dreams-n-stars

Yes. And two verses further: "Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you." By accepting Jesus as Lord, your entire past is forgiven, and all the ignorant sins to come. Is it not enough that he was so gracious and merciful to do this for us? By deliberately sinning, you prove that you don't love God and you spit on Jesus's cross. All the quotes you gave have to fit in will the rest of the Bible. Just believing that Jesus is Lord is not enough ("the devils also believe and they tremble" - James 2:19), believing on Jesus is followed by the fruit thereof: "either make the tree good and his fruit good or else make the tree corrupt and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by its fruit". And to think that wilful sin is okay, makes you no different to people that don't proclaim themselves to be Christians. Also: "Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him. He that committeth sin is of the devil; Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God." (1John 3:6,8-9), "He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him." (1John 2:4) and "We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not." (1John 5:18).

This does not disagree with what I said. Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God. Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently: Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever. 1 Peter 1:21-23 And here you make my point all the clearer. "Ye have purefied your souls in obeying the truth." and "born again, not of corruptible seed, ... [but] by the word of God." If you sin deliberately, you go straight against this. Jesus said: "If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;" (John 8:31) and the author of Hebrews: "And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;" (Hebrews 5:9).

I beg to differ. Most people brush this question off with a quick "Jesus died for us, so we can really do whatever we want, as long as we belie-eve, ask for forgiveness and give some more of our money to the church." The bible (and therefore God as well) disagrees. Hebrews 10:26-29 says: "For if we sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation that shall devour the adversaries. He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?" I do think that "knowledge of the truth" is a key-element in this text though, and not everyone who says that they are a Christian has come to that state (2Tim.3:7). When you become a Christian, you are born again and you no longer live for yourself. The highest commandment is to love God with all your heart and soul, and to love God is to keep His commandments, and they are not grievous (1John5:3). To sin deliberately is an act of defiance against God, and "not being perfect" is a very poor excuse. But God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it (1Cor. 10:13). To sin on purpose, knowing that God doesn't want you to do a thing, is indeed spitting on Jesus' cross and counting His blood unholy.