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jfaye -> RE: A Christian WILL NOT Continuously Sin! (4/1/2008 3:05:08 PM)
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quote:
Are you suggesting that "living in sin, or rather not married", loving Jesus if you are homosexual, etc...I guess these "major sins" in your eyes are some how less desirable in the eyes of God, than lets say, over eating, swearing, JUDGING, unkindness, etc.
Mrs. Oliver--I would have to say, that falling into a sin, such as defaulting to a sinful habit, such as swearing,
or even lying when in a 'tight spot' is not a lesser sin that Jesus died for than remaining in a sinful lifestyle but
it is a decidedly different evidence reflective of the heart condition.
If we say we love the Lord, and continue to live in immorality as a 'lifestyle' then where is the truth
in that? Did He not die to deliver us from enslaving sin? Did He not clearly say to abandon those things?
Does He tell us to be holy as He is holy? Can we be holy and live in a lifestyle of drugs, sexual immorality
and not be constrained to leave it?
I maintain, that if one is 'comfortably' living a sinful lifestyle, having no remorse, having no desire
to be done with it, then I'd have to say there is reason for concern.
We are told, that by the same standard we judge others, we will also be judged. So if I say these things
are wrong for another, then they are also wrong for me and if I find myself doing them, I have in essence,
rightly judged myself.
We are told, 'by their fruit you will know them'! So what does it mean to say, that we can look at a tree
and decide by the quality of the fruit or the appropriateness of it to the 'tree', that we can make a
determination of what kind of tree it is? How do you apply that in another way?
My comments are not to the fact that we do sin, but rather to the question about whether we are to stay
in a continuous state of willful sinfulness, having no obvious repentance that affects our lifestyles and
still consider that we are 'new creations' in Christ Jesus! What is new about us? God alone knows for sure,
but I do say, that to the human eye....talk is cheap--walk the talk or be at risk of others questioning the
validity of the words of your mouth, and at the very least (which is horrendous) casts doubt on the ability
of Jesus to deliver us from living in a willfully sinful enslaving lifestyle!
I maintain, that as we mature in our walks we will find sin even more abhorrent and will make every effort
to avoid it. But, even while immature, there are certain sins we know, in our hearts that are not consistent
with the person called to walk in 'newness of life'! They are listed in the Word so they are hard to ignore!
Rev. 21:6 "Then He said to me, "It is done I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the
end I will give to the one who thirsts from the spring of the water of life without cost.
7"He who overcomes will inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be My son.
8"But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and
sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone,
which is the second death."
9Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues came and
spoke with me, saying, "Come here, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb."
The Bride of Christ should not be identified with those sins as a 'way of life'. To have someone say,
"Oh, that George, he says he is a Christian but he always lies, cheats, steals and lives with a woman
that is not his wife" has reason to be questioned as to his claim of being a 'new creation' by virtue of
salvation through Jesus Christ!
Too many think it a casual thing to name the name of Christ and live like they always did before making such
a claim. We are to be different--distinctively different! If we are not, from the heart, appalled at being sinful,
making every attempt to live above sin, then I do question the validity of a tree calling it one thing but giving
no fruit consistent to it's calling. And, I will also be rightfully judged by the same 'fruit inspeciton' of my own
fruit bearing--and so are all of us! It is illogical to think we are not being 'inspected' by one another--whether
consciously or not, we make determinations, by what we see and what we hear and the consistencies or lack
thereof, of both!
God looks at the inside but He says we do look at the outside, and the evidence should reflect the heart and
quality of the tree or risk their commitment to Christ being questioned as to it's validity! It's human nature
to question such inconsistency and we have a responsibility to Christ to glorify Him in our lifestyles!
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