Guilt?

[peteey]

Is Christianity based upon guilt? Feeling guilty for our sins, and thus repenting from them?

 

[themuzicman]

Christianity is based upon God's desire for a holy and blameless people. When Adam sinned, Christ had to come to make an atonement for those sins, so we could become holy and blameless before God, and be His people.

Michael

 

[peteey]

yes I understand that, but do we repent because we feel guilty? which would mean that christianity is a guilt-filled faith?
and do we have to repent?
in john 3:16 it says "that he who believes in him shall have eternal life..." and doens't say "he who believes in him and repents, shall have eternal life....."

this verse to me is one of the core verses in the gospels. if anyone has the gospel given to him, this verse is almost always given....

 

[Blessed2003]

Peety, you asked "Do we have to repent"
The bible says we do. Repentance is more than guilt, it is 'turning away' from your sin. I don't think you should live your whole life in a state of guilt, but initially guilt is what makes you recognize your sin.

 

[themuzicman]

If you believe that God is God, and you put your faith in Him for salvation, your faith will result in repentance.

Michael

 

[peteey]

okay so let's say the person realizes they are a sinner through "guilt" and believes in christ and that he needs him to clean his slate and get to heaven...is that considered repenting? or do they have to go into prayer, and pray the sinners prayer?

 

[Blessed2003]

Repenting is turning away from your sin, it (to me) is more a matter of heart, such as when a person recognizes how unholy they are compared to God. I don't see the 'sinners prayer' mentioned one time in the bible. I think repentance is a sorrow in your heart that makes you see that you are doing something wrong and drives you out of love for God, and a desire to please Him to seek Him, and to STOP doing wrong. True repentance will lead a person to ask him for forgiveness and mercy and ask him to teach them how to live a life worthy of their calling. Jesus said "If you love me, you will keep my commandments."
I don't pretend to have a complete knowledge of this so do not take my word, or anyone else's for that matter, get lots of opinions, but look to God through prayer, and read your bible to see what it says about repentance.
May God Bless you always, and give you a knowledge of His Truth, may He bless us all.
Love

 

[Lotar]

Is Christianity based upon guilt? Feeling guilty for our sins, and thus repenting from them?

Christianity is based upon Christ. Repentance would mean nothing without Christ, nor would guilt.

It is today's popular thinking, indeed showing the foolishness of the wisdom of man, that we should be guilt free. Not so, every sin we commit is a great affront to God, a rejection of Him, we should feel remorse for the sins we have done, but realize that they have been forgiven, and love Him as one who has forgiven you, an unworthy sinner, and welcomed you into His kingdom.

 

[peteey]

okay so a few of you have said turn from your sin....I'm just asking questions here, because I am curious...
so what if you sin again, does this mean you were not saved?

 

[themuzicman]

okay so let's say the person realizes they are a sinner through "guilt" and believes in christ and that he needs him to clean his slate and get to heaven...is that considered repenting? or do they have to go into prayer, and pray the sinners prayer?

That's the first step. But they also have to hear the gospel (good news) that Christ has come to atone for their sins, and that they must place their faith and hope in Him for salvation. That usually happens via the "sinner's prayer" which contains those elements.

Michael

 

[peteey]

or that you lost your salvation? because to me it seems impossible to stop sinning, since this was our nature to being with.

 

[themuzicman]

While we are in these sinful bodies, we will sin from time to time. The process of sanctification is only complete when we are resurrected in our new bodies.

Michael

 

[Blessed2003]

Peteey, this is a complicated matter, to me anyway, because we do ALL sin, and consequently I stay on my knees, or atleast in prayer, asking for forgiveness. So I am not sure if you are going to get a satisfactory answer to your question, at times, I have been in fear that I am even lost because I still sin. I dont know the answer except I trust Jesus to be my righteousness, so when I die, on the Day of judgement, first of all I can't imagine I will have anything to say, standing there in the presence of Holy God, but if my mouth can utter any words they will be PLEASE HAVE MERCY on me the sinner. I trust God. I try not to sin, but when I do I ask for forgiveness as soon as I am aware, and yes, it does produce guilt when I sin because I want to be a 'good' Christian and NOT do it. BUt like musicman said we will only be sinfree when we get our new bodies after the resurrection, or change, whichever comes first.
Love ya', and I hope I didn't confuse you, as you see, I too am confused by this issue.

 

[Lotar]

While we are in these sinful bodies, we will sin from time to time. The process of sanctification is only complete when we are resurrected in our new bodies.

Michael

So we only sin a little after we "get saved"? But if we sin a lot, then we weren't saved to begin with, or aren't saved any more?

 

[peteey]

I guess then my next question would be....we asked for forgiveness when we were first saved, but then after that..we didn't at all. but we still believed in christ, had faith in him...would you still be saved?

whatever happned to just having faith that Christ's sacrifice on the cross was enough?

 

[peteey]

That's the first step. But they also have to hear the gospel (good news) that Christ has come to atone for their sins, and that they must place their faith and hope in Him for salvation. That usually happens via the "sinner's prayer" which contains those elements.

Michael

so where is the sinner's prayer in the Bible?

 

[Blessed2003]

I guess then my next question would be....we asked for forgiveness when we were first saved, but then after that..we didn't at all. but we still believed in christ, had faith in him...would you still be saved?

whatever happned to just having faith that Christ's sacrifice on the cross was enough?

Simply, Christ is enough, because He is our ONLY hope of eternal togetherness with our Father. However, we do need to make sure that we continually seek to do His Will, I know you have heard the scripture "work out your salvation with fear and trembling" that to me means I will ONLY trust that Jesus is my way, but I will seek to honor Him with my obedience to His commandments.
much love Peety,
Brandy

 

[HoT-MetaL]

Absolutely not (to OP)... So often we quote John 3:16 without reading onto verse 17. Jesus did NOT come to CONDEMN the world.

God Bless, metal

 

[oworm]

so where is the sinner's prayer in the Bible?

Psalm 51

 

[Momzilla]

I guess then my next question would be....we asked for forgiveness when we were first saved, but then after that..we didn't at all. but we still believed in christ, had faith in him...would you still be saved?

whatever happned to just having faith that Christ's sacrifice on the cross was enough?

I have a couple of responses here. Re: only asking for forgiveness once, I ask for forgiveness of my sins every time I say the Lord's Prayer, and even more specifically in my morning and evening prayers. And when I become a member of the Orthodox Church, I will regularly confess my sins to Jesus in the presence of a priest. Repentance (turning away from sin) is a process, not a moment.

Re: "just having faith"--Christ himself said that we must take up our crosses. Faith in Christ is not simply a confession of our mouths, or even our hearts. It is a faith lived in our very lives.