Why would a new Christian quickly fall into sin?

Question: Good evening minister, I was saved when I was a teenager, about twenty years ago. Once I was saved, I found myself walking in darkness instead of the light. I started drinking, smoking, and doing drugs for many years. My life was a nightmare. The enemy could have killed me a long time ago,…

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Throwing Away the Key

by Dan Shipley via Gospel Power, Vol. 15, No. 8, Feb. 24, 2008. “Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much” (James 5:16). Sin is bad, but concealed sin is even worse. If deliberate sin is like…

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Will God punish me through my child because I sinned?

Question: Hi, I’m 20 years old and currently pregnant with my first child. Before I found out the gender, I would watch porn, even though I do have my boyfriend and he doesn’t know about that. When I found out that I’m having a boy, they also told me he has an abnormality that can…

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On the Relationship between Good and Evil

by Doy Moyer Evil implies good, but good does not necessarily imply evil. Some have the mistaken notion that good and evil must be necessary counterparts. That is, if there is good, then there must be evil. Some worldviews are founded on this principle, but it is not so. Good does not in itself imply…

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Treacherous Dealing

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/TreacherousDealing.mp3 by Alan Feaster

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Non-Participation in Sin Is Not Enough

by Edward O. Bragwell “And do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them” (Ephesians 5:11). Christians and local churches, when questioned about their silence concerning various popular sins, often defend and console themselves by answering, “But, I (or we) do not participate in such things.” That is all well…

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Can I be forgiven if I sin after I was baptized?

Question: I was baptized a few months ago, and I turned myself into the name of the Lord. Everything has been going well. I feel alive and well again. I’ve been talking to a very special girl (she is baptized as well). The other day I met up with her, and we ended up kissing,…

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There Is No Fear of God Before Their Eyes

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/ThereIsNoFearOfGodBeforeTheirEyes.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Romans 3:10-18   I.         Most of us have been burnt one time or another.             A.        The memory of the sharp pain makes a lasting impression. As a result, we hold a healthy respect for fire and other hot things. The fear of what fire could do generates a respect for fire.…

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Labeled for Christ

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/LabeledForChrist.mp3 by Alan Feaster What are you labeled as? A label declares who a person is. Jesus was labeled, quite a few names (Revelation 19:13) “The Word of God” (Revelation 19:16) “King of kings, and Lord of lords.” (Revelation 1:5, 8) “faithful witness” “the firstborn of the dead” “I am the Alpha and the Omega”…

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Do we carry the labels of our past sins with us our whole lives?

Question: I am having a conversation with an Independent Baptist, who claims that even after conversion, if we lie or cheat or steal, we are a liar, a cheater, a thief and we carry that label until we enter heaven. She says only in heaven is there no sin. Even if we are forgiven by…

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How could someone become a mass murderer and not feel bad about it?

Question: Hello, I have a question regarding evil. Are people born evil or does life make them that way? I ask because I was reading this case of a serial killer in Ukraine who killed 52 people. How does someone become this twisted and not feel bad about it? I know it’s not right to…

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Was Achan punished because he did not confess his sin to Joshua?

Question: Can somebody be punished for not telling their leaders about the sin they have committed, like how Achan was punished for not telling Moses about his sin until God found him out? Answer: “But the children of Israel committed a trespass regarding the accursed things, for Achan the son of Carmi, the son of…

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How did sin spread if it was not inherent in men?

Question: Hello! I agree with your belief that the Bible does not speak of inheriting a “sin nature” from Adam. If you wrote your own version of the Bible, how would you translate Romans 5:12? Or, can you explain how death “spread” to all men, since it’s our own personal sin that brings death? How…

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Didn’t Jesus die for our sins?

Question: This is hard to wrap my mind around for some reason, but didn’t Jesus “die for our sins?” I thought that Jesus dying on the cross meant that all our sins were forgiven if we believe in him. Answer: It isn’t a hard concept, but I can see the difficulty when you grow up…

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Is it wrong to benefit from something that came about because of sin?

Question: I’ve written to you a few times and have used the website a lot. I have a different question I’d like to ask. How do you deal with things that aren’t sinful, when they resulted from sin? I know the Bible doesn’t say that, for instance, if a woman gives birth before she is…

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What is the difference between moral and immoral sins?

Question: What is the difference between a moral sin and an immoral sin? Also, what are the moral sins, and what are the immoral sins? Answer: “Sin” is breaking the law (I John 3:4). “Moral” refers to the standards of correct behavior. There are a few people who what to make a difference between what…

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How can I possibly warn everyone about all the sins they are doing?

