The Future Of Christ's Naughty Followers

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It's interesting how human nature tends to grade itself on a curve. For
example, a surprising number of Christ's followers-- both his believing
followers and his unbelieving followers --seriously believe that LGBT are the
lowest form of sinners on the earth; but note the variety of behaviors in the
passage below ranked right up there with LGBT.

†. 1Cor 6:9-10 . . Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the
kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor
idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor
thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will
inherit the kingdom of God.

Some of the behaviors on that list have become so common in American
society that you'd think they were normal; e.g. sexual immorality, adultery,
theft, alcoholism, slander, and swindling.

I have seen 1Cor 6:9-10 on many occasions used to bash LGBT, but I cannot
remember even one instance of it being used to bash porn stars, or people
that sleep around, cohabitating couples, or people conceiving babies out of
wedlock, or people cheating on their spouses, or that shop lift, or Ponzi
schemers, or unscrupulous investment bankers, or Wall Street barracudas,
or heavy drinkers, or people that say things about others that aren't true.
Curious, isn't it?

An example is Oregon's ex governor John Kitzhaber. Not only was he
shacking up with a girlfriend while in office, but they were living together
right inside the Governor's mansion; and the media, instead of raking
Kitzhaber over the coals for his indiscretion, took to calling his paramour
The First Lady.

Supposing one of Christ's believing followers is pegged in that list of scum
bags that Paul compiled in 1Cor 6:9-10. Will they be banned from the
kingdom if they don't cease and desist whatever it is they're up to that's no
good?

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[UppsalaDragby]

I agree with you Weber... to a certain degree.

However, on the other hand there are a couple of elephants in the room that no one seems to address in discussions like these. For one thing, I don't think you will find many Christians who are caught up in sexual immorality and so on... who claim that what they do is not sinful, or that it is something to be "prideful" about. And for another thing, it seems to me that most people (at lease in Scandinavia where I live) seem to think that any kind of conservative stance is solely due to homofobia. I know at least that in my case, it is not. I don't treat LGBTs with condempt and I truly realize that for me to do so would be utterly hyprocritical. But the living-room "elephant" in this case is the fact that it is extremely hard for a Christian to know exactly how to deal with this kind of "problem". Obviously, we have the option of immedialy marching up and embracing these people and accepting them as brothers (or sisters) and thereby ridding ourselves of the threat of being labeled as hyprocritical and judgemental. But is that the only concern we have here?

Think about it. If you were to "shake the hand of faith" with an idolator, an adulteror, a thief, an alcoholic and so on.. who claimed that his lifestyle was defendable.. then aren't you sharing in his sin, and acknowledging it?

This is not such an easy subject to deal with...

 

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†. 1Cor 10:1-6 . . Brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that
all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; and
were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; and did all eat the
same spiritual meat; and did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they
drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.
But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown
in the wilderness.

Although everyone over the age of twenty was forced to die in the
wilderness except for Joshua and Caleb; none were sent back to die in
Egypt. In other words: God didn't un-save them.

Though God sentenced His people's adults to die in the wilderness; He never
once abandoned them, and He went right on providing for them too. And
though Aaron and the Levites were among those to die, God didn't
decommission the priesthood; nor shut down any of the Tabernacle services.

I committed an act of insubordination back when I was in the US Army in
the early decade of the 1960's. Because of it I was passed over for a
promotion. They didn't kick me out of the Army; I kept right on soldiering till
my enlistment was up and was given an Honorable Discharge.

The point is: though Yhvh's people, whom God rescued from Egyptian
slavery, lost their chance to enter the land of milk and honey, they weren't
kicked out of the family of God. They lost a major blessing yes; but they
kept right on being God's people-- that status was totally unaffected.

†. 1Cor 10:6-15 . . Now these things were our examples, to the intent we
should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted. Neither be ye idolaters,
as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and
drink, and rose up to play. Neither let us commit fornication, as some of
them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand. Neither let
us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of
serpents. Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were
destroyed of the destroyer.

. . . Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are
written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.
Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.

. . .There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but
God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able;
but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able
to bear it. Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry. I speak as to
wise men; judge ye what I say.

