Not By Works
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True. I've noticed though, SOME people actually appear like their lives ARE changed. You know, like, after a church revival or something. Or like an intense altar call. After that, people feel that they're changed or something. I know this from experience and I'd always tell myself "this time it's real" BUT a few days after, I'd feel like I lost the Holy Spirit or something. Then, I go back to sinning and the whole thing just repeats.
So, fear does cause something to happen but it never lasts. My pastor mentioned this one time at church and he used Moses as an example, which makes me curious now what you all think about this.
In Exodus 34:29-35, Moses' face shone. He put a veil on after speaking to the people of Israel. He'd take it off when he's at Mt. Sinai, talking with God.
This is very interesting... why would Moses hide his face when it's shining because of the glory of God and only when he's done talking to the people, only after they've already seen.
The implication I'm starting to believe is that because the glory of the law is passing. It never lasts. Moses had to show the people that He had the glory of God. The law is perfect and it had its glory but it never lasted... which makes sense why God found fault in the old covenant.
It speaks to me strongly because it just describes my old life. I'd go to revival, be on fire, get home and mess up one, two, three times and I'm back to being the sinner that I was. It makes sense.
So, fear does cause something to happen but it never lasts. My pastor mentioned this one time at church and he used Moses as an example, which makes me curious now what you all think about this.
In Exodus 34:29-35, Moses' face shone. He put a veil on after speaking to the people of Israel. He'd take it off when he's at Mt. Sinai, talking with God.
This is very interesting... why would Moses hide his face when it's shining because of the glory of God and only when he's done talking to the people, only after they've already seen.
The implication I'm starting to believe is that because the glory of the law is passing. It never lasts. Moses had to show the people that He had the glory of God. The law is perfect and it had its glory but it never lasted... which makes sense why God found fault in the old covenant.
It speaks to me strongly because it just describes my old life. I'd go to revival, be on fire, get home and mess up one, two, three times and I'm back to being the sinner that I was. It makes sense.
I can't say I have seen anyone on here say that they can sin all they want or do what they want. The majority I have seen acknowledge that they still sin or struggle with sin but never embrace it.
Then I have seen ravenous wolves come out and tear them apart.
As for me I'm on the restoration business and building up.
Not tearing apart.
Just like most I see on here.
It's all about love.
If we have not love then we are nothing more than clanging symbols.
Then I have seen ravenous wolves come out and tear them apart.
As for me I'm on the restoration business and building up.
Not tearing apart.
Just like most I see on here.
It's all about love.
If we have not love then we are nothing more than clanging symbols.
I agree Bill, but want to add a thought or two......Jesus, Elijah, Paul, John the Dipper, Moses and others ALL loved the people and yet at times were harsh with their words toward the people....and even the Sons of Thunder wanted to down fire from heaven.....sometimes we say things a particular way with heat and it does not change the fact that we love who we are addressing.....love and truth go hand in hand and sometimes God while loving us has said things out of frustration and anger to get the point across (in the bible by example).............Jesus, while loving the whole world made a whip and lit some money changing thieves up while driving them like dogs from the temple 
I agree Bill, but want to add a thought or two......Jesus, Elijah, Paul, John the Dipper, Moses and others ALL loved the people and yet at times were harsh with their words toward the people....and even the Sons of Thunder wanted to down fire from heaven.....sometimes we say things a particular way with heat and it does not change the fact that we love who we are addressing.....love and truth go hand in hand and sometimes God while loving us has said things out of frustration and anger to get the point across (in the bible by example).............Jesus, while loving the whole world made a whip and lit some money changing thieves up while driving them like dogs from the temple
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I hear ya, The law could never take away sin, It was a covenant between God and Israel. God, Knowing Israel could not keep up to their end of the Barton, wanted to also use it to prove to the world gods loving grace. I love my people even though they can;t live up to their side of the agreement (perfection)
He also proved it by the fact when he did punish them it was usually centuries after and many generations after the rebellion first started. He waited until there was no hope of repentance, unless he stepped in and punished them severely. (The 7th punishment of Leviticus 26 or complete military defeat and removal from their country.
