This isn't the best example, but there is at least one account of God literally telling a prophet to marry an un-virtuous woman.
Hosea 1
2The beginning of the word of the LORD by Hosea. And the LORD said to Hosea, Go, take unto thee a wife of whoredoms and children of whoredoms: for the land hath committed great whoredom, departing from the LORD. 3So he went and took Gomer the daughter of Diblaim; which conceived, and bare him a son.
Ezekiel 33:11
12 Therefore, thou son of man, say unto the children of thy people, The righteousness of the righteous shall not deliver him in the day of his transgression: as for the wickedness of the wicked, he shall not fall thereby in the day that he turneth from his wickedness; neither shall the righteous be able to live for his righteousness in the day that he sinneth.
13 When I shall say to the righteous, that he shall surely live; if he trust to his own righteousness, and commit iniquity, all his righteousnesses shall not be remembered; but for his iniquity that he hath committed, he shall die for it.
14 Again, when I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; if he turn from his sin, and do that which is lawful and right;
15 If the wicked restore the pledge, give again that he had robbed, walk in the statutes of life, without committing iniquity; he shall surely live, he shall not die.
16 None of his sins that he hath committed shall be mentioned unto him: he hath done that which is lawful and right; he shall surely live.
17 Yet the children of thy people say, The way of the Lord is not equal: but as for them, their way is not equal.
18 When the righteous turneth from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, he shall even die thereby.
19 But if the wicked turn from his wickedness, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall live thereby.
20 Yet ye say, The way of the Lord is not equal. O ye house of Israel, I will judge you every one after his ways.
Also, we were all enemies of Christ at one point, but Christ has forgiven us and "married" Himself to us. The examples of Israel and God in the OT showed that God was constantly taking Israel back, even though they committed adultery with other "gods" countless times. Is it so important that your future wife is a virgin? What if you find a virgin, and then she tells you she has lusted after another man in her heart? Personally, it seems like a woman who had made a mistake and turned from her past ways would be more humble, more merciful, and more virtuous. I'm not implying that you HAVE to marry someone who is not a virgin, but it's not Christ-like to hold a committed christian to their past sins. Maybe God is withholding such a person from you until you learn that lesson, otherwise all that "rightness" may tend to give you too much pride and you might fall into the "condemnation of the devil".
Can you show me a place in the bible where it says this?
"A woman cheats on her husband and he divorces her. She later repents of her sin and is forgiven, she still can not marry. Although her sin has been forgiven, she is still not virtuous."
I can't find anything that says a born again, truly repentant, chaste woman cannot remarry if she is born again.
Firstly, there's this:
Isaiah 1:18
Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.
But also, apparently there is some kind of exception if the man/woman was an unbeliever.
1 Corinthians 7:15
But if the unbelieving depart, let him depart. A brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases: but God hath called us to peace.
I can find many places where it lists adultery as a sin, but not that they can never remarry.
Deuteronomy 24
1When a man hath taken a wife, and married her, and it come to pass that she find no favour in his eyes, because he hath found some uncleanness in her: then let him write her a bill of divorcement, and give it in her hand, and send her out of his house. 2And when she is departed out of his house, she may go and be another man's wife. 3And if the latter husband hate her, and write her a bill of divorcement, and giveth it in her hand, and sendeth her out of his house; or if the latter husband die, which took her to be his wife; 4Her former husband, which sent her away, may not take her again to be his wife, after that she is defiled; for that is abomination before the LORD: and thou shalt not cause the land to sin, which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance.
Matthew 5
31It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement: 32But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.
Judgment is being placed not on someone remarrying but on someone remarrying after pursuing an illegitimate divorce. If the divorce is invalid, so is the remarriage. But the reverse is also true: if the divorce is valid, then remarriage must be acceptable.
The good thing about Christ is that He can take a immoral person and make them virtuous. I've met many women like that, and also quite a few life-long virtuous women, but never a perfect one. I do know what you mean though, however, a virtuous woman is easier to find than a virtuous man in my opinion. There are many ways to be immoral. Perhaps it's a test for you, to see if you can have a merciful heart to accept a woman who has a sordid history but has chosen Christ. Even adultery/divorce can be forgiven you know.
1 John 2
"For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world."
Galatians 5
19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, 20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, 21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. 24 And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
Christians Wearing Clothes in Modesty vs Practicality
Posted : 6 Oct, 2014 08:45 AM
Trinicop got it exactly right.
"So therefore it's not bad if you drink responsibly.. However, if you sit in a pub and drink wine, beer, and rum, and you know that it causes another Christian grief, resentment, and causes a lack of trust.. Then you're sinning... If you wear tight revealing clothes, and it offends 'thy brethren'.. Then it's wrong."
Romans 14
20 Do not, for the sake of food, destroy the work of God. Everything is indeed clean, but it is evil for anyone to make another stumble by what he eats. 21 It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble.
Clothes should not be our sole foundation for confidence, it can help, but if we're dressing solely to feel good about ourselves or impress others at the expense of our weaker brothers and sisters, then we're doing wrong. We're not directly in control of the sins of other people, but if we wave alcohol under the nose of a recovering alcoholic, then we don't love that person very much. We wouldn't rub a junkie's face in drugs. We also shouldn't flaunt our bodies in front of someone who has trouble controlling their lust. So, there's a balance between caring for our neighbors, and dressing nicely. I would rather err on the side of modesty, but we should also not make ourselves a stock by the way we dress. Modest and contemporary, both are possible.
