How Now Shall We Live?

[Christ's Free Servant]

A quote I love from a Puritan preacher

John Owen

"Let no man think to kill sin with few, easy, or gentle strokes. He who hath once smitten a serpent, if he follow not on his blow until he be slain, may repent that ever he began the quarrel. And so will he who undertakes to deal with sin, and pursues it not constantly to the death."

- John Owen

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Shane,

Thank you so much for sharing that!! That is super!! I will have to remember to share that with our young adults.

[Imamom]

There is a difference between the need for the feet to be washed daily from the dirt that is acquired from the daily walk.............and the intentional wading through a puddle of mud because it feels good. Can you see it?

Please bare with me as I am like a babe just learning to crawl.

The things we encounter in everyday life like..That's a awesome care or beautiful house..wish I had it (covet). He/She is good looking (lust with the eyes). Someone pulls out in front of you and anger creeps in (anger). The boss lets you out 10 minutes early and pays for that 10 minutes (dishonesty). Is this what you mean by dirt?

Being a druggie, consumption of alcohol, anger that causes cussing and belittling of persons to hurt them, cheating on spouse. Is this what you mean by mud?

It would seem that it would be harder to take accountability if one were wallowing in the mud than kicking the dust around in the dirt. I think people don't like to take accountability because that would mean that something was wrong and they'd have to change to fix it. By not taking accountability the blame is placed elsewhere (usually on someone else) and it then leaves it up to that other person to fix.

Honestly, I think churches are not talking about sin, because they don't want to offend anyone and it might mean people leaving the church, heaven forbid!

My church sometimes talks about sin but not to much. I have found that when I want to talk to a pastor they are willing to listen to me though. All people sin and most people I'm sure are affraid of the judgment that they will receive from other people if they confess their sins. I find that when one person opens up all to often others take advantage of that splinter that one is trying to remove while not considering the log in his own eye. Why is this so? I don't understand.

Romans 6:6 knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. 7 For he who has died has been freed from sin.

To be freed from sin does not mean to be freed from temptation. Some have told me that when you accept Jesus that sin has no hold on you anylonger. Like as if temptation would dissapear. But it doesn't happen. It takes lots and lots of prayer, faith and trust in God.

Maybe I am rambling. I don't know. But since the office is closing now I have to end my post. Thanks for making me think.

[tsth]

Romans 6:6 knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. 7 For he who has died has been freed from sin.

To be freed from sin does not mean to be freed from temptation. Some have told me that when you accept Jesus that sin has no hold on you anylonger. Like as if temptation would dissapear. But it doesn't happen. It takes lots and lots of prayer, faith and trust in God.

Maybe I am rambling. I don't know. But since the office is closing now I have to end my post. Thanks for making me think.

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Here is the belief in Christ and the power of His grace. Consider this as well:

Titus 2:11 11 For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, 12 teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, 13 looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, 14 who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people .............

James 1:12 Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.

13 Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am tempted by God"; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. 14 But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed . 15 Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death. 16 Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. 17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above , and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.

We have been given ALL that we need in Christ to overcome and find victory amidst temptation. We must be sure to partake of His Word and be filled by It, for it is able to give us victory.

James 1:21 Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. 22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

In His Love,

Suzanne

[nebula]

Interesting - I just stumbled across this article. The author's point was a different matter, but it addresses the same issue:

http://www.crosswalk.com/faith/1314783.html

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Some time ago I suggested to Kirk [Cameron]'s sister, Candace (from "Full House"), that we publish her testimony as a gospel tract. She was excited about the concept, but she explains what came her way the same day as the suggestion:

I had just spoken to 5,000 teenage girls at a youth conference. I shared my testimony using God's Law to show them our need for the Savior. I felt great about the event and felt encouraged to continue to share my faith at conferences and churches around the country. When I got home, Ray sent me an email and said, "Let's do a tract for you. We'll have some 'Full House' pictures, your testimony, and a gospel message on it." I was excited about this idea and thought it would be another wonderful tool for me to use in sharing my faith.

No sooner did I hit the send button on my reply email to Ray than I received an incoming mail message. It was from a pastor at a church where I'd spoken earlier in the year. As he was encouraging me to share my testimony with others, he had a few thoughts he wanted to share as well: "People don't need a tract that you give them . . . [be] sensitive to the Holy Spirit, and not try to preach and condemn."

My heart sank. I was incredibly discouraged. The timing could not have been more perfect. I was so bummed out after reading it, I didn't know what to do. He was the last person I expected to hear those words from. As I realized it was Satan trying to discourage me in any way possible, I shook it off and wrote an email back telling him how important it is that we use the Law to draw people to Christ.

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[tsth]

Brings to light why there is such a movement by many to get the 10 Commandments out of sight............the Law is very powerful and very necessary in terms of bringing us to the realization that we need a Savior and that we are sinful and dying.

In His Love,

Suzanne

[Khristeeanos]

I think that the Holy Spirit enables us to live above sin. Jesus came to save us FROM our sins.

