what does "Go and sin no more" and grace mean to you?
Posted : 20 Aug, 2012 03:31 PM
I just quickly read through it again, and an area I would need clarification on would be the following:
You quote 1 Corinthians 3:6-7
"I planted the seed, Apollos watered the plant, but it was God Who made the plant grow. The one who plants and the one who waters really do not matter. It is God Who matters, because He makes the plant grow�
I understand that you're placing the emphasis on the Lord here, but it seems as if we're missing out on the fact that it's actually the Spirit of God within Paul and Apollos which is guiding and directing them where to plant, how to plant and every step of their way, which would imply that correct planting and watering enabled by the Holy Spirit is important indeed.
Then you said, "How do we plant and water? How do we cultivate? We do so by believing and obeying those things God requires of us day by day. We exercise that which God has freely given us. Are the planting and watering important? Of course they are. Without those, there is no plant. But what we must accept is that we do not make the plant to grow in its nature."
1st Question,
"Believing in "those things God requires from us?" Or believing in the One doing the requiring? Apart from a parents relationship with his or hers child, requirements mean nothing, and they do nothing to circumcise one's heart, hence, the ineffectiveness of being "under the law" found throughout the Old Testament. Note, not an ineffectiveness in the Law, but in mankind's ability to be reached by it...
I'll try and write more later, because I have to go, but I believe all that you're referring to naturally flows from an intimate relationship / marriage as you put it earlier, with Jehovah God, through Jesus Christ. Branches do not toil to produce fruit, they simply abide within the tree, and by us doing likewise (abiding in Christ), we too will "inherently" bear fruit.
what does "Go and sin no more" and grace mean to you?
Posted : 20 Aug, 2012 02:55 PM
Actually, I did read your post in its entirety like 4:00am this morning. I was hesitant to respond though because it's fairly involved, and I'm in multiple classes plus studying 11 hrs a day.
I was saved in my youth�.I am now 30. For at least 14 years I followed after God wholeheartedly....yet never felt fulfilled....never had his presence strong in my life....I read, I prayed, I went to church, I served...I did all I knew to do to draw near to God so he would draw near to me....yet, I have always felt a huge gap between us....I rarely felt his presence, rarely felt any direction from him, never felt his touch or heard his voice....several years ago, my brothers sold me into slavery, and since, I have given up....I have wrestled for intimacy with God, and I have not yet received it....I feel like a hypocritical follower of the Lord compared to my father, a fake follower....I don�t know how to surrender any more than I have, yet I feel like God is withholding himself from me, and withholding his peace, joy, fulfillment and strength from me....I am out of strength....I am out of surrender....I have nothing left in me to give to God....Why am I the only one that is so distant from God??? What happens when you give everything you have, and get nothing back?? I have recited these words many times, with no hope of escaping the dungeon I am now forced to live in�my name is Joseph.
I no longer desire His gifts. Though I�ve been barren all my life, I no longer desire a child for myself or for my husband. I am no longer interested in proving myself to my husband or to my rival. All I�m interested in now, is HIM.....I have so much to be thankful for, but I want His presence!!! What is to be done with me??? ....my name is Hannah, and one day, my son will anoint a son of Jesse as king over all Israel, and millions upon millions of people will find hope in my story.
Ptl4now, may the Lord richly bless you, with Himself.
"After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.", Genesis 15:1
This is a good example of where we, as Christians, need to love and pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ who may be at very different levels of understanding than we are in regards to scripture and their relationships with God�notice I did not say wrong, only different.
This does not mean we have to agree with someone, but it does mean we are called to love and respect them, and to be an example to them of the way God loves them.
�Now accept the one who is weak in faith, but not for the purpose of passing judgment on his opinions. One person has faith that he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats vegetables only. The one who eats is not to regard with contempt the one who does not eat, and the one who does not eat is not to judge the one who eats, for God has accepted him.�, Romans 14:1-3
The point of this verse is not who�s wrong or right, but that as Christians, we are to respect each other mutually in situations such as these, and make that our vested interest instead of who is right and who is wrong.
Peacenic,
I�m thinking that you�ve probably faced many spiritual battles and hardships in your life, and I�d be willing to bet, that not many have understood you. Your life does not sound like it's been easy, and I'm very sorry for the suffering you've had to endure. I would like to encourage you to keep fighting the good fight. Most people in your circumstances, even some of us, may have given up a long time ago. If you are comfortable speaking to others about intimacy, then that is where you're at in your understanding of God's Word, and I wouldn't want you to change because of anything anyone says unless the Spirit of God within you moves you to do so. Otherwise, whatever changes you make, will not be real.
In the end, people need to be up front regarding their boundaries when it comes to what they�ll discuss, and what they won�t. BeautyofPossibility, will obviously be more comfortable with people on the same level of understanding as she when dealing with issues of sexual intimacy, and Peacenic may find satisfaction with people who are as open as he. In the end, the view which will be most beneficial, will be the view produced by the heart with a sincere longing to draw nearer to God.
I drive it to.. "college".., nearly every day :winksmile:
Seriously though,
"However, I talk to people my own age and I feel older, spiritually, mentally and emotionally."
Tell me about it. I feel like that ALL DAY, and to tell you the truth, for me, it can be quite lonely. I have had nothing in common with anyone in any of my classes in years. The older I became, the less in common I had with the few friends I'd made, as they became more and more engrossed with the world and a way of life I could not join them in.
Even people in churches my age are largely wrapped up in the world. Therefore I have hung around older people in the church my entire life. But you know what? So did Samuel! ;)
Like you, I believe the Lord has and will continue to light my way.
Previous Poster said, �Why Not? its as much a part of life as is the weather, breakfast, health, hobbies, favorite colors, theology.....
Thankfully, scripture separates the vast differences between weather, breakfast, health, hobbies, favorite colors, theology and the subject of sexual relations between two human beings, so that we don�t have to.
None of these others are able to unite two people as one or produce new life. None of these others ever invoked the penalty of death in the Old Testament, nor were they addressed personally by God amongst His people, in the same way that sexual intimacy was.
Previous Poster said, �as i see it�
It does not matter how �we� see things. What matters is how God sees things, and God is very clear how He views intimacy between a husband and a wife in His Word.
Previous Poster said, �so if You feel talking or reading about sex is evil? You best never open Your bible again cause there is lotsa sex talked about in those books....�
First of all there is a HUGE difference between what the inspired Word of God has to say about sex, and what an uninspired person may concoct in he or she�s own imagination. God�s Word gives extremely accurate context as to how sex is to be discussed amongst God�s people.
If a person desires to discuss the subject of sex with someone other than their fianc�, spouse, or child, then it would be wise and prudent to follow the churches example that the older, proven women of the church teach the younger women. Likewise, it is the older, proven men of the church who should teach the younger men, and that in great humility in the Lord.
Here are the Apostle Paul�s words concerning mere food,
�Therefore, if food causes my brother to stumble, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause my brother to stumble.� 1 Corinthians 8:13
