Comment/question
If a child molester confesses AND forsakes that sin, there is no
guilt. If a murderer confesses AND forsakes murdering, there is no
longer guilt. When adulterers confess AND forsake their adultery,there is no guilt. The notion that somehow an exception to this core doctrine of repentance has been carved out in the case of adultery, is not found in scripture.
The Lord demands Holiness in those who call on His name.
Comment/question
Comment/question
I don't know if you were trying to justify remarriage with Romans 8:1, but it cannot be used for that. Repentance of sin is necessary for forgiveness, indeed, to be a child of God at all. Any notion that repentance of sin is not needed to obtain salvation is a deadly false gospel. Repentance IS needed, and repentance always requires a change of heart and turning away from sin. It is a very dangerous thing to assume God's forgiveness for continuing, unrepented adultery, when 1 Cor. 6: 9 tells us clearly that the sexually immoral will not enter the kingdom of heaven.
All repentant sinners are free of their sins. But apparently
some here disagree with that fact of Scripture.
Response
If one is guilty of adultery, repentance means
they will quit the adultery---not stay in it. You are correct in that if
one comes to faith in Jesus as a harlot, forsaking their life as a
harlot, their sins are remembered no more. However, as we all know,
harlotry is a sin. Marriage is not a sin to be repented of -- therefore
forgiven of. A subsequent adulterous union is sin, therefore repentance is necessary to be in true
fellowship with the Lord -- and repentance always involves turning from the sin repented of.
Comment/question
If one has forsaken their sin in Christ then are they forgiven of that sin, how is it that they are in a state of
perpetual sin once it has been forgiven?
Response
Forsaken is the key word.
They are not in perpetual sin for any sin that has been repented of and turned from. "Turning from" involves
more than merely momentarily stopping the sin. It is a deeper, more fundamental change of mind set, of view point such
that we now detest that sin, we permanently renounce that sin. If we willfully continue committing the sin, then we have
not turned from it and, hence, not repented of it and are not forgiven.
1 Cor 6:9 makes it clear that is a very dangerous position to be in, since ....Adulterers... will not enter the kingdom of heaven The Lord has called ALL to forsake their sin and return to Him and He will show mercy: He who covers his sins will
not prosper, but whoever confesses AND forsakes them will have mercy. Prov. 29:13
There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in
Christ Jesus. Sure its sin. Its miserable. Its never good. Its sometimes
necessary. And for those who have no choice but to get out of what can
be a literal hell on earth, God still loves, still forgives. Why else
would He have included the story in the Bible of the woman who had
failed so miserably at marriage. It was to show those of us who go
through it "I still love you".
Response
Let me ask you a question: Would you feel AOK with
attending a church with an active homosexual pastor, or a pastor who is
openly fornicating or encouraging fornication to occur under the guise
of "grace"? Would you feel ok that a church is telling its people to
"only look at your own sins", and ignore the rest of God's Word that shows
how sin allowed to remain in the camp causes MORE sin?
Let me ask you another question, does the Blood of Jesus not only wash
away our sins, but also give us the power not to CONTINUE in sin? Did He
save us only to leave us in our past condition, with no power to change
our lives to cause us to be more like Him? See, I do believe in the Love
of Jesus----why? Because I was a BIG sinner and I KNOW His power to
change a life. As He makes known sin in my life, and all true believers'
lives, they CHANGE more and more into HIS image. We do not stay the
same. When Jesus came upon the woman at the well, He did not say,
"you're ok just the way you are". He let her know that He KNOWS her sin.
What He also let her know is this: if you "drink" of me, you will never
be the same again----your life WILL Change!!!
We all have a "past" so to speak, some of our pasts seem worse than
others. Yet the truth is, if we truly do submit our lives to Christ (we
DIE to self), our lives WILL change. If we are liars, we will hate
lying............if we are adulterers, we will hate
adultery...........if we are fornicators, we will hate fornication, if
we are covetous, we will hate coveting..........
We hate these things when we are walking in the Spirit. When we are
walking in the flesh, we do not hate these things, we justify/excuse
them away, we practice them, etc. Galatians 6:7--Do not be
deceived. God is not mocked. For whatever one sows, that will he also reap..
the one who sows to his own flesh, from the flesh will reap corruption.
I feel very "judged" by your (CSM policy) statement. I'm so glad that there is
now no condemnation under Christ (Romans). I'm sorry you feel this way
about people who have lost their spouses through divorce. Most Christians
would not have chosen this when they ventured into a marriage relationship
under God. I feel very badly for you. Maybe one day, you will find yourselves in this circumstance and will
reconsider the judgmental view you portray.
Response
Are you divorced only or are you remarried and living with someone other than your original spouse who is still living?
There is a difference. Since God doesn't recognize a piece of paper issued by the state as separating what He has joined together, he likewise doesn't recognize another piece of paper that purports to create another one flesh union. If he did, he wouldn't call such marriages adultery, and he DOES call them a adultery. When people shoot the messenger for proclaiming the message of scripture, it is God himself they are rebelling against and shooting the messenger will not absolve them of guilt for that and they must answer for that at the bar of God's justice.
If the statement wasn't clear, let me try to clarify something. This site in no way condemns a person whose spouse has abandoned them, simply for being divorced. If your spouse abandoned you, you have a dysfunctional marriage, but it is still a marriage and its obligations continue. You deserve strong support from the church as long as you obey God's command to "be single or be reconciled". Only if you rebel against God's commands and enter into a relationship with another will you be called an adulterer as the scripture states so clearly in Romans 7: 2-3. If one feels judged by that, it is the judgment of the Holy Spirit speaking to his conscience through that scripture.