Bible Study Go and Sin No More!

[WIP]

Recent polls indicate that approximately 75% of the US population identifies as Christian. There's nothing to suggest that the LGBT community are excluded from that result.

 

[HeIsRisen2018]

Recent polls indicate that approximately 75% of the US population identifies as Christian. There's nothing to suggest that the LGBT community wouldn't fit within that same pattern.

Okay, but a true Christian wouldn't continue to be a homosexual. Besides, I don't ask everybody I come across what their religious beliefs are. If the topic comes up and I know whether or not they're a Christian, I will tell them what I and more importantly God thinks about it and then it's up to them whether or not they want to listen to me. My cousin was transgender and I told them before they committed suicide that I think they should just be happy to be who God made them to be (I didn't know at the time whether or not it was truly against scripture) but they never listened. There's only so much you can do about it really, then it's up to them to change their ways. Oh yes and she went to church every Sunday.

 

[Michael74]

Pew polls indicate that about 50% of LGB identify themselves as Christian.

 

[atpollard]

I was just wondering what Jesus meant in John 8:11 when He said that since He was and is the only one who remains sinless.

Some things really aren’t that hard to figure out if you stop trying to over spiritualize them and just look at the situation with some common sense. The woman was just caught in adultery, so either she or her lover were married to somebody else. Jesus just asked who was left to condemn her, and then announced that neither would he condemn her.

Is there any chance at all that Jesus, God incarnate, is OK with people committing adultery ... a sin His law punishes by death. If not, then what is the simplest and most likely meaning of Jesus telling an adulteress to “go and sin no more”?

How about “Don’t go running around sleeping with men that are not your husband.” Does that sound like an instruction that no human being can obey? Jesus was giving practical instructions to avoid a sin that was going to destroy families and get her killed.

 

[ezra]

The problem is, because God knows our faults, we figure that He will forgive us and so we use that knowledge to excuse ourselves from sin. In other words, we use it as a license to continue living our life without care. Our objective should always be to strive for perfection as our Father in heaven is perfect. That's it. No excuses and no buts.

I remember when our church was still a member of the ELCA and during our annual synod meetings when we would bring up the subject of allowing practicing homosexuals to serve as pastors and just gay relationships in general it would curdle my stomach every time someone would make the statement, "I was born this way."

I was born a sinner too but that is no excuse.

i will never understand how church org could even think practicing H.S as pastors or any office in Church

 

[WIP]

Okay, but a true Christian wouldn't continue to be a homosexual.

Would a true Christian continue to tell lies, cheat, get jealous, gossip, swear, engage in heterosexual sexual relations outside of marriage, and so on?

 

[HeIsRisen2018]

Would a true Christian continue to tell lies, cheat, get jealous, gossip, swear, engage in heterosexual sexual relations outside of marriage, and so on?

Well I don't lie and I don't cheat (except for when I was younger but now I'm very truthful) but other than that I can see your point in the fact that we're all sinners. I really don't want to get into the sex and marriage thing though but for the record I do believe that the Bible never actually states in getting a marriage license to be considered married. I just look at it as actual love and commitment to a person as being the most important thing and as long as you're not a prostitute or it isn't a one night stand since I myself (who is currently engaged and I already know that we are a hundred percent committed and faithful to each other) am no longer a virgin. In fact, I haven't been for years. However, you're free to disagree with me and have your own opinions but I really don't want it to turn into a debate alright?

 

[ezra]

Would a true Christian continue to tell lies, cheat, get jealous, gossip, swear, engage in heterosexual sexual relations outside of marriage, and so on?

they shouldnt but some will

 

[ezra]

I myself (who is currently engaged and I already know that we are a hundred percent committed and faithful to each other) am no longer a virgin

no body asked of that your personal life does not belong on a forum

 

[HeIsRisen2018]

no body asked of that your personal life does not belong on a forum

Well, he might not have directly asked me but he's the one who brought the subject up about sex outside of marriage. I was just telling you my interpretation of it that's all. I'm sorry if this is a problem though.

 

[ezrider]

I was born a sinner too but that is no excuse.

I was not born a sinner. I was born in the flesh as my maker hath formed me, with a natural inclination to be lead of the Spirit. I only know sin by my knowledge of the Law, but I do not cry unto the Lord "why have you made me such? take this sin away from me." For I was created and formed in the image of God. I was brought forth to walk before the Lord by Faith. But I have taken the knowledge of the law and the knowledge of sin for myself, but with that knowledge came bondage and fear. The Spirit of Christ released me from this fear and bondage, so that in the flesh I walk daily as a sinner condemned to death, but in my Spirit I walk in the resurrection of Christ without the fear and condemnation of the second death.

