Why is Everything FUN a Sin in Christianity?

[Luis67]

Is the gospel and our walk with Christ in becoming a monk figuratively speaking? I mean can't we play softball, or hangout with Christian believers and play a game of scrabble, or is it just about the lost and preaching against sin all day long? Some Christians make me feel as though to a realistic sense we can't have a life, because one way or another it comes down to sin. Like working out? or going to school? like I am focusing on earthly things. When I honestly feel through the spirit I bring Christ's principles in everything I do, from what I watch, to what I speak. Like they say going to an amusement park with believers is sin, the beach or such things! Is everything then a sin and all I can do is wake up bible study, preach the word in the streets,fast, and remain secluded? I don't sense an abundant life, or peace with such lifestlye but....depression and deep inside an urge for rebellion.

 

[Kaitlin08]

Hello there

Perhaps you feel insulated because you're too used to living a Christian life. This is a problem for a lot of Christians, and the antidote is to become exposed to the way that people live without Christian presuppositions. There's such a difference in the approach to life, when Christianity is thoughtfully understood, that you may have forgotten or you may never have been aware, because you always saw the world through Christian lenses.

Certainly most of us aren't called to become monks; the whole world belongs to God, not just the spiritual, and it's the job of the Christian to make this evident in his or her own life. Sightseeing, game-playing, working out and so on are to be seen as useful diversions, instead of the wholeness of life, as non-Christians so often picture them to themselves.

 

[Luis67]

Hello there

Perhaps you feel insulated because you're too used to living a Christian life. This is a problem for a lot of Christians, and the antidote is to become exposed to the way that people live without Christian presuppositions.

What does this mean? Trying to get a deeper understanding from what you said.

 

[Tim Myers]

Shame on you....writing this post was a sin!!

Jes' kiddin'

 

[Johnnz]

We live in a world created by God for us. There is a false, unbiblical dualism around that places life in two categories - the earthly and the spiritual. But that is a Greek division, not a biblical one.

It is not a matter of earthly vs spiritual as opposites, but living on this earth related or unrelated to God. Earth is our home, not heaven. One day it will be renewed and fully restored to us, but meantime we have begun that process of living life here with a new understanding of God's purposes for us and His creation.

Jesus was not being 'unspiritual' when he spent many years working as a carpenter.

John
NZ

 

[Kaitlin08]

Hello there

Perhaps you feel insulated because you're too used to living a Christian life. This is a problem for a lot of Christians, and the antidote is to become exposed to the way that people live without Christian presuppositions.

What does this mean? Trying to get a deeper understanding from what you said.

Make non-Christian friends; start living in a place that isn't filled with Christians, or the same kind of Christians; go to a bar or a club every once in a while. The important thing is to understand how non-Christians differ from Christians who take their faith seriously.

 

[WilliamB]

Is the gospel and our walk with Christ in becoming a monk figuratively speaking? I mean can't we play softball, or hangout with Christian believers and play a game of scrabble, or is it just about the lost and preaching against sin all day long? Some Christians make me feel as though to a realistic sense we can't have a life, because one way or another it comes down to sin. Like working out? or going to school? like I am focusing on earthly things. When I honestly feel through the spirit I bring Christ's principles in everything I do, from what I watch, to what I speak. Like they say going to an amusement park with believers is sin, the beach or such things! Is everything then a sin and all I can do is wake up bible study, preach the word in the streets,fast, and remain secluded? I don't sense an abundant life, or peace with such lifestlye but....depression and deep inside an urge for rebellion.

Your walk with Christ has nothing to do with sin. So if you're spending all your time talking about and worrying about sin, you're not going to see much spiritual growth. If you get sucked into religion as apposed to the actual Will of God, you're going to have a pretty miserable life.

The Will of God for your life is to walk in righteousness, which has nothing to do with sin. The doctorine that it's all about, "Don't do this and don't do that", is a man made interruptation of the bible. Christ freed us from the law and sin is dead, so why worry about it. The battle is already won.

