I'm not too fond of the "grey areas" in my faith. I know that to God, there is only black and white in the Bible, because He created it. He knows it better than I ever will.
...When you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is at work in you who believe.
1 Thessalonians 2:13 NIV
I would like to think that I can perfectly understand everything on my own. God created me to be smart, right? I can do it without Him, right?
Nope. Jesus said it himself:
"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing."
John 15:5 NIV
This is one of the black and white phrases that I love, that apart from God, we're powerless. If we remain in God, as Jesus said, we will bear much fruit. That's pretty cut and dry, and believe that statement, too.
I just get so confused when God speaks of being without sin, being blameless, being perfect. Doesn't Paul directly say that we all sin, and NO one is perfect?
No One Is Righteous
What shall we conclude then? Do we have any advantage? Not at all! For we have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under the power of sin. As it is written:
“There is no one righteous, not even one;
there is no one who understands;
there is no one who seeks God.
All have turned away,
they have together become worthless;
there is no one who does good,
not even one.”
Romans 3:9-12 NIV
I think sometimes, people get so discouraged in this statement that they don't bother trying. "If we all sin, then there's no hope for me to get better."
But Paul refutes this petty human myth with something that takes us back to when the first sin entered the world, with Adam and Eve...
Consequently, just as one trespass resulted in condemnation for all people, so also one righteous act resulted in justification and life for all people. For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.
The law was brought in so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Romans 5:18-21 NIV
This bring so much hope... hope that even though sin has entrapped man when Adam and Eve ate that dang fruit... love, grace, and forgiveness has been saving man especially when Jesus came.
This is kind of where black and white bleed to grey for me. The Bible says all men sin. But it also says that when we believe in Jesus, we shouldn't sin any more, because Jesus' death brought righteousness to all people.
It's just a little confusing to me. I don't believe anyone will be perfect until the day they die. But that doesn't mean we should keep on sinning, either. So...
I talked with a friend a little while ago over the topic of perfection and sin, and guilt and forgiveness. She told me what I posted above, that all men (and women... haha!) sin. Every human does.
So, me being the think-I-know-it-all person that I am, I asked, "Is it okay to just not care, then? If we all sin, and God will always forgive us, can't we just live however we want to?"
Her reply, of course, was "No." God doesn't want us to keep on sinning, or else He would have praised Adam and Eve for eating the fruit, like "Great job, guys! Isn't sin awesome??" It's not a surprise that this conversation never happened between God and his people. God never told us to continue sinning. But the Bible says we are all sinners.
Out of sheer frustration, I asked "THEN HOW HARD DO I TRY? If God wants us to stop sinning, should I write down all the commandments on my arm and make sure I never disobey Him? Or, since it is stated that we're all sinners anyway, do I throw caution to the wind and live a sinful life, knowing He'll forgive me? TELL ME WHAT TO DO!!!!!! HOW HARD DO I TRY TO OBEY HIM?????"
In a calm, reserved manner, she replied, "You don't try."
This kind of sounds like one of those "you've GOT to be kidding me" answers. Kinda like a Biblical slap in the face. Like one of those things you try and figure out for years, and then someone who has never struggled with it gives you a simple, three word response.
You don't try.
She went on to explain that if you have faith in Jesus Christ, and earnestly seek to follow him, sin won't be able to get to you. If you give your life to Him, and follow where He leads you, He won't lead you into a pit of sin.
Maybe if you've lost faith in Him, then that's where things get cloudy, and you stray off on your own for a little.
But if you give your entire, sinful being over to Jesus Christ, you don't have to try. You don't have to make sure you're doing everything right, because God will lead you where He wants you to go. And in case you weren't aware, His plan for us is GOOD.
You don't have to tirelessly attempt to follow the law, and you don't have to give into sin, either.
Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.
In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness. For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.
Romans 6:8-14 NIV
Live by your faith in Jesus. Live knowing that you are a child of the true, living God. Have no fear of sin, because sin has no hold on you. Jesus died, and with His death, He abolished sin.
We are still human, and if we lose the faith and try to live on our own, we may fail. But with Jesus, our sins and failures are fully forgiven, no strings attached.
Live with Jesus living in your heart. Don't give into sin, and don't try and be perfect on your own, because apart from Him, you can do nothing! On the other hand,
Philippians 4:13 NIV says
I can do everything through him who gives me strength.
