i understand what you're saying about intentional and unintentional sin, but what is to prevent man from going along the path of intentional (i.e., murder, rape, war, mayhem) sin and telling him/herself that it doesn't matter if in the final end I know i'm going to be forgiven? This is a hard one. Yeah, we have a conscience, and we know the difference between right and wrong, but this blanket forgiveness could lead to a lot of anarchy, couldn't it? I still kind of like the idea that there might be ultimate judgment and that some might not be forgiven even if they accept Jesus as their savior.
Blanket forgiveness does lead to anarchy. Forgiveness comes at a high cost - not for us but for Christ. There are some religions that teach a forgiveness without reference to the substitutionary death of Jesus Christ on the cross. This is not genuine forgiveness at all. It is wishful thinking and an insult to God. You cannot have forgiveness without believing in Christ's atonement. His blood is what covers sin. His blood makes us holy and righteous before God, even though we are sinners and continue to sin.
Forgiveness only comes to those who genuinely receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. And when forgiveness of sin occurs, another dynamic occurs. Christ's righteousness is imputed to the believer. And at the time of genuine conversion, the Holy Spirit of God (of Christ) comes to indwell the person. He becomes a slave to righteousness, rather than a slave to sin, Romans 6:18. The person immediately begins to change from the inside, from the heart. In fact, those changes are evidence of genuine faith.
There are many who make false professions of faith in Christ, and they do not change on the inside or outside. They may say and think they are saved but they are not. These are those who continue in their old sinful ways, even without regret. They are not forgiven, and will stand in the judgment for the wicked - unless they repent and truly become saved. They cause a lot of problems in Christianity because people see them and their evil deeds, and therefore doubt Christ and the Scriptures.
There is another aspect of people who intentionally continue in sin. The Bible clearly states that "where sin abounds, grace abounds more," therefore some will sin and then say they are doing God a favor by causing His grace to abound. This is real perversion. In Romans 6:1-2 it says,"What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? and the answer is, 'certainly not'..." The person who sins without conscience, thinking he is forgiven, is grossly mistaken. God is not fooled. There will be a penalty for an attitude like that, and it is eternal damnation.
James puts it like this: "Faith without works is dead." This means that true faith, saving faith, is evidenced by good works. The one who sins intentionally and says he is forgiven, and then continues in the same habit of sin, had dead faith and is not forgiven or saved.
One last point: There are many who come to genuine salvation, but with continuing strong habits of sin, and it sometimes takes a while for God to clean them up. Consider the many forms of addiction, for example. And as the person who is truly changed on the inside continues in sin, terrible guilt occurs; and it should. It's coming from the indwelling Holy Spirit of God. It is part of the clean up process. The question to be asked is: Is the person demonstrating a continuous pattern of sin, an habitual pattern of sin, or is it occassional, diminishing, and on its way out? Every "Christian" sins, the Bible says. Again, the question is: Is their sin the pattern of their lives? If it is, they should carefully examine the grounds of their salvation to see if it was genuine. An habitual pattern of sin gives evidence of not being saved.
A person who is truly forgiven, hates sin. He knows that God hates evil. Proverbs 8:13 says,"The fear of the Lord is to hate evil..."
2 comments:
i understand what you're saying about intentional and unintentional sin, but what is to prevent man from going along the path of intentional (i.e., murder, rape, war, mayhem) sin and telling him/herself that it doesn't matter if in the final end I know i'm going to be forgiven? This is a hard one. Yeah, we have a conscience, and we know the difference between right and wrong, but this blanket forgiveness could lead to a lot of anarchy, couldn't it? I still kind of like the idea that there might be ultimate judgment and that some might not be forgiven even if they accept Jesus as their savior.
Blanket forgiveness does lead to anarchy. Forgiveness comes at a high cost - not for us but for Christ. There are some religions that teach a forgiveness without reference to the substitutionary death of Jesus Christ on the cross. This is not genuine forgiveness at all. It is wishful thinking and an insult to God. You cannot have forgiveness without believing in Christ's atonement. His blood is what covers sin. His blood makes us holy and righteous before God, even though we are sinners and continue to sin.
Forgiveness only comes to those who genuinely receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. And when forgiveness of sin occurs, another dynamic occurs. Christ's righteousness is imputed to the believer. And at the time of genuine conversion, the Holy Spirit of God (of Christ) comes to indwell the person. He becomes a slave to righteousness, rather than a slave to sin, Romans 6:18. The person immediately begins to change from the inside, from the heart. In fact, those changes are evidence of genuine faith.
There are many who make false professions of faith in Christ, and they do not change on the inside or outside. They may say and think they are saved but they are not. These are those who continue in their old sinful ways, even without regret. They are not forgiven, and will stand in the judgment for the wicked - unless they repent and truly become saved. They cause a lot of problems in Christianity because people see them and their evil deeds, and therefore doubt Christ and the Scriptures.
There is another aspect of people who intentionally continue in sin. The Bible clearly states that "where sin abounds, grace abounds more," therefore some will sin and then say they are doing God a favor by causing His grace to abound. This is real perversion. In Romans 6:1-2 it says,"What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? and the answer is, 'certainly not'..." The person who sins without conscience, thinking he is forgiven, is grossly mistaken. God is not fooled. There will be a penalty for an attitude like that, and it is eternal damnation.
James puts it like this: "Faith without works is dead." This means that true faith, saving faith, is evidenced by good works. The one who sins intentionally and says he is forgiven, and then continues in the same habit of sin, had dead faith and is not forgiven or saved.
One last point: There are many who come to genuine salvation, but with continuing strong habits of sin, and it sometimes takes a while for God to clean them up. Consider the many forms of addiction, for example. And as the person who is truly changed on the inside continues in sin, terrible guilt occurs; and it should. It's coming from the indwelling Holy Spirit of God. It is part of the clean up process. The question to be asked is: Is the person demonstrating a continuous pattern of sin, an habitual pattern of sin, or is it occassional, diminishing, and on its way out? Every "Christian" sins, the Bible says. Again, the question is: Is their sin the pattern of their lives? If it is, they should carefully examine the grounds of their salvation to see if it was genuine. An habitual pattern of sin gives evidence of not being saved.
A person who is truly forgiven, hates sin. He knows that God hates evil. Proverbs 8:13 says,"The fear of the Lord is to hate evil..."
Post a Comment