[Faith-talk] sin!

[Rex Leslie Howard, Jr.]

Oh, of course I've read John Wesley's writings, along with Calvin, Martin
Luther, Matthew Henry, Adam Clarke, John gill, James Coffman, Soren
Kierkegaard and many many others.

I want to know as much about my creator and savior as I possibly can. Some
people say I'm crazy for reading so much but I tell them that we don't drive
to work through pastures and fields, we use pre-existing routes so that we
don't get lost or bogged down in our travels. I believe that we must travel
in the ruts of those who have come before us. If someone tells me they have
a divine revelation from God and it doesn't match up with scripture, I don't
believe them and I take their words with a grain of salt.



-----Original Message-----
From: faith-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:faith-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org]
On Behalf Of Joshua Lester
Sent: Tuesday, August 09, 2011 1:31 PM
To: Faith-talk,for the discussion of faith and religion
Subject: Re: [Faith-talk] sin!

Rex, using your ideas, I can agree.
I agree with what you're saying, but John Wesley words it differently.
Have you read Wesley's writings?
We as believers shouldn't live in a lifestyle of sin.
Those that believe in this "Once saved, always saved," stuff believe
that we sin, (habitually,) in word, thought and deed.
That's my problem.
You have people, that call themselves Christians, but they smoke,
drink, mess around, etc.
This reminds me of my youth group.
I'd ask my friends, (these were boys in my AG youth group,) what
they've been doing.
Their response was a joking one, but still sinful.
"Smoking weed."
The Bible says, "let no corrupt communication proceed forth, out of thy
mouth."
It also says, that we're not to even let sin be mentioned, among us.
We shouldn't be partaking in sin.
If we're Christians, (which means Christlike,) we're to be an example.
We should be different from the world.
We should listen to Godly music, not secular music.
We shouldn't watch worldly garbage, on TV.
We shouldn't tell filthy jokes, or use profanity.
It bothers me, to hear someone say, "I love Jesus," but their life
doesn't prove it.
We shouldn't dress like the world.
We had a lady, (the wife of the worship leader,) come into church,
with a halter top.
Do you know what that is?
A halter top, is shorter than a mini-skirt.
Whatever happened to modesty?
What's going on?
We, as Christians have put up with too much mess, and God is not pleased!
He's not returning for a church, like this!
He's returning for a church, without spot or wrinkle.
We can't stay in sin.
We need to repent, (change direction.)
Repentance isn't, "Oh God, I'm sorry," and then going back into that mess.
It's asking forgiveness, and living holy, turning your back on sin.
We no longer are sinners, when we get saved, because the sin nature is dead.
We only become sinners again, when we let that sin nature resurrect
itself, but who would want to?
Keep that flesh crucified daily, and ask God to help you avoid sin.
"Lead us not, into temptation, but deliver us from evil."
Lord, keep me, and guide my feet, so I don't stumble back into sin.
Blessings, Joshua

