"Christians" Who Continue to Sin

[gdemoss]

I thought I had three courses of action when she raised the issue.

1. I could remain silent and perhaps change the subject.  

 

2. I could say the Jesus loved her and would forgive her no matter what she did and whether or not she had petenance.  

 

3. Or I could tell her I thought she was making a serious mistake and that she should ask God for forgiveness, repent, and mend her ways.  I chose the last course of action but wondered what else I could say to her so that she would change the direction of her life.  

 

 

You may have only had three courses of action available to you at the time based upon where you are in your walk with Christ and the level of knowledge, understanding and wisdom afforded to you.  You may have acted according to the greatest possible good that you could employ.  Never be ashamed of doing your best brother but understand that as long as you and I do not possess all knowledge, understanding and wisdom, we fall short of being able to do the greatest good in any given situation.  

 

You came here asking a question about what we thought.  That is what you might expect to receive then.  I always try to remember that God is working in life to lead me to places and situations that are going to edify me and make me grow in the faith.  

 

In the future, you might add to your list of possibilities of courses of action to take: listening to the one who appears to you to be in sin then taking your concerns for that one to God in prayer and interceding on their behalf and asking him what, if anything, you can do for them.  Another approach is to search your own life history looking for a time in your life where you were in a similar or same situation that has the underlying spiritual principles and then share your experience, strength and hope with the one so that they can see from your practical experience how you became victorious over sin in your life and the wonderful results that occurred in the process.

 

Peace be unto you friend.

[Sevenseas]

With all of the personal attacks, etc. I am sorry I asked for advice on this thread.

 

However, I must say I am confused by some of the posts.

 

I get the impression that some individuals think the course of action a Christian should do under these circumstances is to remain silent and not say anything.  I thought that such a course of action would be giving tacit approval to living a life of sin.  I feel very sorry for this lady because I am deeply concerned about what is happening to her.  I am sure she has some concerns, too.  Otherwise, she would never have raised the subject in the first place.  

 

I thought I had three courses of action when she raised the issue.

1. I could remain silent and perhaps change the subject.  

 

2. I could say the Jesus loved her and would forgive her no matter what she did and whether or not she had petenance.  

 

3. Or I could tell her I thought she was making a serious mistake and that she should ask God for forgiveness, repent, and mend her ways.  I chose the last course of action but wondered what else I could say to her so that she would change the direction of her life.  

 

 

yeah, well, you are not responsible for the wrangling among other posters...don't take that one on!

 

The Bible indicates that a person 'caught' in a sin or sin, such as you have described, who names Christ as their Redeemer, should indeed be spoken to and hopefully restored.

 

It is not true there is nothing that can be said.  Listen:

 

For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.  

Hebrews 4:12

 

When I heard the word of God as a child, I believed and I was saved.  When I wondered off years later, the word of God brought me back again.  Remember, it is not us but that actual biblical word,

the truth we have received, that works in the heart causing some to repent and some, like Pharoah, to harden their heart.  We are not responsible for the action or the response.

 

Ours, is to be kind, yet truthful and doing and saying nothing is not kind.

 

Peppered with prayer of course

[OneLight]

 

With all of the personal attacks, etc. I am sorry I asked for advice on this thread.

 

However, I must say I am confused by some of the posts.

 

I get the impression that some individuals think the course of action a Christian should do under these circumstances is to remain silent and not say anything.  I thought that such a course of action would be giving tacit approval to living a life of sin.  I feel very sorry for this lady because I am deeply concerned about what is happening to her.  I am sure she has some concerns, too.  Otherwise, she would never have raised the subject in the first place.  

 

I thought I had three courses of action when she raised the issue.

1. I could remain silent and perhaps change the subject.  

 

2. I could say the Jesus loved her and would forgive her no matter what she did and whether or not she had petenance.  

 

3. Or I could tell her I thought she was making a serious mistake and that she should ask God for forgiveness, repent, and mend her ways.  I chose the last course of action but wondered what else I could say to her so that she would change the direction of her life.  

