"Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me?"   - Peter, in Matthew 18:21

Good question.  Is there not a point where continuing to forgive someone is just enabling them, making it easier for them to continue a sinful pattern?

Is there not a time when one needs to stop forgiving oneself when over and over one repeats the same failure, despite sincere attempts to turn to God and repent? 

One time Jesus, in a moving act of grace, invited the accusers of a woman they had caught in the act and drug to Jesus to look at themselves (John 8:1-11) and, after a little meditation, they dropped their stones and walked away.  And then Jesus said something which must have softly touched the deepest painful longing of this woman, "Neither do I condemn you.  Go and leave your life of sin."

What's the effect on us of being fully exposed and totally accepted?  What effect does that have on our drive to give ourselves to things that are destructive to our soul?

I've wondered what Jesus would have done if this same scenario happened a month later, when a different group of men (I don't think the same group could have done it) brought her to Jesus again, because she had fallen back into her destructive pattern.

Is there any reason to believe He would not have done exactly the same thing, i.e., Invited those without sin to throw stones, totally accept her, and ask her to leave her self-destructive life?  And the next time, the same thing, and the next time, the same thing, at least up to 490 times? (Pretty hard to keep track after that many times!)

What effect does it have on you when you get into a judgmental pattern of thinking/acting towards someone else . . . and then are kindly invited to look at yourself?

What effect does it have on you to be assured that every time you sin, it is acknowledged, you are forgiven, and invited to live differently?  Would you fail more, or less?  Really think about that - see what you think.

If we can keep in mind that there is no greater sin than self-righteous judgment of human beings (including our own selves), then there is hope that we can experience being forgiven at the core, no matter how much we have failed and continue to fail.  (It may  be difficult to believe that self-righteousness can be forgiven - it is so ugly, but indeed the worst sins can be forgiven.)  Since sin has within it it's own poison, we don't need to pile our condemnation of another human being on top of it, anymore than we need that for ourselves when we fail. 

But if I am forgiven every time I fail, won't I just sin more?  Well, why don't you sin more now?  You could, you know.  Is it just the fear of condemnation that keeps you in line?  Or is it because you have tasted the poison and, while you know you can have it, you don't want it anymore?  There's a huge difference! 

"Jesus, You are so weird.  You messed up the whole religious system of your day, and you were just being your Truthful, Loving Self.  A few people got it.  Many didn't.  A few people still get it.  Many don't.  I think I want to more and more be one of those who gets it, even if it makes me weird.  The alternative sounds like hell.  Will you help me to see a little more clearly today?  Thanks.  Amen"