If at some point later they find themselves believing in Jesus Christ and in Christianity in general, is that prior indiscretion still held against them or are they starting from the point when the began to believe?
If you sin before you become a believer, how does that work?
Moderator: Moderators
If you sin before you become a believer, how does that work?
Post #1Let say that someone does something that is considered a BIG sin... like adultery... but at the time, and for a great deal of time afterwards, they were not believers in the Christian faith or any real faith at all.
If at some point later they find themselves believing in Jesus Christ and in Christianity in general, is that prior indiscretion still held against them or are they starting from the point when the began to believe?
If at some point later they find themselves believing in Jesus Christ and in Christianity in general, is that prior indiscretion still held against them or are they starting from the point when the began to believe?
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Easyrider
Re: If you sin before you become a believer, how does that w
Post #2With Christ as one's Savior, here's a verse to remember:ssnapier wrote:Let say that someone does something that is considered a BIG sin... like adultery... but at the time, and for a great deal of time afterwards, they were not believers in the Christian faith or any real faith at all.
If at some point later they find themselves believing in Jesus Christ and in Christianity in general, is that prior indiscretion still held against them or are they starting from the point when the began to believe?
"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:9
Sin before salvation
Post #3The bible says that he who knows to do good and does it not, it is accounted to him as sin.
This means that whether you're saved or not, sin definitely counts and we will have to face the consequences if we do not repent. For an unsaved person, his conscious plays a big role, you see, although we dont all have the Holy Spirit dwelling with us, we all do have a consciousness. And so we often know when we're doing wrong.
In the case of adultery, even a little kid will tell you that's wrong. And if we know its wrong and we go on and act on it, than it is sin according to the Bible.
The main point here is that we all sin, saved and not saved. The problem is that we will oen day face God, face to face with no excuses to give.
There's only two ways to pay for our sins, eternity in hell or by the blood of Jesus Christ.
If you're saved, than you have the Holy spirit of God dwellign in you, and Christ has already paid for ALL of your sins, past, present and future! We ought to be thankful and show our gratitude with love towards God, glorifying him with our lives by living a pure, clean life before him. Reading His word consistently and praying without cease.
This means that whether you're saved or not, sin definitely counts and we will have to face the consequences if we do not repent. For an unsaved person, his conscious plays a big role, you see, although we dont all have the Holy Spirit dwelling with us, we all do have a consciousness. And so we often know when we're doing wrong.
In the case of adultery, even a little kid will tell you that's wrong. And if we know its wrong and we go on and act on it, than it is sin according to the Bible.
The main point here is that we all sin, saved and not saved. The problem is that we will oen day face God, face to face with no excuses to give.
There's only two ways to pay for our sins, eternity in hell or by the blood of Jesus Christ.
If you're saved, than you have the Holy spirit of God dwellign in you, and Christ has already paid for ALL of your sins, past, present and future! We ought to be thankful and show our gratitude with love towards God, glorifying him with our lives by living a pure, clean life before him. Reading His word consistently and praying without cease.
Post #4
You make your decisions on what is right and what is wrong based on the Christian faith. If a person does not share that same ideal, then they aren't going to percieve what they are doing as wrong.
And what about people with mental retardation? or anti-social disorder? These people's emotions are beyond their conciousness. An anti-social person is not going to feel any wrong from any attrocities that they commit, but that is because of neurological imbalances, not by their choice.
And what about people who lived before Christ? Even before the Jewish religion? Are all of these people damned to an eternity in Hell because God didn't feel like forgiving anyone's sins for a while?
And what about people with mental retardation? or anti-social disorder? These people's emotions are beyond their conciousness. An anti-social person is not going to feel any wrong from any attrocities that they commit, but that is because of neurological imbalances, not by their choice.
And what about people who lived before Christ? Even before the Jewish religion? Are all of these people damned to an eternity in Hell because God didn't feel like forgiving anyone's sins for a while?
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Easyrider
Post #5
What makes you think God doesn't take that into consideration?OpenedUp wrote:
And what about people with mental retardation? or anti-social disorder? These people's emotions are beyond their conciousness. An anti-social person is not going to feel any wrong from any attrocities that they commit, but that is because of neurological imbalances, not by their choice.
Moses and Elijah were on the Mount of Transfiguration talking to Jesus, weren't they? So how can they be in hell? Abram was justified righteous by faith in God (Genesis 15:6), wasn't he? Also, please read Romans chapters 1 and 2, which address that.OpenedUp wrote:And what about people who lived before Christ? Even before the Jewish religion? Are all of these people damned to an eternity in Hell because God didn't feel like forgiving anyone's sins for a while?
Can I maybe ask that you really study the Bible before making unwarranted assumptions? A good one is the NIV Study Bible. Another is the MacArthur Study Bible. I think they're both available at Amazon.com
Cheers...
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Catharsis
Post #6
>>>Let say that someone does something that is considered a BIG sin... like adultery... but at the time, and for a great deal of time afterwards, they were not believers in the Christian faith or any real faith at all.
If at some point later they find themselves believing in Jesus Christ and in Christianity in general, is that prior indiscretion still held against them or are they starting from the point when the began to believe?<<<
Yes.
"Believing" is only the first step. In order for all previous sins to be null and void a person needs to be properly baptized by threefold immersion.
If at some point later they find themselves believing in Jesus Christ and in Christianity in general, is that prior indiscretion still held against them or are they starting from the point when the began to believe?<<<
Yes.
"Believing" is only the first step. In order for all previous sins to be null and void a person needs to be properly baptized by threefold immersion.
Post #7
Once you become a believer, past sins will bother you much more than they did, but you have the joy of clearly realizing the mistake and learning from it so that you do not continue to do it, and this joy more than balances it out. In other words you feel like you have more strength to redeem yourself and fix things, which brings joy. The truth sets you free even if it exposes past sins for the harmful acts that they were.
And we should remember our sins, so that we will not judge others.
And we should remember our sins, so that we will not judge others.
To Ssnapier
Post #8Sin doesn't keep us out of heaven, whether we sin before or after we're Christians.
After we have the Spirit of Christ within us, our new spirit doesn't want to sin. However, our "old man" is still part of us, and at times we are tempted to sin, and we sin.
That is why Jesus paid the penalty for our sins.
However, after we get to heaven, we will be judged according to our works--to receive certain rewards after we're in heaven.
After we have the Spirit of Christ within us, our new spirit doesn't want to sin. However, our "old man" is still part of us, and at times we are tempted to sin, and we sin.
That is why Jesus paid the penalty for our sins.
However, after we get to heaven, we will be judged according to our works--to receive certain rewards after we're in heaven.
