Christians: What do you think about this statement?

Question

I was reading a question earlier today and one of the responses floored me. Part of this person's answer was "I can sin all I want, and I'm still saved". Can a person be a Christian and believe this? While I know as Christians I know we will all sin aren't we to strive to be as sinless as possible? Isn't this statement a slap in Jesus' face? Does anyone truly believe Christians are free to sin as much as they want and face no consequences? Is someone who "sins as much as they want" even saved in the first place?

Answer 1

Not by works of righteousness that I have done ,but according to His mercy has He saved me. By the washing of regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Ghost.

The person is half right. We sin after the lust of the flesh. But Jesus is faithful to forgive us and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

We strive toward the mark, of the high calling of God.

Holiness.

Be ye Holy ,for I am Holy

I think this is just a very young christian. Pray God give them understanding.<><

Answer 2

Trying to avoid sin is one of the characteristics of being a true Christian. So if one doesn't care about sinning, then maybe he should reevaluate his Christianity.

Answer 3

Forgiveness = 70 x 7 = However much it takes to forgive, you should forgive.  Some of you are not hearing what Chris is saying.  "To what level of sinlessness must you achieve to be saved."  Yes its true a murderer, a rapist, a thief, a corruptor, a pedophile, a homosexual, etc... can be saved.  A sin is a sin and the only difference is the degree of the sin.  All can be saved through the belief and faith in the Divine God.  Did not Jesus himself said, "If you have faith, you are healed."  "When asking and believing that you have already received, it is yours."  No one understand Jesus anymore?  It was Jesus himself that said, "The righteous is already saved, I have come to save the sinners."  You think you are righteous, then you believe you are saved.  The sinners believe they can be saved; then they are saved.  Believe (faith) is what matters.

Answer 4

You cannot sin all you want and be saved. That person probably wasn't saved in the first place. Once you give your life to Christ and you make Jesus Christ Lord and Savior of your life, you repent from your sins and you put your trust and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ from that point on. You then grow in your relationship with Jesus Christ. You cannot keep sinning all you want and ask for more grace just like the Bible says.  

Answer 5

While it's true that God forgives sinners, it is also true that we are not to repeat the same sins over and over again. God would not look kindly on someone who sins knowingly over and over without contrition.  

Answer 6

This is a really hard one but the truth is once you've really been saved it's forever. Jesus' blood was enough. We can't add anything to it. If works were enough Christ wouldn't have had to die.

Our past sins, current & future sins were all in the future at Christ's death because we hadn't even been born yet.

The Lord knows our heart and paid for our sins in full. Only He has the right to judge. When we realize how deep and forgiving God's love is like someone in love we want to do everything we can to show the one we love how much we care. We want to make them happy. But we fail. Whether from discouragement, anger, depression, rebellion, whatever - we lose sight of that love. But God never loses sight of us.

The covenant God made with Abraham wasn't dependent on Abraham's work because he had done none at the time of the covenant. David deliberately chose to have s*x with Bathsheba & have her husband killed in battle. Noah was a drunk. The list is endless of men God used to fulfill His will. Not because of their works but God's choosing.

The Lord throws our sins away as far as the east it from the west, never to be remembered. When we prayer & ask the Lord to forgive us for the same sin we committed last week/last year He says "what sin?". Not because He's unknowing but because His love truly forgives.

I have a real hard time with this as well. As a human I want someone to pay for doing wrong and feel I have the right to judge if the price paid has been enough. None of us do. No matter how terrible the act the person has committed it's God and God alone that has the right to judge and determine justice or mercy.

He said he prefers mercy. Romans 8:38 says nothing can separate us from God's love... except maybe our own hearts & according to Paul we don't even know our own hearts. So how could we know another's.

The more you're forgiven of the deeper your love. I know of one man who tried everything in his power to live right. A lot of the things that had happened in his life made this extremely difficult. This man continually beat himself up emotionally & mentally for his failings. He couldn't believe God loved him despite it all. I saw him drunk one night literally weeping thinking God couldn't possibly want him anymore. My heart broke with his pain.

