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Will God forgive "premeditated" sins?

    If a person does not lose his salvation, then obviously when he sins, he gets chastened. But what about a scenario when a person premeditates a sin... and right after, asks for forgiveness. Would the Lord still forgive that sin? And what about a time when people sin, knowing that they can ask for forgiveness later? What about that too? Thank you so much.

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   I John 1:9 says, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." There is no sin which God cannot forgive, except the sin of unbelief in His Son. John 3:16-18 says, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but HE THAT BELIEVETH NOT IS CONDEMNED ALREADY, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." To never repent of the sin of unbelief, is to die and go to hell.

    When it comes down to it, every sin is "premeditated," because the mind makes the decision to sin, and then the body commits the sin. Consider the very first sin. Genesis 3:6 shows that the sin was premeditated before it was committed. "And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat." Eve "thought" about the sin and weighed whether to do it in her mind, before she ever actually did it.

    And, of course, some sins are just committed in the mind, and never carried out by the body. Isaiah 55:7 says, "Let the wicked forsake HIS WAY, and the unrighteous man HIS THOUGHTS: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon." Jesus also made it clear that it is sin just to THINK about the pleasures of sin. Matthew 5:27,28 says, "Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart." So just to premeditate a sin, is sin in itself.

    The question then becomes, "Is a sin considered to be ‘worse’ that has been premeditated for one week, as opposed to a sin that has only been thought about for 5 seconds before committing?" All "sin" is "sin," and is wrong, and is against God. But God does clearly tell us that some sins are more wicked and grievous and vile than others. I John 5:16,17 says, "If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. THERE IS A SIN UNTO DEATH: I do not say that he shall pray for it. ALL UNRIGHTEOUSNESS IS SIN: and THERE IS A SIN NOT UNTO DEATH." So to answer the question, "Yes, the longer a person premeditates a sin, the worse it is, because he is sinning longer in his mind. Also, he has had more time to consider the consequences of his sin, and has still gone ahead and committed it anyway, in outright rebellion."

    Can God forgive immorality? Yes, and David is but one example. II Samuel 11:2-4 says, "And it came to pass in an eveningtide, that David arose from off his bed, and walked upon the roof of the king's house: and from the roof he saw a woman washing herself; and the woman was very beautiful to look upon. And David sent and inquired after the woman. And one said, Is not this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite? And David sent messengers, and took her; and she came in unto him, and he lay with her; for she was purified from her uncleanness: and she returned unto her house." Notice what happened when David confessed his sin in II Samuel 12:13, "And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the LORD. And Nathan said unto David, The LORD also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die." God forgave David, and put away his sin. But lest one think that there are no consequences to such sins, a person need only read on a little further.

    II Samuel 12:14,15 says, "Howbeit, because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme, the child also that is born unto thee shall surely die. And Nathan departed unto his house. And the LORD struck the child that Uriah's wife bare unto David, and it was very sick." One of the hardest things in life that some parents are called upon to endure, is the death of one of their children. It is a terrible heart-wrenching thing to experience — and almost enough to make a parent go out of his mind, if it was his sin/mistake that killed his child.

    But that was not the only consequences to David’s sin. II Samuel 12:9-12 says, "Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the LORD, to do evil in his sight? thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon. Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house; because thou hast despised me, and hast taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife. Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house, and I will take thy wives before thine eyes, and give them unto thy neighbour, and he shall lie with thy wives in the sight of this sun. For thou didst it secretly: but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun."

    Because of David’s sin, he would reap immoral sins in his own family that would break his heart. II Samuel 13 is a terrible story to have to read. The story of rape and incest in David’s own family by one of his sons. Thus, his own wretched sin would come back to haunt him.

    Then there would be murder in his own family, as one of his sons would rise up against another in II Samuel 13. Then that son of his would end up plotting David’s own death, and would try and take over the throne, in II Samuel 15. When that son is put to death by the general of his army, listen to what David says in II Samuel 18:33, "33 And the king was much moved, and went up to the chamber over the gate, and wept: and as he went, thus he said, O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! WOULD GOD I HAD DIED FOR THEE, O Absalom, my son, my son!" David was no doubt referring back to his own sin, in part, wishing that he had died after his own sin, rather than being spared, and having to see how it affected his own children.

    If a person's life is of continual sin with no chastisement, then that person is not really saved at all. Hebrews 12:6-8 says, "For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons."

    Never think that a person gets off lightly when he/she premeditates a sin. Will God forgive them? Yes. But the consequences of our sin can be literally devastating to us for the rest of our lives. The CONSEQUENCES of our sin are always greater than the PLEASURES of our sin. Hebrews 10:30,31 says, "For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God."

    Did God forgive Paul of his sin of persecuting and joining in with his voice to kill Christians? Yes, God forgave him, but Paul suffered more than any of the other apostles, because of his sin. II Corinthians 11:24-27 says, "Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep; In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness." Those were the same things that he had inflicted upon Christians, and that was exactly what he reaped in his life. Remember what God told Ananias? Acts 9:10-16 says, "And there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias; and to him said the Lord in a vision, Ananias. And he said, Behold, I am here, Lord. And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the street which is called Straight, and inquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul, of Tarsus: for, behold, he prayeth, And hath seen in a vision a man named Ananias coming in, and putting his hand on him, that he might receive his sight. Then Ananias answered, LORD, I HAVE HEARD BY MANY OF THIS MAN, HOW MUCH EVIL HE HATH DONE TO THY SAINTS at Jerusalem: And here he hath authority from the chief priests to bind all that call on thy name. But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel: FOR I WILL SHOW HIM HOW GREAT THINGS HE MUST SUFFER FOR MY NAME’S SAKE." Once again, did God forgive Paul of his sin of persecuting and joining in with his voice to kill Christians? Yes, God forgave him, but Paul suffered more than any of the other apostles, because of his sin.

    Remember, the CONSEQUENCES of our sin are always greater than the PLEASURES of our sin. Now that is something on which to meditate.

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