Question: Dear Mr. Hamilton, Currently, I am struggling with how to deal with other believers and their sins. Specifically, at my place of work, there are coworkers who claim to be Christian and others to be Catholic. While I understand that you should warn people of their sin, and if you do not warn them,…

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Jeremiah’s Belt

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/JeremiahsBelt.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Jeremiah 13:1-7 I.         The Bible is filled with interesting small stories             A.        One time God told Jeremiah to buy a linen belt to wear.             B.        Later he was told to put the linen belt in a rocky crevice near the Euphrates river             C.        Still later he was told to retrieve the belt, but…

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The Dreadful Disaster of Sin

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/2016Summer4TheDreadfulDisasterOfSin.mp3 by Tommy Peeler God Has a Plan

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God Has a Plan

by Tommy Peeler Summer 2016 Trusting God The Glory and Grandeur of God Is Christianity Rules or a Relationship? The Dreadful Disaster of Sin The Death and Resurrection of Jesus How Did Christianity Survive? God, Satan, and Suffering “If Any Man Will Come After Me …”

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Can One Go Without Sinning?

by Bryan Garlock (edited) John wrote, “My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin …” Have you ever considered the phrase, “that you may not sin”? It is true that since the flesh is weak and temptations are many, we stumble and fall from time to time.…

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Do Not Love the World

by Dennis Stackhouse The fact that Christian people are to be different from those who do not follow Christ, is clearly stated for us in I John 2:15-17: “Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all…

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If I Have to Sin

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/IfIHaveToSin.mp3 by Raymond Warfel

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What is a secret sin?

Question: I recently heard about the phrase “secret sin.” But what actually is a secret sin? I searched all over and I could not find a clear answer. All I found talks about the consequences of it, but there’s no explanation of what it is. Please explain it to me. Answer: You are looking for…

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Why did God kill David’s son when it was David who sinned?

Question: Could you please explain II Samuel 12:14? It seems that the child died because of what David did. But the Bible says that a child shall not die for the sins of the father. Thank you. Answer: “The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not bear the guilt of the father, nor…

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What Is “Lawlessness”?

by Jefferson David Tant In a well-known New Testament passage, Christ addresses a misconception that many had in that day, which is also held by many today. “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will…

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Can you calm my fears?

Question: To start it off: I am born half Christian, half Jewish, so my parents never really raised me on religion. We celebrate the holidays of both religions, but I never went to church. I personally do not know what I believe, and honestly speaking, maybe I do believe in God, but I am not…

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Recognizing Our Sin

by Dennis Stackhouse How important is it for a Christian individuals to recognize sin in their lives?  It is of extreme importance because without that recognition a person will never take the necessary steps to remove the sin and get their life moving in a righteous direction once more.  With that in mind, let’s notice…

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I keep finding sins in my life. Do I need to get baptized again?

Question: Brother Hamilton, This has been bothering me for a while, so I am going to explain my situation. I was baptized as an infant and grew up knowing all about Jesus and what is expected of a Christian. However, as a young adult, after studying the Bible, I realized my baptism was done wrong.…

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Would you baptize someone you think is living in sin?

Question: Hey Brother, Would you baptize an individual who you think is still living in sin or is setting a bad example? For instance, if the individual is living with a girlfriend but claims that they do not have sex and sleep in different rooms. Answer: “Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to…

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Is it possible to recover from searing your conscious?

Question: Some time ago, I began to slowly return to my old ways. At first, I found myself plagued by guilt, but as time passed I would ignore God’s conviction.  For the most part, I didn’t sin very much. but I struggled with lust every now and then. I still tried to live by God’s…

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Healing in His Wings

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/HealingInHisWings.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Jeremiah 8:4-22   I.         I was reading a letter years ago from someone who tried to introduce false doctrine into the church and then left after they failed.             A.        The author discussed how pleased she was that these members had left.                         1.         She said their leaving was a sign of courage                         2.         That…

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How can a Christian sin if we are to be holy like God?

Question: The Bible tells us that God commands us to be holy as He is holy. If we were allowed to sin and still make it into heaven, there would be no point in having heaven or hell. Why would “be holy as I am holy” even be in the Bible if it was not…

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The Cleansing of the Temple

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/CleansingOfTheTemple.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: John 2:13-25   I.         Under Jewish law, all males were required to travel to Jerusalem three times a year for special feasts – Deuteronomy 16:16-17             A.        Sacrifices had to be made and offerings given, but it wasn’t always practical to ship animals or food all the way to Jerusalem – Deuteronomy…

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Did my mother die in sin?

Question: I want to make clear why this is so important for me. It would be either way when it comes to a mother, but given how much I owe her, it is especially concerning for me. I apologize if it’s a bit long. I was born in Texas (raised there too). My mom raised…

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