Can a habitually Sexually Immoral Christian who is saved go to heaven??

[Messy]

People get off of habits all of the time. Many times without a religious element. Scores of people have broken heroin addiction on their own without; doctors, psychologists, counselors and/or therapists. Not always recommended...but very possible.

Yes, but if you believe you are a sinner and have a sinful nature and it is impossible you will act on it. As a man believes in his heart so is he.
I thought I couldn't stop smoking and I asked for forgiveness time and time again and then it dawned on me: hey there's atheists that just stop. Something's wrong here. I don't even have to do it myself, I can ask God to do it, take the urge away.

 

[~Anastasia~]

I would disagree that we are not called to judge others salvation.

When someone who professes themselves to be saved in the name of Jesus Christ and yet they behave wrongly and sin repeatedly and argue that sin and condemned behavior is to be tolerated and is approved by God, they're lying to themselves. They're wrong.

And being left alone in their error, as they minister their wrong beliefs to others and live the example of unredeemed behavior, they're at risk of leading others by their example straight to damnation.

Would we let someone walk into a wall of fire without trying to save them by warning them of that flame ahead?

I do still maintain that we are not called to judge someone else's salvation.

However, that ought not be taken as an "easy out". If you see your brother about to walk off a cliff, is it loving to smile, pat him on the head, and tell him everything is fine?

The loving thing to do is to warn him. In fact, we are commanded to do so. Church discipline is seldom enacted anymore, that I have ever seen.

Matt 18
15 “If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother. 16 “But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that by the mouth of two or three witnesses every fact may be confirmed. 17 “If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.

It is also not amiss to pray for someone in sin. Sometimes that is the thing we are to do.

1 John 5
16 If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he shall ask and God will for him give life to those who commit sin not leading to death.

So no, we do not simply stand by and let them walk into a wall of fire. But we also do not stand back and decide they are already in the fire and not worthy of our notice.

 

[~Anastasia~]

I certainly agree completely with that part.
As for the 1 John passage, I'm going to give that some thought and study.

P.S.--This verse just came to mind. Do you think it has any bearing on this question:

"By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. The one who says, "I have come to know Him," and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him." {1 John 2:3, 4 NASB}

God Bless

P.S--I'm convinced that if John were alive today and preached those words for the first time, there would be a whole lot of [professed] Christians that would want to ship him back to the Isle of Patmos.

I just gave it a cursory look over a few chapters, but I still think John is - generally speaking - talking to his spiritual children about discerning whether they themselves are in the faith (and I think mostly reassuring them that they are). I think most of his letter is given to Christians to judge themselves. I may be wrong since I have not re-read the entire letter with that in mind, but the theme seems to weave in and out to discern one's own spirit.

Hi again,
Maybe I'm not quite 100% right, but I've been thinking a bit more about that, and the more I think about it, the more I think I disagree. Here's why:

The major theme of this thread has been "habitually sexually immoral [professed] Christians." (I don't believe there's any such thing as a habitually sexually immoral Christian.) I'm 100% convinced that the Bible is crystal clear, in numerous places, that sexually immoral people are not going to heaven (and therefore are not saved). For me not to judge their salvation, or lack of salvation, would be a total denial of what God has clearly told me in His word. To me, it would be a denial of my faith, and even a denial of God Himself. Plus--If those people are truly lost, and according to the Bible they most certainly are, then doesn't God want them to be made aware of it so that they can turn to God and find salvation before it's forever too late. I believe this is one of the great central messages of the Bible:

"Again and again, the LORD has sent you his prophets, but you have not listened or even tried to hear. Each time the message was this: 'Turn from the evil road you are traveling and from the evil things your are doing.'" {Jeremiah 25:4, 5 NLT}

"In those days John the Baptist (who was to "tell his people how to find salvation," and " make people ready for the coming of the Lord") began preaching in the Judean wilderness. His message was, "Turn from your sins and turn to God, because the Kingdom of Heaven is near." {Matthew 3:1, 2}

"I have had one message for Jews and Gentiles alike--the necessity of turning from sin and turning to God, and of faith in our Lord Jesus." {Acts 20:21 NLT}

Certainly, there are many wrong ways of going about trying to do this, but there's also a right, and God inspired, way of going about doing this. (I pray I'll walk closer to God so that He can teach me the right way.)

I also know, because it's shown to us all throughout the Bible, that even if we do it the right way many, many [professed] Christians will hate us for it.

"You stubborn people! You are heathen at heart and deaf to the truth. Must you forever resist the Holy Spirit? But your ancestors did, and so do you! Name one prophet your ancestors didn't persecute!... The Jewish leaders were infuriated by Stephen's accusation... They dragged him out of the city and began to stone him." {Acts 7:51-60 NLT}


P.S.--Saying they were "heathen at heart" is certainly telling them they weren't saved (at that point in their lives). And obviously, they didn't like hearing that.

Take care, and God Bless

I think your heart is in a good place.

The Scriptures say ... by their fruits you shall know them ... those who love Me (Christ) are those who follow My commandments ... and of course the sexually immoral (among others) will not inherit the Kingdom of God.

So I think there is certainly a place for warning people who may be presuming on Grace. If someone feels no need to obey God, then they ought to be exhorted to examine themselves and see if they are in the faith (and perhaps helped to see that they might not be by someone who is able to do so gently and with all humility). If someone is struggling against sin, then they need prayer, encouragement, support, maybe more.

This goes for ANY SIN .... I agree that this kind of discussion can tempt people to feel self-righteous because they do not commit "that sin". We are so weak and prone to look down on someone else for their sin because we feel secure in not committing that particular sin, forgetting that we may covet, we may lie, we may have pride, we may regard some kind of iniquity in our heart.

THAT is why (imo) we are not to judge anyone else's salvation. The result is too much temptation to feel ourselves "better" and as soon as we begin to do that - guess what - we have just committed a very grave sin. God hates pride.

It is much safer for us and kinder to our own souls not to judge the salvation of another. It is not for their sake that we refrain from doing so, but for our own.


God bless you, my dear brother in Christ.

 

[tacdon]

Of course they CAN stop if they want to. You mean they DECIDE not to stop.

Are you saying that you don't sin anymore?

 

[ViaCrucis]

So who had a seance and invited Pelagius' ghost into the thread?

-CryptoLutheran

 

[theophilus777]

we do not simply stand by and let them walk into a wall of fire. But we also do not stand back and decide they are already in the fire and not worthy of our notice.

Well put.

 

[theophilus777]

So who had a seance and invited Pelagius' ghost into the thread?

-CryptoLutheran

Pelagianism: the belief that original sin did not taint human nature and that mortal will is still capable of choosing good or evil without special Divine aid.

Hmmm, not sure that really settles this issue. "Being saved" = with Divine aid, yes?

 

[ViaCrucis]

Pelagianism: the belief that original sin did not taint human nature and that mortal will is still capable of choosing good or evil without special Divine aid.

Hmmm, not sure that really settles this issue. "Being saved" = with Divine aid, yes?

I would argue that those who say that we can, under our own strength, be free from sin through human effort, are still teaching a kind of Pelagianism. Because they are denying the reality of sin as it is, and positing a sort of moral positivism, a move toward righteousness and holiness through the efforts of man and his will through compliance to the Law.

It may not be Pelagianism proper, but it certainly retains the aroma of Pelagianism.

-CryptoLutheran