Why I Take the Views I Do

Sometimes people leave comments on my articles that upset me. God leads different people in different directions. He may call one person to be a plumber and another to be a basketball player.

Because I believe that God cares about the sinner, I say so in my articles. The written word of God is the Word of God is the Word of God and Jesus is the Living Word of God. Politically, I tend to lean conservative, but scripture often does not lean in that direction.

Sometimes, God leads us through our experiences (always backing them up with the written Word). It's how we often get our testimonies. "I was in this place of darkness, but God led me out of it into His Light". "This is where I was when I was in darkness and now I am here in the Light"

John 3:9-21 teaches that God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that through Jesus all might be saved. Vss. 15 and 16 use the term "whosoever" It does not say "Whosoever but..." It does not say "Whosoever but the smoker" or "Whosoever but the adulterous" or "Whosoever but the drinker..." It says "Whosoever" and it means "Whosoever.

Unlike some people have said about my articles, I do NOT defend a sinful lifestyle. What I defend is that every sinner, no matter how bad his or her sin, has been given the opportunity by Jesus to repent and accept the forgiveness of Christ the Lord.

I also recognize the fact that because I am human, I am not inerrant and therefore not perfect. Like all humans, I do at times fall into sin. The Bible book of 1^st John does deal with walking in the Light and yes there is passage in this book (1^st John 3:7-10) that says if we commit sin we are of the devil and that we are to do righteousness. But the in the beginning of the book where John encourages us to walk in the Light and have fellowship with God John also tells us that if we say we have no sin, that we have deceived ourselves and the truth is not in us, it says that the blood of Jesus cleanseth us from all sin. It tells us that if we confess our sin, he is faithful to forgive us from our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. ( See 1^st John 1:5-10). And vs. 10 states "If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us."

James 5:16 states "Confess your faults one to another, and pray for one another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much." (James 5:16). The immediate context of this passage is James 5:13-20

How can we confess a sin we do not have? How can we confess a fault we do not have? The truth is that when we let God's Spirit lead we don't sin, but if we say that we never sin, we are deceiving ourselves and lying, and God is not in those who make such claims.

I have experienced situations in which something I did more than 30 years ago still will not be forgiven by those who think they have no sin, are inerrant and therefore perfect. There are people who refuse to allow for some sinners to repent. They want to make exceptions to those who are allowed to repent. God doesn't do that. He says "whosoever".

I also take the views I do because it is what scripture teaches. It's really a stretch (at best) and I think it's adding words to the Word to make the claim that smoking is sin, and to refuse to associate at all with someone who smokes is unreasonable.

My next door neighbor drinks, sometimes He has all night parties in which he and his friends get drunk. One of his relatives is a smoker. I can tell them not to smoke or drink while they are on my property, but should I avoid him completely, all the time? Of course not. I do try to avoid him as much as I can because that is how he wants it. But if I can't wave or say a friendly Hello to him when I see him, am I really being a good witness? Of course not.

The poorest witness is not the one who associates with sinners, as Jesus did. The poorest witness is the one who says "I don't want to have anything at all, ever, to do with the likes of you." That's not strictly following God's laws, that's arrogance, at best. That's puffing one self up.

"Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned: behold, the judge standeth before the door" James 5:9

Because of my past, I love the 4 accounts of the gospel because they show so much of Christ' love and mercy. Yes, I need to grow and read more of the scripture. Like everyone I need to learn more, read scripture more, and pray more. And although we are not of the world, we are in the world. God wants us to love all people. It is God's will that not any perish. How can we witness to people if we refuse to have anything at all to do with them? If we refuse to say Hello, refuse to acknowledge their existence, even in the course of everyday contact.

We see sinners every where we go, in Restaurants, in the grocery store, at the public Library, and even in church. Are we to refuse to allow them to come to church? No. Are we to not acknowledge them when we see them? Of course not. It's not the self-righteous who need to be saved, but the sinner.

The well do not need a doctor, but those who are sick. A physician heals the sick, not the well. The only well people you see in a hospital are the staff, volunteers and visitors and sometimes even they get sick..What would happen if a doctor or nurse who is not sick said "You can't come to the hospital because you are sick, and not well." Or said, "because you're sick, even with proper protection such as gloves and a gown, I will not even talk to you or touch you at all, because you are sick and I am well." It would defeat the purpose of the hospital, wouldn't it?

Why don't we have the same attitude towards sinners? Truthfully, it has something to do with some false doctrines taught by the U.S.A. based church.

Thank you for reading, be ready to repent, and Have a God Day.