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Sin as described all through the Bible is man putting our will ahead of the will of God. This makes us self serving, self determining, self interested; all of which leads to seeking gain at the expense of others, the very opposite to the will of God. This so called perfection comes in serving the needs of others and helping each other get along, but not for gain.
For me I experience a mix of thankfulness and celebration - looking forward not back.
There was a season of repentance when the Spirit put His finger on issues in my life and also repentance and humility have to be a permanent state but not in any negative sense.
I learned early on that my digging into the shameful events of my past life was not fruitful but rather I wait for the Spirit and conviction rather than self condemnation or worse.
I agree with those who feel that joy (which is our strength) can be snuffed out by selfish introspection, false humility, and pietistic withdrawal.
The enemy of our souls works hard to prevent joy in our lives - some churches and religious groups are seriously lacking in Joy which is evident as you walk in the door and sense an atmosphere somewhat like a lead balloon.
So I encourage folks to walk in celebration doing His appointed works, rejoicing in seeing Him make our lives beautiful.
And God didn't create us to be imperfect in this way, however, meaning He didn't creates us to sin. Man's main lesson to be learned is that He's not God; the difference between Creator and creature is infinite. Man's perfection lies in his being in communion or relationship with God. It's ultimately defined by loving Him with our whole heart, soul, mind, and strength, a work of His in us. That's the basis, the essence, of man's justice/righteousness. And that love, along with love of neighbor, excludes sin by its nature.
This is true. "Sin" is misunderstood all too much and so it is focused on....all too much.
Since "sin" is directly related to archery I always think of the following example.
Sin, as it is in archery, is 'missing the mark'. So you have a target and you aim dead center on the 'mark', and you miss! Of course you miss, not everyone is Robin Hood.
However, an archer will tell you that when you miss the mark, you do not focus on where you hit - especially even more so when you hit really far away from it.
Instead, you concentrate harder on the mark. If you focus on where you hit, try to analyze it, then you are liable to miss the mark even further the next time.
When you focus on sin(incidentally this is what the law does) all of your attention goes to it instead of Christ. Instead, we focus on Christ - He is the Mark!
The quote from Paul always comes to mind in this subject;
[Phl 3:12-16 ESV] Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you. Only let us hold true to what we have attained.
Back to the archery again - a lot of people are hitting way further away from the mark than they think so they tend to focus on where they hit thinking they just need to inch it a little closer to the mark.
But the reality is, all they have done is made a mark up in their mind and are almost completely blind to the true mark that they are supposed to hit.
There's a danger in self-reflection. Any human that reflects on themselves too much becomes selfish and prideful.
For instance:
A Christian should be selfless and meek, holy and righteous (Matthew 5:5-6). Just how do you self-reflect in a healthy way?
- It would be easy for a Christian to settle into complacency; secure in the promise that their sins are forgiven and they can continue in the same sin(s) indefinitely. It can become a repetitive cycle where grace is abused in selfishness (Romans 6:1-2).
- It would be easy for a Christian to puff themselves up, as a child of God, looking down on the unwashed masses. Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall (Proverbs 16:18).
Then you will be in a place where you can self-reflect as a practicing Christian, in a healthy Christian way and not have it turn into something sinful in the process.
- Ground yourself in humility.
- Recognize your sinful self in all its wretchedness.
- Take your wretched self to Jesus and work on the things you need to work on.
- Align with God's will, never taking for granted His gift of grace.
- Enter into new life, making the changes you know you should.
To harp on sin constantly is wrong. We're to come to understand that we're sinners and be convicted of that sin so we can desire the better way and repent and turn to God, but to continue to condemn believers as sinners as some pastors do is unhealthy. Incidentally, fallen man does not sin by nature, as if his nature actually changed, but rather because he's unreconciled- out of relationship with- the only One who can take away and keep him from sin by justifying him, by pouring the love within the believer that opposes and excludes sin by its nature. Human nature will tend towards sin on its own to the extent that we're exiled from/apart from God. We need God's own life/nature/grace imparted to us which occurs as we now fellowship with Him
"Apart from Me you can do nothing" John 15:5. That's the basis of the New Covenant. Man was made for communion with God. With him we are new creations, no longer slaves to sin.
As God does, right?
Actually, the modern Church - in the West, anyway - has grown very reluctant to talk about sin directly. I can't remember the last time I heard from a modern preacher straight-up preaching about sin. So, I wonder about your remark that "many people will harp on sin - Sin, sin, sin."
Sin is an important topic; it occupies much of Scripture, actually. The consequences of sin are very dire and so regular warnings against sin are warranted. Now, this isn't to say sin ought to constantly occupy a primary spot in the believer's thinking. No one ever became more like Christ by staring at their sin. But it is a very foolish person who turns a blind eye to sin entirely.
Well, the apostle Paul generally first reminded his readers of their identity in Christ, their membership in God's family and what it meant, and then he commanded them concerning right living and sin. The Christian's conduct, in Paul's mind, was always inextricably related to their spiritual position in Christ. He didn't write in his letters that such-and-such was right so just do it, or such-and-such is wrong so don't do it, but instead typically made righteousness the outflow of a believer being a "new creature in Christ." (2 Corinthians 5:17) Paul's letter to the Ephesians, for example, follows this dynamic very clearly. In fact, the letter begins with Paul carefully laying out in the first three chapters the basic truths of the Christian's life in Jesus. Only once this accomplished does he begin, in chapter 4, to enjoin specific behaviours of the Ephesian Christians.