I'm one of God's own so how could I possibly think God could be less moved than I was. When that brother finally began to realize it really was God's love & not his works that determined his salvation his whole world turned upside down. He began reaching out to others more, drawing closer to the Lord, etc.

When you know you're loved unconditionally it makes you want to do things to please the one that loves you. Not because you have to but because you want to please them. That's the works of faith. You've been set free from doing a job and now volunteering to show others how they can be set free.

That's not to say there are no consequences. If a person loved you and you continued to have affairs wouldn't it cause serious damage to the relationship even if the one harmed remained faithful. If I know to wear a seat belt & don't is it God's fault I was injured in a wreck? If I kill someone and go to prison does that mean God didn't forgive me?

There are always consequences and if we were punished for every sin, who could stand? If the Lord judged one sin more sinful than another then His grace would only be available to a few.

This is our way of doing things and determining justice. Not the Lord's. The Lord judges the heart and no one knows it but Him.

P.S. I don't mean you can go on sinning w/o asking forgiveness. But Christ said if we confess our sins, he's faithful & he'll forgive & cleanse us. Some sins we see as really huge and if done, once forgiven then we have to show a certain amount of remorse or wait a certain amount of time between doing it again before we can be forgiven. That's wrong.

It's no big deal for me not to cuss as I so rarely do it anyway. But I have friends who have done it since young kids so frequently they often don't even realize when they've done it. Do I deserve forgiveness more when I do because I so rarely do it? Am I less guilty or more deserving?

That's what I mean. God knows me inside & out. My trials, suffering, difficulties in a given area, my past, raising and everything that makes me who I am. Yet He still loved me enough to send His son to die for me. So who but Him has the right to judge whether I'm saved or not. He promised I ask & He'll forgive. Not only if I promise not to do it ever again or only after a certain amount of time between doing the same sin. He's not a fool. He knows our heart. Even if we only make it by the skin of our teeth it's for all. But if I'm going to a wonderful land of endless joy I want to be a part of it all. Not just standing on the right side of the gate.

Answer 7

The key word in Chris's phrase that is wrong is "want".  Those who "desire" to willfully sin without conviction of the Holy Spirit do not know Christ.  

When we are in Christ and He in us, we are regenerated, renewed, and born again, and this new creation is spiritually minded, whereas the old nature is carnally minded.

The old nature is dead, but the new nature still has to battle the old “tent” in which it dwells. Evil and sin are still present, but the believer now sees them in a new perspective, and they no longer control him as they once did. In Christ, we can now choose to resist sin, whereas the old nature could not. Now we have the choice whether to feed the new nature through the Word, prayer and obedience, or to feed the flesh by neglecting those things and engaging in sin.

1 John 3:6, "No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him."

1 John 2:4 The man who says, "I know him," but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him.

Answer 8

Someone who truly believes that Jesus was the perfect son of god and that he gave the ultimate sacrifice so that we could spend eternity in heaven with him and god, aka someone who is a true christian, would want to try to be the best they can be. They would put forth the effort, and they would learn from their mistakes. The point is their intent, not their results. Chris does not intend to be his very best, and it makes me think he should take a closer look at his relationship with God.

The whole point of christianity is jesus's ultimate sacrifice, and our goal to be more and more like him with every breath and heartbeat.  

Answer 9

Here's some Bible for ya:

I. Jesus Christ Granted the Apostles His Authority to Forgive Sins

John 20:21 - before He grants them the authority to forgive sins, Jesus says to the apostles, "as the Father sent me, so I send you." As Christ was sent by the Father to forgive sins, so Christ sends the apostles and their successors forgive sins.

John 20:22 - the Lord "breathes" on the apostles, and then gives them the power to forgive and retain sins. The only other moment in Scripture where God breathes on man is in Gen. 2:7, when the Lord "breathes" divine life into man. When this happens, a significant transformation takes place.

John 20:23 - Jesus says, "If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven. If you retain the sins of any, they are retained." In order for the apostles to exercise this gift of forgiving sins, the penitents must orally confess their sins to them because the apostles are not mind readers. The text makes this very clear.

