Can't Stop SINNING

[JohnDB]

If someone claims that they are just one half step away from achieving sinless perfection.....

They got issues.

There was only ONE who was ever that Good and we humiliated him before we executed him.
Everyone else? Never happens.

Those claiming it?
They are in worse shape than a simple sinner who needs to repent. Because they no longer need to repent, become self righteous and condemning. (As if it was ever their job to begin with)

The two most important LAWs that Jesus reiterated were what exactly?
One involved loving our neighbor.....(if I remember correctly....ya never know with sinners who sin)

The Loving-kindness requisite by God is not easy.....much more difficult to fulfill than a hard and fast list of "do nots". Because it requires personal relationships and actually caring about others....actual positive feelings. Then acting on those beliefs. Helping others in ways they can appreciate and will accept.

The old axiom still holds true today:
No one cares what you know
If
They don't know that you care about them.

But feel free to ignore me....after all I'm just an old sinner still stuck in his sanctification phase of salvation.

 

[UnoiAmarah]

There was only ONE who was ever that Good

And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God. Mark 10:18

and we humiliated him before we executed him.

Jesus answered, Thou couldn't have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above: therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin. John 19:11

 

[hornetguy]

You teaching Christians that we are all sinners is speaking in behalf of the devil. You should cease from such and start believing the whole counsel of God and stop being a cherry picker. Learn to walk after the Spirit rather than the flesh

oh, bull.
There are countless scriptures that remind us that we are still sinners... the difference is that we are covered by the sacrifice of our Savior... Nowhere does it say that we will never sin again...
James was talking to believers when he said this...
"and the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him. 16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much."

Paul himself even stated that he fell short, constantly, but that he was covered by Jesus' sacrifice....

Your puritanical thinking is incorrect, and teaching this error to others is wrong.

 

[JayWalker]

oh, bull.

Teaching Christians that we are all sinners is speaking in behalf of the devil.

Here's a few passages the "sinners" reject to keep you befuddled

1 John 3:8
He that committeth sin is of the devil

John 8:34
Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.

1 John 3:9
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.

1 John 3:7
Little children, let no man deceive you: he that DOES righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.

1 John 3:6
Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him.

1 John 5:18
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.

1 Corinthians 15:34
Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame.

1 John 2:1
My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not.

1 John 1:7
But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.

Galatians 5:16
Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.

2 Peter 1:4
Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

2 Peter 2:14,15
Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: an heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children:
Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness;

Romans 6:1,2
What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?
God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?

Romans 11:22
Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off.

Romans 8:1
There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

Romans 8:6
For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.

Romans 8:13,14
For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.
For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

2 Timothy 2:21
If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honor, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work.

 

[JayWalker]

Paul himself even stated that he fell short, constantly, but that he was covered by Jesus' sacrifice....

Romans 7 man is not a Christian telling us he is sold under sin (not born again)

The answer to Romans 7 is Romans 8 so go read Romans 8 and learn how to walk in the Spirit rather than continuing to walk in sin proudly proclaiming "I'm a sinner" which is claiming to still be living after the old man of sin.

Ephesians 2:10
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

It's not a matter of trying to earn salvation thru good works... It's a matter of being obedient verses being disobedient!

Those that accept the calling of the Lord and become new creatures in Christ Jesus abiding in Him doing good works by the power of the Holy Spirit (see Phil 4:13) within as the Lord leads... these are true children of God.

Those claiming to be saved not walking in obedience have rejected the ordination and calling of the Lord and are the children of disobedience who refuse to put on the new man and walk in newness of life to stop being servants of sin...

Colossians 3:5-9
Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:
For which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience:
In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them.
But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.
Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;
And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:

Ephesians 4:24
And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

Romans 13:14
But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.

Hebrews 9:14
How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

Romans 6:4-6
Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:
Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.

As these scripture references indicate, those not accepting the calling of the Lord to be led by the Holy Ghost into walking after the new man are in disobedience... which will NOT end well for them unless they repent of their sin and get with the Lord's game plan!

