How Do I Repent of Something I Keep Doing? Is Mental Illness a Sin?

So, let me start with this first point, “How do I repent of something I keep doing?” So that’s a really good question. If we have Jesus in us and the Holy Spirit working in us, we should allow Him to convict us and correct us as we fall into sin. And yet, there can be this time where we fall into the cycle of sin, and it’s hard to pull ourselves out of it, whether it’s addiction or just repeating it over and over again.

And what I love to fall back onto is in Romans Chapter 6:11. And this is a truth for you to really memorize and put into your life, especially when you’re tempted to fall back into another sin. 

Romans Chapter 6:11 NLV says: 

“Likewise, you also reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Addressing Repeated Sin

Paul uses very specific language in Verse 11. He says you should “reckon yourselves to be dead to sin–” This word “reckon” can also be translated as counting it or calculating it. It’s essentially a mathematical term where Paul is saying, “Hey, if you are a believer in Jesus Christ, you’ve been forgiven and redeemed and saved by Him. This is the truth, this is the fact, this is the mathematical equation that you are dead to sin. That is your old life; that is your old man,” as he would say.

We must remember that we have a new nature in Jesus Christ. The old is gone, everything has become new, and He’s paid the penalty for you on the cross. And so, you have the power in Jesus Christ, through the power of the Holy Spirit, to turn away from sin even though you keep on repeating it over and over again. 

You have to tell yourself and remind yourself of who you really are in Christ, that you are actually dead to sin. That sin has no control or power over you. You can be an overcomer of that in the Holy Spirit.

And then he says, “Not only are you dead to sin, but you’re alive to God in Christ Jesus.” This is an awesome promise for us to hold on to: You’re alive in Christ Jesus; you’re alive in God. And because you’re alive, you can have victory over sin, the sin that so easily trips us up and ensnares us.

I want you to hold onto that and put that in your mind and heart and memorize this as your identity. You’re no longer a slave to sin, but a child of God.

With repentance, the word “repent” literally means to turn 180 degrees in a different direction. So, if you say you keep repenting, but you fall back into that sin over and over again, I would challenge you if this is true repentance. 

Repentance has to have fruits or results or action. You have to turn away. It’s not just saying “I’m sorry” or having regret over what you did, but it’s actually turning in a different direction and going in a new course of life. And so, again, you’re alive in God. You have the power to turn away from that and you can go forward in that.

I hope that answers the first part of this question. 

Is Mental Illness a Sin

The 2nd part is “Is mental illness a sin?” Maybe this even ties in if you’re struggling with mental illness and you keep falling into something, into sin because of a mental illness, maybe that’s part of the question. 

But to just address this piece, “Is mental illness a sin?” It is definitely not a sin at all to have a mental illness. Think of a physical illness, cancer, or whatever you would think of, any type of physical disease that we can carry. We don’t classify that as sin at all. 

We live in a body that is in a world and creation that’s falling apart because of sin. And so, our bodies and sometimes even our minds don’t work fully as they were created and intended to do because of sickness and illness.

So, there’s no condemnation; there’s no judgment; there should be no guilt with mental illness. And so, with mental illness, you want to get the help that you need. 

You want to seek professional help, and you want to have godly people in your life who are encouraging you and pointing you back to the Lord. Then, you still want to take ownership of how you behave and what you say. We never want to use sicknesses, whether mental or physical, to excuse sinful behavior.

Embracing God’s Grace

I hope that kind of answers it. Just hold onto the grace of God. God’s grace wants to cover you; whether it’s a mental illness you’re dealing with or a repeated sin you keep falling into as you run back to the cross. His grace is sufficient to strengthen us, to forgive us, and to help us move forward in all of these things.

God bless you, guys. I hope that helps a little bit.

source https://calvaryyouth.org/biblical-answers/overcoming-repeated-sin-and-understanding-mental-illness/