Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
First, our legal standing before God is unchanged. He or she is still forgiven, for THERE IS NO CONDEMNATION FOR THOSE WHO ARE IN CHRIST JESUS Romans 8:1. Salvation is not based on our MERITS but is a free gift of God (Romans 6:23), and Jesus died for our sins without distinction. We just keep our JUSTIFICATION.
I am bothered by a couple of threads that have popped up regarding who are true christians. Read the word for yourself, and let the Holy Spirit guide you to all truth.
Since the eternal punishment of our sin has been dealt with completely and forever by Jesus lovingly taking the complete penalty of it upon himself on the cross, the punishment we experience as Christians is in the sin itself:
We harm ourselves when we sin. We are new creations, the old has passed away, the new has come. When we sin, we are putting on dead man's clothes, we are a dog returning to its vomit. The deceiver sugar coats it, but it is poison under neath and brings death.
I agree with you on the posts that have been popping up. Some of the most vile preaching against the gospel is that which nullifies the cross and grace while sounding super spiritual and quoting reams of scripture. But all scripture is to be seen in light of the cross, either a precursor to the cross or in light of the effect of the cross. The cross is the apex at which an old covenant was completed and a new covenant begun. They are not at odds with each other, but instead the cross is the change agent that effected everything that preceded it and everything following it.
I had a dear brother in the Lord tell me that the punishment for sin for the believer is in the sin itself. That kind of knocked my socks off and I feared I had found a liberal in sheeps clothing. He asked me if the sin was already paid for and dealt with on the cross? I said yes. He asked did the scripture not tell me that my punishment as a sinner was paid in full already? I said yes. Then he told me the punishment from God is satisfied in Jesus. I said, but how then am I not going to keep from sin if I don't have to worry about God punishing me anymore? He told me to look at any sin and see the death that comes from it --- sin still has an effect, but the punishemnent is not from God, it is from the effect of the sin. Sin still brings death. There is no life in sin. I am not preaching a life free to sin, by any means. But my reason to mature, grow and leave childish things behind is not motivated by a fear of punishment, but by a love that is greater than me.
When one's nature has been changed, the realization that sin no longer has any gain will come into fuller and more complete awareness. When one grasps the fulness and the depth that one's nature has been changed, one see where active sinning is at complete odds to who one is. If we still see ourselves as downtrodden, beleaguered, woeful sinners hoping that God will have mercy on us and see some good in us, sin still has hold and power. But when we see ourselves as new creations, as sons and daughters of the most High, as princes and princessess of the King of Kings, as joint heirs with Jesus, as seated in heavenly places, when we see that this is the position that has been purchased for us by our Lord on the cross, then sin and its power are diminished. The more we know this is our standing, the more the power of sin and the flesh is diminished.
We see as thru a glass dimly, but one day we will see face to face. And in that moment, in the twinkling of an eye, we will be like him. I believe the more we look to Jesus, receive his love and believe that He really, truly loves us and sees us as His righteousness, the less we will believe the lie that we are unworthy of his love. When that lie gets root, we turn to our selves and wallow in sin.
The mind is the battlefield. Will we believe what God says about us?
since the eternal punishment of our sin has been dealt with completely and forever by jesus lovingly taking the complete penalty of it upon himself on the cross, the punishment we experience as christians is in the sin itself:
We harm ourselves when we sin. We are new creations, the old has passed away, the new has come. When we sin, we are putting on dead man's clothes, we are a dog returning to its vomit. The deceiver sugar coats it, but it is poison under neath and brings death.
I agree with you on the posts that have been popping up. Some of the most vile preaching against the gospel is that which nullifies the cross and grace while sounding super spiritual and quoting reams of scripture. But all scripture is to be seen in light of the cross, either a precursor to the cross or in light of the effect of the cross. The cross is the apex at which an old covenant was completed and a new covenant begun. They are not at odds with each other, but instead the cross is the change agent that effected everything that preceded it and everything following it.
I had a dear brother in the lord tell me that the punishment for sin for the believer is in the sin itself. That kind of knocked my socks off and i feared i had found a liberal in sheeps clothing. He asked me if the sin was already paid for and dealt with on the cross? I said yes. He asked did the scripture not tell me that my punishment as a sinner was paid in full already? I said yes. Then he told me the punishment from god is satisfied in jesus. I said, but how then am i not going to keep from sin if i don't have to worry about god punishing me anymore? He told me to look at any sin and see the death that comes from it --- sin still has an effect, but the punishemnent is not from god, it is from the effect of the sin. Sin still brings death. There is no life in sin. I am not preaching a life free to sin, by any means. But my reason to mature, grow and leave childish things behind is not motivated by a fear of punishment, but by a love that is greater than me.
When one's nature has been changed, the realization that sin no longer has any gain will come into fuller and more complete awareness. When one grasps the fulness and the depth that one's nature has been changed, one see where active sinning is at complete odds to who one is. If we still see ourselves as downtrodden, beleaguered, woeful sinners hoping that god will have mercy on us and see some good in us, sin still has hold and power. But when we see ourselves as new creations, as sons and daughters of the most high, as princes and princessess of the king of kings, as joint heirs with jesus, as seated in heavenly places, when we see that this is the position that has been purchased for us by our lord on the cross, then sin and its power are diminished. The more we know this is our standing, the more the power of sin and the flesh is diminished.
We see as thru a glass dimly, but one day we will see face to face. And in that moment, in the twinkling of an eye, we will be like him. I believe the more we look to jesus, receive his love and believe that he really, truly loves us and sees us as his righteousness, the less we will believe the lie that we are unworthy of his love. When that lie gets root, we turn to our selves and wallow in sin.