What you have to find for yourself is your security in your salvation. Churches love to make you question your salvation based on sin because if you knew the truth, they fear you'd stop coming to church and paying your 10%...neither of which are biblical requirements. The only other reason is they too are babes in Christ and still haven't been able to walk away from the law and into righteousness because maybe they have been taught incorrectly.

All things are available to you but not all things are good for you. It's up to you to decide but these things have nothing to do with salvation. The true message of Christ is simple. Love God with all your heart mind and soul and love your brothers as you love yourself. That's righteousness.

Are you a wicked person or are you just? Are you a man of integrity or a person who lies and breaks promises? Are you someone who doesn't forgive others? Are you a person who gives to the poor and needy from your heart or are you selfish? Are the decisions you make in life beneficial to others or detrimental? Do you put others needs before your own or is it all about you?

These are the questions more mature people in Christ ask themselves as apposed to "Is this or that a sin." Christ nailed sin to the cross. Let it go brother! Walking in righteousness truly is a fulltime job and when you begin to repent, meaning change your thinking from sin and the law, to righteousness you'll see that you won't have time to think about sin. Walking in righteousness takes care of sin by default.

You may also want to keep an open mind that it's possible you've outgrown your church. Not all churches are created for all stages of spiritual development. That's not a bad thing toward your or them. It's a good thing for both.

God Bless!

 

[SoldierOfSoul]

G.K. Chesterton said:

"The truth is, of course, that the curtness of the Ten Commandments is an evidence, not of the gloom and narrowness of a religion, but, on the contrary, of its liberality and humanity. It is shorter to state the things forbidden than the things permitted: precisely because most things are permitted, and only a few things are forbidden."

 

[whatfor]

You are to show Christ in you
How can you do that if you do not mix with non christians?
You can do most things they do and not be sinning, it is how you do it that counts.
If unsaved saw that you were not doing anything fun how many would want to be like you.
Live life as an example to them, have fun .

 

[LifebyChrist]

"I don't sense an abundant life, or peace with such lifestlye but....depression and deep inside an urge for rebellion."

Well here is your problem. Your rules are not from God, where in the Bible does it say, you cannot go to an amusement park? Your rules are not from God because they are leading you away from God, they are causing you to get angry and bitter towards Christianity.

Revelation 22:18 "I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book."

Matthew 15:9 "They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men."

Matthew 23:24 "You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel."

Romans 2:25 "Circumcision has value if you observe the law, but if you break the law, you have become as though you had not been circumcised."

Tituse 1:15 "To the pure, all things are pure, but to those who are corrupted and do not believe, nothing is pure. In fact, both their minds and consciences are corrupted."

James 1:27 "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."

In the gospel Jesus had eaten with sinners and tax collectors. He did not stay home and cry and fast all day, he went and ate with them. He taught them and talked to them and had fellowship with people. He healed the sick and crippled people, he gave them good news, Jesus was about helping the common people, he was about helping those sheep who needed a shepherd, someone to love them and watch over them and protect them. They were not perfect people, many of them committed crimes and charged too much money and maybe were just not the nicest people in general.

Now if you could endure your lifestyle and you worked hard to help people then good for you! But if your getting so angry and upset like your ready to just forget about God and get really bitter and upset then stop, because what your doing is counterintuitive.

Romans 7:10 "I found that the very commandment that was intended to bring life actually brought death."

Romans 7:24 "What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death?"

Romans 7:25 "Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!
So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in my sinful nature a slave to the law of sin."

So to answer your question, all these things your doing are not needed. Do you want some simple rules to follow? Here you go, follow these rules.

Acts 15:19 "It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God."

Acts 15:28 "It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with anything beyond the following requirements:"

Acts 15:29 "You are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality. You will do well to avoid these things. Farewell."

So if someone is offering food to an idol, don't eat it.
Don't eat really bloody food I guess, just drain it out then eat it
Don't play around with lustful thoughts of sexual sin, keep yourself in check

Also this is good to follow as well.

Matthew 7:12 "So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets."

