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To: boatbums
I've been thinking about this for while now and especially in light of the recent child sexual abuse and rape that has become so exposed lately. What I think, that you expressed about good works being an evidence of genuine faith in Christ, is that those who have committed such horrific sins are plainly NOT truly living the Christian life of a Holy Spirit indwelt believer.

There is just no way that I can imagine any genuine believer can continue in such horrid and desperately wicked actions. Now I fully realize that we all have failures at times, but any Spirit-filled Christian will not be able to continue in that sin. We are changed in our natures by the new birth and we are chastised as children of God because he loves us and wants us to live holy lives. There will be a deep conviction of sin and a deep discomfort of not facing up to it, confessing and repenting of our sins before our loving Heavenly Father.

Jesus said by their fruits you shall know them. These people who not only continued in gross sin but delighted in it and joined with others in their sins show to me that they are NOT true Christians. I don't care how long they have been in ministry nor how much they have "sacrificed" for God, they will be the ones that Jesus tells to get behind him because he never knew them. They were NEVER his.

AMEN to every word.

While we always hold out hope that a sinner will be brought to the recognition of the depths of their sins and will be made to truly sorrow for their transgressions against a perfect God and repent and obey and believe and evidence the new birth by good fruit instead of evil fruit, the overriding reality is that there are two and only two types of people in this world - the acquitted and the condemned; the redeemed and the reprobate; the sheep and the wolves.

"There is a conspiracy of her prophets in the midst thereof, like a roaring lion ravening the prey; they have devoured souls; they have taken the treasure and precious things; they have made her many widows in the midst thereof.

Her priests have violated my law, and have profaned mine holy things: they have put no difference between the holy and profane, neither have they shewed difference between the unclean and the clean, and have hid their eyes from my sabbaths, and I am profaned among them.

Her princes in the midst thereof are like wolves ravening the prey, to shed blood, and to destroy souls, to get dishonest gain." -- Ezekiel 22:25-27

Rome is no place for children.
120 posted on 03/13/2011 7:38:04 PM PDT by Dr. Eckleburg ("I don't think they want my respect; I think they want my submission." - Flemming Rose)
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To: Dr. Eckleburg
While we always hold out hope that a sinner will be brought to the recognition of the depths of their sins and will be made to truly sorrow for their transgressions against a perfect God and repent and obey and believe and evidence the new birth by good fruit instead of evil fruit, the overriding reality is that there are two and only two types of people in this world - the acquitted and the condemned; the redeemed and the reprobate; the sheep and the wolves.

Whew! Woe to the wolves in sheep's clothing.

I also agree that there is no sin that God will not forgive when true repentance is shown - and he sees the heart. My main point is here we have people who, for all practical purposes, appear to be servants of God. The world looks up to them and holds them in high esteem yet inwardly they are full of dead men's bones, whited sepulchers. My gut feeling is they have never had a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Whatever "religious" experience they have had has been superficial and has NEVER gotten into their soul. They are those whose consciences have been seared with a hot iron - nothing but unfeeling scar tissue.

They are truly ravenous wolves devouring and destroying other's souls. They WILL answer to a just and holy God and it will NOT go well for them.

125 posted on 03/13/2011 8:53:32 PM PDT by boatbums (God is ready to assume full responsibility for the life wholly yielded to him.)
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