| Author | Message | ||
| Linda |
Hi Lynn, Sounds ridiculous, huh? In fact, I was hungering for holiness and the narrow way, but the way that I was beginning to see was one of judgement and spiritual pride. And it was OK to develop one's own understanding of the marriage vows and what constitutes the end of a marriage and a new vow to another person,,,so long as both continued to observe Saturday Sabbath. But when the Holy Spirit began to convict and pierce the heart, leading to repentance, it was not received well because that would mean breaking a new commitment or vow. "Everything will be alright if you will just keep the vow we have made and continue in our new life and observe Sabbath. God understands love and He desires that we be happy and together." - Forget all that stuff about adultery or marriage. See what I mean? I am still feeling the pangs of guilt for hurting this person by not continuing in his plan. He says that he consulted many within the SDA church and everyone saw it his way. He said that it takes three to commit adultery. That you have to desire two people at once to commit adultery. I never heard of such a thing and his proof texts concerning all of this have been so confusing. I am so relieved to see that I am not the only one who has been confused. | ||
| Lynn W |
Ooooh, ouch, here we go again. Did you read my post about my divorced friends who were told the exact same thing? One is a leader in the church. No problem. Yes, under 10 commandment law, it takes 3 to commit adultery. But under the law of Christ, it takes only one. "But I say unto you, That whosoever looks on a (wo)man to lust after her has committed adultery with him/her already in his/her heart." Matt 5:28 This is why I say we live to a higher law - the Royal Law - James 2:8. | ||
| Colleentinker |
Linda--Welcome! We have all been confused and deceived in different ways. Praise God He is leading you to himself and is gradually clearing up your confusion. God is not contained in any denomination. He wants us to identify with him alone. We'll pray for you! Colleen | ||
| Linda |
Colleen, thank you so much. I am so thankful that I have a personal relationship with Him and that what He has begun in me He will complete. I just got sidetracked for awhile and what I thought was good turned out to be deception. It has been difficult, but I am thankfully beginning to come up for air. Tell me,,,,is the perfection thing often a big deal in SDA? | ||
| Colleentinker |
Hi, Linda--yes, the perfection thing is often a big deal in Adventism. The traditional teaching of the church is that the character of Christ must be perfectly reproduced in us before we can be ready for heaven. They do not teach that we accomplish perfection by God looking at Christ's perfection in us; they teach that perfection is us actually coming to the point where we do not sin. They teach that Jesus is our example. They teach that Jesus came in sinful flesh and lived without sinning as an example that we also can live without sinning if we accept him. I can't begin to tell you what enormous relief I have felt since understanding that at the moment I was saved in my sins, God saw me as righteous because Christ's righteousness was then mine. It is His righteousness that God sees when he looks at those of us who are his. But he doesn't leave us helpless in our sins. His Holy Spirit gradually shows us what areas of our lives we need to open up to him so he can heal them and help us to live whole lives. Being a Christ follower is a completely new life, and I praise Him for the miracle of belonging to him! Colleen | ||
| Rayna |
The gospel is the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus as our Substitute before God. In Him we have righteousness, sanctification, redemption, and eternal life. He took our place and overcame sin, death, and the devil on our behalf. He is the gift of God to our world. We are accepted of God when we accept Jesus as our Saviour. God's righteousness is displayed in the gift of His Son to our dying world. God loves the sinner and we our accepted in Jesus. We have access to the throne of God at any time and we can walk daily with Him because Jesus has opened the way for us through the imputation of His righteous to us. We stand sinless and perfect before God. This is the gospel. This is a finished work and cannot be added to. When we hear he gospel and accept Jesus as our Saviour, we are sealed by the Holy Spirit and are reborn as children of God. The Holy Spirit will enable us to fight against our evil nature, battle with Satan in this life and his temptations, show us things that are eternal, comfort us, guide us, and give us strength and wisdom to teach the gospel. But this does not justify us before God. Our works never justify us before God. We will never be perfect in this life because of our sinful nature. You only receive the Holy Spirit by the hearing of the gospel of Jesus, not of works by the law. That is another gospel, a false gospel. When we contemplate what it cost God to justify us in the gift of His Son, we can only bow at the foot of the cross and say thank you, and live our life for Him. This will help us walk daily with Him by Bible Study and prayer and realizing that we are already accepted perfect in Jesus. We can know that we are saved and have a conscience that is at peace with Him. I would appreciate any others comments. | ||
| Joni |
"For the Grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jssus; who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds." Titus 2:11-14 God gave us a choice. We choose to disobey Him. (Through one man, Adam, sin entered the world). God promised a redeemer (Through one man life, Jesus). God did not change the rules. Sin is death. That is why God sent a Savior. To reach over the line that He drew in the garden, and bring us back into fellowship with Him. Because Jesus had to die for sin and His blood covers us and saves us, we are a new creature in Christ. We now are sealed with the Holy Spirit and we are changed. This Grace instructs us to be godly. It does not leave us in sin. We are saved from sin. Grace teaches us to live righteously and sensibly. I think this is so exciting!! We can walk in the Spirit!!! We must not stop short of just believing that this Grace saves us. It also gives everything we need to live in this world, and live godly. Yes we will fall. But falling will not be our habit of life. It will be a slip and God brings us back and pricks our hearts and sets us straight again. I just love my Lord and Savior. I marvel in His ways. I am awed (spelling?) at His Grace. |
