Is It Possible to be Free of Sin?

[Nathan12]

Since the scripture clearly states that the will of man is in bondage to the devil...

And that needs to be understood properly in the light of all Scriptures. What it means is that human beings are basically self-centered rather than God-centered, and are controlled by the three main lusts listed in the Bible (which cover all sins), while Satan entices men to sin.

At the same time -- and this is critical -- all men are not evil and wicked all the time. The conscience does have an impact on the natural man ("do by nature"), and many unsaved men do many righteous deeds. The Bible makes that clear also. Thus the will of man is certainly free, in spite of the indwelling sin nature.

Romans 2
6 [It isGod] Who will render to every man according to his deeds:
7 To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life:
8 But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath,
9 Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile;
10 But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile:
11 For there is no respect of persons with God.
12 For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law;
13 (For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.
14 For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves:
15 Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;)
16 In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.

Those who teach the doctrine of Total Depravity claim that unsaved human beings cannot respond to the Gospel because of this so called "bondage of the will" (Luther). However, they all forget (1) that the Gospel itself is the power of God unto salvation to each one who believes (Rom 1:16), and (2) the convicting and convincing power of God the Holy Spirit is sufficient to employ the Gospel to generate faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Thus "Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God (the Gospel)".

In other words, Total Depravity is a BOGUS doctrine which has no foundation in Scripture.

 

[WIP]

Are we sinless or not? Only God knows as Paul says. He did not even judge himself
because reaching the goal is less important than aiming for it. Why? Because each second, each minute, each hour, each day, each week, each month, each year is another
opportunity to express Gods love through our lives or fails, and until we have reached
the end we do not know the outcome except we walk in faith today.

God did say, "Be holy as I am holy." and "Be perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect." Scripture also tells us to stay the course, fight the good fight, persevere, and so on. Why would He instruct us to be something we are not? Because, if we truly love God with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength our lives aught to reflect that love as we strive to be perfectly holy.

 

[PeterJens]

God did say, "Be holy as I am holy." and "Be perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect." Scripture also tells us to stay the course, fight the good fight, persevere, and so on. Why would He instruct us to be something we are not? Because, if we truly love God with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength our lives aught to reflect that love as we strive to be perfectly holy.

I agree with you, that is the question I have been asking.
When I first started asking this question 3 years ago, it raised the issue of original sin, and Augustine and the gnostics. It touched on Preterist ideas, and what it means to be purified.
The reformed school have often gone to sexual attraction is original sin, and how this dominates our interactions.

I have developed a view towards hurt and sin caused us to exclude love in our hearts as children, which hardens our hearts, and means hurting others no longer causes us problems.
As we lose contact with ourselves we get lost is lifes ups and downs, and end in death.
Jesus comes to open up our hearts, cleanse us, heal our hurts, make us whole and let our love express itself, given life through the cross and the Holy Spirit.

I have discovered this notion of a purified heart as the basis of faith and our walk for some is heresy and makes one the enemy of Christ, and I have been called such.
And the term sinless perfectionist is used like a curse. Linked to this is condemnation of anyone who puts effort it walking like Jesus, as effort is just self righteousness.

My latest conclusions is sad, that those who oppose like this are hard hearted, and rebellious, defeated with continual sin and bad consciences, not realising what we have in Christ. Part of belief in Christ, is belief that He can transform us into His likeness, through following and obeying Him. So these people who claim the promises of eternal life, actually are living in unbelief as to why Jesus came and that He can deliver a Holy walk to them.

My sadness is I do not want to write anyone off, but the group are so antagonistic and aggressive to the extent of wanting to "stamp out" works salvationists, it is impossible to see an open fellowship can be established. "works salvationists" is a term they use for anyone who hold our walk matters to Jesus and we need to confess sin continually.
Funnily the individual who said this goes to a Nazarene Church who hold to walking in Holiness, and this individual regards them as saved.

So there is much confusion on this subject and spiritually it is very important as our whole salvation and aspirations in Christ rest upon its reality.

 

[FrostyKnuckles]

You claim that God intends to save every person, but I read in the Bible that He doesn't.
Rom. 9:22-24 says "What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction: And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory, Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?"

God does intend to save every person:
1Ti 2:4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.

The Romans 9 passage has nothing to do with personal salvation. Its a chapter about why all Israel is not saved at that time, despite the Messiah already coming, its about corporate election.
Esau = Edom the nation. Jacob = Israel the nation. Proof: Genesis 25:23 says two NATIONS are in your womb. Also the fact that Esau the person never served Jacob the person.

