ALL claiming to be christians - How often do you still Sin?

[Sparko]

hmmm. Where is Composer? did he get raptured and leave us all behind?

[lilpixieofterror]

Did you get angry?

Did you worry?

Did you despair?

Did you feel lonely?

Did you feel jealous?

Did you lie?

Did you celebrate Bin Laden's death?

Etc.

= sin.

I don't believe any of those things, in of themselves, are sins (although I kind of agree with you, on the last part); however; I find your view there, a little too black and white, for my taste.

Yes, it is a daily thing, but that's why we are saved by the grace of Jesus Christ. Amen.

I can agree with you there though.

[lilpixieofterror]

I've read it before, but I'll read Romans again tonight and answer you back on that tomorrow.

Might want to check out a good commentary or read about the different views of salvation as well.

[roadwalker]

Romans 6:1-4, NIV

What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.

I do find it amazing how Mormon's don't seem to read all the passages of the NT.

Like I just answered Sparko, I'll read the whole book through tonight. That said, you ducked the question I asked. If you were saved by grace and had nothing more beyond that, then while your heart might be changed and you might live a new life, there would be no need for repentance. If you did make a mistake (and you will) but you were already saved, what would repentance achieve?

[Sparko]

I've read it before, but I'll read Romans again tonight and answer you back on that tomorrow.

sounds good. and you might want to try a modern english translation too as a backup to the KJV.

[lilpixieofterror]

Like I just answered Sparko, I'll read the whole book through tonight. That said, you ducked the question I asked. If you were saved by grace and had nothing more beyond that, then while your heart might be changed and you might live a new life, there would be no need for repentance. If you did make a mistake (and you will) but you were already saved, what would repentance achieve?

No where does the Bible say you gain and loose your salvation, on a day to day bases. The goal of the Christian walk is to become more like Christ and learn to put God first and yourself second. Do we make mistakes and fall, along the way? Of course we do, but that is why we are in need of a savior. Now that we got that covered, what does repentance achieve, if it is already given to you? It teaches you to be more like Christ and less like the world, so yes, there is a need for repentance, even when one already has it before they ask because we are all sinners and all are in need of the grace of God.

[Catholicity]

hmmm. Where is Composer? did he get raptured and leave us all behind?

I think Composer got fed up with the sin of the right angle so he left the thread

[Cow Poke]

hmmm. Where is Composer? did he get raptured and leave us all behind?

One can only stuff one's fat little face with popcorn and coke for so long before one just explodes.

[lilpixieofterror]

One can only stuff one's fat little face with popcorn and coke for so long before one just explodes.

Thanks CP for making me laugh, until i started coughing.

[gharfish]

I would like to do a Survey and get ALL those claiming to be christians to state ' How often they still Sin? '

e.g. Never, Once Daily, more than once Daily, every 2nd Day, weekly, other etc. etc. along with the sort of Sins committed and whether those same or similar Sins are often repeated and the reasons why they are and why any are committed? (Comments welcome)

I am also running a Poll for my research.

Another survey question could be for all those claiming to be Christians; "How long can they live with themselves with the nagging realization of the problem of mounting number of sins without too much discomfort before they again feel convicted and they put on the brakes to repent in prayer and attitude again and get back to trying to obey Jesus' commands?'

Repentence is a lifestyle choice, I say (how i put it). Having to continue doing it countless times (renewed repentence and right efforts) can be discouraging. But what else can be done ? God forgives and asks that you get and try anew. He reaches back with love and an outstrectched arm down to where you are. Come on with Me. Keep trying, Son...Daughter.

Composer, you ask about what sins might be habitual ones in particular. For Christian men, I think it's something like free internet 'soft' porn photos. It's everywhere. It sometime pursues you. It's too easy to indulge the primary male fantasy there. The secondary male fantasy is wealth/status/power. Attaining that can be a way of getting the primary one fulfilled.

Free nude women photos that are not art but are porn, taps into the normal male physiology (urge), which is not sinful in itself. But it really really helps turn that strong! normalcy into something similar to sinful gluttony towards what's like a secretly their's feastly assortment of food. So what a snag free porno pics are and possibly a path to addictive viewing with it's ever compounding lusts, that either binds one to stay there with the free supplies, or gets the man in deeper w/harder porn that is for sale, [that starts out] as 'just" advertising porn to begin with. It is a new battleground in the lives of Christian men today. Gone are the days of girlie magazines like when I was a young man. You'd have to get the same 'soft core' porn, like the days of Penthouse under the counter, if you wanted it. You had to go to a store. Maybe a bad part of town, this dirty book and video store. Now the store is automatically onto you on your PC and giving the same without a magazine charge..and without any public scrutiny and judgement.


