For I acknowledge my transgressions; and my sin is ever before me. Psalms 51:3.

[Miss Hepburn]

How have you evolved since then.
What to you believe? Any particular denomination you prefer?

Oh my goodness, that is way too big a question, my friend...that would
take an evening of hanging out and with a glass of wine.
Superficially, I could say that the Holy See means nothing to me.
Nope, no denomination...Charismatics seem to have it goin' on, tho......
Bap in the Holy Spirit, healing miracles, praying in tongues, believing in all the Gifts of the Holy Spirit; their general belief and encouragement in
a personal experience with God...with no go betweens is wonderful.
I love the faith and devotion of Catholics themselves.



Ha, and that was 'super mad' nothing to do with supper tonight!

 

[1stCenturyLady]

Oh my goodness, that is way too big a question, my friend...that would
take an evening of hanging out and with a glass of wine.
Superficially, I could say that the Holy See means nothing to me.
Nope, no denomination...Charismatics seem to have it goin' on, tho......
Bap in the Holy Spirit, healing miracles, praying in tongues, believing in all the Gifts of the Holy Spirit; their general belief and encouragement in
a personal experience with God...with no go betweens is wonderful.
I love the faith and devotion of Catholics themselves.



Ha, and that was 'super mad' nothing to do with supper tonight!

Not clear on if you have the gifts of the Spirit, or just admire those who do.

Tomorrow some friends and I are headed out on a day trip to a church on the other side of the state to see an evangelist who has the Bible that is seeping supernatural oil. Check on youtube under New Oil #1. There are quite a few videos in sequence. I would especially like you to check out #5 as well. It is the prequel to the start of the flowing oil.

I had always heard that the signs of the Spirit would increase as time got closer to end - and the Antichrist would combat with his own signs. But he cannot negate what the true Spirit is doing in these last days. What a wonderful, and awe-inspiring day in which we live.

 

[Reggie Belafonte]

I agree. The whole idea of grace is a license to sin is far worse. Jude 1:4

No ones sins are forgiven at all, but for your repentance of them.
Just because one repents in word does not make it so, one needs to struggle with the deed to be able to correct that sin within you, or it does not count as to God.

The old movies were a gangster goes to church to confess his sins and then comes out doing the same things week after week, even year after year, just does not cut it at all and anyone who believes such is truly what the RCC was about, is a fool.

Many a idiot has said to me that the RCC is in fact supporting such rubbish, but it's not the true RC doctrine at all, but I am sure there is such rubbish going on within the RCC for sure.

One should study the doctrines but most Christians never do, it's like some what like a chook shed in church sadly, they make up there own crap and force this rubbish on the Priest from all angles regardless of denominations and if the Priest is true to God the people do not like it and start pecking at him to undermine him, because they are concerned only about worldly things.

 

[Reggie Belafonte]

I know...ex-Catholics can really be mad 'at God'...go figure...and become atheists...I know of some!
What I have heard is that some that went to a parochial school got really soured!
Or someone from a Catholic family where there were drunken beatings and
the kids prayed to be saved for decades...with no help!
THEY are supper mad at God ...um, the God that they don't believe in, that is!
Ha! I have caught them in this mixed up thinking sometimes.

Ha i know of that types well.
They are lost and just barking up the wrong tree.

 

[justbyfaith]

Since the title of this thread is in my signature; and is also very likely a response to my signature, I feel compelled to answer (sorry I took so long to do so, the devil tried to slip this whole thing past me).

Psalms 51 is, in context, the prayer of a penitent sinner, written by King David after he committed adultery with Bathsheba and subsequently murdered her husband Uriah; after which the prophet Nathan confronted King David with the parable of a man who had many sheep, but took the only sheep of his neighbor (very much loved by him as the family pet) to feed some people who came his way. King David immediately judged the person spoken of in the parable to be worthy of death. To which Nathan replied, "You are the man!"

