Where does God draw the line?

[krazykat]

I have a question, for anyone to answer.
I have been raised in a Christian family and went to Christian school and Church my whole life. I have a relationship with Jesus Christ and I believe all that the Bible says to be true.
Right now I am going through a rough time and not following the "rules" that we are asked to live by.
I know that God forgives me and I also know if I really love him I will just follow His commands.
My question is how does it matter?
If I profess a belief in Christ and have a relationship, yet am drinking, smoking, having sex, will I not spend eternity with Him?
I have never understood this. Where does God draw the line? Because I know we all sin, so is it the intent behind the sin? Or being knowledgable of your sin and doing it over and over?

[inobaba]

The existence of God is really questionable. If he really existed why did he give all human beings desire? It's tempting us to sin. God in my view is simply the people's image of a "perfect human being", because all crimes either are accidental or caused by desire. God does not make mistakes and has no desire it seems. The Bible telling you to serve God is simply telling you to try to become the "perfect human being", to make the society a better place for everyone.

[mishmash]

The existence of God is really questionable. If he really existed why did he give all human beings desire? It's tempting us to sin. God in my view is simply the people's image of a "perfect human being", because all crimes either are accidental or caused by desire. God does not make mistakes and has no desire it seems. The Bible telling you to serve God is simply telling you to try to become the "perfect human being", to make the society a better place for everyone.

That sounds so watered-down and wimpy... but I believe you may be correct in a way.

I think humans naturally have limited extrasensory power/perception, which results in percieving and affecting the supernatural. Much of it occurs in our own imagination, but it has real consequences and real benefits. In other words God does exist, but is experienced subjectively.

Excessive guilt is a negative emotion and can actually fuel the fires of rebellion and lust, so it is not a good way to deal with it. A feeling of internal "conviction" regarding these attitudes is not the same thing as externally generated guilt, and is a much better way to come to repentance.

[inobaba]

.... such a great way to agree with someone.

[Jenchol]

i believe we do what we feel is right.

if you have such a strong relationship with jesus i believe you would go to heaven. but then... i cant understand why god would shut out anyone anyway.

i believe in some sense that hitler may even have gone to heaven.

[chachynga]

I have a question, for anyone to answer.
I have been raised in a Christian family and went to Christian school and Church my whole life. I have a relationship with Jesus Christ and I believe all that the Bible says to be true.
Right now I am going through a rough time and not following the "rules" that we are asked to live by.
I know that God forgives me and I also know if I really love him I will just follow His commands.
My question is how does it matter?
If I profess a belief in Christ and have a relationship, yet am drinking, smoking, having sex, will I not spend eternity with Him?
I have never understood this. Where does God draw the line? Because I know we all sin, so is it the intent behind the sin? Or being knowledgable of your sin and doing it over and over?

I think you know the answer.

Ephesians
4 30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.


Joshua
22 5 But take diligent heed to do the commandment and the law, which Moses the servant of the LORD charged you, to love the LORD your God, and to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commandments, and to cleave unto him, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul.


Romans
6 16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?




Obedience, will not be burdensome and will be aided by your walk in Christ, as he has power to crush your foes:

Romans
16 20 And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.


Hebrews
3 14 For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end; 15 While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation. 16 For some, when they had heard, did provoke: howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses. 17 But with whom was he grieved forty years? was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcases fell in the wilderness? 18 And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not? 19 So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.


II Corinthians
10 5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;


I John
5 3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.



Cheers!

[cad0830]

Or being knowledgable of your sin and doing it over and over?

I think this is the key question here. You see, as Christians, we really do know when we have sinned. If we are in sin and do not wish to turn away from the sin, have no desire to do so, we are really telling God, "I don't care. I know You wish for me to live eternally with You, but this sin means more to me.

That being said, there is some redemption in the whole thing--we can repent on our deathbeds. But what of a person who is killed in a sudden accident? There comes a point where God decides whether or not our sin was more important to us than our relationship with Him. Remember that no man can "serve two masters". We are either serving the Lord or we are serving the world (through sin).[/code]

[smokeyparkin]

I really can't understand much of what everyone is writing on this subject. Does it take religion to tell people whats right or wrong?? It should just be the human way of life. I mean come on: Moses walked up a hill to get the ten commandments, he came back to see that his people had created another god to worship -- it just shows what kind of people of the time actually allowed to occur in their lives. It seems that religious belief was a sort of craze going on 2000, 3000, 4000 years ago. The people seemed desperate for answers but SIMPLE ones only!! A well-organised religion like Christianity could, would and did spread like wildfire across the world because Jesus was its rock and roll star!!!

Don't believe the hype!

Doing something bad -- is doing something bad
Do what you want as long as you don't upset people on purpose or hurt an animal or human in the process.

You don't need a man whose stories come through the tunnels of exaggeration to tell you that you need to be a good person. No way!

[cad0830]

Does it take religion to tell people whats right or wrong??

No, But I do not believe that the OP was asking that.

It seems that religious belief was a sort of craze going on 2000, 3000, 4000 years ago.

So, in your opinion, religion has only been a craze for that time? Actually, lots of people have died within the last 2 years as a result of religion. What about the 9/11 bombings and the London bombings last year? Those were in the name or religion and the terrorists' idea of sim is much different.

Don't you see the problem here? If every person makes up their own mind about what sin is, then we have problems.

Do what you want as long as you don't upset people on purpose or hurt an animal or human in the process.

There is a problem here. Some things that you don't think wuld hurt an animal or person to me might be something that hurts. Sin is a very real subject, and the whole "find your own way" routine doesn't really work. That's why we have laws. The 10 Commandments were for the Hebrews so improtant because it gave them laws to follow. Lawlessness is not something we want to live in.[/quote]

[smokeyparkin]

yeah totally understood.. But in the name of god??? Surely it must be in the name of man!

The threat of hell is wrong.

[cad0830]

The threat of hell is wrong.

What exactly is wrong with a threat of punishment for wrongdoings? Is it the fact that it is not what we want? The thing is, we have a "get out of hell free" card, regardless of our sins. So how is it wrong if there is a way out.[/quote]