This, it seems to me, is the correct way to approach talking about the Christian life - and "sin which does so easily beset." (Hebrews 12:1) Only in the context of the believer's identity in Christ should sin be discussed, not merely as a threat, but as a profound incongruity with who a born-again person is. One can get a good sense of this approach in Paul's words at the beginning of chapter 6 of Romans:
Romans 6:1-2
1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?
2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?
Paul here, in a rather incredulous tone, asks the Roman believers why, given their spiritual union with Christ, they are still living in sin. He doesn't merely wag his finger at their sin, castigating them for it, but indicates that their sin does not at all comport with the reality of who they are as people united with Christ. He doesn't ignore the matter of sin but confronts it directly in connection with the truths of the Christian's spiritual position in Jesus.
If you are a sinner all the time, it's necessary to acknowledge that this is so - and then do about it what Scripture directs. Harping, though, usually is the tactic of the moralist/legalist.
A man who has built in his bathroom a new high-power, walk-in shower with multiple shower heads, but who never uses the shower, may possess the shower but does not properly benefit from it, the shower not being applied to cleaning the man's person, as it was intended to do. Likewise, the forgiveness we possess in Christ benefits us, practically, not at all until, by confession of our sin (1 John 1:9), that forgiveness is applied to our sin, cleansing us from it. Until such time as a sinning believer confesses his sin to God, he cannot enjoy fellowship with Him. (Psalms 66:18; Isaiah 59:2; 1 Peter 3:12) This is the story of the Prodigal Son. The son went off into a far country, and, though never ceasing to be his father's son, was unable to enjoy intimate communion with his father. Not until the son repented of his wickedness and returned home, confessing his wretchedness to his father, was fellowship with his father restored. So, too, with the believer who has, by their sin, halted, not their relationship with their Heavenly Father, but their fellowship with Him.
So, no believer ought to treat their sin lightly, or, worse, ignore it.
Hello you and welcome.
How should you view yourself as a Christian?
To this notion; first and foremost -> The bible is a gift of God that human beings have now today, to look at and read and see the Creation of the World, and also to Learn about the works of God through out history, it is a history of records of recorded times through out the generations preserved by Gods grace, and to see and learn about the Lord Jesus Christ the Son of God who is found in the truth of the Good News - The Four Gospels.
About His life, death, burial, and resurrection.
How should a Christian view themselves? -> Most in the world today, depending on the culture of Christianity you are around -> Many people will harp on sin. -> Sin, sin, sin. ->
As human beings by nature we are sinful. -> There are scriptures in the bible you can look up that deal with sin - if you use this site (Browse by letter: 'A' - Thompson Chain Reference - ) click on the Letter -> S and find the word Sin.
You will see every scripture that has to do with sin.
You will see every scripture that has to do with sin.
As human beings -> We are normally lead and tended to by our parents, and teachers who come a long the way as we grow up through life, and that even means people who are out there teaching the bible when you go to church.
Have no idea what many churches preach about but do know normally one thing that is heaped and harped on and over are things like the last days, hell, sin. (For the most part) Not all churches are this way -> Have been in some that do mention of these things sometimes.
So the topic of this is as a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ what should you look at yourself as if you are redeemed by the redeemer who is the Author and finisher of your faith?
Do you continue to harp over your sin, and see yourself as a sinner all the time?
What does the bible say about how a Christian is suppose to see sin? ((9 Verses) Dead to Sin) These are 9 verses on sin, and how a Christian is suppose to look and see sin. As dead.
You as a Christian believer, should understand that Jesus Christ has forgiven your sins already. God showed loved for you first, the Lord Jesus Christ also showed love for you first.
Because they loved us, as believers you are to Love God back.
If you Love God back -> It means to place him first daily in your life always, praying for others, forgiving others, continue to grow by the spirit, and in the knowledge of Gods will, spiritual understanding, and wisdom which is found in Christ Jesus our Lord.
If you live by the spirit by Loving God -> You are going to naturally be able to have Love towards Others. God makes us alive by the spirit -> The spirit lives with-in us.
Spirit of Christ -> (Source Link) Spirit of Christ (13 Verses)
Access to God as a Believer -> (20 Verses) Access to God (With comments)
Holy spirit -> (14 Verses) Holy Spirit ( with comments)
Access to God as a Believer -> (20 Verses) Access to God (With comments)
Holy spirit -> (14 Verses) Holy Spirit ( with comments)
You move away from (looking at your mistakes) looking towards Earthly things and start to let God renew your mind, and renew your heart through the spirit that is given by God.
You are a new creation in Christ Jesus -> conformed into his image, the more you grow in the spirit, and die to the sin (of the flesh).
You are not to see yourself as a sinner, if you are a believer who is seeking for truth.
You are a now a Child of God, (Son or Daughter of God) -> Forgiven of your sins, they have been removed from your account by the buying back of the Lord Jesus Christ of your sin -> into being able to have a relationship with God now.
What are your thoughts about these things?
How should you view yourself - as a Christian?
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