the worst sin

[exitstageright]

What is it about our society that seems to want to make sexual sins the worst sins humanly possible? The one you are going straight to hell for and they erase all of the other aspects about someone's life?

We all sin. Nobody has their entire act together...but in reality, we are all a work in progress. Hopefully, as Christians, we are spending time daily trying to learn how to be more Christ-like in our thoughts and deeds while dealing straight-on with the places we are falling short...both by asking for forgiven and asking for help cleaning the garbage out of our lives.

What I notice is that people come through our forum and are quick to condemn others as going straight to hell because of single belief ... and that usually is a belief about sex ... without even taking time to get to know more of the whole person.

If you see sin, it is perfectly fine to point it out in a gentle loving manner to help get a brother/sister back on the right road...but to see one statement and announce that their salvation is in jeopardy over one perceived sin...well, actually only God has that judgement power.

QUICK ANNOUNCEMENT: Heaven will be full of sinners! God will be the only non-sinner there. The difference is that the ones there will be wearing a covering of God's grace.

John 8:7 (NIV)When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.”

There was only one person who was in a position to throw the first stone...and He didn't. Be careful about throwing stones. God did not call us to beat each other up. He called us to love each other up and through love, help people overcome their weaknesses.


Before you start throwing the stone at the person you perceive as being a sexual deviant...make sure that you are not looking around the log in your own eye. Do you treat EVERYONE in your life with respect and love? ... enemies too? Have you EVER gossiped about someone? etc...



Matthew 7:3-5 (NIV)3 “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4 How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

Thanks for your quote,Blackribbon. I could not have said this any better. Yes,we do have "The Sin Police" reading our threads.

For example,most of the single women at my church did not come to my Super Bowl Party,because one of my friends was there. The women accused him a living a "double life." Yet,I was at lunch with these same women, I eye witnessed and heard one woman coming on to my friend,( D), Her exact words were,"I need a man! Can I stay over and take a nap at your house , D?" One male friend told me that the single women at our church will not forgive (D).

I would just love to ask these unforgiving women,"What ever happened to the saying,"forgive us our trespasses ,as we forgive those who trespass against us?"

Yea,I could have a drug addiction, an alcohol addition, or a smoking addiction. After I confess of those addictions,I would be received with the open arms of forgiveness.
But, if I would confess to a sexual addiction ,I would be as welcomed as I would be to a Klu Klux Klan rally.

 

[exitstageright]

True, nothing was mentioned about the man. So what .

Your subjective opinion is noted , although invalid ; I don't live for the applause of Men and Women --- only God .

You could understand the BIble much much better if you were willing to be a diligent Student of it , and, if you were able to get past your pride from being taught Gods Word .

In the year 33 AD,David,you would have made a great Pharasee,or better yet,a great Sadducee.

 

[memoriesbymichelle]

True, nothing was mentioned about the man. So what .


Ha ha ha So WHAT? A woman cannot be an adultress by herself!

Your subjective opinion is noted , although invalid ; I don't live for the applause of Men and Women --- only God .

I don't believe you.

You could understand the BIble much much better if you were willing to be a diligent Student of it , and, if you were able to get past your pride from being taught Gods Word .

You barely know me but are SO sure I don't know much about the bible. Are you psychic or something because I AM a diligent student of the bible and I don't feel I have a problem with pride. Often I reflect with God on my thoughts and actions to attempt to make sure I am not prideful because that's not who I want to be. I don't think anyone here that knows me well would say that I'm prideful. And YOU sir are not teaching God's word to me. YOU are only saying how much YOU know the bible and God's mandates and such. You have no love in your posts. No mercy. No caring how the human beings might feel or what they might be going thru in their lives. And without love you are nothing but a clanging symbol. Love is what identifies us as Christians. Jesus said that people would know us for the love that we have for one another, therefore we should strive to walk in love.
To YOU love is pointing out our every flaw as you see it going against what you say are God's mandates. That only makes people feel bad and does not encourage them to want to change even if what you say is truth.
Just because someone disagrees with you does not give you the right to say they really aren't christians. I will admit I have made alot of mistakes in my life while being a Christian. I did not do it because I wanted to willfully disobey God. I did it because I am human.
I have always believed in God. I cannot remember a time where I did not believe in God. Then as I grew up in the Word I came to know about Jesus and welcomed Him as my Savior. He knows my heart and I believe He will never leave me or forsake me. In HIM I put my trust. I do not trust in men.
I am going to ask you nicely.....quit talking down to me and saying things like you have been about "if you only would learn more about the bible" etc. IOW quit implying that I am dumb about the bible! I do not claim to know everything and I cannot quote scripture and verse of every passage I know but I know LOVE. I know Mercy. I know compassion. and I KNOW my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. If you don't believe me I don't care, but stop harassing me with your belittling words. And before you try to take the splinter out of my eye, please take the log out of your own.