 

 

Your choice was the correct choice to make. I am glad you spoke with her and did not remain silent (1), or promise her that all is well, don't worry about it (2). The truth is, we all sin and fall short, but the Holy Spirit does convict us of our sins and we need to repent. To not do so is quenching the Holy Spirit and hardening our hearts toward God. That path only leads to more sinning.

Don't be sorry for asking this question. The question is a very important question and it needs to be asked when in doubt. How people choose to reply is not your fault, nor could you ever do anything to change how someone responds. How they choose to respond is their choice.

I do agree that personal attacks, insults and light handed snipes are uncalled for and need to stop. It has been decided that instead of closing threads down, people will start to be banned from threads if they continue to break the ToS, including anyone in ministry. Since I am part of this discussion, I am removed from such decisions and any action taken. If I started to attack anyone and refuse to be corrected, I too can be banned form this thread. Everyone is accountable for their actions.

It is sad that people do not learn to take a break when their flesh starts to raise its ugly head, instead, they allow their replies to be filtered through the desires of the flesh and not through the Holy Spirit. I encourage everyone, myself included, that if you start to feel anger raise, turn away from the computer, pray , and spend some time in Him until you can return and discuss the subject, not the person.

[Floatingaxe]

With all of the personal attacks, etc. I am sorry I asked for advice on this thread.

 

However, I must say I am confused by some of the posts.

 

I get the impression that some individuals think the course of action a Christian should do under these circumstances is to remain silent and not say anything.  I thought that such a course of action would be giving tacit approval to living a life of sin.  I feel very sorry for this lady because I am deeply concerned about what is happening to her.  I am sure she has some concerns, too.  Otherwise, she would never have raised the subject in the first place.  

 

I thought I had three courses of action when she raised the issue.

1. I could remain silent and perhaps change the subject.  

 

2. I could say the Jesus loved her and would forgive her no matter what she did and whether or not she had petenance.  

 

3. Or I could tell her I thought she was making a serious mistake and that she should ask God for forgiveness, repent, and mend her ways.  I chose the last course of action but wondered what else I could say to her so that she would change the direction of her life.  

 

If this lady is part of the local church, the word of God has explicit instructions that the church is to send someone who sins openly without repentance away, and treat that person as an unbeliever. The separation from the people of God often serves as a wake-up call and will lead him or her to what the bible calls 'godly sorrow' which leads to repentance.

 

Being silent and mollycoddling these people does nothing to bring them back to a right relationship with God.

 

The results of this kind of 'tough love' Paul wrote about here:

 

2 Corinthians 7:8-11

⁸ I am not sorry that I sent that severe letter to you, though I was sorry at first, for I know it was painful to you for a little while. ⁹ Now I am glad I sent it, not because it hurt you, but because the pain caused you to repent and change your ways. It was the kind of sorrow God wants his people to have, so you were not harmed by us in any way. ¹⁰ For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There’s no regret for that kind of sorrow. But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death.

¹¹ Just see what this godly sorrow produced in you! Such earnestness, such concern to clear yourselves, such indignation, such alarm, such longing to see me, such zeal, and such a readiness to punish wrong. You showed that you have done everything necessary to make things right.

 

 

As for what you did in person, one-on-one, and your choice to point out the fact of her sin---you did well! From that point on, she can never, ever say that she didn't know, and she will have you to thank one day, should she experience sorrow over her sin and come to repentance. You will be someone she will esteem highly---mark my words.

[myab]

I was taught that baptism is not the end of salvation but the beginning. Therefore a christian has to not only say the words but to walk in the light of the Lord Jesus Christ and savour.

[GoldenEagle]

Closing this thread for a good scrub...

[GoldenEagle]

Reading the Bible today I came across Matthew 18: 15-17:

 

15 “If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. 16 But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ 17 If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector."

 

Notice this passage in context has to do with a brother or sister sinning against you.

Notice this passage also has to do with Church discipline.

 

Matthew 18:15-19

Dealing with a Sinning Brother

¹⁵ “Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother. ¹⁶ But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that ‘by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.’ ¹⁷ And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector.

 

¹⁸ “Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.

 

¹⁹ “Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. ²⁰ For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.”

What do you think?