Here is how you can be a vessel prepared for glory:
2Ti 2:21 If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work.

Rom. 9:16 "So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy. "

Amen. Who is God showing mercy to?:
Mat 5:7 Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

no one chooses ON HIS OWN to obey the gospel. It takes a divine act to get someone to obey the gospel.

This is true. Nobody can do anything by themselves. God has to act first. And indeed Scriptures teach us: The God of Israel HAS acted first:


Titus 2:11 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,
Titus 2:12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;

Joh 16:7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.
Joh 16:8 And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:
Joh 16:9 Of sin, because they believe not on me;
Joh 16:10 Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more;
Joh 16:11 Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.

 

[tdidymas]

And that needs to be understood properly in the light of all Scriptures. What it means is that human beings are basically self-centered rather than God-centered, and are controlled by the three main lusts listed in the Bible (which cover all sins), while Satan entices men to sin.

At the same time -- and this is critical -- all men are not evil and wicked all the time. The conscience does have an impact on the natural man ("do by nature"), and many unsaved men do many righteous deeds. The Bible makes that clear also. Thus the will of man is certainly free, in spite of the indwelling sin nature.

Romans 2
6 [It isGod] Who will render to every man according to his deeds:
7 To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life:
8 But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath,
9 Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile;
10 But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile:
11 For there is no respect of persons with God.
12 For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law;
13 (For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.
14 For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves:
15 Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;)
16 In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.

Those who teach the doctrine of Total Depravity claim that unsaved human beings cannot respond to the Gospel because of this so called "bondage of the will" (Luther). However, they all forget (1) that the Gospel itself is the power of God unto salvation to each one who believes (Rom 1:16), and (2) the convicting and convincing power of God the Holy Spirit is sufficient to employ the Gospel to generate faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Thus "Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God (the Gospel)".

In other words, Total Depravity is a BOGUS doctrine which has no foundation in Scripture.

I disagree with you on this matter.

 

[tdidymas]

God does intend to save every person:
1Ti 2:4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.

The Romans 9 passage has nothing to do with personal salvation. Its a chapter about why all Israel is not saved at that time, despite the Messiah already coming, its about corporate election.
Esau = Edom the nation. Jacob = Israel the nation. Proof: Genesis 25:23 says two NATIONS are in your womb. Also the fact that Esau the person never served Jacob the person.

Here is how you can be a vessel prepared for glory:
2Ti 2:21 If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work.

Amen. Who is God showing mercy to?:
Mat 5:7 Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

This is true. Nobody can do anything by themselves. God has to act first. And indeed Scriptures teach us: The God of Israel HAS acted first:


Titus 2:11 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,
Titus 2:12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;

Joh 16:7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.
Joh 16:8 And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:
Joh 16:9 Of sin, because they believe not on me;
Joh 16:10 Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more;
Joh 16:11 Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.

Rom. 9:22 says that the vessels of mercy are among both Jews and Gentiles, therefore, your idea that Rom. 9 is not about personal salvation is in error. When Paul says "it depends..." the "it" he is talking about is salvation.
TD

 

[WIP]

God does intend to save every person:
1Ti 2:4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.

Are you saying that all that have already passed are saved?

 

[LovethroughDove]

Are we sinless or not? Only God knows as Paul says. He did not even judge himself
because reaching the goal is less important than aiming for it. Why? Because each second, each minute, each hour, each day, each week, each month, each year is another
opportunity to express Gods love through our lives or fails, and until we have reached
the end we do not know the outcome except we walk in faith today.

It is a paradox. My flesh self is not sinless, but I now have the Holy Spirit in me guiding me into holiness. Just as Christ is holy.

The outcome I foresee, is that I will be completely holy and sinless in heaven with the Lord and when I have dropped my flesh suit, but he is working out the kinks here first.

 

[FrostyKnuckles]

Are you saying that all that have already passed are saved?

Huh? If they were believers yeah. If not, no

 

[WIP]

Huh? If they were believers yeah. If not, no

But you wrote that God intends everyone to be saved. Is God not capable of doing what He intends to do?

 

[PeterJens]

It is a paradox. My flesh self is not sinless, but I now have the Holy Spirit in me guiding me into holiness. Just as Christ is holy.

The outcome I foresee, is that I will be completely holy and sinless in heaven with the Lord and when I have dropped my flesh suit, but he is working out the kinks here first.