Matt. 9:8 - this verse shows that God has given the authority to forgive sins to "men." Hence, those Protestants who acknowledge that the apostles had the authority to forgive sins (which this verse demonstrates) must prove that this gift ended with the apostles. Otherwise, the apostles' successors still possess this gift. Where in Scripture is the gift of authority to forgive sins taken away from the apostles or their successors?

Matt. 9:6; Mark 2:10 - Christ forgave sins as a man (not God) to convince us that the "Son of man" has authority to forgive sins on earth.

Luke 5:24 - Luke also points out that Jesus' authority to forgive sins is as a man, not God. The Gospel writers record this to convince us that God has given this authority to men. This authority has been transferred from Christ to the apostles and their successors.

Matt. 18:18 - the apostles are given authority to bind and loose. The authority to bind and loose includes administering and removing the temporal penalties due to sin. The Jews understood this since the birth of the Church.

John 20:22-23; Matt. 18:18 - the power to remit/retain sin is also the power to remit/retain punishment due to sin. If Christ's ministers can forgive the eternal penalty of sin, they can certainly remit the temporal penalty of sin (which is called an "indulgence").

2 Cor. 2:10 - Paul forgives in the presence of Christ (some translations refer to the presences of Christ as "in persona Christi"). Some say that this may also be a reference to sins.

2 Cor. 5:18 - the ministry of reconciliation was given to the ambassadors of the Church. This ministry of reconciliation refers to the sacrament of reconciliation, also called the sacrament of confession or penance.

James 5:15-16 - in verse 15 we see that sins are forgiven by the priests in the sacrament of the sick. This is another example of man's authority to forgive sins on earth. Then in verse 16, James says “Therefore, confess our sins to one another,” in reference to the men referred to in verse 15, the priests of the Church.

1 Tim. 2:5 - Christ is the only mediator, but He was free to decide how His mediation would be applied to us. The Lord chose to use priests of God to carry out His work of forgiveness.

Lev. 5:4-6; 19:21-22 - even under the Old Covenant, God used priests to forgive and atone for the sins of others.

II. The Necessity and Practice of Orally Confessing Sins

James 5:16 - James clearly teaches us that we must “confess our sins to one another,” not just privately to God. James 5:16 must be read in the context of James 5:14-15, which is referring to the healing power (both physical and spiritual) of the priests of the Church. Hence, when James says “therefore” in verse 16, he must be referring to the men he was writing about in verses 14 and 15 – these men are the ordained priests of the Church, to whom we must confess our sins.

Acts 19:18 - many came to orally confess sins and divulge their sinful practices. Oral confession was the practice of the early Church just as it is today.

Matt. 3:6; Mark 1:5 - again, this shows people confessing their sins before others as an historical practice (here to John the Baptist).

1 Tim. 6:12 - this verse also refers to the historical practice of confessing both faith and sins in the presence of many witnesses.

1 John 1:9 - if we confess are sins, God is faithful to us and forgives us and cleanse us. But we must confess our sins to one another.

Num. 5:7 - this shows the historical practice of publicly confessing sins, and making

public restitution.

2 Sam. 12:14 - even though the sin is forgiven, there is punishment due for the forgiven sin. David is forgiven but his child was still taken (the consequence of his sin).

Neh. 9:2-3 - the Israelites stood before the assembly and confessed sins publicly and interceded for each other.

Sir. 4:26 - God tells us not to be ashamed to confess our sins, and not to try to stop the current of a river.  

Answer 10

They are preaching a false gospel. There is no "once saved always saved" in the bible.

Salvation is a life long process, not a one time thing of saying you believe in Jesus.

The apostle John wrote us a wonderful promise from God: John 3:16-17 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."

Does this mean that once we accept Jesus in our heart by faith, and thus are saved, that we can do anything even immoral things, and we still will be saved? Let's see what the Scriptures says about this.

1 Tim 4:1: "The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons."

This text shows that Christians can loose their salvation if they follow deceiving spirits.

