Reasons For Obeying God

[cedric1200]

Why do many Christians believe it is sinful to obey God to avoid punishment? I don't get it. I have asked many people on these forums why is it sinful. But I did not ask you guys.

Let me just tell you, I am gay. I know God hates homosexuality, so out of fear of going to hell, I do not live that kind of lifestyle. And yet, that is still not acceptable to God? What more does God want? He says do not practice this kind of lifestyle, so I am not. But Christians will say my reasons are not good.

Now, I do have a problem with lust. But I have been trying to walk away from it. Until recently I wasn't having victory. But now, every time I get lustful thoughts, I think of hell and it becomes unattractive. I stop lusting. Paul says that coveting is idolatery. And the idolaterous person will not inherit the kingdom of God. To perfectly honest, I have no desire to inherit the kingdom of God; I just don't want to burn and suffer for all eternity. Jesus said it would be better to have not been born to Judas before he betrayed him. That's how I view hell.

Why do I want to obey God? Simple: to avoid going to hell and igniting God's wrath. Why is my reasoning wrong? I don't know. God sending someone to hell for only obeying him to avoid wrath is like locking someone up for only obeying the law to avoid going to jail. I just don't get why it is wrong.

Like I said before, I am gay and I have walked away from that lifestyle. What more is required of me?

 

[razzelflabben]

Why do many Christians believe it is sinful to obey God to avoid punishment? I don't get it. I have asked many people on these forums why is it sinful. But I did not ask you guys.

Let me just tell you, I am gay. I know God hates homosexuality, so out of fear of going to hell, I do not live that kind of lifestyle. And yet, that is still not acceptable to God? What more does God want? He says do not practice this kind of lifestyle, so I am not. But Christians will say my reasons are not good.

Now, I do have a problem with lust. But I have been trying to walk away from it. Until recently I wasn't having victory. But now, every time I get lustful thoughts, I think of hell and it becomes unattractive. I stop lusting. Paul says that coveting is idolatery. And the idolaterous person will not inherit the kingdom of God. To perfectly honest, I have no desire to inherit the kingdom of God; I just don't want to burn and suffer for all eternity. Jesus said it would be better to have not been born to Judas before he betrayed him. That's how I view hell.

Why do I want to obey God? Simple: to avoid going to hell and igniting God's wrath. Why is my reasoning wrong? I don't know. God sending someone to hell for only obeying him to avoid wrath is like locking someone up for only obeying the law to avoid going to jail. I just don't get why it is wrong.

Like I said before, I am gay and I have walked away from that lifestyle. What more is required of me?

personally, I would say amen. Fear is a great motivator. I would also encourage you as you grow in faith, to fall passionately in Love with God so that obedience becomes more than just a reaction to fear, but that will come in due time if you continue to pursue what is pleasing to God.

May your faithfulness be an inspiration to those who think you are sinning and a light in the darkness to all who think that pursuing righteousness is somehow evil. May you grow in your Love and trust of our Lord, seeking out a glimpse of who He really is and how much greater it is to serve Him out of Love than out of fear.

 

[Andy S. Wright]

Why do many Christians believe it is sinful to obey God to avoid punishment? I don't get it. I have asked many people on these forums why is it sinful. But I did not ask you guys.

Let me just tell you, I am gay. I know God hates homosexuality, so out of fear of going to hell, I do not live that kind of lifestyle. And yet, that is still not acceptable to God? What more does God want? He says do not practice this kind of lifestyle, so I am not. But Christians will say my reasons are not good.

Now, I do have a problem with lust. But I have been trying to walk away from it. Until recently I wasn't having victory. But now, every time I get lustful thoughts, I think of hell and it becomes unattractive. I stop lusting. Paul says that coveting is idolatery. And the idolaterous person will not inherit the kingdom of God. To perfectly honest, I have no desire to inherit the kingdom of God; I just don't want to burn and suffer for all eternity. Jesus said it would be better to have not been born to Judas before he betrayed him. That's how I view hell.

Why do I want to obey God? Simple: to avoid going to hell and igniting God's wrath. Why is my reasoning wrong? I don't know. God sending someone to hell for only obeying him to avoid wrath is like locking someone up for only obeying the law to avoid going to jail. I just don't get why it is wrong.

Like I said before, I am gay and I have walked away from that lifestyle. What more is required of me?

I am heterosexual and I know God God hates fornication and adultery (I've committed both in my lifetime). He hates when my lusts become the determining factor in my choice to obey and follow Him (I still struggle with pornography from time to time).

I tell you that my obedience to God is not based on my fear of divine punishment; eternal or otherwise. As a blood-washed believer in Jesus Christ, I know that my sins have been covered in His blood. Do not misunderstand. The Blood of Jesus Christ isn't a blank check to live in sin. It is the Blood of Jesus Christ and my understanding of His great sacrifice that compels me to draw near to Him relationally.

