My post here is addressing Linear's.
I'd like to point out once again, that it's not down to "my" opinion, but God's word in the bible. Why must I keep pointing this out? I am not forcing anybody into anything, do you not have a free will as I do? As a Christian, it is right to inform and warn people if that is what we have been told to do by Christ should they lose their way and ultimately their own souls.... What kind of a Christian does not? when Christ has given such dire warnings?
I too will have to account not only for my sins, but also my "ommissions". Christ never forced anybody either, He gave strong truths and many walked away from Him (some did worse to Him as you know). They did not want to hear that which did not tickle their ears. Christ gave us truths, filled with hope and the glory of the afterlife/ressurection, but also other truths, harsh and sobering.
Now, if it's ok for those on here to express their
contrary to Christ views and not have that seen as force....why is it suddenly "force" when I express
God's word from the bible? How is it
"not forcing" when it's a
viewpoint of "unbelief" or "liberalism", yet it's
forcing if it's
"fundamental Christianity"....one rule for you guys and one rule for the rest of us?
What one may consider as a "right" or "sexual freedom", may not be seen as a right or "freedom" from our side, and certainly, if we are to believe Christ, is anything BUT "freedom" and "rights", but instead captivity in sin which leads to eternal death, which Christ died on the cross to redeem us from (should we accept it). What you may consider "forcing" from fundamentalists, is very much misinterpreted and perhaps deliberately so. The gospel is preached for the good of others and the hope of saving souls, not for their undoing! However, if this is the way you wish to accuse, then one could turn it back just as easily, considering sin is hardly a "right" or "freedom", unless of course Christ lied and died in vain.
You may wish to present fundamental Christianity as "force", but the opposite is actually true. The amount of filth that is forced onto us all (and children) on a daily basis through TV, books, society itself speaks volumes..... I can hardly watch television anymore without it. If I want to avoid that, I have to go out of my way to do so, or turn the TV off. THere is ONE channel that preaches the gospel on my TV, and some bibles lying on my bookshelf, neither of which force me into viewing or reading, but are an invitation always. Yet there are many more reading/viewing material of adultery/fornication and total disregard to God and His commandments on a daily basis throughout so many other areas of life. Great for the kids eh? And yet you talk about the force of "fundamental Christianity"...when in fact, the opposite seems to prevail "unnoticed". I actually have to seek any Christianity out, search for it and hold onto it! I'll tell you where I get my sanity. Not from this degraded/corrupted and "liberal" society, but THE BIBLE, prayer/Christ and those like-minded in Christ(whom I consider brothers and sisters in Christ).
If it was down to my personal flawed opinion, outside of Christ? I wouldn't have much of an issue with homosexuality, NOR fornication. I'd have no ultimate reason to do so. If we arose without purpose and without an ultimate law giver, then we can decide for ourselves and your "rights" do not have to be "mine" or anybody else's. We can do whatever WE decide is "ok".
However, this is not about my wordly and flawed eyed opinion. This is very much down to what God Himself has commanded and stated throughout the bible and it is most definitely HIS business! As much as we may wish to cherry pick, the bible is not a smorgus board. Do you really think that I find it easy to try and comply with everything? Of course not. Because I'm a sinner and I have temptations/weaknesss like everybody else. Problems with purity and all those things that I'm sure we all battle with. Now, is it "sexual freedom"? or is it a gift that has no right to be misused/abused from a loving God who gave that to each of us to express responsibly and within marriage for bonding/procreation? I need to wake up and quit seeing things through the eyes of "men", and open my mind and my heart to an unlimited God who died on my account (on yours too).
Men are limited, flawed, sinful. God is unlimited, loving, perfect, selfless (died on a cross for me (and you)....this is why when people who close their minds and hearts to Christ, consider this "open minded" which winds up meaning absolutely nothing and becomes nothing more than a contradictory cliche and a flawed one at that. I can open my mind to anything (to drugs too if I want). Does that make me "open minded"? Am I "open minded" because I'm "willing to accept anything, so long as it's not God"? or it's "outside of His will for us"? Is someone being open minded when they experiment sexually, going so far as to try out animals and children too? You see how the "open minded" comments start to look absoultely ludicrous when they are exposed for what they are?
I try instead to open my mind and my heart to the one whom knows all things. Opening my mind up to the things of the world got me nowhere, except on a winding slope downwards, remaining in a state of blindness, inertia and deadness. Christ most definitely IS light and IS life.