I like your description. What I was disappointed with was how many outright said no way.
And not in a nice way but totally all guns blazing. But I do not want to be like a sinner, failing and missing, but like Jesus who knew how to love and serve.
It is what drew me to Him from the beginning. He saw it all, and He knows me, every failure and every success. And I simply cannot imagine the creator would come to earth unless He knew what was needed and did not tell us. And the more I learn and grow in, it is all there, in black and white, Praise the Lord.

 

[FrostyKnuckles]

But you wrote that God intends everyone to be saved. Is God not capable of doing what He intends to do?

Ah I see. You are reformed, no problem with that.

If you want to make it say 'all kinds of men' due to supposed context which I believe just isnt there, thats what you can do.

Me personally, I believe God wants to save all, but has chosen FREELY to design it like this (Sovereign doesnt mean controls every molecule), where humans can choose to LOVE or NOT LOVE God. Thats genuine love, not programmed one.

 

[WIP]

Ah I see. You are reformed, no problem with that.

If you want to make it say 'all kinds of men' due to supposed context which I believe just isnt there, thats what you can do.

Me personally, I believe God wants to save all, but has chosen FREELY to design it like this (Sovereign doesnt mean controls every molecule), where humans can choose to LOVE or NOT LOVE God. Thats genuine love, not programmed one.

I don't know what reformed means and I prefer to avoid labels. I'm just trying to understand your perspective.

 

[GodsGrace]

As with many things within the faith, this has a paradox.

We are not sinless on this side of heaven. 1 John 1:8 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth ins not in us.

But, we now have the Holy Spirit in us.....guiding us unto holiness and not the other direction. 2 Corinthians 3:18 And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with every-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

I think the idea is:
Are we sinners or
Are we saints?

JLB answered this very well some time back when this came up.

In a way I feel like a sinner because I know I sin.
In a way I feel like a saint because I do believe I belong to the Kingdom of God here on this earth.

So which is it? I believe the bible calls us saints....
EVEN THOUGH we sin...

Can "sinners" be a part of the Kingdom of God? I don't believe so....A sinner is not walking with God.

Perhaps "sinner" refers to our NATURE....
We do NOT have a sinner's nature...but a saint's nature.

I think that would be the solution....

 

[PeterJens]

I don't know what reformed means and I prefer to avoid labels. I'm just trying to understand your perspective.

Reformed is the calvanistic denominations like the URC or congregational churches.
So they often follow TULIP view of salvation and predestination.

I find myself both partly calvanistic and partly armenian, which puts me in a difficult
place when talking to either camp, lol.

 

[stovebolts]

I find myself both partly calvanistic and partly armenian, which puts me in a difficult
place when talking to either camp, lol.

Ha, I find myself more of a restorationist with a bent toward Jewish teachings and the early Church Father, so I find myself in trouble about everytime I talk doctrine lol!

 

[GodsGrace]

On what basis do you interpret the scope of "all" in that way?


I said I was using the scriptures you quoted.
A pastor once said "all means all, and that's all all means." It was a statement he learned from seminary. Essentially, that statement means that you cannot assume "all" means what you think it means. There are plenty of places in the Bible where "all" doesn't mean every person in the world. If you assume it does, without consideration of the context of scripture, then your interpretation is in error.

Maybe all could mean something different when speaking to a human...when GOD says all, or He inspired someone to say ALL, I'd have to say that, yes, all means all. The whole world means the whole world...etc. Unless you could show me how I'm wrong, I'll have to stick to ALL meaning ALL.

In order to avoid semantical problems I think I need you to define what you mean by "free will" here. Since the scripture clearly states that the will of man is in bondage to the devil, I need to get an idea of what you think is free about it. Can you please give me the definition of your usage?


I've already told you that I believe in libertarian free will. I'm more than sure that you know what that is. My will is free to choose between two moral choices. That's what it means.
If we were bound by satan in the way you understand it,,,how would we ever get free of him? When we're born, we're born with a sin nature that makes us TEND toward evil,,,we are slaves to satan as Romans teaches. When we become born from above, we will TEND NOT to sin because we will be walking with God....
Romans 6:6
6knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin;

You claim that God intends to save every person, but I read in the Bible that He doesn't.
Rom. 9:22-24 says "What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction: And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory, Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?"

T, you're concerned with semantics,,,so let's get our language straight.....I said God wishes to save everyone...not INTENDS. If God intended to save everyone,,,everyone would be saved.