On 8/9/11, Rex Leslie Howard, Jr. <rex at littlelaw.com> wrote:
> I have some thoughts on what Joshua said about shortcomings versus sin.
>
>
>
> When I mess up, and I do sometimes, I consider it sin. I consider it sin
> because I have acted outside of the will of God. I have acted in
> disobedience to God's word. I have allowed my flesh to overcome my spirit
> man.
>
>
>
> It is not a shortcoming, it is sin.
>
>
>
> However, it is not willful or habitual. I do not, at any time, wish to
live
> in willful or habitual sin.
>
>
>
> I don't like dirty jokes, strong language, fowl movies and the like. Some
> people may say that I'm a fanatic for taking that approach and that's
fine,
> Jesus was called a fanatic so I think I'm in good company.
>
>
>
> I simply know that if I bring garbage into my heart, garbage will come out
> of my mouth and eventually garbage would take over my life. The fact that
I
> am saved prevents me from ever wanting that to happen.
>
>
>
> Here are two excerpts regarding sin.
>
>
>
> The first is from a book called "the Gospel to be Preached," written by
Dave
> Andrus. The second is from David Guzik's commentary on I John.
>
>
>
> >From "the Gospel to be Preached"
>
>
>
> When we think of sin it is often associated with an act of disobedience.
> Although true, this is incomplete.  Sin is more than mere conduct or deeds
> contrary to a rule, command or law.  Sin is an attitude or disposition
> toward God.  It is from this attitude or disposition, against God, that
> specific words or deeds originate.  Deeds or acts in and of themselves are
> not necessarily wrong.  If this were not so, Jesus would not have
condemned
> the Pharisees. (Matthew 23)
>
>      The Pharisees were very devout law abiding people who believed that
if
> you did not do a thing wrong, God would accept you into heaven.  In
Matthew,
> chapters 5 through 7, Jesus taught that a person's motivation,
disposition,
> and attitudes were also sinful.  As a general rule, behavior does not
> control a person, but a person controls their behavior.  This corresponds
to
> sin in that we are not sinful because we did something wrong.  Instead we
do
> wrong things because we are already sinful, inclined to do wrong, right
from
> the start. Traditionally we call this original sin.
>
>      Why is this important?  It is so for several reasons.  First, anyone
> who has this attitude or motivation to sin, does not have a good, happy or
> right relationship with God.  The Bible describes us as enemies of God.
> (Romans 5:7)
>
>
>
>
>
> 1 John 3:6 (KJV)Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth
hath
> not seen him, neither known him.
>
>
>
> 1 John 1:7-9 (KJV) But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we
> have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son
> cleanseth us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive
> ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is
> faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all
> unrighteousness.
>
>
>
> >From David Guzik's commentary on 1 John.
>
>
>
> 1. (4-5) The nature of sin and Jesus' work in removing our sin.
>
> Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness. And
> you know that He was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is
> no sin.
>
>
>
> a. Sin is lawlessness: John defines sin at its most basic root. It is a
> disregard for the law of God, which is inherently a disregard for the law
> Maker, God Himself.
>
> i. We often fail in the battle against sin because we won't call it for
what
> it is: lawlessness, an offense against the Great Law Maker, God. Instead,
we
> say things like "If I've done anything wrong . . ." or "Mistakes were made
.
> . ." and so forth. Call it for what it is: sin and lawlessness. "The first
> step towards holy living is to recognize the true nature and wickedness of
> sin." (Stott)
>
>
>
> 2. (6) Abiding in sin or abiding in God.
>
> Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor
> known Him.
>
> a. Whoever abides in Him does not sin: Since sin is lawlessness, a
disregard
> for God (1 John 3:4), and since Jesus came to take away our sins (1 John
> 3:5), and since in Jesus there is no sin (1 John 3:5), then to abide in
Him
> means to not sin.
>
> i. It is very important to understand what the Bible means - and when it
> does not mean - when it says does not sin. According to the verb tense
John
> uses, does not sin means does not live a life style of habitual sin. John
> has already told us in 1 John 1:8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive
> ourselves, and the truth is not in us. In 1 John 1:8, the grammar
indicates
> John is speaking about occasional acts of sin. The grammar of 1 John 3:6
> indicates that John is speaking of a settled, continued lifestyle of sin.
> John is not teaching here the possibility of sinless perfection.
>
> ii. "The present tense in the Greek verb implied habit, continuity,
unbroken
> sequence" (Stott); the NIV has the right idea when it translates these
verbs
> with phrases such as keeps on sinning, continues to sin, and he cannot go
on
> sinning.
>
> b. Whoever abides in Him does not sin: John's message is plain and
> consistent with the rest of the Scriptures. It tells us that a life style
of
> habitual sin is inconsistent with a life of abiding in Jesus Christ. A
true
> Christian can only be temporarily in a life style of sin.
>
> i. Paul's teaching in Romans 6 is a great example of this principle. He
> shows us that when a person comes to Jesus, when their sins are forgiven
and
> God's grace is extended to them, they are radically changed - the old man
is
> dead, and the new man lives. So it is utterly incompatible for a new
> creation in Christ to be comfortable in habitual sin; such a place can
only
> be temporary for the Christian.
>
> ii. In some ways, the question is not "do you sin or not?" We each sin.
The
> question is, "How do you react when you sin? Do you give into the pattern
of
> sin, and let it dominate your lifestyle? Or do you humbly confess your
sin,
> and do battle against it with the power Jesus can give?"
>
> iii. This is why it is so grieving to see Christians make excuses for
their
> sin, and not humbly confess them. Unless the sin is dealt with squarely,
it
> will contribute to a pattern of sin that may soon become their lifestyle -
> perhaps a secret lifestyle, but a lifestyle nonetheless.
>
> iv. What is important is that we never sign a "peace treaty" with sin. We
> never wink at its presence or excuse it by saying, "Everybody has their
own
> sinful areas, and this is mine. Jesus understands." This completely goes
> against everything we are in Jesus, and the work He has done in our life.
>
> c. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him: To live a lifestyle of
> habitual sin is to demonstrate that you have not seen Him (in a present
> sense of the ultimate "seeing Him mentioned in 1 John 3:2), and that you
> have not known Him. There are some people so great and so wonderful that
> seeing them or knowing them will change your life forever. Jesus is that
> kind of person.
>
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