Posts Tagged ‘sin’
How do I turn myself around?
Question: I am a 30-year-old single man. I lost my virginity about the age of 15, but the girl couldn’t stay with me as she was a foreigner and had to return home. Having sex with women became a priority in life for me, but I have been single for most of my life and…
Read MoreCould Jesus have been flawed like other men?
Question: I wanted to speak more with you. I hope not to offend you. I know that we are very different people and have made different choices for different reasons. I do believe in a god, but he’s obviously different than yours. I have read passages of the Bible too, and I would love to…
Read MoreHow were the foreskins disposed of under the Old Law?
Question: I am curious: in the Old Testament, what was done with the piece of foreskin that is a type of putting off of the sins of the flesh (Colossians 2:11) by the circumcision of Christ? We know that Jesus was the sin offering acceptable to God and as such his body of flesh is…
Read MoreDoes God Send People to Hell?
by Jesse M Kelly via Preceptor, p.12 – Vol.57, No.6, June 2008. While discussing the subject of “Hell” with a lady acquaintance one day, she said to me, “I just cannot conceive of a merciful God sending one to Hell to suffer eternally.” We readily agreed with her. God doesn’t send people to Hell. He…
Read MoreDo I need to fix all my past sins in order to repent? Must I confess sins I did years ago before the church?
Question: Hello! Okay, I am going to tell you some things that have happened over the course of about six years. I am currently 20 years old. When I was 14 years old, I was baptized. Soon after, I began to mess up and commit sin. (By the way, I do not have a perfect…
Read MoreI Got Sick of the World
by Gerry Sandusky “You were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers but with the precious blood of Christ” (I Peter 1:18-19). My religious background could be summed up by saying there was almost none. My Baptist grandmother took me to the Methodist…
Read MoreIf just thinking about doing oral sex with a woman is as bad as doing it, then why not just do it?
Question: If just thinking about doing oral sex with a woman is as bad as doing it, then why not just do it? Answer: To illustrate why your argument fails, let me make a similar one: “If hatred is just as bad as murder (I John 3:15), then why not just commit murder?” The answer…
Read MoreAre our sins completely wiped away or will they be remembered at Judgment in some way?
Question: In II Corinthians 5:10, it reads: “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.” Then in Hebrews 8:12, it reads: “For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their…
Read MoreWhat sins under the Old Testament remain as sins today?
Question: Hi there. I really like your work and biblical analysis. I read your answer on “Which scriptures are applicable today?” and I have some questions to ask. I am currently dealing with which sins are applicable to life today. I have to, of course. check myself that I am not motivated to discard these…
Read MoreHow can there be no condemnation if Christians can sin?
Question: I’ve been trying to fit Romans 8:1 and I John 1:7-10. We know that if we walk in the light then we can ask for the forgiveness of our sins and they are cleansed. How does Romans 8:1 come into play? If we sin, we are separated from God. If we die in our…
Read MoreThanks for the useful tool
Question: I had meant to point it out for a while now but have been very busy. In your article over The Nature of Sin, Temptation, and Lust. I believe you meant the first chapter of James, not the third for the beginning text. Otherwise, a well-orchestrated piece as usual. I cannot put into words how…
Read MoreHow do I let go of remembering my sins?
Question: Last year I went through some trials and became discouraged. I had a led a fairly solid Christian life until I turned away from Christ and the Jesus I knew for a period of time. There were serious illnesses and disorders in my family and knew three young people who died recently, one by…
Read MoreA Thief Named Sin
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/AThiefNamedSin.mp3 Text: Psalm 38 I. Somewhere between 1 in 8 and 1 in 7 people will experience a robbery, either of their property or their person (Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2008) A. Loss of property is a violation of the person 1. You lose more than just valuables 2. You lose your feeling of safety 3. You lose your…
Read MoreThese Six Things the LORD Hates
by Tanner Campbell “These six things the LORD hates, Yes, seven are an abomination to Him: A proud look, A lying tongue, Hands that shed innocent blood, A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that are swift in running to evil, A false witness who speaks lies, And one who sows discord among brethren” (Proverbs…
Read MoreIs Paul talking about destroying the body with food or sin in I Corinthians 3:16-17?