So then, the lesson is-- at least partially --that if Christ's believing followers
make the same mistakes that Yhvh's people made, they won't lose their
place in God's family. However, those mistakes can cause Christ's believing
followers to lose some major blessings and/or even end up very ill or very
deceased.

FYI: Paul said "I speak as to wise men". Well, I'm afraid not very many
Christians are wise enough to understand the proper application of 1Cor
10:1-15 but instead go about using it as a proof text that Christ's naughty
followers can become un-saved. Trouble is: there's more unwise than wise
so the unwise are heard more often than the wise. And like they say: Repeat
false information often enough and in time people will think it's true;
especially when the information is endorsed by someone they trust.

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†. Heb 12:14b . . Pursue sanctification, without which no one will see the
Lord.

The Greek word for "sanctification" is hagiasmos (hag-ee-as-mos') which
means purity; which can be defined as not mixed or adulterated with any
other substance or material; for example:

†. 1Cor 5:6-7 . . Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole
lump of dough? Clean out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, just
as you are in fact unleavened.

"without which no one will see the Lord"

What is that saying? Does it mean if perchance one of Christ's believing
followers fails to achieve purity in this life, they will be lost when they pass
on? No; not according to the Bible.

Christ's believing followers all have eternal life; which is a quality of life
that's immune to the wrath of God and impervious to the wages of sin.

†. John 5:24 . . I assure you: those who listen to my message, and believe
in God who sent me, have eternal life. They will never be condemned for
their sins, but they have already passed from death into life.

†. Rom 6:23 . .The wages of sin is death; but the free gift of God is eternal
life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

In view of the fact that everyone in heaven is pure; then it only stands to
reason that when Christ's believing followers pass on, that's when the
circumcision spoken of at Col 2:11 takes over and deceased born-again
Christians shed their impure human nature like a dead skin; which indeed it
is.

†. Rom 6:6 . . For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that
the body of sin might be done away with; that we should no longer be slaves
to sin

†. Col 3:3-4 . . For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.
When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in
glory.

So; Paul is saying: In view of the fact that purity will characterize your
lifestyle in the future, then what the hay; why not be pure now?

But not to worry. Should one of Christ's believing followers fail to become
pure here, it is the Lord's pleasure to ensure they are pure there.

†. Eph 5:25-27 . . Christ loved the church, and gave himself for it; that he
might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, that he
might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or
any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.

†. Heb 9:13-14 . . For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a
heifer sprinkling those who have been defiled, sanctify for the cleansing of
the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal
Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from
dead works to serve the living God?

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[ATP]

So then, the lesson is-- at least partially --that if Christ's believing followers
make the same mistakes that Yhvh's people made, they won't lose their
place in God's family. However, those mistakes can cause Christ's believing
followers to lose some major blessings and/or even end up very ill or very
deceased.

Well put. We do not lose our salvation rather, we lose blessings in this life and then lose crowns in heaven.

2 John 1:8 NIV Watch out that you do not lose what we have worked for, but that you may be rewarded fully.

 

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Eph 5:25-27 . . Christ loved the church, and gave himself for it;
that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water
by the word, that he might present it to himself a glorious church,
not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should
be holy and without blemish.

FYI: "the church" isn't the Roman Catholic Church, nor any other specific
denomination. Christ's church is defined by John 5:24.

"I assure you: those who listen to my message, and believe in God who sent
me, have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they
have already passed from death into life."

In other words: Christians claiming to be his church, while lacking eternal
life, are frauds-- they abide in death, and in grave danger of eternal
punishment.

And in point of fact, according to God's testimony, as an expert witness in all
matters pertaining to His own son: Christians lacking eternal life are also
lacking His son; viz: they are quite christless.

†. 1John 5:11-12 . . This is what God has testified: He has given us eternal
life, and this life is in His son. So whoever has God's son has the life;
whoever does not have the life, does not have His son.

Christians who question God's testimony, insinuate that He is a person of
marginal integrity who can't be trusted to always tell the truth.

†. 1John 5:9-11 . .We accept man's testimony, but God's testimony is
greater because it is the testimony of God, which He has given about His
son. Anyone who does not believe God has made Him out to be a liar,
because he has not believed the testimony God has given about His son.

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[ATP]

Good post!