You CAN game Christian morality

[emilynghiem]

So, according to the Bible, there is only one unforgivable sin (blaspheming the Holy Spirit). That tautologically means that every other sin is forgivable. So, if I have a moment of weakness and sin, I can ask for forgiveness and repent. Christians will agree with that statement; it's part and parcel to their world view. Now, if I plan to sin knowing that I can ask for forgiveness later, sin, and then ask for forgiveness, the very act of planning to game the system is a forgivable sin. When I ask for forgiveness, all I have to do is apologize both for the sin and for planning to game the system.

Hi RobbyPants
1. if you fake the repentance and the forgiveness, then you still suffer worse consequences. Only if this forgiveness is real does it stop the damage caused from incurring more "debt" or additional weight of sin/karma.

2. the unforgiveable sin is "unforgiveness" so again faking forgiveness is still unforgiveness. if you don't fully repent and don't incure full forgiveness yet, the wrongs can't be corrected yet. only by fully agreeing to invoke forgiveness can God's will enter the situation or relationship and right the wrongs.

Now that is just the spiritual level

3. for the natural level, whatever wrongs you do still have to be remedied by natural and civil/secular laws also laws of science. So if you damage the planet you are still responsible for fixing the degree of damage you cause. forgiveness doesn't mean your physical debts are erased, unless those are forgiven by the people affected. most people require restitution.

So you can be forgiven on the spiritual level of God
and still have PROPORTIONAL debts and damages to face on the natural level to make good with your relations with your neighbor in Christ.

The best symbolism and explanation I've ever heard for this
was from the Lutheran pastor near the university where I graduated.

He said the long vertical bar of the Cross stands for our relationships with God, with Jesus in the center, and there Grace is freely given; there is nothing we can do to EARN the forgiveness we are granted unconditionally. We ask and we receive.

(my notes: And this asking step is done by agreeing to ask for help with Forgiveness, that must be actively consciously and freely chosen, and it can't be faked or it's not real.)

the horizontal bar of the Cross represents man's relationships between neighbors with Jesus in the middle, again as mediator. now here, with the natural laws governing man's relations in society, you may have to EARN the forgiveness of your neighbor. you may have to WORK to pay debts or serve restitution to restore the good faith relations and establish justice.

So people need to know these two are not interchangeable.
just because God forgives you unconditionally by spiritual laws,
doesn't mean you can do whatever you want to harm yourself or your relations with others. even if you harm your relationship with God that affects your integrity and lessens your authority and consistency when enforcing truth and justice with others. so the more consistent you are, the more consistent the authority to enforce justice on both levels where Jesus represents Perfect Justice, joining God and man.