May the peace and grace and love and strength of God be with you!
Peace out.
...When you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is at work in you who believe.
1 Thessalonians 2:13 NIV
I would like to think that I can perfectly understand everything on my own. God created me to be smart, right? I can do it without Him, right?
Nope. Jesus said it himself:
"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing."
John 15:5 NIV
This is one of the black and white phrases that I love, that apart from God, we're powerless. If we remain in God, as Jesus said, we will bear much fruit. That's pretty cut and dry, and believe that statement, too.
I just get so confused when God speaks of being without sin, being blameless, being perfect. Doesn't Paul directly say that we all sin, and NO one is perfect?
No One Is Righteous
What shall we conclude then? Do we have any advantage? Not at all! For we have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under the power of sin. As it is written:
“There is no one righteous, not even one;
there is no one who understands;
there is no one who seeks God.
All have turned away,
they have together become worthless;
there is no one who does good,
not even one.”
Romans 3:9-12 NIV
I think sometimes, people get so discouraged in this statement that they don't bother trying. "If we all sin, then there's no hope for me to get better."
But Paul refutes this petty human myth with something that takes us back to when the first sin entered the world, with Adam and Eve...
Consequently, just as one trespass resulted in condemnation for all people, so also one righteous act resulted in justification and life for all people. For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.
The law was brought in so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Romans 5:18-21 NIV
This bring so much hope... hope that even though sin has entrapped man when Adam and Eve ate that dang fruit... love, grace, and forgiveness has been saving man especially when Jesus came.
This is kind of where black and white bleed to grey for me. The Bible says all men sin. But it also says that when we believe in Jesus, we shouldn't sin any more, because Jesus' death brought righteousness to all people.
It's just a little confusing to me. I don't believe anyone will be perfect until the day they die. But that doesn't mean we should keep on sinning, either. So...
I talked with a friend a little while ago over the topic of perfection and sin, and guilt and forgiveness. She told me what I posted above, that all men (and women... haha!) sin. Every human does.
So, me being the think-I-know-it-all person that I am, I asked, "Is it okay to just not care, then? If we all sin, and God will always forgive us, can't we just live however we want to?"
Her reply, of course, was "No." God doesn't want us to keep on sinning, or else He would have praised Adam and Eve for eating the fruit, like "Great job, guys! Isn't sin awesome??" It's not a surprise that this conversation never happened between God and his people. God never told us to continue sinning. But the Bible says we are all sinners.
Out of sheer frustration, I asked "THEN HOW HARD DO I TRY? If God wants us to stop sinning, should I write down all the commandments on my arm and make sure I never disobey Him? Or, since it is stated that we're all sinners anyway, do I throw caution to the wind and live a sinful life, knowing He'll forgive me? TELL ME WHAT TO DO!!!!!! HOW HARD DO I TRY TO OBEY HIM?????"
In a calm, reserved manner, she replied, "You don't try."
This kind of sounds like one of those "you've GOT to be kidding me" answers. Kinda like a Biblical slap in the face. Like one of those things you try and figure out for years, and then someone who has never struggled with it gives you a simple, three word response.
You don't try.
She went on to explain that if you have faith in Jesus Christ, and earnestly seek to follow him, sin won't be able to get to you. If you give your life to Him, and follow where He leads you, He won't lead you into a pit of sin.
Maybe if you've lost faith in Him, then that's where things get cloudy, and you stray off on your own for a little.
But if you give your entire, sinful being over to Jesus Christ, you don't have to try. You don't have to make sure you're doing everything right, because God will lead you where He wants you to go. And in case you weren't aware, His plan for us is GOOD.
You don't have to tirelessly attempt to follow the law, and you don't have to give into sin, either.
Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.
In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness. For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.
Romans 6:8-14 NIV
Live by your faith in Jesus. Live knowing that you are a child of the true, living God. Have no fear of sin, because sin has no hold on you. Jesus died, and with His death, He abolished sin.
We are still human, and if we lose the faith and try to live on our own, we may fail. But with Jesus, our sins and failures are fully forgiven, no strings attached.
Live with Jesus living in your heart. Don't give into sin, and don't try and be perfect on your own, because apart from Him, you can do nothing! On the other hand,
Philippians 4:13 NIV says
I can do everything through him who gives me strength.
May the peace and grace and love and strength of God be with you!
Peace out.
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