Try not to only think about yourself, consider and think about how other people feel too, if you get mad and blow up and sock someone in the face, or just insult or slander or speak against people, they got feelings too. Or even if you just go around saying life is not worth living, just try to get that out of your head and be forgiving of others as God is forgiving of you.

Also even in the book of Kings there was a prophet who wanted to die because things were very tough for him I guess

1 Kings 19:4 "while he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness. He came to a broom bush, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, LORD,” he said. “Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.”

Jonah 4:9 "But God said to Jonah, "Do you have a right to be angry about the vine?" "I do," he said. "I am angry enough to die."

I mean Moses got mad, alot of prophets did, Jesus said to God,

Matthew 27:46 "About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?&#8221.

Jesus Christ was blameless, there is nothing wrong with telling God your concerns, Jeremiah had complaints in his book. If you feel your under alot of burden or pressure, pray to God.

Matthew 11:30 "For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

Just try to consider what you are struggling so much for, and also try to make it more efficient.

For example if you really want to live very purely with the help of God, then pray to him about it and if your feeling depressed then go to the beach or just hang out with some friends and talk to them about your depression and ask them for some support, find a hobby to help you calm down, there are many things you can do that are not sinning, it is simply taking care of your needs. It is logic, the thing to understand however is this:

Matthew 4:4 "Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God."

Also even when bad things happen remember this!

Romans 8:28 "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."

 

[Terene]

Is the gospel and our walk with Christ in becoming a monk figuratively speaking? I mean can't we play softball, or hangout with Christian believers and play a game of scrabble, or is it just about the lost and preaching against sin all day long? Some Christians make me feel as though to a realistic sense we can't have a life, because one way or another it comes down to sin. Like working out? or going to school? like I am focusing on earthly things. When I honestly feel through the spirit I bring Christ's principles in everything I do, from what I watch, to what I speak. Like they say going to an amusement park with believers is sin, the beach or such things! Is everything then a sin and all I can do is wake up bible study, preach the word in the streets,fast, and remain secluded? I don't sense an abundant life, or peace with such lifestlye but....depression and deep inside an urge for rebellion.

Dear brother,

I used to have this thinking as well, but I got to the extreme and didn't consider the full Gospel I was taught.

I believe that we are to live apart from the world and its ways, but that doesn't mean seclusion from everyone who is not a believer. What do I mean by living apart from the world? It means not being conformed to the world's systems, philosophies, thinking, way of life, conduct, attitudes and so on.

From the time Adam and Eve transgressed against God, the whole world on earth has been going in the opposite direction of the way of Life. As we also read from the Word, the whole world is under the sway of the evil one (that is satan) and that he is the god of this age. It is not difficult to compare how the world's way differ from the way of Christ, our Savior. The former is all about self (love of self above all, self esteem, selfishness, self attainment, self will etc) and the latter is all about God (love of God above all, faith in God, selflessness/denying self, will of God etc). It is no doubt that a true follower of Christ cannot be walking in the world's ways and yet claim to be following Christ.

When we are born again in Christ, we are no longer living for ourselves and doing things according to our desires, but for God and according to His Will. This is the marking difference between a Christian and a non-Christian. As we become more and more mature in Christ, we will be able to discern more and more the way of Christ and the way of the world. Then we ought to deny the way of the world and walk in the way of Christ in order to be pleasing to God. But before we can mature and walk in the way of Christ, we must seek earnestly to know the way of Christ by submitting ourselves to God's guidance and counsel.

This is not an easy path, but the heart's attitude is the most important. Do we have an earnest heart to know God's ways? Or do we prefer the ways of the world over the ways of God? This is the very first question we must ask ourselves. When our heart is right, we apply it to our actions and we seek God in prayers, supplications and fasting. We simply learn to acknowledge God in all our ways and God will direct our paths.

As to whether doing one activity is right or not, we must examine it along with the Word of God. From my experience, I think it is good that we examine the motive of doing an activity and how it affects God and our relationship with Him. Some questions I think we must ask are:

1) Will doing this activity expose us to temptations which we can avoid simply by not doing it? Remember what the Lord said about cutting off the eyes, hands if they offend us. We are to avoid sin and temptations at all cost. Temptation is the root of sin, so we must cut it off even if it means that we lose something important to us.

