Should we be WORRIED about Sin?

Christine

•Guest•

« on: October 16, 2007, 01:25:20 PM »

Real peace comes from learning about God's eternal plan and the security it brings.

Also, for lost secular unbelievers, restricting one's thoughts to the present is more logical (at least to them). After all, for one who does not believe, the Godless past only holds evolution and random chance, and the future holds sickness, death, and decay. Thus it seems logical to him that the present moment is all he has, and his brief existence in this life is the closest thing to peace he will ever know.

But as Christians, we know that God knew us and chose us in the ancient past (if not in eternity past) before He even created this world.

Ephesians 1:3-4 says, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world ...." And we will live forever in the very presence of God. Today we are to live for Him and do His will. But we have His love and blessing for all time, from eternity past to eternity future.

Regrets over the past? It is only natural for us as humans to regret past sins or mistakes or regret bad things that have happened to us. But when we look at things from a spiritual, Biblical perspective, regrets quickly wither into nothing.

One major key to this is that God has forgiven us of ALL our sins (Colossians 2:13 & 3:13).

"LISTEN UP" HERE...CAREFULLY:

So why should I beat myself up about them, when God has wiped the slate clean? Did you hear that? Why? Huh

?

Also, who could have had more regrets than our Apostle Paul? He was a persecutor of Christians with a bitter hatred (Acts 9:1-2), and even gave his voice to have Christians put to death (Acts 26:10). But once he was saved, Paul accounted all of his prior life as "dung" (Philippians 3:8 ) and moved on teaching, evangelizing, and doing the will of God.

Anxiety about the future?

Philippians 4:6 says, "Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God." In Matthew 6:31-33, Jesus told Israel, "... take no thought (be not anxious), saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? ... for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you."

We can look forward to the rapture, the hope of church. 1 Thessalonians 2:19 says, "For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming?" Later in that same epistle, Paul says in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18, "For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words." So the future should not be a source of anxiety for us, but a source of comfort.

There is much to learn in God's Word in the lessons of past events and much to look forward to in the glorious future that God has for us and all of His people from all dispensations. God created the world in the past and gave the life of His Son for our sins and raised Him from the dead. In the future, He will raise us from the dead (or translate us at the rapture) and will bring in His kingdom. Even the prayer that Jesus taught the apostles included a plea for God to bring in His future Kingdom which had been repeatedly promised in the past.

So in summary, the proper way to avoid regrets and anxiety is not to avoid thinking of the past and future. Instead we are to look at things from the Christian perspective, realizing that we are forgiven of ALL our sins and that we are eternally in Jesus Christ. Then regrets and anxiety have no home.

Now aint THAT good news?


« Last Edit: October 18, 2007, 07:40:11 AM by BOC560 »	Logged

Christine

•Guest•

Have you ever noticed???

« Reply #1 on: October 22, 2007, 06:36:43 PM »

Have you noticed how many professing BELIEVERS are so focused on "SIN?" Why do you see that as OK, or why do you see it as a common misconception based on faulty information?

This would make a very interesting discussion....whaddaya say?

Let's TALK....LOL