price for his adultery with Bathsheba and the murder of her husband Uriah. However, God forgave David, and he remained the man “after God’s own heart.”

With this distinction in mind, we understand that God is commanding us to not pray for the material welfare of the unrepentant sinner:

·       The LORD said to me: “Do not pray for the welfare of this people. Though they fast, I will not hear their cry, and though they offer burnt offering and grain offering, I will not accept them. But I will consume them by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence.” (Jeremiah 14:11-12)

However, He did not tell Jeremiah to not pray that they would confess their sins and repent. Instead, He wants all sinners to come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9; 1 Timothy 2:4)

How then can we apply this distinction to the difficult NT verse that instructs us to not pray for those who have committed “sin unto death”?

·       If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he shall ask, and God will give him life—to those who commit sins that do not lead to death. There is sin that leads to death; I do not say that one should pray for that. All wrongdoing is sin, but there is sin that does not lead to death. We know that everyone who has been born of God does not keep on sinning, but he who was born of God protects him, and the evil one does not touch him. 1 John 5:16-18)

What is the “sin that leads to death?” From the context, it seems that it is not a matter of a single sin but a pattern of deliberate sin. And the “sin not leading to death?” These seem to be the sins for which we are ready to confess and repent. For these people, we should pray that they would continue to repent and to be blessed.

For those who deliberately sin and refuse to repent, we cannot pray for their benefit but only that they would have a change of heart and repent. I think that this principle also pertains to those who have committed the “unpardonable sin” (Matthew 12:31-32) of continually refusing to repent. Consequently, we should pray that they would repent. Our God is a merciful God!