God would WISH to save everyone,,,but, as I've already said,
not everyone will be saved because they will NOT ACCEPT His conditions. Ultimate salvation is up to man...God will not force anyone to go to heaven who does not want to go there.

Also, you insist on speaking about Romans 9 to 11 and I've already stated that these chapters are not about personal salvation. Calvinists love to use these verses about the potter and the clay and Esau and Jacob because it sounds so good to them....

Here's the problem...every theologian EXCEPT calvinist theologians KNOW that what I'm telling you is right. I've posted links,,,I can't convince you of this.

Re Romans 9:22-24
Paul is speaking to his JEWISH brethren and CRYING FOR THEM, because they will not come to Christ. Does this mean God has failed in His divine plan for salvation through the Jewish nation? NO! Because the promise belongs to those that are Jewish because they believed in the promise made to Abraham...and NOT only because they were born Jewish.

You're still stuck on Jeremiah chapter 18...I can't study it for you---but you SHOULD really study it. The potter and the clay.

Here's another link.
It explains your verses well,,,,as will ANY link that is not calvinist....

All Israel will be saved – Understanding Romans 9-11

www.messianicgoodnews.org

1 of 3

 

[GodsGrace]

2 of 3

Can't you see that Paul is acknowledging that God intends to have mercy on some people and harden others? If God intends to save everyone, then everyone will be saved, because He is able to do it. If that's the case, let's all concede to universalism.


How many times must I say that God accepts us on HIS conditions?? If you can't get this,,,I doubt our conversation could continue. It's a very simple idea....
God wants everyone saved IF ONLY THEY WOULD.....
Then it's up to the individual to decide if they WANT to be saved or not. God DOES NOT choose each person individually to be saved...

As for hardening...
Read this: Genesis 8:32
Now this: Genesis 7:3

What goes on?
Who hardened whose heart?

You claim that God will not force us to be saved. Yet, the way I read the NT, the grace of God is a force to be reckoned with. The power of the Holy Spirit to convict and regenerate is a force to be reckoned with. God's ability to turn the heart of kings and make them do what He wants is the same ability to turn our individual hearts and change our attitude toward Him.

I agree. The power of God is mighty. We certainly are convicted of sin and regenerated. God can certainly change anyone's heart if He so wanted. The question is:
Does He want to? Do I have to explain about free love again? If you force your wife to love you....does she really love you? Is that a satisfying love to you? Imagine to God who INVENTED love....No...our love toward Him must be a free love. Our attitude toward Him is changed when WE DECIDE to become followers of Jesus.

It's BELIEVE IN JESUS AND YOU WILL BE SAVED...
NOT
YOU ARE SAVED SO YOU WILL BELIEVE IN JESUS.

The fact is, that God doesn't have to force His children to be saved by obeying the gospel. The children of God want to be saved, and have the wisdom to obey the gospel, because they are already regenerated. They already have the spiritual understanding to do so, and they want to be saved. Therefore God doesn't have to "force" them to be saved, since they are already born again. Their faith and obedience proves it so.

What? How did they become children of God?
How are they ALREADY born again?
What you're describing is A FORCED acceptance of the gospel....

Could you post some scripture that says we are children of God and THEN we become born again...


Rom. 9:24 "Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles."
Therefore your idea that :14-18 only refers to Jews is in error.

Paul is explaining that the good news will be also to the Gentiles...I didn't say Paul never refers to the gentiles,,,,but he's speaking about God's corporate plan of salvation which was to THE JEWS.
You might want to read that link.


Rom. 9:16 "So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy. "
Therefore your idea that "it" (salvation) depends on the individual's acceptance of God's conditions is also in error, in this context.

In the book of Romans Paul is showing how we get saved.
We are not saved by doing good works...by willing it or by running.....
We are saved by faith in Jesus and only by our faith in Jesus.
Works do come after salvation,,,but not FOR salvation.
Romans 10:3-5
3For not knowing about God’s righteousness and seeking to establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God. 4For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.

God will show mercy on whom He will show mercy based on the CONDITIONS spoken of throughout the entire New Testament. It is not by our good works that we are saved...but by His mercy based upon our accepting His condition which is belief in Jesus. Christ is the end of self-righteousness to everyone who believes.

Obviously from the natural point of view (call it "common sense"), it seems like the gospel calls us to meet God's conditions in order to be saved. Yet no conditions are met until one has the faith to believe in God's working, as Jesus told Nicodemus: "But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God."

