"Grace alone " is a big excuse for lazy Christians

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Gregory Thompson

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No.
Whether you are lazy or not is no matter to me.
God ask me to tell you pray tonight to Jesus to see what is your passion and heart to God.
Fear God , not Men.
Was just concerned for you Johnny.

I've said my bit, do what you want.
 
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johnnywong

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Luke 9:62 But Jesus said to him, “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for God’s Kingdom.” (WEB) Plowing a field without looking back is not laziness.

Martha was working hard and complained about her sister Mary not working. Mary was sitting listening to Jesus' teaching. Jesus told Martha that Mary had chosen the better activity. Luke 10:38-42

Visiting sick and imprisoned people and sharing good news with them does not bring in a paycheck, but there may be some glory, if it is done right.

Mary is not lazy , Martha is the one actually lazy.
You can see what I mean about laziness.
 
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BNR32FAN

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However, God during this time period is using kindness to bring people to repentance, Romans Chapter 2.

I still see both sides of the coin in Romans 2.

“Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance? But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God,”
‭‭ROMANS‬ ‭2:4-5‬ ‭NASB‬‬
 
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timothyu

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Mary is not lazy , Martha is the one actually lazy.
You can see what I mean about laziness.

What the examples of the two actually shows, as does so many other things in the Bible, is simply that one chose to remain active and dedicated to the things of man, while the other seeks the Kingdom of God. The majority of man including in Christianity blindly puts the affairs of the world ahead of the Kingdom. This is why they watch the evening news, wave the flag, support the institutions, putting the governance of man ahead of the governance of the Father. Lost in a world of their own making.
 
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Gregory Thompson

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I still see both sides of the coin in Romans 2.

“Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance? But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God,”
‭‭ROMANS‬ ‭2:4-5‬ ‭NASB‬‬
Unrepentant judgmental heart etc.
 
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BNR32FAN

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My daughter received Christ at the age of 9, went through the church Sunday school, then went away from it to another church when she was about 16. Then circumstances happened which stopped her going to church. She is now 27. I asked her a couple of years ago whether she wanted to go back to a church, and she said, "No. I don't want people telling me how to live."

That’s what I’m talking about. I think there’s a right way and a wrong way to approach fellow Christians about sinful ways. I think in most cases it’s probably not really necessary to even mention because they usually already know if what they are doing is a sin or not. In my opinion it’s better to offer fellowship and be a positive example. It’s better that they stay in the church and receive God’s word than to have them go on their own where they might not.
 
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BNR32FAN

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This is Sanctification - abiding in Christ as a converted believer. Conversion grafts the person into the vine, sanctification keeps him grafted in. We conduct ourselves according to the fruit of the Spirit. This is the way that Christ commanded us to live. If we are walking in the spirit, showing the fruit of the Spirit, then we are subject to no set of commandments, rules, or laws that are imposed on us. Through the fruit of the Spirit we are living the law out of our new hearts and enlivened spirit.

Ok but what your saying is that obedience is still necessary for abiding in Christ. What do you mean by sanctification keeps a believer in the vine? Are you saying if someone is being sanctified they cannot fail to abide? If so that would make Jesus’ statement “abide in Me” useless and irrelevant.
 
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That’s what I’m talking about. I think there’s a right way and a wrong way to approach fellow Christians about sinful ways. I think in most cases it’s probably not really necessary to even mention because they usually already know if what they are doing is a sin or not. In my opinion it’s better to offer fellowship and be a positive example. It’s better that they stay in the church and receive God’s word than to have them go on their own where they might not.
The problem with people telling others how to live is that they tell them what they should wear, what Bible to use, the need to attend church every Sunday, require them to attend every meeting of the church, who to marry and not to marry, what foods they should eat, what theology they should have, what movies to watch or not to watch, etc, etc. This was the evil of the shepherding/discipleship movement that came out of Fort Laudedale in Florida. "Disciplers" and "shepherds" became so controlling of people, that ordinary people could go to the store and buy a pair of trousers without consulting with the discipler first. That movement was inspired not by the Holy Spirit but by a demonic spirit of witchcraft, and it invaded large sections of the Evangelical, Pentecostal, and Charismatic churches causing untold harm, hurt, disillusionment, and hundreds of good people leaving the faith.
 
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And...? We're all sinners somehow.
How can we be sinners and righteous?
Romans 6-18 And having been set free from sin, you have become the slaves of righteousness [of conformity to God’s will and purpose].
 
