I agree Linda, certain apsects have definitely improved. Yet so much has gotten so much worse on a worldwide scale also. People in biblical times were sinful then too. Not a lot has changed apart from technology. We're still rebellous. In differing ways, man's inhumanity to man has continued throughout the ages. When you say "biblical" times, note that many of these people were still out of touch with God's law then also. Very few followed it as they should have, but most, as now, followed their own ways and repeated the same mistakes and reaped the results and so it goes on to this day. Unfortunately the innocent often suffer along with the guilty because of those choices.

This is why you get the few who stood out like "Enoch" and "noah" and "Moses". Moses was instructed by God to free his people from slavery under the egyptians.

Slavery is never God's purpose, and nor is slavery in sin. People think they are free if they can do as they wish, are in a state of self deception. If that were the case, none of us would be safe. There is no freedom in sin, but one can deceive themselves in believing it is so, therefore they should have the right to pick and choose, based on their own desires. You can convince yourself anything is "ok" so long as you're apparently not hurting anybody. But sin hurts everybody in one way or the other, directly or indirectly. According to the bible, each and every human being is related. Cause and effect.

Define sin? Open your bible. It's clearly defined there. We can see the aftermarth of it all around us everyday, what happens when people make their own rules and go astray from basic moral laws. Those moral laws were set in place not for out undoing, but for our own good and for the good of our neighbour. You only have to switch on your television and see where the youth are heading. kids being exposed to adult sexuality in all ways, shapes and forms and then they complain when they see kids sexualised from an early age acting out. Parents having to monitor just about everything to allow their kids to have some kind of childhood, but the world doesn't want this. In fact, even the adverts are bad enough! Kids don't have a hope. You do your best I suppose. One cannot put them in a bubble, but you can definitely leave them to the world and the world will glady bring them up for you. Then see the results. We're seeing plenty of that already.

The only one who can truly judge a person's heart is God. People can act as virtuous as they wish and then sin in the privacy of their own homes. But one thing is sure, to have sin thrown in our faces as though it's "ok" and "normal" is worse because it exposes the innocent to it also. It's amazing how people can start to think twice if they feel that their sins are exposed. You can fool people, but you cannot fool God. I can't judge someone and say whether they are holy or not, but you can get a pretty good idea of someone's character if you're around them long enough. By their fruits you shall know them. A bad tree cannot produce good fruit, so virtuously "seeming" or not, things become pretty evident.

Thanks for your suggested reading Linda, but I have plenty of books here that I'm still reading and enjoying immensely. I know exactly what I believe and am not interested in any new age swings from other gurus or books or anything else that attempts to distort or water down the word of God. I know that type pretty well <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

I've also read books in my past of occultism, interesting ones of demonology, witch craft, auras, astrology, palm reading, amazing things. Which one really spoke the truth? Which one was set in stone and never swayed or played with my ego or mind? God's word "The bible". Funny how no matter how much stuff you read or watch that it outside of Christ, there's an insatiable desire that remains and an ongoing disatisfaction that just isn't quenched. But it's exciting none-the-less and I did enjoy the ride, but I did not enjoy where it took me.

I choose to follow the one way that leads to everlasting life. I've had more than enough evidence of God in my own life. I know He exists. I've already been down the road outside of Christ for many years. It's a neverending cycle that leads to a dead end. Some people take their whole life to figure that out. Some never do.

By the way, you were offended by being referred to as filth? Well, from what I gathered from sosick's posts if I am correct, is that in God's eyes our SINS are filth. However, we were all bought at a very high price. We are more precious to Him than gold. In fact, even the worst sinner is precious in God's eyes (maybe not ours). We know this by the fact He died an atrocious death (climax from unspeakable suffering) just for us. That is love. That is not condemnation. It is invitation to save us from the very place that sin ultimately sends a person.

ONe cannot serve two masters. As Christ said, you'll wind up loving one and despising the other. It's just how it is. people do not need to necessarily serve a "god", they can serve themselves and their intellect, their materialism/pride.

And no, it isn't just about kneeling at a pew, but that is a very good start. Christ even said that not all who cry "Lord Lord" will enter the kingdom of Heaven, but those who DO the will of His Father. There are many who do give lip service to God, but do not do His will. We will indeed be judged on how we treated our fellow man, and that includes the weakest amongst us.

But unfortunately, we cannot get into Heaven on those things alone, but rather accepting what Christ did for us on the Cross. HIs blood on that cross washes us clean of our sins. Even those that might do good around them, probably cannot boast of being sin free. Who can? Christ can! He stood in our place and took on what we deserved. Just so we could be cleansed and given new life.

I think that defines love Linda. It also defines sin, in that we can see what He went through because of it. Our whole point in being here is not to nit pick, but rather to prepare for eternal life and to help others along the way.

Nobody is perfect, we have all fallen short of the glory of God, but a humble heart and willingness to admit ones sin and faults and accept the greatest gift ever given (life and a sacrifice for our sin) is about as good as it gets in this temporary life and everything that happens in the next, depends on our "yes" or "no" in this life.