A woman wrote me that she felt no guilt or unhappiness that she and her husband had had many previous sexual relationships. Therefore, it's not a sin, she said (after all, there is no God in her view.) She believes there shouldn't be any teachings that abstinence until marriage is best, or that virginity is good to reserve for one mate --in short, Christians should not promote their views on sex.
I agree that no one should feel ruined or miserable --except to feel the guilt that all of us need to feel for falling short of God's glory --"all have sinned and come short of the glory of God" and because of that we die. We are mortal --all of us --since the first couple's sin. Jesus came saying, "Repent; the kingdom has come!" or "the kingdom is nigh--near --right at hand!" And with the Kingdom and its King comes the chance to start anew --completely forgiven for past error.
If we don't feel any guilt, do we possibly also have a seared conscience?? Would you feel guilty if you were unfaithful to your spouse? Should you feel guilt for betrayal of vows, for infidelity, for lying, stealing, for cruelty, for anything? Should your spouse feel guilty if he did those things to you?
Jesus was very merciful and non-condemning and protective of the woman "caught in adultery" because He said all her accusers were sinners, too --that all had committed adultery in their hearts. He also forgave the man on the cross beside him, a thief, because the man believed in Him. Without guilt, however, is there no deterrent for unkindness and cruelty and selfishness in human relationships? Jesus didn't condone adultery --(or fornication, etc.) or call it the unpardonable sin, but he told the lady to "go and sin no more." He lifted her up.
As long as it isn't my own husband, or my family's spouses, other fornicators and adulterers aren't hurting me in their sex lives (unless we have to pay for the consequences out of our pockets with tax monies) --but they do sin against God--because God calls adultery and fornication sin--and for good reasons. The prohibitions are for our good. Fornication caused syphilis, gonorrhea, AIDS, HPV, Herpes, unwed pregnancy --and we have only had cures and good treatments in the last century or half-century for the STD's --and condoms still aren't fool-proof to prevent all risk of STD's or pregnancy. Many kids have been left fatherless because of fornication and adultery --and forced into poverty. Many people have been broken-hearted and hurt by sex lives that didn't result in marriage --ever--or sex lives that ended their marriages.
So, while you [the atheist commenter to whom I was writing] don't acknowledge that your past sex life was sinful --you should admit that it was risky and could've had very unhappy consequences for you and others --as promiscuity has had for many people. Pre-marital sex, if not a sin in the view of unbelievers, is at least not the wisest choice for young persons to make. Not something we should be recommending as harmless. It is frought with risk. You are lucky or blessed to be happily married now when both of you have history of sex with others.
The whole point of Christ's salvation is to restore to us the joy of our salvation and a relationship with our Maker through faith in His love and presence -- --and there is a Biblical concept of "restoring the years the locusts have eaten." I believe this means that God can bless us from here on out --from the point at which we believe and trust Him and agree with HIS definitions of our sin nature --and the nature of sin.
You [the commenter] say you think you live with integrity by opposing the Creator of the Universe who "wants to burn your soul?" That's just about as foolhardy as in, "the fool hath said in His heart, 'There is no God.'" However, be sure, God does NOT WANT to "burn your soul." He loves you and has sent a Savior. He wants us who believe in Him to spread this good news.
Let's see --a Heaven to gain --or a Hell to shun? Which would I rather have for Eternity?
"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
_________________________
"God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance and have eternal life."--the Bible
I agree that no one should feel ruined or miserable --except to feel the guilt that all of us need to feel for falling short of God's glory --"all have sinned and come short of the glory of God" and because of that we die. We are mortal --all of us --since the first couple's sin. Jesus came saying, "Repent; the kingdom has come!" or "the kingdom is nigh--near --right at hand!" And with the Kingdom and its King comes the chance to start anew --completely forgiven for past error.
If we don't feel any guilt, do we possibly also have a seared conscience?? Would you feel guilty if you were unfaithful to your spouse? Should you feel guilt for betrayal of vows, for infidelity, for lying, stealing, for cruelty, for anything? Should your spouse feel guilty if he did those things to you?
Jesus was very merciful and non-condemning and protective of the woman "caught in adultery" because He said all her accusers were sinners, too --that all had committed adultery in their hearts. He also forgave the man on the cross beside him, a thief, because the man believed in Him. Without guilt, however, is there no deterrent for unkindness and cruelty and selfishness in human relationships? Jesus didn't condone adultery --(or fornication, etc.) or call it the unpardonable sin, but he told the lady to "go and sin no more." He lifted her up.
As long as it isn't my own husband, or my family's spouses, other fornicators and adulterers aren't hurting me in their sex lives (unless we have to pay for the consequences out of our pockets with tax monies) --but they do sin against God--because God calls adultery and fornication sin--and for good reasons. The prohibitions are for our good. Fornication caused syphilis, gonorrhea, AIDS, HPV, Herpes, unwed pregnancy --and we have only had cures and good treatments in the last century or half-century for the STD's --and condoms still aren't fool-proof to prevent all risk of STD's or pregnancy. Many kids have been left fatherless because of fornication and adultery --and forced into poverty. Many people have been broken-hearted and hurt by sex lives that didn't result in marriage --ever--or sex lives that ended their marriages.
So, while you [the atheist commenter to whom I was writing] don't acknowledge that your past sex life was sinful --you should admit that it was risky and could've had very unhappy consequences for you and others --as promiscuity has had for many people. Pre-marital sex, if not a sin in the view of unbelievers, is at least not the wisest choice for young persons to make. Not something we should be recommending as harmless. It is frought with risk. You are lucky or blessed to be happily married now when both of you have history of sex with others.
The whole point of Christ's salvation is to restore to us the joy of our salvation and a relationship with our Maker through faith in His love and presence -- --and there is a Biblical concept of "restoring the years the locusts have eaten." I believe this means that God can bless us from here on out --from the point at which we believe and trust Him and agree with HIS definitions of our sin nature --and the nature of sin.
You [the commenter] say you think you live with integrity by opposing the Creator of the Universe who "wants to burn your soul?" That's just about as foolhardy as in, "the fool hath said in His heart, 'There is no God.'" However, be sure, God does NOT WANT to "burn your soul." He loves you and has sent a Savior. He wants us who believe in Him to spread this good news.
Let's see --a Heaven to gain --or a Hell to shun? Which would I rather have for Eternity?
"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
_________________________
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