God bless,

GE

[GoldenEagle]

Actually according to the bible if this woman professes to be in Christ yet lives in sexual immorality and you know it, your not supposed to even eat with her

1 Corinthians 5:9-11 but the church of today is so into toleration and acceptance that I don't think there even exist a sin that you couldn't live in and still be allowed to be apart of the church, its seeker friendly on steroids, its what the church thinks is a better way than what the apostle Paul taught in keeping the leaven out of the church

 

Michael, how would this help your fellow sister who has admitted she is living in sin and is crying out for help?

So we as fellow Christians are to ignore her completely? And this is the Christ-like thing to do?

Curious.

God bless,

GE

[GoldenEagle]

Closing this thread for a good scrub...

 

Cleaned this thread up. 2 hours later... That was a long time to sort through this thread. Some posts have been edited and other simply hidden.

 

 Wow folks please stop with the personal attacks.

Anyone insulting another person, name calling, debating the subject instead of the person, or in any form or fashion breaking the WCF Terms of Service will be banned from the thread. It's really that simple.

 

Remember just because someone disagrees with you they're not insulting you personally. Using terms like "It is my understanding", "I believe", "It is my opinion", "I respectfully disagree" also helps with the tone of posts. Consider that.

 

Also consider that it is possible to disagree with someone without insulting them.

 

Consider too...

 

Let us remember humility, as Believers we are heirs of God with Christ. (Phil. 2:3; 1 Pet. 5:5, Rom. 8:17) Are you esteeming others as better than yourself, clothing yourself in humility, and realizing fellow believers are joint heirs with Christ?

We are to speak graciously and seasoned with salt so that we might know how to answer people we come across. (Col. 4:6) Are we being gracious with our words?

*Remember we as Christians are to seek restoration with a spirit of gentleness. (Gal. 6:1) Are you being gentle with your words?

*We as Christians are to be kind and tenderhearted to one another. (Eph. 4:32) Are you being kind with your words?

*We as Christians are also all WIPs (God's work in progress) and God is at work in our lives until the return of Jesus Christ. (Phil. 1:6) Are you treating others as WIP’s, allowing time/room for them to grow, and pointing them to Jesus Christ?

[GoldenEagle]

With all of the personal attacks, etc. I am sorry I asked for advice on this thread.

 

However, I must say I am confused by some of the posts.

 

I get the impression that some individuals think the course of action a Christian should do under these circumstances is to remain silent and not say anything.  I thought that such a course of action would be giving tacit approval to living a life of sin.  I feel very sorry for this lady because I am deeply concerned about what is happening to her.  I am sure she has some concerns, too.  Otherwise, she would never have raised the subject in the first place.  

 

I thought I had three courses of action when she raised the issue.

1. I could remain silent and perhaps change the subject.  

 

2. I could say the Jesus loved her and would forgive her no matter what she did and whether or not she had petenance.  

 

3. Or I could tell her I thought she was making a serious mistake and that she should ask God for forgiveness, repent, and mend her ways.  I chose the last course of action but wondered what else I could say to her so that she would change the direction of her life.  

 

Remaining silent or changing the subject wouldn't have addressed this very serious issue in her life. Speaking the truth sometimes hurts but it is for the best.

Reminds me in a way of John 8:1-11...

 

Jesus didn't ignore the woman's sin in the passage in John 8. It is interesting that every one of the woman's accusers left because they had sin. And in the end the woman was left alone with Christ. Yet Jesus addressed the woman's sin and didn't overlook it. In fact, Jesus told the woman to go and sin no more. He didn't throw stones at her. But he did point out her error.

I think people forget that even while love does confront sin it does indeed do so in a gracious manner.

I think the woman in the OP needed to be told the truth. I think simply ignoring her and not following up wouldn't be the correct answer either. Perhaps conservator you could invite her over again to see how she is doing and listen to her? Find out perhaps what is really the issue. Is she hurting over the divorce? Is she dissolusioned with men in general (the circumstances of her divorce aren't clear)? Is she lonely and craving intimacy in the form of companionship (turning to a physical relationship instead)? I she having trouble with her kids? Is she having difficulty financially?

I would suggest letting her talk this time and then praying with/over her.

People are ugly sometimes but grace at the foot of the cross due to the price paid by Jesus Christ is beautiful.

God bless,

GE