Could you please post the scripture for the above?
I don't remember it.

 

[GodsGrace]

3 of 3

Through no fault of their own?? The scripture declares that God will judge everyone according to their deeds, and whoever is not found in the book of life is cast in the lake of fire. So then:

1. God blames people for the sin they commit, because they commit sin according to their own free will (which is not free, by the way, since it is in bondage to Satan). But it is their free will from their own point of view, since they freely choose to sin against God because they want to use it for pleasure. Therefore God is just.

2. God is merciful despite the fact that He doesn't have mercy on everyone the same. In fact, mercy is a special case that supercedes justice. If God is unjust about anything at all, it is about mercy bestowed on some. About substituting Christ's suffering for our own just punishment. Therefore "God is just, and the justifier of the one who has faith in Christ." If you impose a law on God that He has to have the same mercy toward everyone, then you turn mercy into justice, and mercy is not mercy anymore.

3. The Bible declares in many places that God loves those who love Him. It also says (we might call it a worst-case scenario) that God HATES a person who thinks up evil on his bed. Therefore, the Bible saying that "God is love" does not negate the fact that God is going to justly condemn many people for their sins. Yet He is certainly love toward those He has chosen to have mercy toward, since because of Christ's intercession He will not hold us culpable for the sins we committed.

Incidentally, the Bible doesn't say that God condemns people for not believing in Christ. What it actually says is that "anyone who does not believe is condemned already..." which is an identification of those who are condemned. But they will be judged justly for the sins they commit in this life.

So, God will hold the sinner culpable for the sins he commits. Everyone is given the opportunity to obey God, but because man is totally depraved spiritually (i.e. not connected to God and not hearing His voice, and not being guided by His Spirit), no one chooses ON HIS OWN to obey the gospel. It takes a divine act to get someone to obey the gospel.
TD

If God decides some are going to hell,,,YES,,,,they are going to hell through no fault of their own but only because this just god you speak of, decides they should go. This is not justice.

God will judge everyone according to their deeds,,,but they must KNOW GOD first (John 5:28-29). Those who do NOT believe in Jesus are lost already.

1. Your number 1 is correct. Sinners will not see heaven.

2. Your number 2. If God does not have the same mercy on everyone...He IS NOT MERCIFUL. You're going to have to provide some scripture,,or explain that a little better.

If I see 3 children drowing in a lake and I could save ALL of them,,,but I decide to save only 1 of them ..HOW AM I JUST??? OR MERCIFUL???

3. Your number 3 is half right. God does hate evildoers. And He WILL JUSTLY CONDEMN....But how is it done justly if He DOES NOT let us know what it's based on??? In order to be a JUST GOD, He MUST let us know HOW TO SAVE OURSELVES from His wrath.

Your last paragraph makes no sense at all. Sorry 'bout that.

[/QUOTE]
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[WIP]

Reformed is the calvanistic denominations like the URC or congregational churches.
So they often follow TULIP view of salvation and predestination.

I find myself both partly calvanistic and partly armenian, which puts me in a difficult
place when talking to either camp, lol.

I don’t know much about any of the various labels used and even if I did I’d probably get them all mixed up. I believe God does what God does and no label or doctrine or theology will change that for He said He will have mercy on whom He will have mercy and compassion on whom He will have compassion. It’s God’s choice and His alone. I do not believe God will save everyone for I believe our salvation starts with God and ends with God but the middle is where we play an active part, not only in what we do outwardly but what we do internally from our heart.

The prodigal son is a great example of what I believe. The way I understand the story, the son was alive with his father until he chose to leave that existence to pursue his own path. This, at least in part, is a reference back to when Adam and Eve were in the garden and they were alive with God but then chose to pursue their own path. From then on we are dead in God's perspective for He warned that if they ate from the tree they would surely die.

When the prodigal son made the choice to make his own way he became lost and dead as far as the father was concerned. Likewise we too are lost and dead for Scripture says no one seeks God and all have gone astray.

But when, in humility, he finally realized his condition, came to repentance, and once again put his faith and trust back in his father where it belonged, he was reborn to new life with his father. His father acknowledges this when he says that he was lost (dead in some translations) and then he was found again (alive in some translations). God's patience and grace are expressed in the father's reaction to his prodigal son's return.

It wasn’t his act alone but also where his heart was and in whom he put his faith. We like to toss around John 3:16 for it is an uplifting verse indeed but do we pay attention to what follows in verses 18-21?

“He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.” NKJV