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Persons deeply troubled by a guilty conscience often fear that they have sinned too grievously for God to forgive and save them. Others, dominated by a carnal, calculating attitude, hope to sin to the limit and then come to Christ to escape the consequences. Thus with radically different motives, both ask, "Is it possible to sin beyond the point of being saved?"

God's ability to save is not limited by man's sinfulness. In fact, every person, before he accepts Jesus Christ as Savior, is in total rebellion against God, though sinfulness may not manifest itself with equal intensity in every person. The Apostle John taught believers, "If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and He is the propitiation (satisfaction) for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world" (I John 2:1-2). The Bible is filled with examples of people who received forgiveness for all manner of wickedness, for "the Lord's hand is not short that it cannot save" (Isaiah 59:1).God's boundless grace prompted Paul to exclaim, '' When sin increased, grace abounded all the more" (Romans 5:20). And Paul's personal testimony showed that God's redemptive purpose and power were not limited by man's sinfulness, thus encouraging those who feared they had sinned too grievously to be saved (1 Timothy 1:15-16).

While God's ability to save is boundless, the Bible clearly shows that there are certain conditions under which He will not save. For instance, God will not save those who neglect or despise Christ's sacrifice in an effort to find an alternate salvation plan. "For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins" (Hebrews 10:26). This warning pertains to those who "trample under foot the Son of God" and regard His blood as unclean (Hebrews 10:29). God the Father has appointed His Son's sacrifice as the sole way of salvation and will not grant salvation to those who seek it by any other means.

The book of Romans contains the most concentrated teaching on the subject of salvation to be found in the New Testament, and it begins with a panorama of man's sin. Those who rejected God's revelation concerning Himself and worshiped idols instead were given over by God to a more severe moral defilement (Romans 1:22-24). Those who worshiped man instead of God received equally severe punishment: "For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions," the result being rampant immorality and homosexuality (Romans 1:26-27). " And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper" (Romans 1:28)

Several conclusions can be drawn from these warnings. First, God actively punishes unconfessed sin not only after the sinner's death, but also during that person's life. Also, moral degradation is a punishment of God upon willful spiritual ignorance. Further, when God gives one over to a depraved mind, that person's sensitivity to sin is deadened and his chance for repentance thereby lessened. Yet, God does not violate man's freedom, forcing man to sin and then judging him for it. Rather, men in this state welcome more extreme degradation and actively embrace it; "Who being past feeling, have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness" (Ephesians 4:19). Consequently, Scripture state both that Pharaoh harden his heart against God, and that God hardened Pharaoh's heart (Exodus 8:32; 9:12).

The Holy Spirit convicts men of their sin and draws them to the Saviour (John 16:8-11; 3:5-6). Yet, at least once in history, God has punished iniquity by withdrawing His Spirit. Prior to the world-wide flood, God said "My Spirit will not strive with man forever," and then He appointed 120 years during which repentance could be made (Genesis 6:3). Instead of repenting, man used God's longsuffering as an occasion for further sin, and only Noah and his family were spared.

God has further declared that He will not forgive blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. "Therefore I say to you, any sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven you; but blasphemy against the Spirit shall not be forgiven" (Matthew 12:31).

If one's conscience is bothering him to the point that he feels he is too guilty for God to forgive, he has the assurance of God's Word that forgiveness is possible. The very fact that he is bothered by his sinfulness shows that the Holy Spirit has not abandoned him nor has God given him over to a depraved mind. The real danger arises, however, when one can continually violate God's law and never feel the slightest remorse over his rebellion. The Bible's warning should jolt the spiritually flippant out of their complacency: "It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God" (Hebrews 10:31)

"Seek the Lord while He may be found; call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return to the Lord, and He will have compassion on him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon" (Isaiah 55:6-7)