Muslims often say that Christianity is a license to sin. You can sin, then repent, then sin again, as much as you want.
One view is that in order to get to heaven you need to keep the commandments of God, but you want to do only the bare minimum of good, and and the maximum of sin while not losing your salvation.
I am doing all the sinning that I want, but being born again, my desires have changed. I see how much God loves me and I want to stay in fellowship with him, and do what is good.
I will also give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh.
--Ezekiel 36:26
Christianity is not a set of laws to to hold you back, it is a living reality.
After writing the above I read this book:
The Gospel According To Jesus by John MacArthur
He points out that Jesus did not offer an easy "sinner's prayer" salvation. When the rich young ruler asked him what he had to do to be saved, he told him to sell all he had and follow him
Jesus looking at him loved him, and said to him, “One thing you lack. Go, sell whatever you have, and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me, taking up the cross.”
But his face fell at that saying, and he went away sorrowful, for he was one who had great possessions. Jesus looked around, and said to his disciples, “How difficult it is for those who have riches to enter into God’s Kingdom!”
--Mark 10:21-23
John the Baptist was also not making things easy:
He said therefore to the multitudes who went out to be baptized by him, “You offspring of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Therefore produce fruits worthy of repentance, and don’t begin to say among yourselves, ‘We have Abraham for our father;’ for I tell you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones!
Even now the ax also lies at the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that doesn't produce good fruit is cut down, and thrown into the fire.”
--Luke 3:7-9
Both the young ruler and the crowds of John the Baptist were evidently sincere, but they could not come to Jesus unchanged.
Here is another verse that contradicts the idea that Christianity is a license to sin:
For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remains no more a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and a fierceness of fire which will devour the adversaries.
--Hebrews 10:26-27
Yes you can't purposely sin and say you believe and love God. If you truly love God. You will purposely not sin!
ReplyDeleteWe all sin, but it shouldn't be deliberate! And when we realise what we've done we should pray to God for forgiveness and not do it again.
Jesus said that those who believe on him will be saved. But if you truly believe then you are saying he's real, now if you're saying he's real then you're saying his gospel is real. If you then believe his gospel then you will believe you have to follow him and deny sin! Thus your life will not be full of worldly lusts and thoughts and self indulgence, you wont be thinking of yourself first. Money and wealth will mean nothing to you. Jesus had nothing, he had no wealth and when Satan offered him everything, he refused it all because his love for God was stronger! If you love really God and follow Jesus, hatred will have left your heart and you will love your neighbour as yourself, whatever religion they may be. God is a God of love and peace, not war and pain. You will be fighting sin in your heart daily as Paul did. Dying to your lusts every day showing Christs life through you. Letting his love in and living it ou in your life, every day.
I thought today how Gods love is very different to our own. We are all "me and mine" and love only our own people and our own religion, this is wrong.. God isnt like this. We are all his children, he just wants us all to turn back to him. If we love him, we will bring his people back to him. Always on the lookout for his lost sheep! My own heart would walk past the poor in the steet., But if Gods spirit is within me, my heart should be wide open to all in need! Putting myself last. Seeing that man on the street and giving just like the good Samaritan. Because everyone I meet is my neighbour, whatever religion, colour, male or female ! God is love! And Jesus came to show us how merciful a father we have. With His dying breath he said " father forgive them, for they know not what they do!" This shows you how strong Jesus was, and how much he lobed God. And we also have to show forgiveness for those who have hurt us! As we say in our prayers " forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who treaapass against us! Because we hurt God everytime we knownly sin. So we must forgive others and fight against the sin of our hearts, for God to forgive us!
So of we love God, we must keep up the Good fight and take on the life of our lord Jesus. Deny sin in your hearts, take up our cross and follow him. For if we do this God will never leave us and he will be our God and we wiil be his people. And he will bless our hearts with his holy spirit and his everlasting and ever eternal life and love!
Mary