I have recently been thinking about various Arabic names for God, and have come to Al-Ghaffar, the Repeatedly Forgiving. As I read through the different commentaries in Islamic sources on this name, they read much like Christian commentaries on forgiveness, especially stressing the point that one should not fail to ask for forgiveness even though it might seem like the number of sins one has committed are overwhelming. (There is another, related name, Al-Ghaffur, which stresses God's willingness to forgive even great sins).
In liturgical churches, we often pray some version of a general repentance prayer that goes, "We have not loved you with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We are truly sorry and we humbly repent. For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ, have mercy on us and forgive us; that we may delight in your will, and walk in your ways, to the glory of your Name.""
There is a tension in the Christian life. On one hand, in Christ we are dead to sin, and sin should have no dominion over us. John goes so far as to say that "who resides in him does not sin; everyone who sins has neither seen him nor known him." (1 John 3:6). However, Christian experience tells us that becoming a Christian does not, in fact, bring us immediately into a sin free life. It is not that there is no progress or no victory, but we as we progress in our spiritual walk, we become more aware of subtler sins. At least, that is the hope.
Over and Over