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Amen!! That's another wonder. It's clear in the bible that God is slow to anger, yet most pulpits keep emphasising that.
Oh well, I'm so glad we have many like minded Christians here. <3
Oh well, I'm so glad we have many like minded Christians here. <3
Yeah, Everyone seems to have this odd feeling that the OT god is such a judgmental God, because of all the violence, but if people actually read. That violence prety much was a last resort. Even abraham, would never see his promise fulfilled because the “sin of the amortize was not yet complete) they still had hope. And as long as their was hope. God did not act.
Such arrogance.
Romans 7 New International Version (NIV)
Released From the Law, Bound to Christ
1 Do you not know, brothers and sisters—for I am speaking to those who know the law—that the law has authority over someone only as long as that person lives? 2 For example, by law a married woman is bound to her husband as long as he is alive, but if her husband dies, she is released from the law that binds her to him. 3 So then, if she has sexual relations with another man while her husband is still alive, she is called an adulteress. But if her husband dies, she is released from that law and is not an adulteress if she marries another man.
4 So, my brothers and sisters, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God. 5 For when we were in the realm of the flesh, the sinful passions aroused by the law were at work in us, so that we bore fruit for death. 6 But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code.
The Law and Sin
7 What shall we say, then? Is the law sinful? Certainly not! Nevertheless, I would not have known what sin was had it not been for the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.” 8 But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, produced in me every kind of coveting. For apart from the law, sin was dead. 9 Once I was alive apart from the law; but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died. 10 I found that the very commandment that was intended to bring life actually brought death. 11 For sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, deceived me, and through the commandment put me to death. 12 So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous and good.
13 Did that which is good, then, become death to me? By no means! Nevertheless, in order that sin might be recognized as sin, it used what is good to bring about my death, so that through the commandment sin might become utterly sinful.
14 We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. 15 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. 16 And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. 17 As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. 18 For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19 For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.
21 So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22 For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; 23 but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? 25 Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!
So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in my sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.
Romans 7 New International Version (NIV)
Released From the Law, Bound to Christ
1 Do you not know, brothers and sisters—for I am speaking to those who know the law—that the law has authority over someone only as long as that person lives? 2 For example, by law a married woman is bound to her husband as long as he is alive, but if her husband dies, she is released from the law that binds her to him. 3 So then, if she has sexual relations with another man while her husband is still alive, she is called an adulteress. But if her husband dies, she is released from that law and is not an adulteress if she marries another man.
4 So, my brothers and sisters, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God. 5 For when we were in the realm of the flesh, the sinful passions aroused by the law were at work in us, so that we bore fruit for death. 6 But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code.
The Law and Sin
7 What shall we say, then? Is the law sinful? Certainly not! Nevertheless, I would not have known what sin was had it not been for the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.” 8 But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, produced in me every kind of coveting. For apart from the law, sin was dead. 9 Once I was alive apart from the law; but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died. 10 I found that the very commandment that was intended to bring life actually brought death. 11 For sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, deceived me, and through the commandment put me to death. 12 So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous and good.
13 Did that which is good, then, become death to me? By no means! Nevertheless, in order that sin might be recognized as sin, it used what is good to bring about my death, so that through the commandment sin might become utterly sinful.
14 We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. 15 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. 16 And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. 17 As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. 18 For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19 For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.
21 So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22 For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; 23 but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? 25 Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!
So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in my sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.
My family on my father's side had drunks. My father almost became one. Apparently some people have a bodily response to alcohol that causes them to be susceptible to this. Some medical professionals think it might be a mild allergic reaction that causes a heightened pleasurable response to it. As a result I don't normally drink. In field service for my telemetry company I was expected to join in and many times pay for food and drinks with customers. I had a very strict 3 drink rule. When rounds were being made I stopped at 3 and others took turns drinking the extra drink on the table. They thought it was funny. But I never became an alcoholic. I always got a vodka Collins. The first tasted great, the second not so much, and the third I could barely finish. That helped. At home I would have a bottle of Sangria by my chair in the living room. It would last a couple of weeks. Currently I am taking a medication that precludes drinking of any kind. I don't miss it.