All persons are called to holiness without exception. Nothing is impossible with God. Even the worst sinner can become a saint with the grace of God. Part of this process is humility and being honest with ourselves and God and opening ourselves up to His grace, so that He can work in us. We all have the tendency to rebel (after the fall). Our sin nature is something God encourages us to battle and at the end of it all the rewards far outweigh the temporary difficulties and falls we have during our lifetime (which He is always there to help us back up).
Satan himself rebelled and encourages us to do likewise. It is a spiritual battle more than anything else! It's not a bad thing, I'd like to have something to show for what God has done for me and promised for me. If God did not allow consequences for sin and free will, we would never grow and learn from our own sin, or anybody else's. Our maturity would be stunted spiritually. Christ set the example and had a tough life. Nobody can ever say "God doesn't know how it feels". He knows intimately.
Regarding the sanctity of marriage/adultery:
Mark 10:6-9 - But from the beginning of creation He made them male and female. This is why a man leaves his father and mother, and the two become one flesh. They are no longer two, therefore, but one flesh. So then, what God has united, human beings must not divide. Back in the house the disciples questioned Him again about this, and He said to them, "whoever divorces his wife and marries another is guilty of adultery against her. And if a woman divorces her husband and marries another, she is guilty of adultery too.
Matthew 19:9 - Now I say this to you' anyone who divorces his wife - I am not talking about illicit marriage - and marries another, is guilty of adultery.
Matthew 5:27 - You have heard how it was said, you shall not commit adultery. But I say this to you, if a man looks at a woman lustfully, he has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
The purpose of the law - 1 Timothy 1:10
for the promiscuous, homosexuals, kidnappers, for liars and for perjurers - and for everything else that is contrary to the sound teaching that accords with the goespel of the glory of the blessed God, the gospel that was entrusted to me.
1 Corinthians 6:12-20 - Foods are for the stomach, and the stomach is for foods; and God will destroy them both. But the body is not for sexual immorality, it is for the Lord, and the Lord is for the body. God raised up the Lord and he will raise us up too by His power. Do you not realise that your bodies are members of Christ's body; do you think one can take parts of Christ's body and join them to the body of a prostitute? Out of the question! Or do you not realise that anyone who attaches himself to a prostitute is one body with her, since the two, as it is said, become one flesh. But anyone who attaches himself to the Lord is one spirit with him.
Keep away from sexual immorality. all other sins that people may commit are done outside the body; but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. Do you not realise that your body is teh temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you and whom you received from God? You are not your own property, then; you have been bought at a price. So use your body for the glory of God.
(1 Corinthians 6:9-10) -
"Know you not that the unjust shall not posses the kingdom of God? Do not err: neither fornicators, nor idolators, nor adulterers, nor the effeminate, nor liers with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, not railers, nor extortioners, shall possess the Kingdom of God.
Romans 1:19-32
For what can be known about God is perfectly plain to them, since God has made it plain to them: ever since the creation of the world, the invisible existence of God and His everlasting power have been clearly seen by the mind's understanding of created things. And so these people have no excuse. They knew God and yet they did not honour Him as God or give thanks to Him, but their arguments became futile and their uncomprehending minds were darkened. Whilse they claimed to be wise, in fact they were growing so stupid that they exchanged the glory of the immortal God for an imitation, for teh image of a mortal human being, or of birds, or animals, or crawling things. That is why God abandoned them in their inmost cravings to filthy practices of dishonouring their own bodies - because they exchanged God's truth for a lie and have worshipped and served the creature instead of the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.
That is why God abandoned them to degrading passions: why their women have exchanged natural intercourse for unnatural practices; and the men, in a similar fashion, too, giving up normal relations with women, are consumed with passion for eachother, men doing shameful things with men and receiving in themselves due reward for their perversion.
In other words, since they would not consent to acknowledge God, God abandoned them to their unacceptble thoughts and indecent behaviour. And so now they are steeped in all sorts of injustice, rottenness, greed and malice; full of envy, murder, wrangling, treachery and spite, libellers, slanderers, enemies of God, rude, arrogant and boastful, enterprising in evil, rebellious to parents, without brains, honour, love or pity. They are well aware of God's ordinance" that those who behave like this deserve to die - yet they not only do it, but even applaud others who do the same.
On leading others astray concerning the biblical word of God, through the prophets/witnesses inspired by the Holy Spirit:
Mark 9:42 - But anyone who is the downfall of one of these little ones who have faith, would be better thrown into the sea with a great millstone hung round his neck.
I hope that might be enough for now Linear, there are more, but I am tired.