When I am relationally walking with God (spending more time communicating with Him than not), the lusts and temptations lose their potency. It is when my focus falls onto other things (life's challenges, secular forms of entertainment, personal bad habits, etc) that my focus on God blurs, my obedience wanes, and the lusts and temptations become a problem.

This is the battle every child of God faces daily. It's the problem Paul spoke of in Romans 7 ("The things I want to do I don't do..."). Ultimately, the Potter's desire is for his contaminated clay to be transformed into vessels of honor "meet for the master's use" (2 Timothy 2:21). This transformation requires us to submit to God's Word, Will, and Ways for our lives (Romans 12:1-2); not out of fear of punishment but out of love borne of a healthy relationship with our Savior and King.

The Christian walk is a process. You're on a good track. Just know that where you are in your understanding of God's ways in means is not the end. We all have much to learn about our God. Just keep doing what you're doing, brother, and you'll discover, as I and many other followers of Christ have, that the Potter knows exactly what He is doing with His clay and His "Plan B" is far superior to our "Plan A".

Just my 50 cents. Do with them what you will.

ASW

 

[Steeno7]

Why do many Christians believe it is sinful to obey God to avoid punishment? I don't get it. I have asked many people on these forums why is it sinful. But I did not ask you guys.

Let me just tell you, I am gay. I know God hates homosexuality, so out of fear of going to hell, I do not live that kind of lifestyle. And yet, that is still not acceptable to God? What more does God want? He says do not practice this kind of lifestyle, so I am not. But Christians will say my reasons are not good.

Now, I do have a problem with lust. But I have been trying to walk away from it. Until recently I wasn't having victory. But now, every time I get lustful thoughts, I think of hell and it becomes unattractive. I stop lusting. Paul says that coveting is idolatery. And the idolaterous person will not inherit the kingdom of God. To perfectly honest, I have no desire to inherit the kingdom of God; I just don't want to burn and suffer for all eternity. Jesus said it would be better to have not been born to Judas before he betrayed him. That's how I view hell.

Why do I want to obey God? Simple: to avoid going to hell and igniting God's wrath. Why is my reasoning wrong? I don't know. God sending someone to hell for only obeying him to avoid wrath is like locking someone up for only obeying the law to avoid going to jail. I just don't get why it is wrong.

Like I said before, I am gay and I have walked away from that lifestyle. What more is required of me?

I've never known a Christian who thinks it is sinful to obey God.

And as long as you continue to self identify yourself as "gay" you will, of course, continue to struggle with your true identity in Christ. "Gay" is not who you are if your are in Christ. Who you are in Christ is a child of God who is totally loved and accepted.

 

[Celticflower]

personally, I would say amen. Fear is a great motivator. I would also encourage you as you grow in faith, to fall passionately in Love with God so that obedience becomes more than just a reaction to fear, but that will come in due time if you continue to pursue what is pleasing to God.

May your faithfulness be an inspiration to those who think you are sinning and a light in the darkness to all who think that pursuing righteousness is somehow evil. May you grow in your Love and trust of our Lord, seeking out a glimpse of who He really is and how much greater it is to serve Him out of Love than out of fear.

I second this

 

[joshuanazar]

Why do many Christians believe it is sinful to obey God to avoid punishment? I don't get it. I have asked many people on these forums why is it sinful. But I did not ask you guys.

Let me just tell you, I am gay. I know God hates homosexuality, so out of fear of going to hell, I do not live that kind of lifestyle. And yet, that is still not acceptable to God? What more does God want? He says do not practice this kind of lifestyle, so I am not. But Christians will say my reasons are not good.

Now, I do have a problem with lust. But I have been trying to walk away from it. Until recently I wasn't having victory. But now, every time I get lustful thoughts, I think of hell and it becomes unattractive. I stop lusting. Paul says that coveting is idolatery. And the idolaterous person will not inherit the kingdom of God. To perfectly honest, I have no desire to inherit the kingdom of God; I just don't want to burn and suffer for all eternity. Jesus said it would be better to have not been born to Judas before he betrayed him. That's how I view hell.

Why do I want to obey God? Simple: to avoid going to hell and igniting God's wrath. Why is my reasoning wrong? I don't know. God sending someone to hell for only obeying him to avoid wrath is like locking someone up for only obeying the law to avoid going to jail. I just don't get why it is wrong.

Like I said before, I am gay and I have walked away from that lifestyle. What more is required of me?

So, you are afraid of burning in hell. What if I were to tell you that the fire wasn't hell's worst torment? This earth sucks! There is greed and abuse and hatred. There is depression and loneliness. But there is still love and joy and peace. Hell is a place where there is no good just evil people constantly doing evil things in the fire hoping in vain to satisfy the void that is forever plaguing their hearts. The biggest torment of hell is that there is no relationship with God there.