Question: In I Corinthians 3:16,17, “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye.” Paul talks about the temple of God, which I…
Read MoreIs it possible not to sin daily?
Question: What do you think about the statement that a preacher said from the pulpit that he does not sin every day and then said that the closer and the more we grow in Christ the less we sin? Answer: John warns that we should never think that we immune to the problem of sin.…
Read MoreWhat were Hymenaeus and Alexander’s sin?
Question: What were Hymenaeus and Alexander’s sin? Answer: “This charge I commit to you, son Timothy, according to the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you may wage the good warfare, having faith and a good conscience, which some having rejected, concerning the faith have suffered shipwreck, of whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander,…
Read MoreWas Jesus fully human when he was born into this world and could he have sinned?
Question: Was Jesus fully human when he was born into this world and could he have sinned? Answer: In discussing Jesus, the writer of Hebrews stated, “Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of…
Read MoreDoes sinning or being tempted to sin mean you aren’t really saved?
Question: I was reading a page on your web site that said if you give in to sexual desires, even just once, Satan can more easily bring you in and cause you to go further and further into sin until he has you trapped. This is only true for those who are lost. A child of God…
Read MoreWhat is sin? Is it spiritual or physical?
Question: What is sin? Is it related to the spiritual or the physical? Answer: The simplest definition of sin is, “Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness” (I John 3:4). Sin is when you break one of God’s laws. All sins start from inside, “For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts,…
Read MoreHe Cannot Sin
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/HeCannotSin.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: I John 3:1-10 I. It is amazing the lengths people reach to avoid responsibility for sin A. Often the same groups who teach that people cannot help but sin because they are born sinful also teach that once saved they cannot sin. B. It is a difficult deception to hold on…
Read MoreShould I turn myself in for the sins I did in the past?
Question: For some time now, my guilty conscience has reminded me of several crimes that I have committed in the past. The felonies include physical abuse, shoplifting, illegal file sharing and perhaps other things. I was caught red-handed for shoplifting once. However, I was only convicted for that one time. I had actually been shoplifting…
Read MoreLearning to Let Go
by Matt Allen via The Jackson Drive Reporter, June 28, 2009. We are first introduced to Paul at the end of Acts 7. In a few words there, and a short collection of verses in chapters 8 and 9, we get a brief glimpse into his life before coming to Christ. In Philippians, Paul would…
Read MoreWhat do I do about my family? Some are so deep into sin, I don’t know how to handle it
Question: I am writing today in regards to something I am finding extremely difficult to think about, or even to accept, especially in living a Christian life. In the recent past, one of my goals was to try to re-connect with my family. I come from a very difficult and hard life. For my own…
Read MoreIsn’t sin the tendency of human beings to do evil?
Question: I am particularly disturbed by the concept of Original Sin. The article mentioned that there is no original sin and every baby is born sinless. This is an Islamic concept. All along, I had been taught that sin entered into the world through Adam. The sin here is normally referred to as the tendency…
Read MoreDon’t be Hoodwinked!
by Allen Dvorak via Gospel Power, Vol. 15, No. 10, Mar. 9, 2008. Our word “hoodwinked” is actually a falconry term. We use it to mean “to deceive,” but Webster notes that the word also means “to blind by covering the eyes.” The falconer must hoodwink his falcon. At the beginning of training, the bird…
Read MoreConsider the Cost First to Lessen the Debt Later
by Kent Heaton The burden of debt robs happiness and joy from life. In our economic crisis, our world has been propelled into a dark period of hardship, sadness, and depression. As many have spent their time enjoying whatever the heart finds to do the day of reckoning brings about the reality of life unbridled.…
Read MoreAre all sins equal? Is no sin greater or worse than another sin?