If you are not worshipping by the New Moon and Six-day Sabbath Observance, you do not know God/Elohim~
Posted : 24 Sep, 2014 05:35 AM
I agree that a person can observe the sabbath on Sunday, or go to church any/every day. The catch is to be fully convinced that you're doing what God would want you to do. When you come face to face with Christ, and if he asks you why you kept a day holy that was a tradition of man and replaced the day made holy by God, you should have a really good answer that shows you were convinced you were doing the right thing. That implies that you should study a lot, and not just accept the easy answers or comfortable traditions. The Sabbath isn't about going to church or worshiping God, we can do that any day, any time. The Sabbath is about about ceasing from labor like God did and like He commanded us to do. If you think that you can do that on Sunday, just make sure you're fully convinced in your own mind.
Romans 14:5
One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.
2 Timothy 2
15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
If you are not worshipping by the New Moon and Six-day Sabbath Observance, you do not know God/Elohim~
Posted : 23 Sep, 2014 09:20 AM
Spiritlover, I'm not sure I got an answer before, but there are female prophets, so if a female prophet was sent by God to teach you something, would you listen to her? She may not be married or whatever, but she would have "Christ" as her "head", is that enough?
If you are not worshipping by the New Moon and Six-day Sabbath Observance, you do not know God/Elohim~
Posted : 23 Sep, 2014 08:52 AM
Richard, Jude is correct, 7th-day Adventists only adhere to the 10 commandments, not to the ceremonial or administrative laws of the old testament. The sabbath is not "an old testament law", it's a commandment of God instituted at creation, and I hope you don't think the rest of those 10 commandments are ok to disregard.
Adventists try to keep the Sabbath like Jesus did, He is our example. Many Adventists "work" in hospitals on Sabbath(Jesus healed many people on the Sabbath), most Adventists will help you change your flat tire on Sabbath, etc. The 4th commandment is typically interpreted by Adventists to mean "not working for personal gain or taking part in purely selfish pursuits". It's about having a blessing and being a blessing. Spending peaceful time with God/family/friends, helping others, studying the bible together. It's lawful to do good on the Sabbath. As an example of how we keep the Sabbath, this last Saturday, we had bible study and church outside at a state park(yes, we all drove cars), had a fellowship dinner afterward, and spent the afternoon hiking, playing frisbee, etc. God wants us to call the Sabbath a delight, not stress about worldly cares or focusing on ourselves. The Jews looked at the Sabbath like a burden, and did not enter that true rest like God intended, but we try to enter the rest that God intended. And it's the absolute opposite of legalism and works, it's freedom from works!!
Hebrews 4
4For he spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, And God did rest the seventh day from all his works. 5And in this place again, If they shall enter into my rest. 6Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief:
Genesis 2
2And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. 3And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.
Isaiah 58
13If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the LORD, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words: 14Then shalt thou delight thyself in the LORD; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.
As for the whole cyanide thing, that's really quite offensive, maybe you're blind to how much. The best thing to do is to follow what Christ and His apostles did, I don't think anyone should be condemned for doing that. You obviously do not understand what Seventh-day Adventists believe and practice, so you can get a free pass, but I'd recommend that you educate yourself at some point.
Acts 13
42And when the Jews were gone out of the synagogue, the Gentiles besought that these words might be preached to them the next sabbath. 43Now when the congregation was broken up, many of the Jews and religious proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas: who, speaking to them, persuaded them to continue in the grace of God. 44And the next sabbath day came almost the whole city together to hear the word of God. 45But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy, and spake against those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming. 46Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles.
Luke 4
16And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read
Matthew 24
20But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day.
Acts 17
2And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures, 3Opening and alleging, that Christ must needs have suffered, and risen again from the dead; and that this Jesus, whom I preach unto you, is Christ. 4And some of them believed, and consorted with Paul and Silas; and of the devout Greeks a great multitude, and of the chief women not a few.
1 John 2
6He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked. 7Brethren, I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which ye have heard from the beginning.
If you were not predestined unto eternal life you can never believe.
Posted : 17 Sep, 2014 06:39 AM
"Hey, that proves 100% that I am living a godly life, for I am being persecuted!"
I don't think that logic applies very well. If you're being persecuted for spreading the gospel, or for living like Christ, then yes, I would say you're being persecuted for God. However, "disagreement over a doctrinal issue" makes light of real persecution. Using that logic, I could also claim persecution anytime you disagree with me and call me an unbeliever.
Dtroftheking, you're absolutely right. I don't understand the mentality of some people who insist on condemning anyone who doesn't believe exactly like them. Things would go much smoother if we can treat people like Christ would treat them. Jesus even was polite and patient with pharisees and lawyers who were trying to tempt and discredit him. It's possible to disagree and still let the love and mercy of Christ rule the discussion. God called us to love even our enemies, love includes patience and long-suffering, hope for change, poise under fire.
stock by the way we dress. Modest and contemporary, both are possible.