This goes to show that we often don't even really understand that we are sinners before a holy God until we see our sin(s) on somebody else, judge them, and then someone comes up to us and tells us that we are guilty of the very same thing that we are judging them for.

Now Psalms 51:3 is holy scripture; and it is the recommended prayer for someone who has sinned before a holy God. Now if you don't think that you have sinned, then this scripture is not for you. A relationship with Jesus Christ might not be for you, either (see Matthew 9:13). He came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

Those who are not sinners don't need to repent, and they don't need Jesus Christ either...they are just fine without Him. They can make it into heaven on their own merits.

Scripture teaches that by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of ourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9)

The salvation by works model is based on the idea that we can save ourselves by our own good morals and behaviour. Scripture, on the other hand, teaches that if you are going to enter in that way, you had better keep the law perfectly (sinning not at all) from the moment of your conception into eternity (Galatians 3:10, James 2:10, Matthew 5:48).

To sin (Greek: hamartia) is identified simply as "to miss the mark" in a contest of archery. What mark is being spoken of here, in regard to the missing of it being defined as sin? The mark is the perfect righteousness of the Lord (see Matthew 5:48).

Therefore if I am anything less than perfect, I am a sinner.

Some might try to get around this by saying, "I am not really a sinner; because the sins I commit are not willful sins." In other words, "God, you should overlook my transgressions, because I didn't do them on purpose." Well, God will be the judge of that: and if you are putting your trust in the fact that you didn't do it on purpose as being the reason that God should forgive you, then you are not putting your trust in His propitiary work in shedding His blood in order to bring forgiveness for your sins. And that is an insult to the Lord. "I don't need your sacrifice; because the only sins I ever commit aren't done on purpose; and therefore they don't really count as sins. Therefore my sin isn't ever before me; because my sin isn't really sin; being unintentional."

However in the OT, sacrifice was required for sins that were unintentional.

"My sin is ever before me." (Psalms 51:3b) is therefore a true statement if it were to be declared in contrition by any one of us; and salvation may even begin in you if you would say with David, "I acknowledge my transgressions." (Psalms 51:3a)

This is not a defeatist ideology, or a reason for depression, in the slightest, if you can understand that if you are redeemed through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the Cross, your sin that is ever before you is covered over by His blood and will not be imputed to you (Romans 4:5-8).

When Jesus died on the Cross, God the Father looked at Him and saw all of my sin(s) and imperfection(s) and punished it (them) in Him as He took the penalty for my sin(s). Now when He looks at me, He sees the perfect life, blood, and righteousness of Jesus Christ as it is applied to my account because He has through my faith in His shed blood, appropriated His shed blood to my sin(s). And therefore Christ's perfect life is applied to my account: God sees me as being as perfect as His Son.

Therefore I am accepted in the Beloved (Ephesians 1:6) not on the basis of my performance, not on the basis of my own righteousness (which is as filthy rags: Isaiah 64:6; see also Philippians 3:9), not on the basis of my personal holiness or abstaining from sinful activities; but on the basis of what He did for me in perpetually forgiving me of all of my sin(s).

Therefore, having been forgiven much, I love Jesus much (Luke 7:36-50, 1 John 4:19, Romans 5:5); and this love is not impractical (1 John 3:17-18) but is the fulfillment of the law's righteousness within me (Romans 13:8-10, Romans 8:4).

It is important not to put the cart before the horse when it comes to the reason why we obey the Lord. We obey because we are forgiven by the Lord and are thankful to Him for that and love Him for that; not as an attempt to obtain, maintain, or otherwise earn our salvation.

Understanding that we are perpetually sinners before a holy God will therefore keep us in the faith of salvation; because the moment we begin to think of ourselves as as not being sinners, now we have begun to think that we are able to live up to God's righteousness in our own strength, and we don't think that we need His forgiveness any more: because we think that are able to achieve our own righteousness as though it came by the law (now please look at Galatians 2:21): now therefore we have frustrated the grace of God because now Christ didn't even have to die for us. Because if we can be righteous in and of ourselves, then God would have simply judged us for not living up to what we are certainly able to do for ourselves and would never have needed to require His Son to go to the Cross for the sake of us being forgiven.