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BNR32FAN

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The problem with people telling others how to live is that they tell them what they should wear, what Bible to use, the need to attend church every Sunday, require them to attend every meeting of the church, who to marry and not to marry, what foods they should eat, what theology they should have, what movies to watch or not to watch, etc, etc. This was the evil of the shepherding/discipleship movement that came out of Fort Laudedale in Florida. "Disciplers" and "shepherds" became so controlling of people, that ordinary people could go to the store and buy a pair of trousers without consulting with the discipler first. That movement was inspired not by the Holy Spirit but by a demonic spirit of witchcraft, and it invaded large sections of the Evangelical, Pentecostal, and Charismatic churches causing untold harm, hurt, disillusionment, and hundreds of good people leaving the faith.

Nobody needs the church to tell them what is or isn’t a sin. The Holy Spirit and the scriptures do that just fine.
 
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Presbyterian Continuist

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Ok but what your saying is that obedience is still necessary for abiding in Christ. What do you mean by sanctification keeps a believer in the vine? Are you saying if someone is being sanctified they cannot fail to abide? If so that would make Jesus’ statement “abide in Me” useless and irrelevant.
Living by the fruit of the Spirit.
But others define "obedience" by "doing what I or my church says you have to do - wear the right clothes, have the right theology, worship Mary and the Saints, go to Mass every Sunday, eat the right foods, marry the person whom I think is right for you."
But true obedience is living out love, peace, joy, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness, goodness, patience, and self-control. All these things will be clearly obvious in the live and conduct of a truly obedient believer.
 
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timothyu

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It’s better that they stay in the church and receive God’s word than to have them go on their own where they might not.
Many are driven away by those who attempt to make others over in their own church image rather than letting them change to suit the will of
God.
 
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Laziness is the break of first commandment.

You should love your God with your whole heart and fear God.

I person obey the First Commandment will not be a Lazy guy.

No, loving and fearing God have to do with the heart, mind, and soul, not "laziness". Define lazy, and after you do that, the next question will be, for how long have you known such and such "lazy" people? Then I will suggest that viewing a snapshot of a Christian's life, does not tell the whole story, not even close. Even when we think we know someone, it may be we do not know nearly what we think we do. I prefer to leave the knowing up to God, and He can deal with whatever, and honestly I perceive laziness as ranking quite low on the sin list. In fact, I could be wrong, but I think most people have at least a little laziness in them, even people who respond out of duty, they are fighting against the laziness which is there. Anyway, define laziness, and the where the line is clear between rest and laziness, thanks!
 
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Nobody needs the church to tell them what is or isn’t a sin. The Holy Spirit and the scriptures do that just fine.
You'd be surprised at how often people use the Holy Spirit (or think they do) to control others. A controlling witchcraft spirit will approach another believer and will say, "I have a word from the Lord for you", and then proceed to give them instructions about what they should do. It is very difficult to refute something like that when a person says "My word is from the Lord", because it implies that if I reject the word, then I am rejecting what God is saying to me.

There has been and still is, a lot of misuse of the gift of of prophecy to mislead and control whole groups of people who are duped into believing that it is the Holy Spirit giving them the guidance when it is actually a demonic spirit of witchcraft.
 
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Gregory Thompson

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What do you mean?
Romans chapter 2 is followed by a big list of sins in Romans chapter 1, Romans chapter 2 begins with a warning, to act like God does with kindness towards sinners, or be judged.
 
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truthisfreedom2019

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Grace is always afresh to us.
We always need Grace, you need less Grace because you dare not to leave the comfort zone to experience the special Grace waiting for you.
It is God who knows how much grace we need. We want as much grace as God has to offer. Let God deal with the grace and us dealing with subjection to obedience.
 
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everyone is a sinner is another "big excuse "

No, what Jesus was saying is that ONLY HE had the right to throw the first stone, and HE did not throw a stone. Christians are sinners being saved by the grace and mercy of God. Our mercy for fellow Christians, comes out of the fact God had mercy on us, it should be a defining characteristic of a Christian. How can we even talk about the grace and mercy of God, when we cannot be merciful to a brother or sister? Another difference is as Christians, God brings us to repentance, and this is not a one time event, it is a way of life, no matter how we may deeply desire to always please God, we are still in the flesh, still in the battle between the flesh and Spirit, and we are not immutable, simply put, life happens and time slows down for nobody. It is more likely the self-righteous will make up excuses and deflect blame without owning up to their sins. Nothing will cause a Christian fall into self-righteousness faster than the notion of work based righteousness apart from the life and works of Christ.
 
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Paul wrote the book of Galatians to inform those ones that having begun in the Spirit, they were trying to continue in the flesh by trying to obey a set of rules imposed on them by the Judiast believers from Jerusalem. Paul says that a born again believer trying to continue by complying with rules is actually bewitched (by a spirit of witchcraft). Walking in the Spirit flows from within the believer's new heart on which the new law has been written, rather than a set of outward rules imposed by pastors, elders, disciplers, and churches.

Then I would say you have not really closely read the New Testament because there are close to 600 commands to my count so far (and I am in 1st Peter in my NT commands study).

Note:

This would not include repeat commands.
 
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