When we fall short and commit a sin, whether willful or not, we put distance between ourselves and God. The Lord hates sin and if we die without repenting from the sins we commit, we will not make it to heaven. Therefore it is important that we repent daily to get right with God. When we commit a sin willfully, we know it. We know it is wrong before we do it. This type of sin takes us out of God's grace which is used to cover sins that we unknowingly commit and puts us into a judgement of death.

Acts 6:1,2 -- "What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?"

1 Peter 4:18 -- "And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?"

Hebrews 10:38 -- "Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him."

Ok, so now you've commited the sin. What now? Well, if you die before you repent you will die an unrepentant sinner. That is exactly what Satan wants you to do. He wins, game over(for you), next victum. When you sin, Satan causes feelings to flare up inside you. Some are subtle, some are very apparent. But they all all designed to discourage you from repenting from the sin you just commited. Here are a few you should be aware of:

• Pride/Shame -- you can't repent because what you did might get out and you or your family might get embarrassed over it.
• Stubborness -- you won't repent because you think Pastor is telling you what to do or how to live your life.
• Selfishness -- you would rather do that sin that feels so good than do what you know is right and best for yourself and those around you.
• Hate -- You don't like the person you sinned against and won't repent because you dislike so much what they might have said or done to you.

The devil puts these on us to keep us in a sinful unrepentant state and to cause us to commit even more sins. But you do not have to stay sinful. You can repent and draw close to God. Jesus' take of the situation is, you make a mistake, do something wrong..... ask forgiveness, repent and sin no more and I will give you everlasting life in heaven. Simple? Yes it is.

There are two keys here. One is to repent before you die, so that when you are judged, your slate will be clean. You don't know when that time will come, so you better do it now. The other thing is to not keep repeating the same sins. If you committ the same sin week after week, you have not repented. Truly repenting involves changing. Change the way you think, if what you think about is sinful. Change the things you like, if what you like is sinful. Sin no more is not an option (read Acts above).

Loose the pride and shame and do the right thing and repent. It is better to face embarrassment and receive eternal life than keep your reputation and receive eternal hellfire. Prov 16:18 "Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall."

Stop being stubborn! It is better to give in, than be broken and God will break you of your habits if necessary. Better to go willingly into heaven, than stubbornly into hell. Don't let a stubborn spirit keep you or your children out of heaven.

Selfishness impairs your judgment. If you only do what you think is good for you, you can't entertain an alternative solution or action. You only see yourself. Which means you do not see God or the things he wants to be done.

God is love. The greatest command is to love others. Jesus said his followers would be known by what? The love they have among themselves. If you hate someone, you are out of line with God. Hate what they did, but do not hate the person. Love is a fruit of the spirit, hate is a spirit of the devil.

What happens between sin and forgiveness? Hopefully only the few moments it takes to go to God in prayer and ask for forgiveness. But sadly, for many people time, more sins, and worse troubles come between sin and forgiveness. They have let some of the above spirits from the devil keep them from repenting. Don't let hours, days, weeks or years go by without repenting from a sin.

If there is a sin in your past that you have not repented from, repent now before it is too late. God will forgive you, no matter what you have done, no matter how many times you did it, how low you stooped or how high you thought you were. You never know when you time on this earth will be up. You do not want to be caught with sin on your breath or in your heart. So please search your heart and cleanse it with a prayer of repentance and forgiveness to Jesus.

Romans 2:2,5-8 -- "But we are sure that the judgmentof God is according to truth against them which commit such things. But after thy hardness and inpenitent (unrepentant) heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; Who will render to every man according to his deeds; To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, enternal life: But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath.

Don't let a lot of time pass between the moment you sin and when you ask for forgiveness. Jesus is there with open arms, waiting for you to come back to him. Reach out and grab his hand. Drop the pride in your right hand, the stubborness in your left and let them fall to the ground. Take the shame and selfishness out of your back pocket toss it in the air. Loose the hate in your shirt pocket and stop trying to find it. Turn to Jesus. Ask for forgiveness. Repent and sin no more. You are precious in his sight, no matter what you have done or how often you did it.

So what happens between sin and forgiveness? Repentance!!.....Go to God right away, pray and sin no more.

Minister Kurt Reece-Peeplez, author of "Letters In Search of Deliverance", helps you get closer to Jesus and build a stronger relationship with Him by getting rid of problems and situations that hinder your spiritual growth. You may reach Minister Kurt online at http://www.ministerkurt.org