Question: I have heard sin is sin and no sin is greater, heavier, or worse than the other. Is this scriptural, if so where is this found, or is this old hearsay? Answer: If you are looking at it from the ultimate result of unrepented sin, all sins lead to the same consequence — an…
Read MoreBy Any Other Name
by Glenn Hamilton Dr. J. Wilbur Chapman told of a distinguished minister, Dr. Howard from Australia, who preached very strongly on the subject of sin. After the meeting, someone remarked “Dr. Howard, you shouldn’t talk as openly as you do about man’s guilt and corruption as it may offend someone. And if our boys and…
Read MoreShould we separate a man from his deeds, hating his sins while loving his soul?
Question: Regarding the love of God for man: I believe that God can separate the man from sin. Therefore, God can love the man, but hate the sin. Do you agree with this? Are there scriptures that indicate this? Where Jesus tells us to love your enemies in Matthew 5, I believe the only way we can…
Read MoreWhy create humans if God knew most would live sinfully?
Question: So, God controls everything that will ultimately happen, but not the choices we make in order to get to that final event, correct? I’m almost positive that that’s what all of those articles were pointing to. So then, does that mean that He meant for humans to ultimately be sentenced to live in a world of…
Read MoreAm I loving God and giving Him glory?
Question: A few days ago, I was reading I Corinthians 10:31, the passage about “do all to the glory of God.” Although I’m still not 100% clear on the exact meaning, the passage really made me think hard about myself in relation to God. The entire time I have been a Christian (or so I…
Read MoreWhat happens if I know God, but I sin?
Question: I was doing a little research on sin to try and understand it a little better. I have just read through the New Testament and I’m still unclear on some things. I read your article online about sin, it was very informative and helped me greatly, however, I have a question. It says in your…
Read MoreHow can I be certain I am doing what is right?
Question: Ever since I became a Christian again, I have always felt very uncertain about everything. For example, I would worry about whether a particular action was sinful. Consulting commentaries only provided me with conflicting information and made me feel less at ease. Some of these, such as using crass language, I found out were sinful,…
Read MoreWhy Is It? (Taylor)
by Gene Taylor Some things are difficult for me to understand. I am not referring to the sciences or mathematics, even though I could for they gave me a lot of trouble when I was in school—I am talking about some things that, on the surface, seem simple enough but yet often have me asking…
Read MoreWill just one sin, such as adultery, keep you out of heaven?
Question: A lady with a Baptist background asked me if I thought one sin would keep her from Heaven. She said “suppose a person was living in an adulterous marriage, but done everything else right such as attending church, studying the Bible, etc. Would this person go to Heaven?” Could you direct me to a…
Read MoreThe Works of the Flesh
by Sunday Ayandare via Words Of Life, Vol. 16, No. 1, Jan-Mar. 2009. We live in perilous times. Morals have degenerated to an abysmally low level. One could be tempted to say that the situation has reached its nadir. Reminiscent of the days of old, men are today calling evil good and good evil (Isaiah…
Read MoreDoes the person with more sins love God greater?
Question: Hi. I have a question for you. Actually, a couple. I think this will be some pretty good ones to have on the site, but mainly I am writing for some clarification for my own personal understanding. Concerning the parable of the two debtors that Jesus told Simon Peter about. Simon Peter concluded that…
Read MoreIf Adam and Eve did not sin, would it have been only a matter of time before someone else sinned?
Question: What would the world be like if Adam and Eve had not sinned? Would it only be a matter of time before someone else after them would have sinned? Answer: It would be impossible to speculate because we don’t have sufficient information. We know that God planned on the fact that men would sin…
Read MoreThere’s More to It Than That
by Dee Bowman via Gospel Power, Vol. 15, No. 13, Mar. 30, 2008. It’s interesting to me how an illustration can sometimes become so powerful that it supplants the thing it is illustrating. For instance, the illustration for salvation is many times cited by the use of a man’s five fingers. Here, believe, repent, confess,…
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