The Bible says that when one receives Christ as their savior, that God is gracious to forgive us of all our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. That seems absolute in its wording, but I am still left with two questions. The first is why do we continue to sin after we are saved? and second, are there any sins for which we can not be forgiven after becoming saved?

The reason I ask these questions is that a young man at my daughter’s Christian school took his own life. God, being all-knowing, had to know this was going to happen. If this young man was saved, would God have already forgiven this particular sin in advance?

Something has always confused me. Example: God selected Saul to be Israel’s first king but God must have known Saul would become disobedient even causing his own death and the death of his three sons. Why would God select Saul to be Israel’s king knowing this would happen? Also, why would a loving God let people be born He knows are going to hell? Why not prevent the birth of people God knows will never want Him? Are these questions that are not answerable while we are here on Earth? At one time in my life I was very angry with God for allowing so much suffering but I’ve come a place where I must believe God is just and a loving God but that since I am human there is a great deal I can’t understand even if I wanted to.

Matthew 5: 29-30 says, “If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.” Did Jesus literally mean for us to maim ourselves ?