2 Peter 2:20-22: "If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning. It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than to have known it and then to turn their backs on the sacred command that was passed on to them. Of them the proverbs are true: 'A dog returns to its vomit," and, "A sow that is washed goes back to her wallowing in the mud.'"

The apostle Peter indicates clearly here that it is worst for someone who has accepted Jesus in his life to return to his old ways than "not to have known the way of righteousness". Why? The book of Hebrews explains this for us.

Heb 6:4-6: "It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age, if they fall away, to be brought back to repentance, because to their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace."

This text describes Christians who not only accepted Jesus by faith into their life, but also personally tasted God's Holy Spirit. What happens to them if they "fall away'? This text is clear. It is impossible for them to be brought back to repentance, and thus obtain eternal salvation, because they did sin against the Holy Spirit. They have lost it!

Heb 10:26-28: "If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God."

Here we see clearly that once we have accepted Jesus in our life, we just can't go on living as if He did not exist, and "deliberately keep on sinning". What would be the result if you did? Would you still obtain eternal salvation? The Bible says that these will have "a fearful expectation of judgment". There again, they have lost their salvation.

The apostle Paul confirms this in 1 Cor 15:1-2: "Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain."

In other words, if someone does not hold on firm to God's word, he/she has "believed in vain".

An example that one can loose his/her salvation is King Saul. He was chosen by God to be the first king of Israel. He was filled with God's Spirit at first (1 Samuel 10 6), but because of his pride and evil actions, never repenting from what he did wrong, eventually God's Spirit departed from him 1 Sam 16:14 "Now the Spirit of the LORD had departed from Saul…" NIV King Saul had been saved, but he lost his salvation due to his unrepentant heart. How sad!

These texts clearly contradict the theory of "Once saved, always saved". This theory is simply not Biblical.

"As the Bible says, I am already saved (Rom. 8:24, Eph. 2:5–8), but I’m also being saved (1 Cor. 1:8, 2 Cor. 2:15, Phil. 2:12), and I have the hope that I will be saved (Rom. 5:9–10, 1 Cor. 3:12–15). Like the apostle Paul I am working out my salvation in fear and trembling (Phil. 2:12), with hopeful confidence in the promises of Christ (Rom. 5:2, 2 Tim. 2:11–13)."

Answer 11

I recall when they brought the woman taken in adultery to Christ and he saved her life, physically and spiritually and told her there was no one there to condemn her, however, he did say "go thy way and sin no more".  He said the same thing to the man whom he healed...Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.

Clearly it is not acceptable.

3 For it shall come to pass in that day that the churches which are built up, and not unto the Lord, when the one shall say unto the other: Behold, I, I am the Lord’s; and the others shall say: I, I am the Lord’s; and thus shall every one say that hath built up churches, and not unto the Lord—

  4 And they shall contend one with another; and their priests shall contend one with another, and they shall teach with their learning, and deny the Holy Ghost, which giveth utterance.

  5 And they deny the power of God, the Holy One of Israel; and they say unto the people: Hearken unto us, and hear ye our precept; for behold there is no God today, for the Lord and the Redeemer hath done his work, and he hath given his power unto men;

  6 Behold, hearken ye unto my precept; if they shall say there is a miracle wrought by the hand of the Lord, believe it not; for this day he is not a God of miracles; he hath done his work.

  7 Yea, and thee shall be many which shall say: Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die; and it shall be well with us.

  8 And there shall also be many which shall say: Eat, drink, and be merry; nevertheless, fear God—he will justify in committing a little sin; yea, lie a little, take the advantage of one because of his words, dig a pit for thy neighbor; there is no harm in this; and do all these things, for tomorrow we die; and if it so be that we are guilty, God will beat us with a few stripes, and at last we shall be saved in the kingdom of God.

  9 Yea, and there shall be many which shall teach after this manner, false and vain and foolish doctrines, and shall be puffed up in their hearts, and shall seek deep to hide their counsels from the Lord; and their works shall be in the dark.

