Sin is one of the main control mechanisms of abusive churches these days. It get's the person to concentrate on themselves and their sins and away from the important work that God has given us to do. I think the narrow path that the bible talks about is for the less self-centered Christian who is beyond thinking that the entire kingdom of God is going to fall down each time they sin. Some like to play pastor/teacher and regurgitate what is in their own hearts and minds. Maybe it makes them feel better, I just move around to other subforums who have more interesting discussions.
You are RIGHT. You can always find self-centered sin talk here. What do they feel guilty about? Hmmm.
They scare away any new visitors we have with what seems like an overly self-righteous attitude. It's sad really.
I think in all this we need to consider what the word of God says. It tells us that in the last days, because sin shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. Let's note that it does not say that it is the talk about sin, or warnings about continuing in sin that will drive people away. It is sin that hardens the heart, and the elect long for victory, yet the modern church is simply silent on the subject.
We as God's people are supposed to possess the cure for sin, are we not? Is that not the real good news of the gospel? God promises that we are to be overcomers! Yet today, in most churches in America, once we get people saved, how do we equip them to fight the devil? If we are not to be ignorant of satan's devices, if we are to be vigilant in our saying no to the temptations he tries to offer us, if we are to resist him steadfast in the faith, if we are to 'sin not', how exactly do you accomplish that without instructions as to how to walk with the world, the flesh and the devil under our feet? It is not like that subject has been mastered yet, amen?
Do we hear talk about fighting our good fight of faith, or of warring a good warfare? Do we truly have deep study on equipping ourselves with the whole armor of God so we will not be slain in battle? Do we even believe we an ever walk safe from the power of darkness still siding inside us? As the word says:
"My people perish from lack of knowledge."
So when the present time finds the vast majority of believers still sitting in their prison cells, bound by the very same sins they were bound by when they first came to Christ, and taught to be content with their pardon they are clutching in their hands because Jesus really can't set them free indeed, should we simply bite our tongues and not raise a voice to alert them that Jesus has promised us more? Shall we ignore scriptures that warn of dire consequences for any who think grace makes our need for purity of heart now a non issue?
There can be no doubt that some churches do indeed control their people by pressing upon them the need for legalistic effort, where life itself is one big guilt and repentance party. Does this mean that repentance and turning whole heartedly from sin is bad, and therefore 'let's simply ignore sin'. Is the solution to just promote the feel goods, thinking that will produce holiness? It may makes us happier, but it doe nothing to make us holier.
The time to 'dig deep' is now and expose the real reason why repentance alone leaves us worn out. It is because we have not done the second step, for after repentance comes
BELIEVE. I pray readers do not throw the baby out with the bath water here, for sin is being talked about only because it is still here, inside the hearts of believers. The black dog, the 'old us', is still alive and kicking and the white dog inside us knows nothing of victory. Can we say that we believe truthfully that we are no longer in the flesh and owe it nothing? Can we say that we believe our shield of faith will quench ALL the fiery arrows of the enemy? God says He will not allow us to be tempted above our ability to resist it. Ok.... do we believe that? That is the faith we have not coupled with our repentance.
Our solution has been to lower the standard. God is about to raise it in these last days, and praise God, then to lift us up to fulfill it. For all who love the light, this is truly an exciting time. There may be tears as we break before Him in hunger and confession and desperation, beseeching Him as wretched men to do just as He promised and 'cause us' to walk as overcoming obedient children, but those tears are precious to our Father, and He promises to replace our tears with overwhelming joy and victory. Pretty hard to spin that any way but awesome.
Blessings,
Gideon