Now also, when we say that "I am righteous enough to stand before a holy God in my own righteousness..." even if we are like some, who think that our own righteousness is given to us by God through the Holy Spirit... we are not now standing in the righteousness of Christ (His blood) but in our own righteousness.

And Isaiah 64:6 says this, But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf: and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.

You can see that our own righteousness simply won't cut it.

For all have sinned and come short (present tense) of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23).

For the scripture hath concluded all under sin; that the promise by faith of Christ Jesus might be given to them that believe. (Galatians 3:22).

If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. (1 John 1:8).

For I acknowledge my transgressions; and my sin is ever before me. (Psalms 51:3).

These are faithful scriptures that declare the human condition.

Because you must understand that sin is anything short of the perfection of the Lord God Himself. And all of us come short of that standard.

Therefore every one of us is a sinner in need of the Saviour.

 

[1stCenturyLady]

No ones sins are forgiven at all, but for your repentance of them.
Just because one repents in word does not make it so, one needs to struggle with the deed to be able to correct that sin within you, or it does not count as to God.

I could be wrong, but I agree with most of what (I think) you are saying.

Sin is not forgiven if you don't really mean to turn from them and turn them over to Jesus Christ. When repentance is REAL, and there are those who just mouthe the words, but the intent is not there, then Jesus gives us His free gift of His Spirit, to empower us to immediately have power over our sins. He literally takes out the heart of stone/the fallen sin nature, and replaces it with a new spirit that does not commit willful sins of lawlessness.

As for the struggle you spoke of, there is no struggle in the Spirit. The only struggle mentioned for someone is with those who were still under the law, but in their old sinful flesh. But in Jesus, we are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells within us. If the Spirit of Christ does not dwell in us, we don't belong to Him.

 

[amadeus]

The core doctrines of Catholicism are fine, but they are weighed down by the additions of so many unscriptural "holy traditions" that are obviously false, causing disillusionment even for the core issues. Sort of like "throwing out the baby with the bath water."

The problem is that even though serious fault might found with Catholicism, which Protestant group is so much better that we should go with it instead? Perhaps this is why it is not unusual for some sincere believers to withdraw from any formally organized Christian group. I am working on withdrawing from one which is by far the best I have found, because it too is following a similar pattern.

 

[1stCenturyLady]

The problem is that even though serious fault might found with Catholicism, which Protestant group is so much better that we should go with it instead? Perhaps this it is not unusual for some sincere believers to withdraw from any formally organized Christian group. I am working on withdrawing from one which is by far the best I have found.

I only want one that believes and teaches the whole gospel. Any that believe the gifts are not for today, that God is now on vacation somewhere in the universe now that the Bible has been published, and is just history, not an instruction book on ministering the gifts for the profit of all, I find to be teaching in ignorance. These are the last days, and the gifts will increase, not decrease.

 

[amadeus]

I only want one that believes and teaches the whole gospel. Any that believe the gifts are not for today, that God is now on vacation somewhere in the universe now that the Bible has been published, and is just history, not an instruction book on ministering the gifts for the profit of all, I find to be teaching in ignorance. These are the last days, and the gifts will increase, not decrease.

Organization and size decrease, as I see it, the likelihood of group being just as it should be. Of course even if you were to find one that met your specifications, how many on this forum would disagree with your choice?

A small single group may exist that strives to do it right, but without God's direction who could find such a place in the midst of such a mess? So ask Him...

 

[Philip James]

and if the Priest is true to God the people do not like it and start pecking at him to undermine him, because they are concerned only about worldly things.

The problem is that even though serious fault might found with Catholicism, which Protestant group is so much better that we should go with it instead?

