PDM...this was great. Thank you for sharing your journey. There is nothing wrong with having doubts. It is what makes us human. I too had my doubts years ago. If you are content with your beliefs then I am happy for you. We will only know the truth when we die. The problem is that once we are dead, it will be too late to change our minds as to where we end up. But if you have faith in what you believe and are content with your life then you have no need to question further.

Blessings to you,

LL

Exactly. While some can read and "act" the part or even be book smart about the Bible, they may never have that special something, and are only acting. Being a Christian is simple repentance before God, and faith in His sacrifice. Some people read for years and still don't get it.

What does sacrificing an animal on an alter have to do with your goodness? From the beginning the sacrifice was never about the sinner's goodness, but about the covering of the sinner's sins. What did the lamb have to do with some guy who cheated on his wife? Did he do anything to achieve forgiveness? Nope he bought a spotless lamb and had it slaughtered.

Your arguemnet is exactly what Jesus told the Pharisees. They were at the top of their game, but miserable at heart. And after all it's the heart that God looks at.

You seem to be offended by the word sinner, and I'll bet that at the root this is pretty much the same for everyone else. But again sin is missing GOD'S mark, not mine, not the pastor's mark, but God's mark. Yes I have met plenty of really nice agnostics and atheists, but no matter how "nice" I am, or how much "good" I do that doesn't negate my being a sinner saved by grace.

If I stood before a judge accused of murder, they had me dead to rights, I killed the guy. If I said yes your honor I did kill the guy, but I gave several million to the poor last year, I helped build some homeless shelters with my own hands, and I've paid for several orphans to go to college, I would still be under the law because I murdered someone. A just judge would send me to jail for murder and that would be all.

The same can be said for ALL humanity. We ALL miss GOD'S mark, we ALL sin, and as transgressor's of GOD's LAW we must pay the punishment. Since God is an eternal God, then the punishment too is eternal.

Still waiting to hear where Jesus ok'd homosexuality. Also still waiting to hear how Paul created a religion all by himself which contradicted Jesus' teachings. But you go ahead and keep it up with the one liners.

He didn't specifically OK it, but he didn't specifically prohibit it either.

The prohibition comes from the Old Bible, which Christians can cherry pick as needed.

Jesus was addressing the children of Israel. Jews. They knew the law. He did not need to reiterated it. They were very well aware of what was sin.

Jesus fulfilled the law and we are no longer under the law. Jesus did not address many other things. That does not mean they are not sins.

Christians believe the old and new testament.


Blessings,

LL

So again, you're cherry picking which Old Testament "sins" are still considered "sins" to Christians and which aren't.

You get to choose which laws you want to follow and which you don't want to follow.

No, I don't define sin. God defines sin. Sin is the nature in man which separates us from God. Sin came to the world thru one man....Adam. Because of his sin of disobedience we all die spiritual deaths unless we believe God and accept his sacrifice.

I don't cherry pick anything except perhaps cherries.

Blessings,

LL

Hi mbas, We all get to choose what laws we want to abide by, whether we feel they are just, whether they even apply to us.Like Paul says in Romans "happy is he who condemns not himself in that thing which he alloweth". Great spiritual works are open ended guides for growth, not books of rules and regulations black and white.--nicolo