 

[JayWalker]

Those who cannot cease from living in sin are "cursed children" (2 Peter 2:14)

2 Peter 2:14
Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: an heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children:

Being a sinner does not end well.

James 4:17
Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.

WHY would anybody want to continue to do what they know is sinful behavior?

1 Peter 1:22 tells us our soul is purified by obeying the truth

 

[hornetguy]

rather than continuing to walk in sin proudly proclaiming "I'm a sinner" which is claiming to still be living after the old man of sin.

I know that you think that it improves your argument to continue to falsely accuse folks of being "proud" to be a sinner. But, it simply shows your lack of intellectual honesty. Your argument should stand on its merits, without you attempting at every turn to slander or denigrate your opponent with, well, lies....
from Romans...
"And why not say (as we are slanderously reported and as some claim that we say), “Let us do evil that good may come”? Their condemnation is just."

 

[JayWalker]

to falsely accuse folks of being "proud" to be a sinner

That's funny, they go around claiming "I'm a sinner"

Maybe they should start walking with the Lord and stop being a "sinner" as God's Word teaches.

it simply shows your lack of intellectual honesty

Er no, I'm going by what people say. If they claim "I'm a sinner" so that means they are a sinner.

If they weren't sinners, then they would not be going around saying "I'm a sinner"

The lack of intellectual honesty is on your end for not paying attention to what people say about themselves..

"And why not say (as we are slanderously reported and as some claim that we say), “Let us do evil that good may come”? Their condemnation is just."

I posted numerous scripture verses where the Lord is teaching in His Word that believers are to cease from sin through the power of the Holy Spirit as they die to self and submit themselves to the Lord.

The problem is they have been taught by false teachers who claim they were born a sinner and as such it's not possible to ever stop sinning because after all the false teachers claim God made them a sinner when they were being formed in the womb of they momma!

 

[hornetguy]

That's funny, they go around claiming "I'm a sinner"

The POINT is, which you so conveniently fail to address, is that you accuse believers that acknowledge that they are sinners as being PROUD that they are sinners. You obviously think that Paul was "proud" of doing things as a human being that his spirit did not want to do... This is Paul, talking about himself, in the present. NOT in the past... this is his view of himself as a follower of Christ...


"I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good. 22 For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man, 23 but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members. 24 Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death? 25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin."

I posted numerous scripture verses where the Lord is teaching in His Word that believers are to cease from sin through the power of the Holy Spirit as they die to self and submit themselves to the Lord.

Which, I infer, means that YOU YOURSELF never sin, since you have the Spirit to guide you. NEVER sin.

"but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us."
I choose to believe the Word, and what it teaches us. You do you.

 

[GWH]

On the other hand, how bad of a sinner would we be if the Holy Spirit’s love were not in our hearts?

Again, just imagine how horrible a sinner you might be if the HS were not convicting us?
Worse than Hitler? Stalin? Satan?
Accentuate the positive and rejoice!

 

[JayWalker]

you accuse believers that acknowledge that they are sinners as being PROUD that they are sinners.

If they were not proud to be sinners, they would no go around telling everyone they are sinners.

Instead they would live as overcomers so they could be clothed in white (cleansed) so their names won't be blotted out of the Book of Life.

Revelation 3:5
He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot
out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father,
and before his angels.

They would obey the Lord and answer His call to put off the old man (walking after the flesh) and put on the new man (walk in the Spirit):

Ephesians 4:22-24
put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;
And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;
And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

You obviously think that Paul was "proud" of doing things as a human being that his spirit did not want to do...

Romans 7 man is not a Christian. It's what satan uses to deceive people to continue living in sin falsely believing they can't help but to live in sin and everybody lives in sin and it's not possible to overcome sin and live in victory

Paul, talking about himself, in the present. NOT in the past... this is his view of himself as a follower of Christ...

