levi501 said:
Serious question... I've never understood this...
Some people profess belief in the Christian God but recognize they don't know for sure. That's cool.
Yes, I get that you think it's cool that they don't know for sure, because that means that they are closer to agreeing with you.
Other's profess belief as some doubtless faith. So for those that have doubtless faith in christianity why do you sin?
Your question suggests that you do not have an understanding of what Christianity is, or what it means to be a Christian. Why do Christians sin? Because we're human and we have a sin nature, just like you do. Surely you don't think that accepting Jesus as my Savior means that I am no longer tempted to sin. If anything, the temptations are greater, as our faith grows to the point that we know how to flea from temptation. All humans sin.
I know if I had doubtless faith in this god I would shelter the homeless, nurse the sick and do whatever I could to make this life better for others.
Why do you have to have faith in God for you to care for the sick and the homeless? Are you saying that only those who believe in God can do these things?
I do understand that we are called to care for those in need. It's important that we do. But I wonder, do you believe that because you're not a Christian, you don't have to care for the homeless or the sick? What do you and your family do to help people in need?
Many of us do. Christians and non-Christians. It's impossible to do it
all though. We do what God leads us to do, (or we should). If we see somebody who is hurting (maybe his wife left him, and he has 3 children to provide for).. we should do our best to #1 offer comfort to he and his family and #2 provide in ways that meet their immediate needs. Perhaps offer to babysit his children after school hours, or teach the older ones how to cook, so that they can make dinner before daddy gets home. Maybe we could bring over a casserole, or offer to help out with grocery shopping (he can provide the list and the money), and if they have no $$, then perhaps we can help them get to a food bank once a week, or help out when we can. If we see that homeless men and women are living on our streets, we can give to the shelters that care for them. We can donate to food banks that provide food to the needy. We can volunteer for the food banks, handing out food... or the soup kitchens. We can offer to drive elderly neighbors to doctor's appointments, to church, to visit their elderly husband/wife in the nursing home, etc. There are many things we can do, and it is entirely possible that many of us do. I wouldn't reveal all of the things I do to help others on here, as I am not looking for a reward. I'm sure that most others feel the same.
Yes indeed you will meet people who say they are Christians, but who do not give to the needy, who do not show compassion for the poor, the brokenhearted, the abandoned, etc. God's word says that others will know us by our fruit. God will deal with those who claim Christianity, but do nothing to help "the least of these", as the bible tells us to do.
I would impoverish myself to the bare neccessities of life because ultimately the material comforts of this world fail in comparison to my eternal reward.
Christians don't have to be homeless of without property to be Christians. Many of us have families, and we need to provide for them. There are many single Christians or married Christians, without children who work as missionaries,and they have indeed given away everything that they own.
But let me ask you: is there anything you believe in? put faith in? What about freedom? Free Speech? Freedom of the press? etc. What about the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness? Would you give up everything you had for something you strongly believed in? Soldiers in the military do that for us. Would you? Could you? Just curious. Not accusing.
Don't get me wrong, I would still mess up here and there, but I would easily qualify for sainthood at the end of my life. So with doubtless faith, why do you sin? Why not do everything you can to stay in his good graces? Is it because you think you can get by with less? Or is it justified by the belief that you were meant to live a comfortable quasi charitable life?
If we were capable of being sinless, we'd have done it without the need for God's saving grace, through Jesus shed blood. We can't. You can't. I can't. None of us can. We cannot stop sinning, but what we can do is repent, which means to not have the desire to be sinful. To repent means that you recognize your sins, you ask for forgiveness for them and you mean it with your whole being. Then you turn away from those things that cause you to sin, but knowing, that there will still be times when you do sin. I ask forgiveness for my sins every day, and if I don't recall sinning that day, I still ask forgiveness for some that I may not know that I did.
But I'm of the opinion that I have to work to get to heaven. I can't not work for something of worth. Anything that comes easy, aint worth it.