Answer 12

Romans talks a lot about this.  As a Christian we are free from the judgment of God's law therefore we are free to sin.  When we sin, and the more we sin God's grace abounds.  In chapter 5 of Romans though Paul asks the retorical question of "Shall we go on sinning that God's grace may abound?"  Paul's answer is, "God forbid!"  How can we who are dead to sin live in it.  All in all we are new creations. We don't sin because we love Christ and want to do what he wants us to.  

Answer 13

I saw that statement and couldnt believe it either.... I dont know of any religious person who would make such a statement.

Its just as bad as saying "I know for sure there is no god".

Answer 14

That person is probably an ardent believer in The Protie hero Marty Luther Quote

"Sin cannot tear you away from him [Christ] even though you commit adultery a hundred times a day and commit as many murders."

[Martin Luther, letter to Melanchton, Aug. 1, 1521]

Hey Chris do you ever read the Bible Works is not a Gospel oh that's right your bible only contains 4-5 scriptures

Either Jesus paid the whole sin debt for all sins past, present, and future, or He didn't. If you say He didn't, then you're not saved.

and he also said a few other things didnt he

santification being as Christ like in your life as possible living the way Christ would want you to live try it Chriss'y boy

***ADDED*** #3 You still didn't answer my question. What level of "sinlessness" must you achieve,  

Chris isnt it you who believes the Devil and his demons ride around in UFO'S

Feelings don't save anyone

thats right the whole of Gods word does not 4-5 scriptures

Answer 15

You are EXACTLY correct!

Gen 17:1 And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.

"Be thou perfect" in this verse is more correctly translated as "become you perfect".

What is important in this connection is that the God of the Old Testament was Jesus Christ.

1Co 10:1 Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea;

1Co 10:2 And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea;

1Co 10:3 And did all eat the same spiritual meat;

1Co 10:4 And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and THAT ROCK WAS CHRIST.

Here's what Jesus has to say in the New Testament about this.

Joh 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.

Rev 14:12 Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, AND the faith of Jesus.

When He was here as a man, the people thought that only s*x outside marriage was adultery. Jesus explained that if we allowed our minds to continue with lustful thoughts we have committed adultery. He showed that we are committing sins that we do not know are sins. As we overcome the sins He reveals to us, He shows us others. It is a life-long process. As long as we are not "playing games" with Him, He does not count sins that we are unaware of.

Psa 32:2 Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile.

Rom 4:8 Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.

Those you hear saying that we don't have to are false ministers, and possibly false churches.

2Co 11:13 For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.

2Co 11:14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.

2Co 11:15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.

We see from these verses that Satan has churches and ministers both pretending to be Christian.

One of the doctrines of antichrist is that Jesus was part God and part man when He was on earth. He was completely man even though He remembered having been with the Father. They use this logic to explain that's why Jesus could keep the law. He did have God's spirit "without measure", but we receive the spirit at baptism.

Php 4:13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

We may fall from time to time, but if we remain sincere and steadfast, we will succeed.

Rev 2:26 And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations:

Rev 3:5 He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.

Rev 3:12 Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.

Rev 3:21 To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.

Rev 21:7 He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.

Rev 21:8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

Answer 16

i agree with u totally. Shall we sin that grace may abound? God forbid romans 6:1 and 2

Answer 17

A lot of believers do think that. I've seen someone on here say something along the lines of, "Everybody sins, but you only go to h**l if you don't ask for forgiveness. So, as long as I ask for forgiveness, I'll be forgiven for any sin that I do and will still get into Heaven." Personally, I don't think it makes any sense. If you're mean to someone all the time, or do stuff that they don't like and have even asked you not to do, they aren't going to get over it all by you just saying "I'm sorry."

Answer 18

I do not think that kind of person is really understanding Jesus' offer and is not saved. We all are saved by the grace and mercy of God, but that is not a license to sin.

When we accept Jesus as our God and Savior, we also submit to His law and teachings.

