LookingForAnswers Posted January 31, 2014 Group: Seeker Followers: 0 Topic Count: 10 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 1,033 Content Per Day: 0.28 Reputation: 67 Days Won: 2 Joined: 12/26/2013 Status: Offline Share Posted January 31, 2014 Are the following terms contradictions: Lying Christian Fat Christian Lustful Christian Gossip Christian Prideful Christian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest shiloh357 Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 Are the following terms contradictions: Lying Christian Fat Christian Lustful Christian Gossip Christian Prideful Christian The Bible says that no one who practices sin is born of God (I John 3:9) A person who lives in habitual sin and claims to be a Christian needs to reexamine the authenticity of their profession of faith. So a person who lives in pride, gossip, lying, lust and has no self control with food, alcohol, or anything else and can live that way with no moral compunction about their behavior, is most likely not a authentic follower of Jesus. I would change "fat Christian" to something else, because not all fat people are that way due to overeating. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
a-seeker Posted February 1, 2014 Group: Removed from Forums for Breaking Terms of Service Followers: 0 Topic Count: 9 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 589 Content Per Day: 0.16 Reputation: 42 Days Won: 0 Joined: 01/06/2014 Status: Offline Share Posted February 1, 2014 (edited) Are we missing an important element here? The issue is extremely complex, requiring all sorts of nuances. All Christians are to some extent sinners; either in morals or maybe even in ideas (I am an OEarther, and perhaps others would not call that a sin; still they think it an error) All sins and errors (I presume--maybe even heaven has some form of growth in the intellect) must be purged in Christ before entrance into the new creation. Therefore, I think no one would doubt that each adjective in the following list must be removed at some point (this life, or upon death, or upon the resurrection) gluttonous Christian gossiping christian pornographic christian kleptomaniac Christian But my guess is few would deny the "Christian" label on account of the "sin" attached to it. That is, their vices do not invalidate their belief in Christ. If it did, we are all doomed and there can be no such thing as grace. Most here would also say the homosexual Christian must, at some point, be relieved of his or her same-sex attractions. However, things get a little more complicated. There are a good many people who are convinced that homosexuality is not wrong---that the relevant passages in Scripture are talking about something else (sex in a temple) and not marriage between two consenting and faithful persons. One can say that in fact they "know" deep down, that it is wrong; but I lack the powers of psychological analysis (or mind-reading) implied in that claim. So the question is, Does a person practicing a homosexual lifestyle (let's omit all factors like promiscuous sex and keep it to marriage) still have a relationship with Christ if he or she claims faith in Christ? Does Christ acknowledge him or her as a disciple, yet in major error in this regard? I struggle to find an analogy here, for I know no one who would say the addictions of porn, or gambling, or gluttony are anything other than addictions. The parallel I seek is one in which the vice is not suspected as a vice.... The only parallel I can think of is no doubt the result of too many readings on this site: I am an OEarther and believe in some form of evolution; yet I (erroneously to some) still think I support the authority of Scripture, though I interpret Genesis differently. This is obviously not a moral error, but an intellectual one (again, to those who disagree). If I am wrong, then I presume by the time I get to heaven, my error will have been set straight..... ....am I still a Christian? Is Christ still operating on my being through faith.... ....is the homosexual Christian still a Christian; does his or her belief in the appropriateness of homosexuality completely invalidate his or her faith in Christ? apologies if that was convoluted. I am sick in bed and very tired.....but bored, so I write. clb Edited February 1, 2014 by ConnorLiamBrown Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest shiloh357 Posted February 2, 2014 Share Posted February 2, 2014 Are we missing an important element here? The issue is extremely complex, requiring all sorts of nuances. It's not complex at all, unless you want to muddy water and manufacture problems that don't exist. All Christians are to some extent sinners; either in morals or maybe even in ideas (I am an OEarther, and perhaps others would not call that a sin; still they think it an error) All Christians are sinners in the sense that were all born sinners and separated from God and now we have been legally declared right before God. Sin has not yet been eradicated from our lives and all Christians still sin from time to time in a sincere attempt to serve God. But there is a difference between stumbling while trying to serve God and practicing habitual sin as a lifestyle. Therefore, I think no one would doubt that each adjective in the following list must be removed at some point (this life, or upon death, or upon the resurrection) gluttonous Christian gossiping christian pornographic christian kleptomaniac Christian But my guess is few would deny the "Christian" label on account of the "sin" attached to it. That is, their vices do not invalidate their belief in Christ. If it did, we are all doomed and there can be no such thing as grace. All of those are contradictions in terms. Can Christians stumble in those areas? Yes and they do. But there is a difference between committing a sin and living in sin as a lifestyle, as I mentioned above. If someone can