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I agree. We need to fear God and live our lives aligned with His word. Our deeds do not justify us, but if we don't have deeds, it shows we have not understood what salvation is all about. Daily, we are to walk with the goal of having no sin. But if we were to stumble, God would raise us back up, but not back to a life of sin, but to one of purity.
It's all good. My support of anyone's replies is based solely on the text of the reply itself. It doesn't imply a support of any of their beliefs aside from the single message. Personally, I haven't even seen enough of her replies to have any clue what she believes in general. I didn't even know she was a she until I read your post.
Sadly, I think that many people in churches have belittled what the "Fear of God" is, and this has brought a casual attitude to many churches. This attitude is an attitude that I can just be myself, and God will accept me, which is true. But this attitude means that many do not show any extra reverence for God. This is seen in how many believers act, talk and even how they dress in church. For example, I have seen people leaders lead communion in an untucked casual work shirt with jeans and woollen beanie on. How we dress does not earn our way to heaven, but it shows how much we respect the God we are addressing. It is an overflow of our heart. If we would not dress in such a way in front of an earthly King, then we should not dress in such a way in front of God. Malachi 1:6-8 says that we should not offer to God what we would not offer to an earthly ruler. And I believe that this respect should also be shown in how we dress. It is respect. It is an outpouring of what is in the heart. But many do not have this because they have little understanding of the fear of God.
If you make comments like this, you need to defend your belief. If you cannot defend it then you most likely have an incorrect belief. So a false belief.
I see you have been on the forum since this post, but you have chosen not to defend your salvation with no change in a person's viewpoint. I believe that this is because when we have previously spoken on this topic, you have found that you could not defend it.
I have never really thought about the way I dress, but it can hide attitudes of casualness. We only have to look to the Early Church to see the fear of the LORD when Ananias lied to the Apostles; he and his wife dropped dead.
Agreed. Those who are His do not have to fear Him because they are honouring Him. He is their King. But within the believer, there should be an understanding that if they were to go back to permanently live in habitual sin, then they are in great, great danger. This understanding can keep us from sin. Prov 16:6 "And by the fear of the Lord one departs from evil."
I find it difficult to navigate the path you are recommending because everyone, including me, commits sin after they are saved.
Yes, we do sin. We are not perfect. But we should not habitually do it. When we fall, we get back up and run. Then, when we come across those potholes again, we fight like soldiers of Christ. Over time, temptation and sin will become less.
Good to hear that you don't believe the doctrine of sinless perfection. Most people don't, but some do. When you say, "someone who is saved will be transformed and will leave their sin" it reminds me of sinless perfection. But your clarification that we will leave behind habitual sin certainly goes against sinless perfection. I guess for those who don't believe in eternal security there must be some objective standard for what constitutes habitual sin. A famous Texas preacher said he once went 3 days in a row not sinning. I would say if he sins one sin every 3 days of a 70 year life he is a habitual sinner. Everyone is a habitual sinner in my view. Maybe others disagree with that assessment.
Yes, that is right!!! I have the mind of Christ (1 Cor 2:16), and having been joind to the Lord I am one spirit with Him (1 Cor 6:17). Because of His sacrifice I can serve Him with a clear conscience (Heb 9:14).
Like you, there was a time in my life that I felt trapped in sin. And like He did for you, God delivered me out of it. But I can honestly say that I have no fear that God will abandon me (Deut 31:6, 8; Josh 1:5; 1 Kings 8:57; 1 Chron 28:20; Ps 27:9; Jer 18:14; Heb 13:5; and 1 John 4:17-18)
"Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God." (2 Co 5:20)
We all fall short of perfection. But habitual sin, I believe, is recognising a particular sin in your life and choosing to continue in it on a regular basis. Porn is a prime example as many believers are caught in this. They know it is wrong but habitually continue in this sin. (Maybe they are not saved in the first place)
I do not fear that either because God is the King of my life.
The title of this thread is "If We Go On Sinning". The opening post contrasts people who practice righteousness with those who practice sin. The punchline of the opening post is, "For the one who practices righteousness is righteous, but the one who practices sin is of the devil, and he does not have salvation." This is apparently a reference to verses in 1 John which speak in similar terms about the contrast between children of God and children of the devil.
