Can one “ask for forgiveness” in advance of a “sin”?

[Zzyzx]

Can one “ask for forgiveness” in advance of a “sin” or MUST it be afterward? Why?

[twobitsmedia]

Can one “ask for forgiveness” in advance of a “sin” or MUST it be afterward? Why?

Ask who for forgiveness? God? The person you are going to sin against? The person next door? a Priest? Someone random on the street?

[BlindDidymus]

In The Orthodox Church one must repent of one's sins. One can not repent before sinning or else one would not sin in the first place. Hence, one is to repent and ask for absolution from a priest after sinning; or better yet, avoid sinning altogether. If you can do this then please pray for me who am a sinner.

[katiej49]

Can one “ask for forgiveness” in advance of a “sin” or MUST it be afterward? Why?

well that would be like saying "since you forgive me i will go sin it up"...not exactly what He had in mind..............a heart changed by the grace of jesus feels somewhat miserable when they step into sin knowing they are hurting their FAther......i should know! and they are sorry afterwards...sin, for the Christian, never feels good after its over....

[McCulloch]

This is not a difficult question.

Can you ask for pardon for a crime you are about to commit? No, you cannot. If pardon is going to be granted, it will be after the fact, and after you have acknowledged that you should not have done the wrong act.

[ST88]

Can one “ask for forgiveness” in advance of a “sin” or MUST it be afterward? Why?

No. You can't ask for forgiveness beforehand. But you can have the knowledge beforehand that you will be forgiven afterward, which may be just as good.

[Zzyzx]

Thank you McCullouch and ST88, you have provided valuable insight.

[Greatest I Am]

Can one “ask for forgiveness” in advance of a “sin” or MUST it be afterward? Why?

If you believe that Jesus died for the forgiveness of sin then you know that you need not ask. It is already done.

The punishment then becomes your responsibility.

Regards
DL

[The Nice Centurion]

[Replying to Zzyzx in post #1]
I believe in the Catholic sect at last it can be done.

Theoretically it should be not a problem for a priest to at the very least PROMISE AND GUARANTEE toward a person willing to sin, that he will forgive his sin afterwards.

This is done in "Pillars of the Earth".
Bishop Valeran gives the promise to evil William after while they together plan for William to commit some murders.

This is fiction of course and from a bad author too, but it sounds very realistic. For the middle ages no less. I bet such a thing did happen more than once in real life too.

Also in the middle ages the LETTER OF INDULGENCE was a big sell.
Now there goes a story that comes in several variations, but the essence is this;

A Knight comes to a travelling vaticanic seller of Indulgence Lezters.
"Can you sell me a Letter of Indulgence for a sin I plan to commit in the future, my father?"

The pious seller; "Hmmm, I think it can be done. Bit this will cost you a lot more than a normal LOI."

"OK" says the knight. Pays and walks away with his Letter.

When the pious man and his guards leave town, in the woods they are ambushed and and robbed by some bandits and their masked leader.

Bandits take all the money brought in from selling all the LOIs .
Pious seller curses: "You will burn in hell forever for this sin! Robbing a man of god you do!"

Leader laughs and takes off his mask. Its the Knight of course : "Oh no my father. I wont burn. Heres the Letter of Indulgence with your own signature."