 

[ezra]

Well, he might not have directly asked me but he's the one who brought the subject up about sex outside of marriage. I was just telling you my interpretation of it that's all. I'm sorry if this is a problem though.

it was reference to the sin of man kind yes i know Christians who live together what goes on behind closed doors i have no idea. yes we will all gossip if not careful did you hear what john or Martha did? NO what happened well i heard they ----------- by the time some one else tells it .the story grows.. your interpretation was fine. your personal sex life is to be kept to your self. many have not kept to themselves before marriage saved not saved . some have got married and pregnant being a christian. you exposed your personal life to other men... of course there is not much kept quite any more .. when my mom was alive and her and my dad was having us kids.. you didnt even use the word pregnant.

 

[JohnDB]

The story in John 8 is about the woman who was about to get stoned to death for being an adulteress. They wanted Jesus to join in with stoning the woman.

There is talk about the story actually belonging in the book of Mark and that somehow it got displaced and injected due to an accident of sloppiness of unbound pages.

The main thing that plays a major part in this story is the culture of that time.

Men who wished to divorce their wives but not return the dowry to their spouses usually didn't actually get divorced...they "put away" their wives... which actually means they just kicked them out of the house. Women had no ability to sue their husbands for a divorce. Women had no access whatsoever to their legal system. Their fathers often we're deceased and their mothers already widows. These "Put Away" wives were now destitute with no home, no money, no food or means to earn an income.

So often these women would act as if their family was dead and they were single so they could remarry. With the way that the Romans treated the Jews it was a believable story.
But being stoned to death was the outcome of being caught being married to two men...just like death by exposure would be the result if the women did nothing.

And that's where the story picks up.
What also is true is that there was a huge scandal inside of the religious elite at the time. They were guilty of what tantamounted to "wife swapping".

 

[ezra]

amazing wonder how they caught her? peeping in watching? reckon what he wrote in the sand ? rocks must of been heavy they sure dropped them in a hurry

 

[WIP]

Well, he might not have directly asked me but he's the one who brought the subject up about sex outside of marriage. I was just telling you my interpretation of it that's all. I'm sorry if this is a problem though.

So you redefine marriage to fit your personal preferences then? At the time when the Scriptures were written, the definition of marriage was understood and I'm guessing there were specific traditions or rules that went beyond just choosing to live together.

 

[WIP]

I was not born a sinner. I was born in the flesh as my maker hath formed me, with a natural inclination to be lead of the Spirit. I only know sin by my knowledge of the Law, but I do not cry unto the Lord "why have you made me such? take this sin away from me." For I was created and formed in the image of God. I was brought forth to walk before the Lord by Faith. But I have taken the knowledge of the law and the knowledge of sin for myself, but with that knowledge came bondage and fear. The Spirit of Christ released me from this fear and bondage, so that in the flesh I walk daily as a sinner condemned to death, but in my Spirit I walk in the resurrection of Christ without the fear and condemnation of the second death.

I'm curious. How do you account for these references then?

Psalm 58:3 ESV The wicked are estranged from the womb; they go astray from birth, speaking lies.

Psalm 51:5 ESV Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.

Romans 3:23 ESV For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

Romans 3:10 ESV As it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one;

1 Corinthians 15:22 ESV For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.

1 John 1:8 ESV If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

Luke 18:19 ESV And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone.

Thanks.

 

[HeIsRisen2018]

I'm curious. How do you account for these references then?

Psalm 58:3 ESV The wicked are estranged from the womb; they go astray from birth, speaking lies.

Psalm 51:5 ESV Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.

Romans 3:23 ESV For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

Romans 3:10 ESV As it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one;

1 Corinthians 15:22 ESV For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.

1 John 1:8 ESV If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

Luke 18:19 ESV And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone.

Thanks.

Can you let me take a whack at this or do you think awful of me because of the fact that I believe that the Bible doesn't really go into details about what defines a loving commitment (marriage) towards somebody that you already know that you are going to spend the rest of your life with? Because my interpretation is that unlike Jesus we're all born sinners by nature, but a newborn baby still can't commit any sin yet because in order to commit sin, you have to be aware of the fact that that's what you are doing and just like animals (who can never sin) babies don't know any better.