live habitually in sin and enjoy it, they need to reexamne the authenticity of their profession of faith. A person who lives in pornography, a person who habitually steals, who regularly and inpenitently sows discord through gossip, a person with no self-control over their most base appetites needs to get right with the Lord. I would also point out that living in sin doesn't ususaly encompass just one type of behavior. A person living in the sin pornography ususally has other things going on as well, that they are living in that are just as sinful. Sin takes over your entire life, not just one part of it. Does a person practicing a homosexual lifestyle (let's omit all factors like promiscuous sex and keep it to marriage) still have a relationship with Christ if he or she claims faith in Christ? Does Christ acknowledge him or her as a disciple, yet in major error in this regard? No, because the first thing Jesus requires of a person who wishes to become His disciple is that they repent of their sin. Jesus expects them to make the quality decision to turn from their sin and after that Jesus expects that they will bear the fruit of repentence. They need to first of all realize that homosexuality is a sin, and that their sin separates them from God and they need turn from it. And if they have repented from the heart and truly turn from their sin to serve God it will show up in their lives. Jesus is not going to accept them as His disciples while tolerating their homosexual lifestyle. That is not how it works. There is no pardon from sin without first their being genuine repentence ake place. Jesus doesn't tolerate sin. If He did, then there would have been no reason for Him to die to save us from sin, in the first place. ....is the homosexual Christian still a Christian; does his or her belief in the appropriateness of homosexuality completely invalidate his or her faith in Christ? There is no such thing as a "homosexual" Christian, it doesn't matter what sin you tack on to the title of "Christian," the result is the same. It is a contradiction to think that person can live in habitual, unrepentant sin and still claim to be an authentic follower of Jesus. One reason the Church is so messed up today is that we have allowed people to remain comfortable in their sin. Preachers have abandoned the Gospel to preach on things like, managing finances, how to find happiness, how to make your dreams come true, and they no longer preach on sin, on the coming judgment. They never talk about man's accountability before a holy God and that they don't tell people what it really means and how much it really costs to serve Jesus. Preachers preach what sells, not what is true. The Bible says this: No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God's seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God.1Jn 3:9 The person who thinks they can live anyway they want and that Jesus will accept them based on a verbal profession of faith without the need to repent or be transformed is a sorely deceived person. Those who practice sin are not Christians, bottom line. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 8, 2014 Share Posted February 8, 2014 I don't think you can be a gay Christian but isn't God forgiving? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 8, 2014 Share Posted February 8, 2014 I don't think you can be a gay Christian but isn't God forgiving? ~ Gay With Abstinence, Straight With Fidelity To One Wife Or Celibate For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God; 1 Thessalonians 4:3-5 (ESV) I Don't Think A Christian Can Be Anything Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice. James 4:4 If Not Joyful As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us. Psalms 103:12 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
other one Posted February 8, 2014 Group: Worthy Ministers Followers: 29 Topic Count: 593 Topics Per Day: 0.08 Content Count: 55,769 Content Per Day: 7.55 Reputation: 27,535 Days Won: 270 Joined: 12/29/2003 Status: Offline Share Posted February 8, 2014 I don't think you can be a gay Christian but isn't God forgiving? only if you stop the action that he would forgive you for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest shiloh357 Posted February 8, 2014 Share Posted February 8, 2014 I don't think you can be a gay Christian but isn't God forgiving? Yes, but first a person has to recognize they have sinned and be willing to repent. Forgiveness cannot be realized by us unless we repent and turn from our evil ways. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bestrfcplayer Posted February 10, 2014 Group: Nonbeliever Followers: 1 Topic Count: 7 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 145 Content Per Day: 0.04 Reputation: 29 Days Won: 0 Joined: 03/20/2013 Status: Offline Share Posted February 10, 2014 I don't think you can be a gay Christian but isn't God forgiving? only if you stop the action that he would forgive you for. But then technically, that's not an all loving God. I thought that God forgave even if you still repeated the same mistake over and over again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fez Posted February 10, 2014 Group: Royal Member Followers: 3 Topic Count: 683 Topics Per Day: 0.12 Content Count: 11,128 Content Per Day: 2.01 Reputation: 1,352 Days Won: 54 Joined: 02/03/2009 Status: Offline Birthday: 12/07/1952 Share Posted February 10, 2014 I don't think you can be a gay Christian but isn't God forgiving? only if you stop the action that he would forgive you for. But then technically, that's not an all loving God. I thought that God forgave even if you still repeated the same mistake over and over again. Where does the bible say that? You asked in a previous thread what verse you should start with? I told you to pray. My advice is to pray, and perhaps do a study on forgiveness as well? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts