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If you were raised Christian, you were taught about sin. Christians seem to think of sins as equally bad. The Catholics raised us with the concept of mortal and venial sin.
If one looks at the Ten Commandments, this would imply that a) murdering someone, b) missing Mass, c) telling a lie, and d) eying the neighbor's new car are all on the same plateau. BUNK.
It's called conscience. I don't confess every last needle in a haystack when I've gone (past tense) to confession. I indeed think there is a HIERARCHY of what is sinful and believe in situational ethics. I got into an argument in college over situational ethics with a professor of an Ethics course who believed in absolute ethics. I think there are times you SHOULD tell a white lie, if you foresee a "safer" outcome from doing so. Would someone confess the "wordsmithed" embellishment or "dumbing down" of a resume, for example, if it didn't affect the subsequent outcome? NO.
If you believe in sin, or doing things with are transgressions against what is right, do you believe in a hierarchy of sin? Does your sense of culpability reflect that?
Sin is sin. "For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled." (Matt. 5:18) -
'Degrees of sin' is an invention of man that depends on 'relative goodness', rather than on Jesus Christ alone. One is either 'born again' in Jesus Christ ... or they 'remain in their sin' .... 'condemned because they have not believed in the only begotten Son of God.'
In other words, one is not separated from God by sin itself, but, by one's own unwillingness to repent (unto forgiveness) and trust their lives to Jesus Christ.
In other words, one is not separated from God by sin itself, but, by one's own unwillingness to repent (unto forgiveness) and trust their lives to Jesus Christ.
What is your religion, BTW? How is one born again, mechanically speaking? I was born, baptized, given First Communion, and Confirmed. We just continue to grow spiritually, theoretically. In my religion, we are not "born again," though that passage is found somewhere in our Scriptural readings.
For some sins, I am UNWILLING to repent. I don't confess them, the norm in my faith. However, I trust in Christ that I won't be fried for trivialities.
Last edited by robertpolyglot; 02-02-2013 at 01:43 PM..
What is your religion, BTW? How is one born again, mechanically speaking? I was born, baptized, given First Communion, and Confirmed. We just continue to grow spiritually, theoretically. In my religion, we are not "born again," though that passage is found somewhere in our Scriptural readings.
For some sins, I am UNWILLING to repent. I don't confess them, the norm in my faith. However, I trust in Christ that I won't be fried for trivialities.
You must be born again (saved) no matter what denomination you belong to. The sin of unbelief is what will condemn you if you are not born again. You might think your sins are tivial, but it does not matter if they are tivial or major because without salvation you are codemned already. Some others think their good works will save them, but that is not true either.
John 3:18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son
What is your religion, BTW? How is one born again, mechanically speaking? I was born, baptized, given First Communion, and Confirmed. We just continue to grow spiritually, theoretically. In my religion, we are not "born again," though that passage is found somewhere in our Scriptural readings.
For some sins, I am UNWILLING to repent. I don't confess them, the norm in my faith. However, I trust in Christ that I won't be fried for trivialities.
Religion-wise, I think of and identify myself as no more/less than "a Christian." (I'm also a non-denominationally ordained pastor). I have no problem with any denomination, however, believe that putting one's denominational/'religious' doctrines ahead of God's Word of Truth (the Bible) is the root of most of the problems in Christendom today.
Jn 3:3-14 (cf 3-8 (NKJV) - 'Born Again' (Has nothing to do with 'religion' and everything to do with Christ.
'Mechanically,' we don't know exactly how it works, but, it is a work of God in the lives of believers in Christ ... when He comes to dwell within them in the person of His indwelling Holy Spirit. Jesus came close to describing the 'mechanics' in John 3:8. Only believers in Christ are born again in the Holy Spirit.
John 3:3-8 3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 4 Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” 5 Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
Most of us have fleshly habits/addictions/weaknesses that we struggle with, but, are unwilling/unable to entirely 'give up' --for any number of reasons. At some point, perhaps we will, but, until then, we need to genuinely seek God's empowerment in Christ to rid ourselves of anything that which is not pleasing to Him.
David, 'a man after God's own heart' said it this way: (Ps. 139:23-24) -23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties; 24 And see if there is any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting. [David was not telling God that he had it all right, but, rather, was acknowledging his own fleshly weaknesses ... along with his desire to live entirely in God's way].
In a sense, you have 'confessed your sins to yourself (by your acknowledgment) ... and, since God already knows, ... to Him, as well. Come clean with God about your sin and ask him to release you from the control and authority you have allowed it to have over you - by your refusal to confess what you both already know.
You must be born again (saved) no matter what denomination you belong to. The sin of unbelief is what will condemn you if you are not born again. You might think your sins are tivial, but it does not matter if they are tivial or major because without salvation you are codemned already. Some others think their good works will save them, but that is not true either.
Actually, when Catholics get confirmed, they are "sort of born-again." As a young adult, you affirm your baptismal vows on your own. What more do you want?
I will NEVER describe myself as "born again." Period. We will just have to agree to disagree, and work around that.
James 2:10
For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one pointisguiltyof breaking all of it.
Notice how fine that is .... think of it as carring a tray of fine china.
God says the meer stumble will be judged as the equilivant as breaking all, even if one claims trivialities.
"For some sins, I am UNWILLING to repent." ....... God says:
Romans 2:5
But because of your stubbornness and yourunrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed.
To what degree will God hold those to task:
Matthew 12:36
But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken.
Last edited by twin.spin; 02-02-2013 at 03:47 PM..
Actually, when Catholics get confirmed, they are "sort of born-again." As a young adult, you affirm your baptismal vows on your own. What more do you want?
I will NEVER describe myself as "born again." Period. We will just have to agree to disagree, and work around that.
I don't think there is much to disagree. It doesn't matter what you call it. If you believe in Christ, and have a personal relationship with Him, and He is your personal lord and savior, and you trust Him with your salvation, then you are born again aka saved even if you dont' like using the term. I think you can be 'confirmed' ten times over, and still not be saved, just like you can go to a Baptist church and repeat a prayer after a pastor, and not be saved. Salvation is something that happens between you and Christ, not between you and your priest, or your church. Can you make this connection with Christ while you affirm your baptismal vows? Sure. Can you make it without the vows? Sure. It does not have anything to do with baptismal vows, and it has everything to do with you and your relationship with Christ.
If you were raised Christian, you were taught about sin. Christians seem to think of sins as equally bad. The Catholics raised us with the concept of mortal and venial sin.
If one looks at the Ten Commandments, this would imply that a) murdering someone, b) missing Mass, c) telling a lie, and d) eying the neighbor's new car are all on the same plateau. BUNK.
It's called conscience. I don't confess every last needle in a haystack when I've gone (past tense) to confession. I indeed think there is a HIERARCHY of what is sinful and believe in situational ethics. I got into an argument in college over situational ethics with a professor of an Ethics course who believed in absolute ethics. I think there are times you SHOULD tell a white lie, if you foresee a "safer" outcome from doing so. Would someone confess the "wordsmithed" embellishment or "dumbing down" of a resume, for example, if it didn't affect the subsequent outcome? NO.
If you believe in sin, or doing things with are transgressions against what is right, do you believe in a hierarchy of sin? Does your sense of culpability reflect that?
Well, considering that blasphemy against the Holy Ghost is unforgivable while all other sins can be forgiven, obviously some sins are worse than others. The scriptures do not offer us a pecking order listing sins by greatest severity to least, but does it really need to?
Which is worse: Saying mean things about your neighbor or shooting them in the head? I think we all know that shooting them in the head is worse and I cannot comprehend why God would see these two sins as equal. We know that God is perfectly just and that all of us will eventually bow the knee and confess that He is Lord and that his judgments are/were perfectly just and fair. That being the case, obviously Ted Bundy is going to suffer a good deal more than the average sinner. How else can God be perfectly just and fair?
If you were raised Christian, you were taught about sin. Christians seem to think of sins as equally bad. The Catholics raised us with the concept of mortal and venial sin.
If you believe in sin, or doing things with are transgressions against what is right, do you believe in a hierarchy of sin? Does your sense of culpability reflect that?
Mormons have no specific labels for kinds of sins (like "mortal" and "venial"), but I would say that we definitely believe certain sins are more serious than others. Murder, for example, would undoubtedly be more serious than any sin other than blasphemy against the Holy Ghost (which seems to have a different meaning to everybody you ask). That said, we don't believe God looks on any sin with the least degree of allowance, so even the most seemingly insignificant sin, if not repented of, would result in our becoming estranged from Him.
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