No, that's a man who has yet to become a born again Christ who wants to live right but cannot see or understand how because he is still sold under sin.

The answer to Romans 7 is Romans 8 so it's really odd that all the "sinners" refuse to get over in to Romans 8 and walk in the answer to Romans 7. They do this because fallen angels are teaching them to continue in sin and they are too slow to realize it.

you have the Spirit to guide you

Yes, I'm filled with the Holy Spirit of Jesus Christ and He never leads me to sin.

Back before I got saved I had evil spirits hanging around that led me to sin all the time.

I was so proficient at sin I could sin without even thinking about it!

Kinda like all these "sinners" running around claiming to be Christians but the difference was even before I got saved I knew the things I was doing were wrong and yet I did them anyway just like all these "sinners" running around claiming to be Christians

I choose to believe the Word, and what it teaches us. You do you.

I'll refrain from cherry picken God's Word and twisting scripture claiming it's not possible to overcome sin through the power of the Holy Spirit and instead walk after the Spirit so I don't fulfill the lusts of the flesh (Galatians 5:16)

I'm not of the devil so I'll refrain from living in sin being a servant of sin:

1 John 3:8
He that committeth sin is of the devil

John 8:34
Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.

 

[JayWalker]

This is Paul, talking about himself, in the present. NOT in the past...

You should be aware that Paul said these things by the leading of the Holy Spirit:
(Paul did not violate God's Word living as a sinner as the "sinners" keep claiming he did)

1 Corinthians 15:34
Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame.

Romans 6:1,2
What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?
God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?

Romans 11:22
Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off.

Romans 8:1
There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

Romans 8:6
For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.

Romans 8:13,14
For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.
For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

2 Timothy 2:21
If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honor, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work.

The cherry pickers just hate to hear the rest of the story as brother Paul Harvey used to say - it makes them start manifesting spirits that aren't from the Lord and stuff

 

[hornetguy]

Romans 7 man is not a Christian.

Wrong. You are only seeing what you want to see, instead of reading with understanding.

You can quote all the scriptures you want about sin being bad.... we all KNOW that. NOBODY thinks it's ok to sin... but since NONE of us are sinless, or capable of being sinless, we admit we are sinners... fallen humans. Sinless perfection is our goal, but is NOT attainable for human beings.... that is why Jesus became our sacrificial covering and forgiveness for our sin.


There is none so blind, as he who will not see....

 

[Lafftur]

Hmmm… the other day I was thinking out loud… “I need more discipline to do what is right!”…

The Lord heard me and answered, “No, it’s not discipline you need… it’s more commitment.”

WOW, eye opener for me! Discipline was not the problem… it was commitment!

Ever ponder or ask God what’s the difference between discipline and commitment?

Go ahead, ask God… I dare ya! He’ll answer you and show you great and mighty things that you know not…

 

[2ndTimeIsTheCharm]

Hmmm… the other day I was thinking out loud… “I need more discipline to do what is right!”…

The Lord heard me and answered, “No, it’s not discipline you need… it’s more commitment.”

WOW, eye opener for me! Discipline was not the problem… it was commitment!

Ever ponder or ask God what’s the difference between discipline and commitment?

Go ahead, ask God… I dare ya! He’ll answer you and show you great and mighty things that you know not…

That is a brilliant response! it's actually easier to follow God and do what He says in the Holy Spirit when you're committed to Him!

 

[Lafftur]

That is a brilliant response! it's actually easier to follow God and do what He says in the Holy Spirit when you're committed to Him!

Yep! That’s exactly what He was saying.

 

[Aussie52]

It is really rather sad that so many seem to justify a 'sinning Christianity'. We have been told so many times that 'no one's perfect', we are just sinners saved by grace, Romans 7 describes the normal Chrisian life'.

No wonder the level of Christian experience is so low. Vance Havner once said,' the average Christian is such, that you have to backslide to have fellowship with him'.