2) Does this activity glorify God and bring praise to His Name? If the activity we do only brings pleasure/glory to ourselves but does not glorify God or bring praise to His Name, I think it should be abandoned. But I think even going to the park can be good if we use this occasion to show love to the people around us and praise the Lord for His wonderful works of creation.

The Lord is not telling us, however, to seclude ourselves and avoid contact with the people of the world. I used to have this flawed thinking and now I am corrected. It is good and necessary to be careful when we engage with non-believers so that we are not drawn into their sinful ways, but we should not despise or avoid them, as did the Pharisees and scribes in Jesus’ time. We are to be the salt and light of the world, through our attitudes, conduct and thinking. Pray to the Lord about this if you are not sure.

Ultimately, it boils down to our heart and attitude when we decide to do anything. It is good for us to always have God in our minds so that when we contemplate to do something, we will not fail to obey God's counsel regarding it. Obedience and submission to God should be our only will.

Hope my sharing has helped and may God bless you all!

 

[Luis67]

@williamB good answer broman and I believe that is exactly what it is. Thank you everyone for taking the time to response to this slight confusion and ramble of mine.
@Terene thanks for the reminder as well.

 

[Johnnz]

Michael Goheen gives a useful insight into Greek influences within some Christian teaching.

The biblical story of redemption is about the restoration and healing of God's good creation. In order to understand this biblical concept well, it is instructive to compare it with that of the Greek philosopher Plato, whose beliefs, though based on a completely pagan worldview, have often been adopted by Christians. In Plato's thought, salvation is:

· vertical (our destiny is upward in heaven)
· otherworldly (our souls are saved into another spiritual world)
· an escape ( we are saved not as part of this world but rather from this world)

But a genuinely Christian worldview contradicts the Platonic view at each of these points, since biblically, the goal of salvation is:

· horizontal (we look forward in history to the renewal of creation)
· of this world (the creation is to be renewed)
· integral to God's ultimate plan for this world (no escape necessary)

The argument that salvation is the restoration of creation can be summarized as follows:

o The creation is very good, the way God intended it. As Albert Wolters has put it, "God does not make junk, and he does not junk what he has made."
o Human beings are created to live in the context of the creation. We are made to live not as spirits in some ethereal world but rather as embodied people in this world.
o The materiality of creation is not what is wrong with it; the problem is sin. God's redemptive work is to remove the sin that has infected the creation.
o In the Old Testament (and especially in the prophetic promises) the future kingdom is described as restored life within a new creation.
o Jesus proclaims the gospel of the kingdom. No Jew immersed in the Old Testament (as Jesus himself was) would have ever conceived of the kingdom as something "heavenly" or "spiritual"; it was God acting in power and love to defeat sin, death, and Satan and to restore his creation.
o Jesus' resurrection is a preview of what we can expect for ourselves. Jesus goes to be with the Father after his death (cf. Luke 23:43) but returns in resurrection as the firstfruits of what is coming. We too are with the Lord at death but will be resurrected in our bodies in the final day.
o The biblical images of redemption, restoration, and renewal all point to the good creation coming back to what it was meant to be.
o Satan's goal from the beginning had been to ruin and destroy God's world. A final destruction of the creation would signify a powerful victory for Satan-a victory that God has no intention of allowing.
o Salvation is about continuity between the original creation and a restored creation.

