The Bible says “though the righteous fall …they rise again” (Proverbs 24:16). Believing in the atoning blood of Jesus Christ makes us righteous in the sight of God (1 Corinthians 1:30; Hebrews 10:10). But it is not God’s will that we fall into sin again. However, if we are born-again children of God who fall into sin and return to God, He will enable us to rise again.
The Bible tells us about a “prodigal son” who fell deeply into sin and his father helped him to rise again.The son had a desire for the sinful things of the world. Hence, he asked his father for his inheritance so that he could go away from home to seek the pleasures of the world. The father realized his son’s attraction to the world would not allow him to remain at home. Thus, the father gave him his inheritance, allowing him to go out into the world. When the prodigal son went into the world, he wasted his inheritance on “riotous living” (Luke 11:32).
After the son had blown all his inheritance on prostitutes and other sinful things of the world and was in despair, he realizes his deep state of sin. He had a longing for home, but wondered how he would be received if he went back home. However, his destitution prompted him to go home. When he arrived home, he said, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son” (verse 21). His father responded with a celebration of love and forgiveness, saying, “this son of mine was dead and is alive again.” (verse 24).
The Scripture informs us of a godly king who fell deeply into sin and was restored to favor with God. King David was called a man after God’s own heart. He had many wives; but he lusted for the wife of a man who had only one wife. The King used his position of power to summon the man’s wife to his bed so he could he could pleasure himself with her. After David committed adultery with Bathsheba and discovered she was pregnant with his child, he arranged for her husband to be killed.
God sent his prophet Nathan to confront King David with the details of his dire sins against God. David, quickly acknowledged his sins and repented. The Lord forgave David for his sins and restored him to favor with God. (2 Samuel 11:2-14; 12:10-13).
God is willing to forgives us and restores us to his favor no matter how deeply we fall into sin, if we return to him.Nevertheless, we should recognize that all sin is wrong in the eyes of God, whether we consider it shallow or deep; and it is not God’s will that any of us sin (James 2:10). We should not sin just because we know God will forgive us. Our love for him ought to cause us to want to please him. It ought to cause us to seek his help to resist the devil and not to sin against the Lord (James 4:7).
Yet, if we fall into sin, we should not let the devil lay a guilt trip on us that would keep us from coming back to the Lord for his pardoning (Isaiah 55:7). God will forgive all manner of sin because of the atoning blood of Jesus Christ (Matthew 12:31). Due to the sacrifice of God’s only begotten Son, if we repent and confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us for all of our unrighteousness, causing us to rise again. (John 3:16; 1 John 1:9).