Rather, i see the problem as can we bear with each other....
Can we be united in the Divine Mystery that is Jesus, sacrified for us, and put our differences in how we celebrate that aside?
If we cant how can the world wonder at our love for one another?

Pax!

 

[1stCenturyLady]

Organization and size decrease, as I see it, the likelihood of group being just as it should be. Of course even if you were to find one that met your specifications, how many on this forum would disagree with your choice?

A small single group may exist that strives to do it right, but without God's direction who could find such a place in the midst of such a mess? So ask Him...

I've found two. One meets at 9:00 am, and then I go to the other later in the morning. Both under 40 people. But, many are called, FEW are chosen.

 

[Miss Hepburn]

Ha i know of that types well.
They are lost and just barking up the wrong tree.

Well, what I have seen is they are barking up a carnal tree. Oh well. They are lost...still I love 'em.

 

[Miss Hepburn]

In my life I have never known anyone that doesn't have some sort of conscience
and regrets, sincerely,
every mistake they have ever made...and usually against another.

I am not 'sin based' in my thoughts or deeds. I am based in
"the focusing of my thoughts and heart on God, and thus,
thinking and acting the way God wishes."
If I blunder or get distracted, well, I'm human. Be sorry... say I won't do that again!
And move on to loving God.
Luckily, I have a Father that loves me and picks me up.

Now, if anyone wants to place their mind on their sins or mistakes...well, go ahead. It's not for me anymore.
I see that as having a cup full of shame.
How can a cup be filled with God's Love if it's already filled with that?
I place my focus on my Heavenly Father...I regret my blunders and vow to improve and do!
End of story. Move on to greater things in His Love.

 

[Miss Hepburn]

1stCenturylLady...

I'm watchin it.....more tomorrow morning...

 

[Reggie Belafonte]

I could be wrong, but I agree with most of what (I think) you are saying.

Sin is not forgiven if you don't really mean to turn from them and turn them over to Jesus Christ. When repentance is REAL, and there are those who just mouthe the words, but the intent is not there, then Jesus gives us His free gift of His Spirit, to empower us to immediately have power over our sins. He literally takes out the heart of stone/the fallen sin nature, and replaces it with a new spirit that does not commit willful sins of lawlessness.

As for the struggle you spoke of, there is no struggle in the Spirit. The only struggle mentioned for someone is with those who were still under the law, but in their old sinful flesh. But in Jesus, we are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells within us. If the Spirit of Christ does not dwell in us, we don't belong to Him.

Everyone struggles with there sin, because one has to master ones self, that's self control.
One ask me to do something and I say no, someone try's to tempt me and I have to say no, my flesh says yes but I know it's a sin and I say no and I will not move regardless of how much tempting they do. it does not matter what the subject is.

One can not get rid of the sin nature, but one can come to master over such and the stronger you are in the Lord the better you can master it.
Such has noting to do with being a goody goody at all or the Law.
I have never read of any of the Saints claiming to be sin less.

 

[Reggie Belafonte]

Well, what I have seen is they are barking up a carnal tree. Oh well. They are lost...still I love 'em.

Sure we love the Sinner but we hate the Sin. can I still say that ?

Oh no that's claimed as a hate crime, under the new age of cultural Marxist Political Correctness god of idiots and fools that worship Satan, as such is the one who leads the whole world astray.

Now hang about the PC crowd do claim things to be taboo nowadays, (nothing was ever taboo when I was growing up as such was considered as backward or degenerate as they can come) now is taboo likened as a sin ? well no it's not truly at all, as a taboo is just a subject that is not to be spoken about due to backward peoples fears or childish stupidity etc.

Or how about a crime, does such have to be a sin for it to of become a crime ?
Who says something is a sin ? mans foolish taboos or God and the Bible points such out.