All of our sins are covered by His sacrificial death on the cross, but deliberately disobeying God's Word is like spitting on the cross and does not save us

Chris: I am forced to say to you that you are on the wrong with this matter. That is eternally dangerous attitude. You cannot sin all you want and be saved. You will lose your salvation if you keep doing what you know is sin and do not ask forgiveness and REPENT

Answer 19

To be a permanent Christian and get saved from sinning and punishment you need to trust Jesus to make you good (more good than bad) and keep on trusting Him right through to your death and exit of the mortal body to be judged. These good people have to remain good and holy (more holy than not) and forgiving all who sin against them right up to their time of judgement or they will lose salvation and have to pay for their unforgiven sins in h**l.

Answer 20

Oh h**l no!, spiritually speaking!  Grace is not a license to sin!  We are to flee from sin and examine ourselves to see if we are in the faith! (2 Cor. 13:5)

A sinning christian is just like a good cop gone bad.  The Bible calls them false converts and they are headed to h**l. (Matt. 7:13-21)

Someone who is truly Born Again has no desire to sin.  We will know them by their fruits!

Yes it's a slap in the face of Jesus.  We stumble.  The Bible told us we would.  We are not perfect.  But there is a difference between stumbling and jumping off of a diving board!

Another good point.  If someone says the are Christian, but yet still want to sin.....something isn't right.  I would say and agree with you that they were never saved in the first place.

If that is the case, then it would be better if they had not known the way of salvation, than to know it and still turn.

For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning.  For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them.  But it has happened to them according to the true proverb:  ÃƒÂ¢Ã‚€ÂœA dog returns to his own vomit,” and, “a sow, having washed, to her wallowing in the mire.”  2 Pet. 2:20:22

Answer 21

You cannot sin as much as you want to in Christianity: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?sea... .

Answer 22

I know what your are saying. And I agree with you. Christians are to strive to be as much liek jesus as possible!

But unfortunately, some people just want the plane ticket to Heaven. They don't want to go through the trouble to earn first class!

Answer 23

I guess some people think that the sacrifice of Jesus gives them a free pass. And no, they are not saved. If they were, they would be trying to be the best they could be by following God's expectations of them. i.e., to be like Christ.

Answer 24

Chrissy poo tin foil hat boy you need another layer of foil for your hat

Answer 25

All saved believers sin every day.  So tell me, when do you become "sinless" enough to be saved?  

Nobody can answer that question.

And if you even try to answer that question, then you are unsaved, because you are working for your salvation.

Answer 26

That is not the attitude that someone should have if they are a genuine, born-again Christ-follower.

Answer 27

This is for Chris: Yes we do sin every day, "BUT" we also repent when we know we sin, and we do not usually intentionally sin. We are fallen here on earth and we sin in word, thought or deed, even when we don't want to we do, just as Paul said. God knows that we will continue to sin while here on earth, however with the Holy Spirit helping us we sin less than we would otherwise without the Holy Spirit. Acknowledging our sin as soon as we realize we have sinned also helps us to not sin as much. The statement made here that " I can sin all I want, and I'm still saved," is what Paul was talking about in Romans, that some believed the same thing back then and Paul quickly set them straight. That statement is not true, a fully born again Christian looses the desire to willfully sin as they grow and mature. We don't want to sin at all because we don't want to loose fellowship with Jesus or God. Our focus is not on self gratification but on pleasing God.

Answer 28

There's a reason Jesus says "I never knew you"

Answer 29

Accepting Jesus Christ should change your life, direction, goals, wants, desires!

If nothing's changed?

Then nothing has changed!

It's not about acheiving a level of perfection. It's about letting God work in your life!  Overall, people should begin to SEE IMPROVEMENT, not perfection!  And not by our own works, but by God transforming us!

Countless individuals have said “the sinners prayer” yet, as time went on, it became clear that something was lacking! Their lives were unchanged, therefore, it was NOT a work of God! After all, “faith without works is dead.” Saving grace really does begin with a prayer, but it doesn’t END there, or else something’s very wrong!

"Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with [him], that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin." (Romans 6:6 KJV)

"Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; And have put on the new [man], which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:" (Colossians 3:9-10 KJV)

"And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked." (1 John 2:3-6 KJV)

"Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity." (Matthew 7:22-23 KJV)

Answer 30

yeah... sin is a very serious thing and our aim should be to avoid it as much as possible....