Hey Alethos! Okay, I'll try and explain myself better! Christians shouldn't be unrepentant. We should never feel it's okay and allowable to sin, just because we know we can be forgiven for it. It's like 'christians' going out and sleeping around and then 'repenting' of it, knowing full well they're not going to stop. This is a terrible abuse of the gift of grace. But having said that, if someone did do that but was suddenly truly convicted of their actions, repented and then did their very best not to slip again, grace will cover them.
But the point seems to be if as Christians we look God in the face and say "I know this is a sin, but I'm gonna do it anyway!" The problem with labelling this is it suddenly comes down to shades of black and white. While I would say to the above "No true Christian would do that!" I also know that if we do the sin while not looking or thinking of God, we should still know, deep down that what we are doing is wrong.If I do something that I feel is right and supports my needs and wants best, but feel a little niggling that perhaps I shouldn't, is this indigestion or grieving the Holy Spirit...which would be just as bad as denying God to His face. So then, how do we label something 'unintentional'? Is sinning when you're not thinking of God unintentional? Is sinning when you first wake up in the morning and snarl at your spouse unintentional, because you're not fully awake yet? Who puts the line down? If man is allowed to put that line down, we're in for trouble.
As far as the 'weight of sin' thing goes, I know that there were different punishments etc....just as we are told that there will be in hell as well (he whose sins are few, his stripes will be few). I think my point was this: We see murder as being a big doozy of a sin, both religiously and socially. Jesus told us that anyone who looks at a man with hate in his heart has murdered that man. Even our 'little' or maybe 'unintentional' sins have greater weight than we think. The original sin that lost us the garden was really only eating a piece of fruit, right? That sound's fairly innocent....until you factor in the underlying sin....pride. As humans so much of our behaviour and attitude, our thoughts, have their roots in pride. They seem fine, and socially it is, but pride is what got Satan kicked out of heaven, and people out of the garden. Who are we to declare that our sins aren't 'that bad' that unintentional sins (whatever they may in fact be) isn't rooted in something else? Only God knows what is at everyone's heart. It is not for Thankful or anyone to label what sins are or are not acceptable in God's eyes. God has told us none are.....this is why we are lost without Jesus.
Are we told to be perfect? We are told to strive to become more like Christ, sure. And that's a marvellous goal. But we are also told that we will only
be perfect once the Kingdom comes. So what is it to be then, what is the Bible actually telling us to do? It tells us to strive for perfection....and well it should! Even shooting for perfection we fall far short. Imagine if it only told us to be good some of the time! Strive for living a life like Christ, but know it will only come to fruition once Jesus returns. It is impossible for a member of a fallen race to be perfect in a fallen world. It took divinity to reach that goal, and even having grace, we still live in fallen bodies in a fallen world. We are not God and we are not perfect. What we are, is forgiven! And that....that is our power to live life free.
See above!
Okay Thankful, after reading your Bible verses in context I need to ask you something, to just clarify: These verses talk of not sinning deliberately...the sin that leads to death. Here is what I would say both of those mean:
Deliberately sinning or sin that leads to death is sin that is (1) unrepented of and (2) of the kind or nature that John has warned about throughout the letter, and Hebrews talks about:
resolute rejection of the true doctrine about Christ, chronic disobedience to God's commandments, persistent lack of love for fellow believers—all indications of a lack of saving faith—which will not be forgiven.
I would say that these things are actually symptoms of not really being saved, not being a true Christian....maybe calling themselves one, but showing no fruit at all. It is not, however, addressing someone who has true salvation...who does sin through their human nature, but repents and grows from it...You seem to be addressing your posts to those who are secure in their salvation, who admit to their sin, who confess and repent of it. I just don't see these passages saying that.
As far as Matt 5:48 goes..."
be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect." Scripture is a reflection of God himself as he has made his will and character known to his people. As Christians
seek to live in conformity to Scripture, they are in fact
pursuing the very perfection of God. This verse provides the conclusion and summary to the antithesis section (
vv. 21–48), showing that all of the Law and the Prophets find their perfect fulfilment in the perfection of the Father, which is what all Jesus' disciples are
called to pursue.
The difference is in between pursing it and attaining it. Only Jesus was perfect on this world. We strive for it, but as we are not Christ, we will never achieve it in this world.
