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I can agree with most of what you have said. However, why do most all religious people talk about trying not to sin and then out of the other side of their mouth talk about how JESUS KEEPS THEM FROM SINNING. IF THEIR CLAIM IS VALID THEN WHY DO THEY HAVE TO STOP SINNING BY THEIR OWN EFFORTS.
You said = "That means looking to Jesus in trusting Him as our Good Shepherd to help us stop sinning" --- Jesus paid for the sins you are talking about with His own blood. That is what He gave us as a free gift. It should bring joy and happiness to a child of God. He did not perfect the flesh. It will still die. A child of God has two natures, one is sinful and the other can not sin because it is born of God. When reading Romans 7 it is clear that the sinful nature will still sin. But is is clear to me that people do not see what Paul said in the last two verse;
Rom 7:24-25
24 O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?
25 I thank God — through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin.
NKJV
Paul was referring to the time when he was under the law in trying not to sin in Romans 7th chapter.
Romans 7:1Know ye not, brethren, (for I speak to them that know the law,) how that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth?...5 For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death.....14 For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin. 15 For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I. 16 If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good. 17 Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. 18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. 19 For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. 20 Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
21 I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. 22 For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:
23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. 24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? 25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.
You should read on to Romans 8th chapter as Paul breaks away from how he was under the law to his new life in Christ.
Romans 8:1There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death
. 3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: 4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. 5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. 6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. 7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. 8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. 9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
10 And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. 12 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. 13 For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. 14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
Jesus has saved a person's spirit if it has been born of God. Your body is a body of death. Notice that Paul says that with the flesh he follows the law of sin. No one escapes the body until it dies and it does follow the law of sin. But like Paul I rejoice in the fact the Jesus has saved me from this body of death. What discuses me is that that is not the wonderful news I hear on forums. It seems to me that most think salvation is a work they have to complete by their own efforts.
Not salvation; but discipleship as in running that race. It is because you are saved, you can run that race by looking to Him to help you lay aside every weight & sin.
All the ones on this forum talking about how God will throw a person out if that person sins, or isn't trying hard enough to not sin are holding DOUBT in front of the children of God. They talk about the sins of others and seem to overlook the fact they still sin too. But God knows them and their sins.
Think of it as excommunicating saved believers who refuse to say that they have sinned or even refuse to repent from their sins.
Would you like an unrepentant child molester whom claims to be a believer to be in the assembly? Would you like a christian fornicator or a christian adulterer whose eyes are full of adultery and will not ask for forgiveness nor stop what he is doing as he hits on the ladies and girls?
I am pretty sure that idea of paying for future sins dos not mean a blanket of pardon to do whatever you want as a saved believer.
Once you get it out of your head that it is not about obtaining salvation but now that you ave been reconciled with God thru Jesus Christ as your Saviour, then LIVE that reconciled relationship with God through Jesus Christ as your Good Shepherd to help you lay aside every weight & sin.
I have said that I still sin in the flesh. That is a statement I don't seem to hear from the self righteous people on forums. They want others to see them as perfect and without sin because they no longer sin in the flesh. BUT THEY DO STILL SIN IN THE FLESH JUST LIKE I DO.
But, the key is.. are you sorry for your sins and do you ask Jesus for help not to do that again? That is entirely different than someone who is not sorry that they had sinned and has no motivation to stop sinning, let alone looking to Jesus for help to stop sinning.
It leaves people to think that only those who claim to follow Jesus' commandment will be saved and those who can not stop sinning in the flesh can not be saved. What a mixed message to be taught under God's grace.
The only repentance required for salvation is repenting from unbelief by believing in Him. The commandments in John 14:15 that comes with the Holy Ghost in John 14:16-17 is to believe in Him as started in John 14:1 AND REPEATED SEVERAL MORE TIMES in verses 10, 11, & 12.
All other commandments are done by faith in Him as our Good Shepherd to help us to follow Him as His disciples. It has nothing to do with obtaining salvation, but running that race for the high prize of our calling to obtain that eternal glory that comes with our salvation as a vessel unto honor.
Living with the idea that if a person stumbles they will go to hell certainly does not fill anyone's life with joy and confidence. Yet that is the message I hear 80% of the time on forums. As a matter of fact I think that a forum is just a place for the self righteous to get on and say how great I am.
I had an experience when I was about 23 that I will never forget. It was a tragic experience and I will post it but I know what many will say about it.
The Lord has set me free from the covenant I had made with my mouth not to cuss. I had picked up that habit by letting off steam when I was working alone at a warehouse I was managing in 1994. A religious pamphlet from Bill Rudge Ministries had used scripture to convict me of the words of my mouth but on the back, it led me to make a covenant with my mouth. I was worse the very next day. Thoughts saying "You are not His, otherwise God would have helped you keep your covenant!" I had stopped listening to the devil but I did ask God why He was not helping me because I was at my wits end. He answered; "You made the covenant. You said you were going to do it. I made the covenant with you and I said I am going to do it. All I ask from you is to believe in Me."
I was humbled that day. I thank the Lord for His divine intervention and I can say that the habit of cussing in letting off steam no longer has dominion over me. I still cuss here and there, asking for forgiveness and His help not to do it again, and thus becoming a habit again. but it doesn't have dominion over me like it did when I wanted to stop the habit of cussing. That is how I get to know Him and the power of His resurrection when I trust Him to help me stop cussing so that sin does not have dominion over me nor my life ever again.
He has helped me with other signs as well wherein He told me what was providing for my flesh ( the weights ) to put it away too as He helps me bring every wicked thought into captivity and helps me to think on good things. That is what He is doing for me because I trust Him to do His work in me.