 

[for_his_glory]

When God says go and sin no more that is exactly what He expects us to do. If we have truly died to self and are risen with Christ then we need to be seeking those things from above where Christ sits at the right hand of the Father. Sin comes from fleshly desires as there is always a battle between the flesh and the Spirit as flesh is enmity (hostile enemy) against the Spirit and the two can not mix. This would be trying to serve two masters (flesh and Spirit) as you will hate the one and love the other.

Conviction of sin comes by the Holy Spirit to those who are Spiritually born again and indwelled and not by man telling us what they deem to be sin. If we are knowingly sinning (doing those things we want to do) then we are no longer walking in the Spirit, but in the flesh. This is not pleasing to the Lord and will cause us to lose fellowship with Him just as Adam lost temporary fellowship through disobedience and tried to hide from God.

Grace does not give us a license to sin, but when we recognize we are sinning grace will forgive us and then go and do not repeat that sin no more. Romans 8:3-8; Hebrews 10:26, 27; Colossians Chapter 3

 

[for_his_glory]

I'm curious. How do you account for these references then?

Psalm 58:3 ESV The wicked are estranged from the womb; they go astray from birth, speaking lies.

Psalm 51:5 ESV Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.

Romans 3:23 ESV For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

Romans 3:10 ESV As it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one;

1 Corinthians 15:22 ESV For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.

1 John 1:8 ESV If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

Luke 18:19 ESV And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone.

Thanks.

A baby can not inherit the sin of the parents, but are born with a sin nature. Adams sin was imputed to every one of us as there is none that are righteous, babies included, Romans 5:12-18. Psalms 58:3 says, The wicked are estranged (turn from God) from the womb: they go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies. Who taught a child to lie or be rebellious against their parents? It's that sin nature that causes a child to do this. Psalms 51:5 says, Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me. The only thing God gave us at birth was His very breath (spirit) that made us a living soul and it's that breath that goes back to God when we die as he preserves it in judgment until the coming of the Lord, Ecclesiastes 12:7.

 

[for_his_glory]

I know this is not a topic about marriage, but since it has been brought up thought I would add to it for some clarification.

Gods' grand design was for man to take care of the earth and have dominion over all living things. God did not want man to be alone so He created a helpmate and she was called woman. The two were to multiply and replenish the earth with more helpers to till the land and help take care of Gods creation, Genesis 1, 2.

Gods will for woman was to be a helpmate to the man in every way, mentally, spiritually, emotionally, socially and physically. She was also created to bare the generations to come. A woman was not greater or less than the man, but was his equal.

There is no place in the Bible that constitutes having to have a marriage license. Man incorporated this into the law mainly for legal purposes. In the Hebrew tradition a mohar or dowry was paid to the father of the bride by the groom in exchange for the daughter, Exodus 22:17. Genesis 2:23-25 explains the bond of marriage. The two are united as one in the eyes of God. Ephesians 5:22-29 wives are to submit to their husbands as unto the Lord for the husband is the spiritual head of the wife. Man is the provider and protector of his family. Husbands, you are to love your wives like Christ loves his church. This is an unconditional love that looks on the inside of a person and not the adorning of the outside. It is a love with a pure heart.

This submission also carries over to the bed that neither should deprive one another unless it is a mutual consent, 1 Corinthians 7:5 the principles for the married believer are explained in 1 Corinthians 7:10-16. As long as there is love and faithfulness the two should never depart from each other nor stray away for lust of the flesh.

Even with the laws God gave to Moses for the people, mans sin hardened hearts now turned to fornication, lust of self and covertness of others property including another mans wife. New laws were added continuously for the transgressions of man and this is how we got the law for divorce which was handed down by Moses in Deuteronomy 24:1-4.

1 Corinthians 7:10, Jesus commands the woman not to leave her husband and if she does she should remain unmarried, but in Malachi 2:10-16 the treachery that man commits against a woman which leads him to have an affair outside of the marriage or abuses the wife whether it be physical or emotional gives place to what was said by Moses in Deuteronomy 24:1-4 that if a woman is no longer pleasing to her husband then the husband should give his wife a written bill of divorcement and send her out of the house and this gives the woman the right to marry again, but she can never go back to her former husband if that marriage does not work out or her husband dies for now she is defiled to be with her first husband and this is an abomination to God.