Obsession with Confession (1 John 1:9, sin confession)

[PeacefulWarrior]

Thomas did NOT lose his Faith that Jesus is God. What he doubted was that Jesus had risen! He did not lose his Faith!

This is a good example of some Christians trying to teach what THEY want the Scriptures to say!

You really need to ask the Holy Spirit to teach you want He says in the Scriptures PeacefulWarrior.

Also the Prodigal Son did NOT lose his believe that his father was his Father! What the Prodigal Son did was to go back to his sins in the World. What this is teaching us is even though WE walk away from God back into our sin life, God stills Loves us and is waiting for us to RETURN!

Like i said PeacefulWarrior you really need to study the Scriptures before you open up your mouth and shove your foot in.

You're such a loving, peaceful, gentle guy.

So, perhaps Doubting Thomas was not the best scripture for addressing this issue -- but Christians do struggle with doubt. I've been there myself. I've doubted the existence of God. I've doubted the truth of Christianity. Here's all I was hoping to communicate by the story of Thomas: blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.

If the Prodigal Son went back to a life of Sin -- he forgot who his Father was. It's a parable.

What you're suggesting, KenAllan, is that Christians who have fallen away (or backslid or out-of-fellowship) can never return. This is blasphemy.

And Ken, Instead of attacking my character -- how's about you edify me.

I'm sick and tired of self-righteous, arrogant, senior citizens who display zero fruit while slamming a younger Believer.

 

[Willie-T]

Sorry to be so hard on you, WW.

 

[PeacefulWarrior]

Sorry to be so hard on you, WW.

You're good Willie!

You didn't slam my character and then leave me with: "Go read your Bible!"

On the contrary, you usually provide a personal testimony or some scripture references when you disagree with someone!

Some people wanna draw a line in the sand and decide (for themselves) who's on which side. Willie, you're one of those who realizes we're all in the same sandbox. We're all in this together -- we should be building each other up, not tearing each other down!

 

[Willie-T]

You're good Willie!

You didn't slam my character and then leave me with: "Go read your Bible!"

On the contrary, you usually provide a personal testimony or some scripture references when you disagree with someone!

Some people wanna draw a line in the sand and decide (for themselves) who's on which side. Willie, you're one of those who realizes we're all in the same sandbox. We're all in this together -- we should be building each other up, not tearing each other down!

Thank you.

 

[PeacefulWarrior]

You really need to ask the Holy Spirit to teach you want He says in the Scriptures PeacefulWarrior.

I keep asking and all I keep hearing is: "without love, we are nothing."

...and then this comes to mind:

[video=youtube;8SGUORJHnjw]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8SGUORJHnjw[/video]

Lyrics (in case you don't want to watch/listen):

"Good Stuff"

If I tell you something you need to know
I gotta back it up
I gotta let it show
We can be so loud
We can write a song that makes us all proud
But without love
It's just a sound

Everybody show what we know
And let that good stuff flow
Everybody show what we know
And let that good stuff flow

I could speak with tongues of Angels
Apologetics in a slick rhetoric
Either way without love my words are dead
We have love
We have forgiveness
We have grace without a limit
So if it has been revealed to us
Should it not then be contagious?

We got the rhythm
We got the rhyme
Print up a t-shirt
Throw them a line

But without love we are nothing​

 

[Willie-T]

You're good Willie!

You didn't slam my character and then leave me with: "Go read your Bible!"

On the contrary, you usually provide a personal testimony or some scripture references when you disagree with someone!

Some people wanna draw a line in the sand and decide (for themselves) who's on which side. Willie, you're one of those who realizes we're all in the same sandbox. We're all in this together -- we should be building each other up, not tearing each other down!

Wait a minute.......... I disagree with people? LOL

 

[PeacefulWarrior]

Sorry if I came down too hard on ya, Ken -- all I'm trying to say is, show love.

 

[sydlit]

Sooo, is that it, then?

 

[PeacefulWarrior]

Sooo, is that it, then?

Not sure what you mean...

I'd like to see Ken clarify this:

Once you have lost your Faith that Jesus Christ is God, you can never receive the Faith again

 

[sydlit]

Not sure what you mean...

I'd like to see Ken clarify this:

Sorry, I just kinda like reading along with the iron-sharpening, and then it seems like a q is answered or left out there and theres a lull, and I get like, bummer, where'd they go? I often want to contribute, but if it's a 2-way, I don't want to interfere or seem like I'm taking sides to gang up on someone. This is great stuff, though, sorry if I seemed intrusive.

 

[Yonah]

It never ceases to amaze me how something so clear and simple can be made to be so complicated, like many straight forward instructions and teachings we are blessed to not only know but to put into practice in our lives, they are complicated to the point of debate, and arguing, the Savior was quite clear in His instructions to those who choose to heed them, the TRUTH does not need assistance or defense, it just is, and its our place as believers to study (2 Tim. 2:15) and yield what we think we know and allow His Spirit to guide and lead us into ALL truth, (Prov. 3:5-6) so the next time someone wants to explain what the scripture is saying, well, the input is welcomed and should be discussed, however unless we all as believers and ministers of the good news put away our own understanding and allow His Wisdom to peaceably guide us, we are in no place to teach others, just my opinion, and this is not saying I am judging anyone as not apt to teach but rather giving my opinion based on experience.....