The mind is the battlefield. Will we believe what god says about us?
Awesome post! I could not have responded any better. You took every word out of my mouth and just wrapped it up WITH the holy spirit's help into a wonderful post that blessed me, and hopefully others struggling with sin.
Salvation is not the same as Exaltation. Everyone shall be held accountable for their deeds that have not been overcome.
If we as believers continue to lie, we will be liars still. If we continue to be perverse, we will be perverse still, if we hate.... well you get the picture.
Jesus didn't come to say it was okay to continue to sin, He came to show us the way to be like Him.
Everyone shall inherit the kingdom that they obey. There are many Kingdoms/Mansions in heaven.
One deliberate (willful) sin separates us from God; our salvation is lost. This "once saved always saved" teaching is a doctrine of devils.
(Hebrews 10:26)"For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,"
Can a backslider get back to God? Yes, with godly sorrow.
(2 Corinthians 7:10)"For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of..."
This is what a real born-again experience entails:
(Ephesians 4:24)"And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness."
Our old adamic nature must be born into a new nature that is created in righteousness and true holiness. When you have been made over, your desire is to never willfully sin. However, if you give into willful sin of any kind, you are lost again.
First, our legal standing before God is unchanged. He or she is still forgiven, for THERE IS NO CONDEMNATION FOR THOSE WHO ARE IN CHRIST JESUS Romans 8:1. Salvation is not based on our MERITS but is a free gift of God (Romans 6:23), and Jesus died for our sins without distinction. We just keep our JUSTIFICATION.
I am bothered by a couple of threads that have popped up regarding who are true christians. Read the word for yourself, and let the Holy Spirit guide you to all truth.
You are not the only one who is bothered...Let no one tell you Christ is unobtainable...There's a reason God states He will forgive us time and time again...because we are not perfect!..and anyone who says that we are not true Christians because we sin is wrong.
If something someone says turns you from God instead of to God then something is wrong.
You are not the only one who is bothered...Let no one tell you Christ is unobtainable...There's a reason God states He will forgive us time and time again...because we are not perfect!..and anyone who says that we are not true Christians because we sin is wrong.
If something someone says turns you from God instead of to God then something is wrong.
You are right Sherry. It goes back to what the Bible teaches when Paul said to Timothy how:
You must continue in the things which you have learned, and be ASSURED of, knowing from WHOM you have learned them 2Timothy 3:14.
Since the eternal punishment of our sin has been dealt with completely and forever by Jesus lovingly taking the complete penalty of it upon himself on the cross, the punishment we experience as Christians is in the sin itself:
We harm ourselves when we sin. We are new creations, the old has passed away, the new has come. When we sin, we are putting on dead man's clothes, we are a dog returning to its vomit. The deceiver sugar coats it, but it is poison under neath and brings death.
I agree with you on the posts that have been popping up. Some of the most vile preaching against the gospel is that which nullifies the cross and grace while sounding super spiritual and quoting reams of scripture. But all scripture is to be seen in light of the cross, either a precursor to the cross or in light of the effect of the cross. The cross is the apex at which an old covenant was completed and a new covenant begun. They are not at odds with each other, but instead the cross is the change agent that effected everything that preceded it and everything following it.
I had a dear brother in the Lord tell me that the punishment for sin for the believer is in the sin itself. That kind of knocked my socks off and I feared I had found a liberal in sheeps clothing. He asked me if the sin was already paid for and dealt with on the cross? I said yes. He asked did the scripture not tell me that my punishment as a sinner was paid in full already? I said yes. Then he told me the punishment from God is satisfied in Jesus. I said, but how then am I not going to keep from sin if I don't have to worry about God punishing me anymore? He told me to look at any sin and see the death that comes from it --- sin still has an effect, but the punishemnent is not from God, it is from the effect of the sin. Sin still brings death. There is no life in sin. I am not preaching a life free to sin, by any means. But my reason to mature, grow and leave childish things behind is not motivated by a fear of punishment, but by a love that is greater than me.
When one's nature has been changed, the realization that sin no longer has any gain will come into fuller and more complete awareness. When one grasps the fulness and the depth that one's nature has been changed, one see where active sinning is at complete odds to who one is. If we still see ourselves as downtrodden, beleaguered, woeful sinners hoping that God will have mercy on us and see some good in us, sin still has hold and power. But when we see ourselves as new creations, as sons and daughters of the most High, as princes and princessess of the King of Kings, as joint heirs with Jesus, as seated in heavenly places, when we see that this is the position that has been purchased for us by our Lord on the cross, then sin and its power are diminished. The more we know this is our standing, the more the power of sin and the flesh is diminished.
We see as thru a glass dimly, but one day we will see face to face. And in that moment, in the twinkling of an eye, we will be like him. I believe the more we look to Jesus, receive his love and believe that He really, truly loves us and sees us as His righteousness, the less we will believe the lie that we are unworthy of his love. When that lie gets root, we turn to our selves and wallow in sin.
The mind is the battlefield. Will we believe what God says about us?
Well said. gotta spread reps around before I can hit you again, but keep this kind of stuff up and I will keep trying......
........There's a reason God states He will forgive us time and time again...because we are not perfect!..and anyone who says that we are not true Christians because we sin is wrong.......
A minor point of differing opinion......God does not have to forgive us time and time again......He did it once and for all time.....past present and future.....it's why I live a life of joy and freedom in Jesus, not one in fear and trepidation awaiting momentary judgment from the law.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