 

[exitstageright]

You barely know me but are SO sure I don't know much about the bible. Are you psychic or something because I AM a diligent student of the bible and I don't feel I have a problem with pride. Often I reflect with God on my thoughts and actions to attempt to make sure I am not prideful because that's not who I want to be. I don't think anyone here that knows me well would say that I'm prideful. And YOU sir are not teaching God's word to me. YOU are only saying how much YOU know the bible and God's mandates and such. You have no love in your posts. No mercy. No caring how the human beings might feel or what they might be going thru in their lives. And without love you are nothing but a clanging symbol. Love is what identifies us as Christians. Jesus said that people would know us for the love that we have for one another, therefore we should strive to walk in love.
To YOU love is pointing out our every flaw as you see it going against what you say are God's mandates. That only makes people feel bad and does not encourage them to want to change even if what you say is truth.
Just because someone disagrees with you does not give you the right to say they really aren't christians. I will admit I have made alot of mistakes in my life while being a Christian. I did not do it because I wanted to willfully disobey God. I did it because I am human.
I have always believed in God. I cannot remember a time where I did not believe in God. Then as I grew up in the Word I came to know about Jesus and welcomed Him as my Savior. He knows my heart and I believe He will never leave me or forsake me. In HIM I put my trust. I do not trust in men.
I am going to ask you nicely.....quit talking down to me and saying things like you have been about "if you only would learn more about the bible" etc. IOW quit implying that I am dumb about the bible! I do not claim to know everything and I cannot quote scripture and verse of every passage I know but I know LOVE. I know Mercy. I know compassion. and I KNOW my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. If you don't believe me I don't care, but stop harassing me with your belittling words. And before you try to take the splinter out of my eye, please take the log out of your own.

Well said ,Michelle! When Jesus walked this earth ,his teachings were more about the spirit of the law,and less about the letter of the law.

And David,you seem more like someone stepping on the gas pedal while the car is in neutral. You are making a lot of noise , but you are going nowhere.

 

[scraparcs]

1 Corinthians 13:1 If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.

Just don't ask me to define love.

 

[blackribbon]

nevermind

 

[dayhiker]

Well, I went to a men's meeting tonight. More convinced than ever that that what the Bible say says about love is where its at.

 

[blackribbon]

Well, Michelle I should have picked a better phrase. I was talking about the love a woman feels for her child when its born. I've read about the hormones that are released in a woman that causes a woman to love her child. Yes, I know about postpartum depression also. ... just shows how few ways we have to release tension. Prayer and meditation can help with tension also.

(somehow I missed this)

This is not completely true. I loved both my kids after they were born but didn't feel attached until about 10 months later when my hormones started balancing out again. I am not unique but most women don't talk about it because it is shameful to admit that you feel indifferent to your baby.

And childbirth is only the first day of life long stress that children bring to a mother's life. Love doesn't not relieve stress..rather it is love that causes it many times.

 

[dayhiker]

That's for another point of view, black. I can see what your your saying.

 

[blackribbon]

It is common knowledge that most ardent anti-smoker is the one who just quit after a life time of smoking.

The most vocal anti-alcohol advocate is often the one who was a former alcoholic.

They seem to assume that everyone else who does these activities is as bound to them as tightly as they were. They also do not believe that they need to allow the ones who actually are bound tightly as they were, the same courtesy of allowing them to reach their own decisions on their own time.

I suspect that this may be part of the issue on this forum right now with the topic of sex.

 

[dayhiker]

Black I've seen that before.

A friend took me to my 1st AA meeting a few months ago. She has been going for 20 years. The leader that day was a woman about 50 who alcohol had done a job on from her story. But the thing that impressed me was she had fallen off the wagon for a few months. More hurt and pain as a result. But the AA group were like No condemnation. Just come back get clean and stay clean. They showed an amazing amount of compassion for here and others there who had done the same thing one or many times. As Rom.8:1 says, There is no condemnation in Christ Jesus. I say the most amazing demonstration of that verse in action that day.

 

[blackribbon]

The best way to quit anything is to "keep quitting." Spending too much time beating yourself up is counter productive. When you "fail", you just quit again. If someone really is motivated to quit, the successful days will soon be much longer than the fail days. This works for any life change, physical or psychological.

 

[dayhiker]

Amen, sista ... letting that Boston accent out!

 

[memoriesbymichelle]

Well said ,Michelle! When Jesus walked this earth ,his teachings were more about the spirit of the law,and less about the letter of the law.

And David,you seem more like someone stepping on the gas pedal while the car is in neutral. You are making a lot of noise , but you are going nowhere.

thank you exit!