[tsth]

Dear Dime,

Your quote below brought this to mind.

I think that the Holy Spirit enables us to live above sin. Jesus came to save us FROM our sins.

I think in these last days, this passage makes much sense in regard to sin:

2 Tim 3:1 But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: 2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, 4 traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power.

Sounds like people in the church are being overrun with sin and denying the Power of the Holy Spirit you speak of.

In His Love,

Suzanne

[tsth]

I just hated to see this subject disappear so fast.

In His Love,

Suzanne

[Imamom]

Oh, how I wish these young adults would comprehend this, or even some of our older adults. We are trying to teach our young adults how to Overcome Sinful Habits in order to not "keep" sinning.

Please bare with me as I am like a babe just learning to crawl.

In my revived walk with God that is.

It's me again. Maybe I was a bit confused as to what this thread is about. Now I don't know if you will consider me a young adult or not. I am at the peak of the hill and will be toppling over the top with my next "b"day. I am open to your witnessing on this subject as this is one I have been working on. And hopefully I am catching on to what you are trying to impress and adding what I am learning both of the world and Gods way.

It is hard to confess to our peers for fear of rejection from them. Keeping our sins hidden within ourselves can be hindering when it comes to overcoming them. Some persons have a strong enough faith in the Lord that walking solo with him is enough to feed the strength needed to over come. I think others need the influence of being accountable not only to God and themself but also to others in the human realm. This sounds, I think, like what you are calling an accountability partner. How hard it must be to find the right someone to walk with you once you have opened up. I both circumstance to have faith in God that the sin can be overcome would be paramount.

Brings to light why there is such a movement by many to get the 10 Commandments out of sight

In a world that is, in my opinion, becoming more and more corrupt it is easy to see why persons growing up in it find it hard to take accountability for their actions. I look at how the world has changed just in my time. It seems that actions that are willfully wrong and against God's word are being taught to be tolerated. For example: I have teenage children. Marijuana is recreation...not doing drugs. Homosexuality and Bi-sexuality are an acceptable and ever growing way of life...not an abonomation (sorry this is spelled wrong I believe) to God. I thank God every day that my kids are not falling into the trap of leniency. I remind them that the previous (examples) are not how God planned life for us. But I guess what I'm getting at is that so many ill behaviors are becoming acceptable behaviors that people think they have nothing to be accountable for. And with kids growing up in this day and age it is very scarry.

2 Tim 3:1 But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: 2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, 4 traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God

I have seen much advice here on taking accountability for ones actions which I totally agree with as do most people I know my age. In my experience I do know there are some adults who have a hard time with accountability

I think people don't like to take accountability because that would mean that something was wrong and they'd have to change to fix it. By not taking accountability the blame is placed elsewhere (usually on someone else) and it then leaves it up to that other person to fix.

. But what about having accountability to the one who created us?

I realize that sin is human and will happen.

Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am tempted by God";

I realize that we will be tempted by evil and sometimes fall short. Prayer and faith and desire to Gods will sometimes falter and we fall short of the Glory of God. I also realize that the bible clearly tells us to stay away from the desire to sin and that in God through Jesus that sin no longer has hold over us. Isn't it in faith that we gain the strength to over come sin? I think of the stories of, Jesus calms the seas, Peter walking on the water and Doubting Thomas. Here they were in the presence of Jesus and found it hard to have the faith to believe. A faith strong enough to believe in Gods power can be hard to come by. So sometimes I don't think that one necessarily sins for the desire to sin but from the lack of faith to overcome.

Now momentarily I will get a bit more personal. I have overcome a lot of sin in my time (more than some and less than some). Some of it was as easy as I want to please God and will no longer do this as it is not something God would have me do. Others were more of a struggle requiring much meditation on God and his will for me. Aside from those (dirt) sins I mentioned the first time I posted on this thread there is still a bigger sin that I have not yet overcome. Now I have called it a bigger sin and I realize that in Gods eyes sin is sin. However, in peoples eyes, I see often that this specific sin (name it..claim it..smoking) is by many not even considered a sin. And this sin (smoking) is not done by me in the sense that I desire to do it. It is a habit of many,many,to many years. I am disgusted by it. I have confessed to other christians that this is a sin I do and it has been minimized. I don't know where to begin to find an accountability partner. Even the pastors at my church minimized it by stating that many people do it. What good is that? Part of what bothers me is that it makes me feel as one of little faith like in the bible stories mentioned above. I feel like I am not strong enough to conquer this sin solo with God as I had done so many others. How can one take accountability when she is so weak and others minimize it?

Side note: Fear of Judgment here. Funny that it's actually a worse fear here where I know nothing of you but what you write than the fear of judgment from those I see daily and weekly.

Edited March 4, 2005 by Imamom

[Imamom]

Maybe being a bit selfish. I want this at the top because the topic on sin that was started while I was typing this post is heading in the if its ok for someone then its ok direction. Maybe some of those who are over there that do not have the sin is a personal decision attitude will come here.