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[Manwë Súlimo]

I think Composer realizes that we're not buying his game or real life has kept him away.

[fm93]

I think Composer realizes

I don't think Composer has the cognitive faculties required to be able to realize anything.

[roadwalker]

Well, I finished reading through Romans (not a quick read at all.)

Yes, it was a KJV (that's the Bible I have, and it's the Bible I go by. Maybe not the best translation anyone has ever come up with but by definition any retranslation will be flawed and one thing the KJV has going for it is that it does not reflect any conscious or unconscous agenda that might be creeping into a more modern translation; I'm sure people had political or social agendas in 1609 but they have nothing to do with today's issues and the Bible should not be translated to try and justify or refute a particular point of view.)

That said, Paul does make the case that he was saved and therefore does not need to be saved again. And I can see where if you are looking at salvation alone you'd be right. Of course as you may also know, there are 'many mansions' in heaven; without going into my specific set of beliefs (I could provide you a link to the Latter Day Saint concept of exaltation and the three heavens if you want to go into all that but I won't here) it is true that we have choices to make every day. If we all had the zeal of Paul we would likely make the right choice (which would be to serve and preach Christ) at every opportunity, just as he did.

Over the past 24 hours my activities included reading Romans as described, along with delivering newspapers (which I do to help pay the bills-- I have another job but am not now working at it,) helping my kids with homework and taking them to school, spending some time on Facebook (one out of six or seven pages I was on, discussing religion and Christ,) watching the news while at a truck stop in the middle of the paper route, and a cross word said in response to a family member who was yelling at me (on some other days I commit far worse sins, but today was a good day, and let's take that as my sin of commission.)

Yes, I am saved by Christ regardless of what I may or may not have done. At the same time, in most cases I could have made better choices in terms of what the Lord would have me do. Working is justifiable in that without it I'd have to beg to feed my family and would likely end up occupying more time than just doing the job, or I could apply for church or government welfare but that would be disingenuous since there are others who actually need that help and since I am able bodied I should be working. And Christ would have me provide for my family. Reading scriptures is also certainly justifiable and something Christ would have me do.

The rest of what I did becomes far more questionable. I spent time recreating when I could have been doing something more useful or appropriate. When I responded inappropriately when challenged, I did apologize both to the lord and to the family member I responded crossly to, but that apology, had I not done it, would not have endangered my salvation, as Paul does point out. HOWEVER, when I did it, I was clearly doing something not in keeping with Christ's desire for how I should relate to my family members. If I then compounded this by not trying to fix the problem and letting it become a habit (which it is, but I am working, with some success, to change it) and that is something which the Lord certainly does not approve of. If I had a real problem with it, on a daily basis, then I would indeed need to repent-- not because getting into arguments imperils my salvation, but because if I went to heaven as a contentious man then I would have to be judged accordingly. To say that if one accepts Christ then the spirit of contention is no longer in him seems to be in itself an impossibly high standard-- I have hardly ever met anyone who does not argue and if pushed even get into somewhat heated discussions. So what it really comes down to is how hard to we work to change that spirit. Christ can change our hearts, and he could change our minds too, but he also leaves us with some challenges to overcome because it is the only way we can grow (I know, you don't believe in growth, at least not as we do.)

Hard to see how this contradicts Paul at all. He is right that we are saved (meaning to be able to receive a full remission of our sins) by Christ through baptism but beyond that, we still have our challenges and must work on them. Repentance is a process by which we do that, not only to be humble (as another commenter wrote) but also to try and change ourselves for the better and improve the behavior we are repenting of.

[Composer]

Every day, more times than I know.

Do you actually think you've come up with a new argument? We're on to what you're doing, and it's been done ad nauseum.

Do tell?

[Composer]

That is one area where Mormons veer away from most of Christianity. Jesus only died once for all. All of my sins were forgiven by that one act. I don't get saved, then sin, then lose salvation, then repent, then be saved again, then sin, then lose my salvation, etc. When God forgave me when I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior, he KNEW all of my sins, past and future, and he forgave me and saved me. I don't have to constantly be resaved. That is an impossible task. We don't even realize the extent of our sins, even on a daily basis. So if it worked like you think, we would all be lost forever.

So are you claiming ' Once forgiven always forgiven? '

So backsliders or those who become atheists after believing are still forgiven?