Is this sin defeated Christianity all there is? Is God unable to 'save us from sin'? Was Christ's atonement just too weak to cause us to be overcomers? If you follow much that has been written here, in this Forum we are just to battle on as best we can.

But my Bible tells me otherwise. It tells me Jesus came to save us FROM our sins. Not IN our sins. My Bible tells me that Christ has destroyed all the works of the Enemy. Isn't sin one of those works? My Bible tells me that Jesus came to save us to the uttermost.

So if you want to just wallow in your cycle of sinning and repenting, happy to just get by, well, I feel sorry for you.
As for me, I want to appropriate the victory over sin that Jesus has for me through the power of the Spirit. I want to live a Romans 8 experience. More than a conqueror through Christ.

 

[JayWalker]

You are only seeing what you want to see, instead of reading with understanding.

No, Romans 7 man tells us he is born under sin.

Born again Christians are NOT born under sin but instead are freed from sin

I'll take God's Word over carnal man made religious teaching any day.

NONE of us are sinless, or capable of being sinless, we admit we are sinners...

Speak for yourself. I'm not of the devil, but you can continue to be if you so desire.

For your spiritual growth and further correction, read and believe these passages:

1 John 3:8
He that committeth sin is of the devil

1 John 3:9
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.

1 John 3:6
Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him.

1 John 5:18
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.

There is none so blind, as he who will not see....

You should stop walking in darkness so you can come in to the Lord's Light and get right!

1 Peter 2:9
But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into His marvellous light

Is this sin defeated Christianity all there is? Is God unable to 'save us from sin'?

According to the tares, nobody could possibly stop sinning.

Most of these folks have been taught so called reformed theology which is why they don't know beans about what God's Word actually teaches

As for me, I want to appropriate the victory over sin that Jesus has for me through the power of the Spirit. I want to live a Romans 8 experience. More than a conqueror through Christ.

Yessir, now yer talkin!

Romans 8:2
For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.

It's hard to help those who refuse to abide IN Christ

They still abiding in the old man of sin refusing to put on the New Man

Ephesians 4:24
And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

Romans 13:14
But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.

Hebrews 9:14
How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

Romans 6:4-6
Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:
Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.

 

[Aussie52]

What are some of the reasons Christians find themselves in the vicious circle of sinning, asking forgiveness, determining not to sin, sinning, asking forgiveness, determining not to sin, and so it goes on, continually.

Firstly, because they know no better. They don't hear from the pulpit the New Testament teaching on holiness & living victoriously over sin. In fact, what they hear is the opposite. 'We will always sin until we reach heaven', Nobody's perfect. (However, Jesus calls us to be perfect), Paul was the chief of sinners, we have this 'sin nature' within us, we will always sin. So it goes on and on.
One is reminded of the prophet's statement, My people are destroyed through lack of knowledge.

Secondly, and here we have to be truly honest with ourselves. Deep down, we enjoy sinning, even if only a little. So we find ourselves in bondage to sin. There is within our hearts an inner depravity, inbred sin, that causes us to love sin, leaving us defeated and condemned.

Thirdly, we continue to sin because we have never truly been regenerated, experienced the New Birth, experienced true conversion. In this present day, the Gospel has been diluted to the barest minimum. No preaching on sin, repentance or surrender to Christ. This is the day of 'easy believism' , no cost, no tears, no restitutions,' just ask Jesus into your heart', 'come forward and pray the sinner's prayer'.
You may have 'accepted Jesus BUT has He accepted you?
The tragedy is, that our Churches have many people in them who are 'unsaved Christians' 'cultural Christians'. No wonder they battle with sin.

What is the answer to this dilemma. How does one escape the never-ending cycle of sinning, repenting, and sinning again?
The Lord Jesus Christ has made provision in the Cross and through the power of the Holy Spirit to break this cycle and through His enabling grace, cause us to overcome sin in our lives and empower us to walk in holiness and righteousness all the days of our lives.

