Churches Of Christ/sin
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Question
Hi thanks for your time. I love God and I pray everyday, and I go out and spread his word to people in other towns and I study my bible everyday. But once a week or so I willfully sin or give in to temptation. I pray and confess these sins and I will do good for 4 or 5 days and feel so holy then I will mess us and give in to sin. choose sin over god. sometimes I don't give in but sometimes I do. Is this willfull sin and am I practicing lawlessness? If i defeat sin and repent for good will God still hold it against me?
Hi!
Josh, willful sin and giving in to temptation are two entirely different things. If you willfully sin, you step out of the blood of Christ. Until you fix the problem, you are not covered in your mistakes.
Giving in to temptation is where Christ's blood covers you. That is, unless you recognize the temptation ahead of time and decide to do it.That's when it changes from one to the other.
So, to answer your question, it depends on what is happening in your mind. If you look for ways to sin, or if you recognize sin beforehand and continue, then you are out of Christ's blood until you quit. If it catches you off guard, and you succumb, then you determine to quit doing it once you realize what it is.
We may not always be able to follow that determination. Some are weaker than others. That is why Christ said "unto seventy times seven" in relation to forgiveness. If you determine to quit sin, you are forgiven; even if you fail. If you intend to continue, looking for a way to ignore repentance, then it is not repentance, and you are not covered by Christ.
Josh, I pray I have been able to clarify the difference between these two for you.
In His Service,
Marvin Howard
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Answers by Expert:
Marvin Howard
Expertise
I consider myself to be a "doctrine specialist" if there is such a thing. I offer scripture to support or refute (as needed) any doctrine practiced within what is commonly termed "Christianity" today. I am willing to try questions on prophecy and history, though they are weak points. I have learned a little, however. Also, as I am disabled, I have time to research many things. For example, I can find a congregation of the church within twenty miles of your ZIP Code if one exists. If traveling, I can locate a congregation for your visit. I am accountable in this ministry to a group of Christians. I will share my answers with them for review. If a question is private, I will redact the names for privacy.
Experience
I became a Christian on April 7, 1969. I have been a substitute, spur-of-the-moment preacher for thirty years. My last pulpit was with the congregation in Braswell, GA. My sermons have always contained at least fifty percent scripture. On occasion, I have preached in seven states, and four foreign nations. This is beside my online ministry. I am now, officially retired.
I hope to never mislead anyone saying I'm a member of one group, when I'm really in another as one here does. By his own admission, he isn't a member of the church, but of the "Christian Church" (sic) denomination. If I can be honest, I don't know why others would want to lie.
Education/Credentials
Having already acquired significant Bible education from self-study, I attended 1.5 years of Bible college through the church at Dyersburg, TN (before my health waned) in an attempt to get paper to say I know what I know.
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