 

[Emmy]

Dear Luis67. Jesus told a Lawyer in Matthew, chapter 22, verses 35-40, "The first and great Commandment is: Love thy God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. The second is like it: Love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two Commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets." Jesus tells us that Love is very important, and the Love Jesus means, is selfless and no conditions asked. Everything we say, or do, which is without love and kindness, is sin, and God would not approve of. God is Love, and God wants loving children/sons and daughters. That does not come easy to us, until we try and change our whole outlook on life. Instead of being selfish, what do I like doing today? I ask myself: " am I pleasing God, am I being kind to others? will God approve or think me selfish and unloving? Our God loves us, Luis, and He is no spoilsport, God wants us to enjoy life, but NEVER by thinking only of ourselves. Jesus will give us his Love and Joy, and the Holy Spirit will empower us with His Love, to share with others. No angry words, or unfriendly decisions, no envy or jealousy, instead being the children which our Heavenly Father wants us to be. We will stumble and fail often, but we get up and ask God to forgive us, and God will forgive us as we forgive others. We will find in time: we are changing slowly, but surly, into God-pleasing sons and daughters, and loving and caring neighbours. We live in an imperfect world, Luis, but there are still many good and pleasing things in this world. God wants us to learn to love Him and each other, God as our loving Heavenly Father, and each other as good neighbours. I say this with love. Greetings from Emmy, your sister in Christ.

 

[Luis67]

@ emmy thanks for that.

I have concluded, that I am free from the law of sin of death, that I am under grace and truth. That it is about spiritual progress not spiritual perfection. That it is not about learning what is wrong, but what is right acceptable before the Lord. That my purpose is to follow after righteousness not focus on a laundry list of rules but on love towards God and my neighbor. Which are his commandments in spirit. That sin has been dealt with and I have been set free from it's dominion and curse which uses the law against me.

I have learned, all things are lawful, but not all things edify my spiritual growth which is what I have been saved for and created for, to bring forth fruits in righteousness. I have learned Christ will finish what he has started and he will never leave my side. I have learned though I may not continue practicing disobedience towards him, sometimes I will stumble but he is there to catch me in his love. That there is no sin, that can keep me away from him, just unbelief in his Son, his love, mercy, and holiness. Sin is not the issue but the condition of the heart.

For with Christ is more concerned with what we believe, then what we do. For we act from our believe.

Thank you brothers and sisters, May he bless you all!

 

[SullivanZ]

Michael Goheen gives a useful insight into Greek influences within some Christian teaching.

The biblical story of redemption is about the restoration and healing of God's good creation. In order to understand this biblical concept well, it is instructive to compare it with that of the Greek philosopher Plato, whose beliefs, though based on a completely pagan worldview, have often been adopted by Christians. In Plato's thought, salvation is:

· vertical (our destiny is upward in heaven)
· otherworldly (our souls are saved into another spiritual world)
· an escape ( we are saved not as part of this world but rather from this world)

But a genuinely Christian worldview contradicts the Platonic view at each of these points, since biblically, the goal of salvation is:

· horizontal (we look forward in history to the renewal of creation)
· of this world (the creation is to be renewed)
· integral to God's ultimate plan for this world (no escape necessary)

The argument that salvation is the restoration of creation can be summarized as follows:

o The creation is very good, the way God intended it. As Albert Wolters has put it, "God does not make junk, and he does not junk what he has made."
o Human beings are created to live in the context of the creation. We are made to live not as spirits in some ethereal world but rather as embodied people in this world.
o The materiality of creation is not what is wrong with it; the problem is sin. God's redemptive work is to remove the sin that has infected the creation.
o In the Old Testament (and especially in the prophetic promises) the future kingdom is described as restored life within a new creation.
o Jesus proclaims the gospel of the kingdom. No Jew immersed in the Old Testament (as Jesus himself was) would have ever conceived of the kingdom as something "heavenly" or "spiritual"; it was God acting in power and love to defeat sin, death, and Satan and to restore his creation.
o Jesus' resurrection is a preview of what we can expect for ourselves. Jesus goes to be with the Father after his death (cf. Luke 23:43) but returns in resurrection as the firstfruits of what is coming. We too are with the Lord at death but will be resurrected in our bodies in the final day.
o The biblical images of redemption, restoration, and renewal all point to the good creation coming back to what it was meant to be.
o Satan's goal from the beginning had been to ruin and destroy God's world. A final destruction of the creation would signify a powerful victory for Satan-a victory that God has no intention of allowing.
o Salvation is about continuity between the original creation and a restored creation.

This is a very good post. Almost amazing, I dare say.