(somehow I missed this)

This is not completely true. I loved both my kids after they were born but didn't feel attached until about 10 months later when my hormones started balancing out again. I am not unique but most women don't talk about it because it is shameful to admit that you feel indifferent to your baby.

And childbirth is only the first day of life long stress that children bring to a mother's life. Love doesn't not relieve stress..rather it is love that causes it many times.

Hey blackribbon, the day my first son was born I was SO tired from the epidural that I was thinking to myself, "I'll just see him tomorrow" and then as soon as that thought came into my mind I asked them to bring me my baby because I felt so terrible that I didn't want to see him because I was tired! Nobody told me how tired I would feel from the medication. They also lied to me about when I could eat!

 

[memoriesbymichelle]

It is common knowledge that most ardent anti-smoker is the one who just quit after a life time of smoking.

The most vocal anti-alcohol advocate is often the one who was a former alcoholic.

They seem to assume that everyone else who does these activities is as bound to them as tightly as they were. They also do not believe that they need to allow the ones who actually are bound tightly as they were, the same courtesy of allowing them to reach their own decisions on their own time.

I suspect that this may be part of the issue on this forum right now with the topic of sex.

That's exactly what this reminds me of! Someone that was a chain smoker and quits and then berates others and even coughs around their smoke and loudly tells them how they need to quit or smoke somewhere else just because the chain smoker quit. If the chain smoker didn't quit they would be on the other side arguing their freedom to do as they choose but they don't afford anyone else that same opportunity.

 

[memoriesbymichelle]

Well, I went to a men's meeting tonight. More convinced than ever that that what the Bible say says about love is where its at.

at church on Sunday we had a guest pastor (because you know we don't have a pastor right now) and the message was on Galatians. I was so intrigued by the message that I went home and re-read Galatians. The book is all about grace.

Gospel or Law? Faith or works? These are key questions in the life of every Christian. In the book of Galatians, we are assured that keeping the law, even the Ten Commandments, cannot save us from our sins. Instead, we find freedom and salvation through placing our faith in the atoning death of Jesus Christ on the cross.

It was refreshing in light of what's been going on in this forum to read about grace and how we are free from the law.

 

[dayhiker]

Ya, Galatians is an amazing book ... I've been thinking about it with the message Doc posted and all that has been said as well. I got a study at home, I'll try to post along this line.

 

[exitstageright]

thank you exit!




Hey blackribbon, the day my first son was born I was SO tired from the epidural that I was thinking to myself, "I'll just see him tomorrow" and then as soon as that thought came into my mind I asked them to bring me my baby because I felt so terrible that I didn't want to see him because I was tired! Nobody told me how tired I would feel from the medication. They also lied to me about when I could eat!

You are welcome,Michelle

 

[blackribbon]

Hey blackribbon, the day my first son was born I was SO tired from the epidural that I was thinking to myself, "I'll just see him tomorrow" and then as soon as that thought came into my mind I asked them to bring me my baby because I felt so terrible that I didn't want to see him because I was tired! Nobody told me how tired I would feel from the medication. They also lied to me about when I could eat!

I have issues with obstetrics for similar reasons...they do not give the mothers all the information they need to make educated decisions. There is a place for epidurals but I doubt that they told you that you could drug up your baby with the meds or that it would most likely slow down your labor either and increase your risk for needing a c-section. They act like mothers can't handle the pain...it hurts but you forget it afterwards. I had two kids without meds. One was 10 lbs 3 oz and the other was 8 lbs 7 oz.

Oh, you probably couldn't eat until your intestines "woke up" from the medication....cause they get numbed up too. If they did you up good (which is sounds like they did based on your tiredness), then the time to wear off would have been longer.

 

[iambren]

Latecomer to the OP here but BlackRibbon you bring up a good point. If,for instance,a couple has sex,no pregnancy and later breaks up what in this world has been so darkened? I'm not saying neutral but I can think of a lot more evil/sinful things a person could do. Maybe sex,which is the only sin a pastor is brought down for,seems so sinful because it is so physical. We can't see coveting or pride or envy or even inward loathing. But a motel receipt or eyewitness you are toast!

My concept of sin has changed radically from when I was a baby Christian. A book that has helped me was by M Scott Peck called People of the LIE and heps see the insidiousness of sin and how it hurts people.

I worked with a lady(nonChristian) who was married to her ex for 20 years. She made the statement "Ya know,I never did really love him". I was speechless. So that meant that that man lived about 20 years with her,had a couple kids(whose mommy didn't love her daddy) and in the darkest hours that man wondered or felt "I am not truly love,true warmth is missing"--THAT was not a heinous sin??!! He carried it every day of his life!

And most of you know of my ex-wife who gave all the appearances of loving/wanting me yet rejected me 15 years. Daily assault to the soul yet sexual rejection is NEVER preached about. Now adultery,fornication makes for good pulpit fodder.