The only thing “ Sinking In” is that some people behave as if stupidity were a Virtue.......You just don’t
“ get it” and I don’t think you are “ capable” of getting it......you are not a stupid man, but some people have an intelligence that is limited and can't pick up on things that “ should” be obvious and “are” obvious to the astute......let me try to break this down as simply as I can.....
Sin? That is bad. Willful Sin? That is worse. I hate Sin. It hurts me .It hurts others.God no likey.I Believe the Gospel .That is what Saved me.That is what keeps me Saved. The Fact that I Believe in it is proven by the fact that I REST in It.If one is not RESTING in the Gospel , proven by the fact that they do not worry about their Salvation anymore, they are obeying God .God says that if you do not REST in His Gospel Of Grace you are Guilty of “Disobedience and UNBELIEF!” Serious accusations, huh?
I am getting a tad side-tracked here. Because of my Faith in Jesus Plus NOTHING, God has put His Spirit in me and that Spirit, given time, is constantly at work in me — TRANSFORMING me into the “ image of God's Son. ( people can “ change”...... only GOD can “ transform” ) when God Saved me and “ forgot” ALL of my Sins , He did something else at the same time—- He gave me a New Heart ......A Heart That Hates Sin and derives the same pleasure from Sinning as he does placing his hand in a fire ——Sinful things I used to without batting an eyelash now provide me only shame an d regret...
Just because I understand the Reality Of Willful Sin— even in the life of a Born -Again Christian—- that does NOT mean I endorse it ..
Back in a few........gonna go ahead and send this.... more to follow.....hang on to your wigs and keys...lol....
Here is the second part of my post....
I find it difficult to communicate with somebody so dense or blind or maybe just too proud to admit that there are a sinner.....one who lacks the “ insight” to see that “ Willful” sin is involved in many, many sins......I am NOT talking about a “ defiant” Sinning where a person would look up to Heaven and shake his fist at God and mock HIM to His Face and sin and DARE God to do something about it! I am talking about “ willful Sinning” where right before one sins, there is a little “ voice” in his head that whispers “ this is wrong....you know it is wrong.....don’t do it” , and you do it anyway , kinda hoping God will let you slide .Well, you ain’t gonna “ slide”. On the other hand—— you ain’t going to Hell because you were Foolish or weak and succumbed to Temptation ....Even James talked about the “ enticement Of sin” and we are in these weak earthen vessels and can give- in to our Old Adamic Nature.....
I agree with you when you say that “ someone Living for their Sins is not converted...to a large degree.....What makes you think a person that has the honesty and the brains to admit that they are still Sinners even though they are Saved by their Faith in Jesus is “ Living FOR Sin”...... it’s like saying I “ Live” for things that make me Miserable.....
At this time, and for the last time, I ask you to put on your thinking cap, if you have one and try to figure out what is common sense to most people.....ready?
What you don’t see is this—- The Love and Gratitude one has for God when you see that you are Totally Forgiven when you Trust in the Gospel Of 1Cor15:1-4 and the FINISHED work of the Cross ... does not lead to what you think it does....to think that God's Way to Save, Grace Plus Nothing , automatically leads to a life of debauchery says more about YOU than you realize!
To think that the Automatic “ Reset Button” Of those who understand Grace and LIVE it Is too act like they DON’T CARE about God and what He and His Son had to endure to bring it about is the height of ignorance! Think about it ! It’s human nature and God knows it—- when somebody goes out of their way to do something nice for you , the first human response is to want to do something nice for the other fellow.....
If you fell into a river and were “ this close” to drowning and about to go over a 100’ waterfall with a rocky bottom where a grizzly death were assured and somebody jumps in and rescues you , how much convincing and cajoling would it take to actually make you “ WANT” to do something good for the guy that Saved You...... the worst Scoundrel in the World would at least buy the guy that “ SAVED Him”... a box of cigars, don’t you think?
Do you finally “ Get It” yet? What God did did for me entailed MUCH more than jumping into a river....I was not headed for a mere “ waterfall” —— I was headed for Hell itself! A well- deserved Hell . God did not “ have” to save me , and I sure as heck did not Deserve it.He did it anyway. Because He Loved me .
The Automatic “ reset” button for my encounter with a Forgiving , Loving God was to try to live a life that was pleasing to Him.... NOT to try to find ways to “ get around and ignore Him”.
When one meets God and finally gets to “ know” Him you don’t “ live to sin” you Live to please the One to Whom you owe so much. Anything that STARTS in Sin when you have a New Heart , ends in SHAME . Any Sin done Willfully is ESPECIALLY Shameful—- that’s why I do my best to avoid them, but when I am stupid, weak or Foolish they “ DO” occur . Regrettably so. The Remedy is to accept your temporal Chastisement and never forget that we have an “ Advocate” at all times. He resides at the “Throne Of Grace”...... and as the Bible teaches , I approach that “ Throne” with BOLDNESS ! As ordered! God hates the Sin that caused you show up there —- but He delights in that” Boldness” That is a direct reflection of the Faith that you have in the Shed Blood . I have that Boldness .....how about you? And do I have to draw you a picture to show you that this not in any way, shape, or form an endorsement of sin ? It's merely the honest admission of a work in progress who still occasionally stumbles and has the insight , the brains and the humility to agree with Paul that we will not know “ perfection” until we make it to our Eternal Home . Paul had to lament the fact that even “ he” had not attained the level he wished that he had.....how about you? God bless.....