Now under Socialism gods, that is truly only a mans works religion of sorts that one can make up crimes at will, someone hurt my feelings or like hate speech or racism as a crime, they are 3 new age crimes that never were, have we evolved that far or is such just another card tossed into the game by Satan.

There is no law on so called hate speech or racism in the Bible, the hate speech peddled by the Satanic PC mob is truly harmful in the log run for society because it's short sighted and narrow minded and the racism card is just truly a satanic rejection of race when you boil it all down, so one can not hold a subject on such because they deem all to be equal nothings under the Socialism gods.

There for the opening address of yours, we do acknowledge Psalms 51:3

 

[1stCenturyLady]

Everyone struggles with there sin, because one has to master ones self, that's self control.
One ask me to do something and I say no, someone try's to tempt me and I have to say no, my flesh says yes but I know it's a sin and I say no and I will not move regardless of how much tempting they do. it does not matter what the subject is.

One can not get rid of the sin nature, but one can come to master over such and the stronger you are in the Lord the better you can master it.
Such has noting to do with being a goody goody at all or the Law.
I have never read of any of the Saints claiming to be sin less.

There are so many scriptures that say that if we belong to Christ, our flesh (sin nature) has been crucified with Christ and is dead - and we rise in the Spirit, with a new nature. And yet you say this isn't true. What scriptures say we, as Christians, still have a sin nature? You said, "Everyone struggles with there sin, because one has to master ones self, that's self control." Willpower is not the same as "by the Spirit." There is no struggle in the Spirit - He did all the heavy lifting when he empowered us to not sin.

Romans 6:1-7
What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? 3 Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? 4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, 6 knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. 7 For he who has died has been freed from sin.

Romans 8:1-9 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has 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 did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, 4 that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. 5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to 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, nor indeed can be. 8 So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
9 But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.

John 8:34-36 Jesus answered them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. 35 And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. 36 Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.

1 John 3:4-9 Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness. 5 And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin. 6 Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him. 7 Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous. 8 He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil. 9 Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God.

 

[Miss Hepburn]

"Therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your spiritual worship.
Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God." -Paul in Romans 12

I must say ...I didn't renew my mind!!! It was renewed for me!!
All glory to God.

(I usually never say, " I can't believe it...or I don't believe" something....but....)
It is so amazing the transformation, the change in me...it is hard to believe.
(Because you didn't know me before!!!! Ha)

My friends of 40 years...have seen it....and lemme tell ya they are amazed...
consistently happy, lighthearted, mellow about huge, dramatic things in my life that
really just befall me....(a memory) a friend slapped a table at a birthday gathering
with 12 women when I arrived telling them all,
"You can't believe the faith Miss H has!!"----then, proceeded to
tell them all how she asked me to sit with her dying friend in the ICU, in a coma on a heart and lung pump cuz no one was going over that day till evening.
Next morning, she's sitting up smiling and talking,'' it was a miracle '', my friend said!
This is Him...all Him.
(Oh, I didn't just sit there obviously, as I left, after hours there, I talked to the Holy Spirit...
very strongly, I might add.)

I don't have the time to read about or care about sin, is my point...my sights are on other things...LOL!
Ya see what I mean?
I kinda like urging others to do the same...it's a whole different world when your focus in
on God's Presence, not on sin, is all.
No argument...it just is.

 

[bbyrd009]

No ones sins are forgiven at all

Sin is not forgiven if you don't really mean to turn from them and turn them over to Jesus Christ.

He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not only for ours, but also for those of the whole world.

 

[Miss Hepburn]

He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not only for ours,
but also for those of the whole world.

Not sure if you took those quotes from others out of context...about sins not being forgiven...but, holy moly...
I'm just a human and I forgive HUGE sins against me...Jesus forgave the criminal, (and lemme tell ya, you didn't get crucified for just stealing bread!), in 30 seconds and promoted him to Paradise!
All creation is based on love and forgiveness....that is the very essence of the Divine.

If anyone asks me to prove it...what you'll get is an eyeroll....and I don't do those often.