 

[GWH]

What are some of the reasons Christians find themselves in the vicious circle of sinning, asking forgiveness, determining not to sin, sinning, asking forgiveness, determining not to sin, and so it goes on, continually.

Firstly, because they know no better. They don't hear from the pulpit the New Testament teaching on holiness & living victoriously over sin. In fact, what they hear is the opposite. 'We will always sin until we reach heaven', Nobody's perfect. (However, Jesus calls us to be perfect), Paul was the chief of sinners, we have this 'sin nature' within us, we will always sin. So it goes on and on.
One is reminded of the prophet's statement, My people are destroyed through lack of knowledge.

Secondly, and here we have to be truly honest with ourselves. Deep down, we enjoy sinning, even if only a little. So we find ourselves in bondage to sin. There is within our hearts an inner depravity, inbred sin, that causes us to love sin, leaving us defeated and condemned.

Thirdly, we continue to sin because we have never truly been regenerated, experienced the New Birth, experienced true conversion. In this present day, the Gospel has been diluted to the barest minimum. No preaching on sin, repentance or surrender to Christ. This is the day of 'easy believism' , no cost, no tears, no restitutions,' just ask Jesus into your heart', 'come forward and pray the sinner's prayer'.
You may have 'accepted Jesus BUT has He accepted you?
The tragedy is, that our Churches have many people in them who are 'unsaved Christians' 'cultural Christians'. No wonder they battle with sin.

What is the answer to this dilemma. How does one escape the never-ending cycle of sinning, repenting, and sinning again?
The Lord Jesus Christ has made provision in the Cross and through the power of the Holy Spirit to break this cycle and through His enabling grace, cause us to overcome sin in our lives and empower us to walk in holiness and righteousness all the days of our lives.

Here is how I analyze the problem:

No one achieves moral perfection in this life (Phil. 3:12), but no one who lacks divine love will reap eternal life with God (Gal. 6:7-8). Thus, a person who claims to be godly but who is behaving in an ungodly (unloving, untruthful) manner may be in one of the following categories:

a. a normally loving person observed during a rare moment when he/she acted uncharacteristically (Phil. 3:12-16),

b. an immature Believer, who is making progress–you should have known him/her a year ago! (1Cor. 3:1-3, Eph. 4:11-15)

c. a truthseeker who has not yet learned the correct interpretation of God’s Word (1Cor. 6:9-11, Eph. 5:8-9),

d. a back-slider or prodigal Christian, who has yet to learn by painful experience the value of learning to cooperate with God’s will.

e. a pseudo-Christian (Matt. 7:21, 1John 2:19), who may affirm morality while rejecting its divine rationale.

f. an apostate (Heb. 6:4-6, 10:23-39), who once believed but became blasphemous or foolish and ship-wrecked their faith (1Tim. 1:19-20), becoming completely corrupt and callous (Matt. 13:14-15, Heb. 6:4-6).

Paul listed some sins he implied genuine Christians would not typically commit (in 1Cor. 6:9-10), saying: “Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived, neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.”

Apparently, although a new Christian might commit such sins occasionally, it is inconceivable (because antithetical to NT teaching) that a mature Christian would commit them so typically that the person could be classified as an adulterer, for example (1John 3:6). Back-sliding is the opposite of standing firm or persevering. Atheists might try to practice the “Golden Rule”, but the key issue for them on judgment day will be explaining what good reason they had for rejecting God rather than glorifying Him as the One who determines what is good/golden.

Sinners can overcome selfishness only by becoming one with Christ via faith in Him/God as Lord and thereby sharing His goodness because of union with His/God’s Holy Spirit. This spiritual union is denoted by references to those who have saving faith as children of God the Father (Rom. 8:14-16). This is why Christianity is a relationship with God motivated by gratitude for God’s grace (Psa. 100, Eph. 2:4-8) rather than a legalistic religion of working to merit God’s mercy because of fear of punishment.