Author: Brandi With An I
•8:30 AM
If I have been baptized and have since backslid, should be baptized again?
Todd Clippard
Topic(s): God's mercy, Forgiveness, Baptism
As a Christian, one need not be baptized again to receive forgiveness. You must be willing to repent of your sin, confess it to God, and ask for forgiveness.
Simon the Sorcerer was a Christian (Acts 8:13) who tried to buy the gift of the Holy Spirit (vv 18-19). Peter told him to repent and pray for forgiveness (vv 20-22).
John said if we (Christians) confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive our sins and cleanse us from ALL unrighteousness - 1 John 1:9.
When Christians walk in the light, they enjoy fellowship with God and fellow Christians, and Jesus' blood cleanses them from all sin - 1 John 1:7. This means we will sin even though we are doing our best. What is important is to recognize that we do sin and be ready to repent whenever necessary.
Trust in God and His promise to forgive. God is a God of mercy. Solomon said, LORD God of Israel, there is no God like thee, in heaven above, or on earth beneath, who keepest covenant and mercy with thy servants that walk before thee with all their heart (1 Kings 8:23).
God can and will forgive any penitent Christian. Therefore, we must also be willing to forgive ourselves. Do not dwell on past sins, else negative attitudes will creep in and the Devil will hold sway over you.
Author: Brandi With An I
•11:48 AM
How does grace cover me when I sin? Does it mean God ignores my sin?
Topic(s): Christian Life, Forgiveness
Todd ClippardOne
scripture I think will help you is
1 John 1:7, "If we walk in the
light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and
the blood of Jesus Christ his son cleanses us from all sin."Consider some things the passage teaches:
1. We can walk in the light;
2. We will sin even while walking in the light;
3. So long as we walk in the light, we enjoy the provision of remission of sins.Walking
in the light means we live in accordance with the will of God. This
includes daily reflection, repentance, and confession in prayer
(1 John
1:9). So long as we continue to be aware of our sins, repent of them,
and ask for forgiveness, the blood of Jesus provides continual
cleansing.
David did not go to heaven because God ignored his
sin. David went to heaven because when he was confronted with his sin
(2
Sam 12), he confessed his sin and asked for forgiveness. This
repentance is illustrated in Psalm 51, particularly the first 12 verses.
God's
grace is not a license to sin
(Rom 6:1-2).
Neither does God's grace
ignore sin.
God's grace is God's unmerited favor.
It is manifested in
the giving of His son Jesus
(Rom 5:6-8), and in the giving of the
scriptures which teach us how to live right in the sight of God
(Titus
2:11-12).
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Author: Brandi With An I
•8:30 AM
If I have sinned or fallen away after becoming a Christian, should I be baptized again?
Todd Clippard
Topic(s): Christian Life, Salvation, Forgiveness, Prayer
As a Christian, one need not be baptized again to receive forgiveness. You must be willing to repent of your sin, confess it to God, and ask for forgiveness.
Simon the Sorcerer was a Christians who tried to buy the gift of the Holy Spirit. Peter told him to repent and pray for forgiveness (Acts 8:9-22).
John said if we (Christians) confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive our sins and cleanse us from ALL unrighteousness - 1 John 1:9.
When Christians walk in the light, they enjoy fellowship with God and fellow Christians, and Jesus' blood cleanses them from all sin - 1 John 1:7. This means we will sin even though we are doing our best. What is important is to recognize that we do sin and be ready to repent whenever necessary.
You need to trust in God and His promise to forgive. God can and will forgive any penitent Christian.
Author: Brandi With An I
•1:24 PM
What does Love your enemies mean?
Bob Prichard
Topic(s): Christian Life, Forgiveness, Love, Pain, Suffering
The watchword of Christianity is love.
As Jesus prepared His disciples for His departure, He said, A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another (John 13:34-35).
The love required of Christians goes beyond loving one another, however.
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said, Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust (Matthew 5:43-45).
Jesus knew He was saying something radical.
He knew that the world's standard was and is to love our neighbors and hate our enemies.
Jesus wants more of His followers, however.
Striving to be like their Heavenly Father Who lovingly sends blessings to the just and the unjust, Christians must love their enemies. For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect (Matthew 5:46-48).
Loving our enemies is part of the Christian's growth toward perfection.
We may not like our enemies, but we must love them.
To truly love someone else is to want the best for them.
Love is unselfish, concerned with what the other person, even an enemy, needs.
Christ demonstrated His love for enemies: God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8). Rather than harboring a grudge against us because of our sin, Christ loved us enough to suffer the cross, the Just dying for the unjust.
Love for enemies includes having a forgiving attitude toward those who have wronged us.
Peter thought he was being generous in asking the Lord if it was good enough to forgive his brother seven times (most rabbis taught forgiving three times was sufficient). Jesus answered, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven (Matthew 18:22). He then explained His statement with a parable about a king and some creditors, to remind His followers that because God has forgiven us, we must forgive others. Jesus said that the love of enemies includes praying for them, blessing them, and doing good to them.
Christ emphasized what the Christian does, not what the enemy does.
While we cannot control how our enemies live or act, we can control how we act.
We must apply the Golden Rule: Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets (Matthew 7:12).
Loving our enemies is possible only when we surrender our will to the will of Christ, and let Him control our lives.
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