 

[sydlit]

It never ceases to amaze me how something so clear and simple can be made to be so complicated, like many straight forward instructions and teachings we are blessed to not only know but to put into practice in our lives, they are complicated to the point of debate, and arguing, the Savior was quite clear in His instructions to those who choose to heed them, the TRUTH does not need assistance or defense, it just is, and its our place as believers to study (2 Tim. 2:15) and yield what we think we know and allow His Spirit to guide and lead us into ALL truth, (Prov. 3:5-6) so the next time someone wants to explain what the scripture is saying, well, the input is welcomed and should be discussed, however unless we all as believers and ministers of the good news put away our own understanding and allow His Wisdom to peaceably guide us, we are in no place to teach others, just my opinion, and this is not saying I am judging anyone as not apt to teach but rather giving my opinion based on experience.....

thats cool. Nice avatar pic, btw. Really like tigers.

 

[FreeNChrist]

It never ceases to amaze me how something so clear and simple can be made to be so complicated, like many straight forward instructions and teachings we are blessed to not only know but to put into practice in our lives, they are complicated to the point of debate, and arguing, the Savior was quite clear in His instructions to those who choose to heed them, the TRUTH does not need assistance or defense, it just is, and its our place as believers to study (2 Tim. 2:15) and yield what we think we know and allow His Spirit to guide and lead us into ALL truth, (Prov. 3:5-6) so the next time someone wants to explain what the scripture is saying, well, the input is welcomed and should be discussed, however unless we all as believers and ministers of the good news put away our own understanding and allow His Wisdom to peaceably guide us, we are in no place to teach others, just my opinion, and this is not saying I am judging anyone as not apt to teach but rather giving my opinion based on experience.....

What if our understanding is already the result of His Wisdom peaceably guiding us? Do we still put it away? Do we never come to a place of understanding?

 

[FreeNChrist]

Sooo, is that it, then?

LOL. I'd like to see it keep going as well.....

 

[Yonah]

yes of course we do however His understanding is never complicated and it appeals not only to reason but more importantly agrees with the great standard of truth.

 

[KenAllan]

I do not know about you but i never have doubted that Jesus is God. If you do doubt that Jesus is God then how can you accept Him as your Lord and Savior?

James 1:6-8
[SUP]6 [/SUP] But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.
[SUP]7 [/SUP] For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord;
[SUP]8 [/SUP] he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

God clearly tells us not to doubt what He says in the Scriptures. If you have doubts about anything then you are unstable in your walk with God.

What i am saying about the Prodigal Son is that there will be times when we will backslide into our sins. We do not lose our Salvation by sinning.

Losing one's Salvation is more involved.
Hebrews 6:4-6
[SUP]4 [/SUP] For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit,
[SUP]5 [/SUP] and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come,
[SUP]6 [/SUP] if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame.

These verses are very interesting. On the one hand it does seems to say that those who have lost their Faith that Jesus is God can lose their Salvation.

Romans 8:1
[SUP]1 [/SUP] There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.

But yet Romans 8:1 seems to indicate we can never lose our Salvation.

So which is the correct interpretation? I think it would be better to err on the side we might be able to lose our Salvation, otherwise too many people will feel they can do anything they want and still enter into Heaven.

Which way to Go? Believe you can do anything you want and never lose your Salvation or believe you can lose it forever?

 

[KenAllan]

There is a time to show Love and a time to stand up against false teachings!

Matthew 7:15
[SUP]15 [/SUP] "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.

2 Corinthians 11:13-15
[SUP]13 [/SUP] For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ.
[SUP]14 [/SUP] And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light.
[SUP]15 [/SUP] Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works.

2 Peter 2:1
[SUP]1 [/SUP] But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction.

1 John 4:1
[SUP]1 [/SUP] Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.

I do believe in showing Love towards people, but we are also to be aware of the false teaches and prophets in the World who want to shipwreck our walk with God.

 

[FreeNChrist]

“The gospel, applied to our hearts every day, frees us to be brutally honest with ourselves and with God. The assurance of His total forgiveness of our sins through the blood of Christ means we don’t have to play defensive games anymore. We don’t have to rationalize and excuse our sins. . .

We can call sin exactly what it is, regardless of how ugly and shameful it may be, because we know that Jesus bore that sin in His body on the cross. With the assurance of total forgiveness through Christ, we have no reason to hide from our sins anymore.” - Jerry Bridges

 

[FreeNChrist]

"God has taken your sin and placed it out of sight behind his back. All he sees now when he sees you is the blessed righteousness of his own dear Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Such is the love of forgiveness.

Still not good enough? Still not convinced? Still afraid that your sins will do you in? Then pay close attention to the word of the prophet Micah...He has something important to say about the kind of God we have:

"Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity and passing over transgression for the remnant of his inheritance? He does not retain his anger forever, because he delights in steadfast love. He will again have compassion on us; he will tread our iniquities under foot. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea" (Mic. 7:18-19).

​

How much more graphic do you demand God to be before you enter into the joy of his forgiving love? All vestige of condemning guilt is gone. Again, just as God said he put our sins behind his back, so here he says he will hurl them into the depths of the sea. They will not 'fall overboard' ; God will hurl them into the depths. he wants them to be lost forever, because he has fully dealt with them in his Son, Jesus Christ."

Sam Storms: Forgiven Forever

 

[sydlit]

?QUOTE=KenAllan;2260505]I do not know about you but i never have doubted that Jesus is God. If you do doubt that Jesus is God then how can you accept Him as your Lord and Savior?

Did someone claim that Jesus wasn't God on this thread? I tried to follow it, tho some posts get rather lengthy, but I didnt catch anyone saying Jesus wasnt God. Pls point it out so we can get 'em! No, just kidding. But really, if someones challenging Jesus' divinity, we need to help them see the truth, for His, and their sakes.