A Christian author writes: ‘Sometimes people are afraid that if they don’t change fast enough, God will get impatient with them. They don’t generally use these words, but they wonder, “How much sin can there be in my life before I need to start worrying? Is there a level of sin that is acceptable for a Christian, and if you go beyond it, you’re in danger – like with the level of mercury in Lake Michigan? Is there a limit to impurity, such as the Food and Drug Administration has? Is the standard high like that for homogenised milk, or is it like the standard of purity required for hot dogs, with lots of room for junk? Is it possible to be a Christian and just never grow?” The issue is not whether God will get tired of forgiving our sins. Forgiving is always the right response to sincere repentance. God is not worried that He might be taken advantage of.’

The danger isn’t that God won’t respond to our honest repentance. The danger is that we might become so trapped in the dangerous thoughts sin inevitably produces that we become callous, complacent, and simply unable to repent! It’s because of this that sin must be taken seriously.

Missionary Frank Laubach preached the gospel to a tribe that had a lengthy history of bloodshed. The chief was so moved, he repented and accepted Christ on the spot. Then he turned to Laubach in appreciation and said, ‘This is wonderful! Who do you want me to kill for you?’ That was his beginning point. Only God knows what everyone’s beginning point is. What’s yours?