So if not having a relationship with God is the worst torment, then having a relationship with God has to be the best gift ever given. It is this relationship full of love and joy that motivates us to obey God's will, not because we have to, but because we want to with everything that we are.

Now, you say that you obey God because you are afraid of hell. So I have to ask; if God decided not to allow people to go to hell, would you still obey him? Or would you suddenly be fine with being gay knowing that, even though God hates the sin, you will not go to hell? If you would choose the second option then there is something wrong. The problem is that you love the sin. We cannot love God and our sins. And salvation is all about God loving you and you loving God.

I am going to tell you the truth. You are not gay. You might have done gay things or thought gay thoughts, but you are not defined by those things. We are defined by what God says we are. God says that we are beautifully and wonderfully made. He would not make us into something that he hated. He did not make you gay. You see Satan wants to destroy us. He wants you to think that you are something that you are not, something that God hates. But God does not hate you. All this gay thing is is an addiction brought on by a series of bad thoughts and habits (like porn or drugs). But Jesus forgives our sins heals our minds and delivers us from addictions.

God loves you and I love you.

 

[joshuanazar]

I am heterosexual and I know God God hates fornication and adultery (I've committed both in my lifetime). He hates when my lusts become the determining factor in my choice to obey and follow Him (I still struggle with pornography from time to time).

I tell you that my obedience to God is not based on my fear of divine punishment; eternal or otherwise. As a blood-washed believer in Jesus Christ, I know that my sins have been covered in His blood. Do not misunderstand. The Blood of Jesus Christ isn't a blank check to live in sin. It is the Blood of Jesus Christ and my understanding of His great sacrifice that compels me to draw near to Him relationally.

When I am relationally walking with God (spending more time communicating with Him than not), the lusts and temptations lose their potency. It is when my focus falls onto other things (life's challenges, secular forms of entertainment, personal bad habits, etc) that my focus on God blurs, my obedience wanes, and the lusts and temptations become a problem.

This is the battle every child of God faces daily. It's the problem Paul spoke of in Romans 7 ("The things I want to do I don't do..."). Ultimately, the Potter's desire is for his contaminated clay to be transformed into vessels of honor "meet for the master's use" (2 Timothy 2:21). This transformation requires us to submit to God's Word, Will, and Ways for our lives (Romans 12:1-2); not out of fear of punishment but out of love borne of a healthy relationship with our Savior and King.

The Christian walk is a process. You're on a good track. Just know that where you are in your understanding of God's ways in means is not the end. We all have much to learn about our God. Just keep doing what you're doing, brother, and you'll discover, as I and many other followers of Christ have, that the Potter knows exactly what He is doing with His clay and His "Plan B" is far superior to our "Plan A".

Just my 50 cents. Do with them what you will.

ASW

amen

 

[chapmic]

Fear will only motivate you so far, your fear for God has to be triumphed by your love for God then serving him will become more pleasing and natural. The relational element of Love is a better motivator that is why Jesus said the best command is to Love God with All your heart. Some of the Old testament Hebrews followed the law out of obedience and fear and that's why eventually they lose sight of the purpose, it became more about practicing a routine then performing a sacred ritual. I hope this helps! God bless!

 

[cedric1200]

Okay. I get it. I shouldn't go around and say that I am gay.

I guess when people ask me I would feel like I am lying if I told them no.

 

[cedric1200]

Fear will only motivate you so far, your fear for God has to be triumphed by your love for God then serving him will become more pleasing and natural. The relational element of Love is a better motivator that is why Jesus said the best command is to Love God with All your heart. Some of the Old testament Hebrews followed the law out of obedience and fear and that's why eventually they lose sight of the purpose, it became more about practicing a routine then performing a sacred ritual. I hope this helps! God bless!

Okay

But doesn't fear and love work hand in hand? Isn't loving God obeying him?

 

[Steeno7]

Okay. I get it. I shouldn't go around and say that I am gay.

I guess when people ask me I would feel like I am lying if I told them no.

It's isn't about not "saying" you are gay. It's about not taking your identity from your perceived sexuality....but from who you are in Christ. It's about learning to see yourself correctly, as God sees you. Because how God sees you is who you really are.

Unfortunately, how you see God, as someone who is just out to get you, to punish you, hinders that. It begins with seeing God properly. Seeing that God loves you with a love that desires only the highest and best good for you. That you are the apple of His eye and that He is for you not against you. Until you truly believe and accept that truth, seeing yourself as God sees you will continue to escape you, and your struggle will remain.

 

[Celticflower]

Okay. I get it. I shouldn't go around and say that I am gay.

I guess when people ask me I would feel like I am lying if I told them no.

Personally, I don't think it is anybody's business but your own. You are who and what you are. Unless you feel convicted by GOD (and only God) to change, then there is no reason to change or to deny who you are.

And anyone who tells you otherwise has their own agenda that has little to do with you.

 

[cedric1200]

Thank you everyone