Posted on 12/30/2013 12:45:24 AM PST by dila813
What is it called when a Christian who does good deeds thinks they can sin because of their good works?
Do you know someone like this? How do you deal with them?
I feel like I should confront them, but currently I am just ignoring them. What is the right thing to do?
Some of them have significant influence in and around my family. I am very uncomfortable.
I find it is frustrating to deal with someone who feels they are so superior to others that they can lie, cheat, steal, and do other similar sins all day long because they are involved with a Christian Non-Profit / Missions.
My first thought.
Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted. 2 Bear one another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ. 3 For if anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. 4 But each one must examine his own work, and then he will have reason for boasting in regard to himself alone, and not in regard to another. 5 For each one will bear his own load.
6 The one who is taught the word is to share all good things with the one who teaches him. 7 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. 8 For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. 9 Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary. 10 So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith.
11 See with what large letters I am writing to you with my own hand. 12 Those who desire to make a good showing in the flesh try to compel you to be circumcised, simply so that they will not be persecuted for the cross of Christ. 13 For those who are circumcised do not even keep the Law themselves, but they desire to have you circumcised so that they may boast in your flesh. 14 But may it never be that I would boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. 15 For neither is circumcision anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation. 16 And those who will walk by this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God.
17 From now on let no one cause trouble for me, for I bear on my body the brand-marks of Jesus.
18 So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men. 19 For as through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous. 20 The Law came in so that the transgression would increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, 21 so that, as sin reigned in death, even so grace would reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Romans 6
What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? 2 May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it? 3 Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? 4 Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection, 6 knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; 7 for he who has died is freed from sin.
8 Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, 9 knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die again; death no longer is master over Him. 10 For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. 11 Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus. 12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts, 13 and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. 14 For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace. 15 What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? May it never be! 16 Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness? 17 But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed, 18 and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. 19 I am speaking in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness, resulting in further lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness, resulting in sanctification. 20 For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. 21 Therefore what benefit were you then deriving from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the outcome of those things is death. 22 But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification, and the outcome, eternal life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Whatever put that asinine thought into your head?
You cannot be considered virtuous and in a state of grace while you’re committing mortal sins regardless of how much monopoly money you shovel into worthy causes.
3 Remind them to be subject to rulers, to authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good deed, 2 to malign no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing every consideration for all men. 3 For we also once were foolish ourselves, disobedient, deceived, enslaved to various lusts and pleasures, spending our life in malice and envy, hateful, hating one another. 4 But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared,
5 He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, 6 whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that being justified by His grace we would be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. 8 This is a trustworthy statement; and concerning these things I want you to speak confidently, so that those who have believed God will be careful to engage in good deeds. These things are good and profitable for men. 9 But avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and strife and disputes about the Law, for they are unprofitable and worthless. 10 Reject a factious man after a first and second warning, 11 knowing that such a man is perverted and is sinning, being self-condemned.
You’re providing quotes from the Worldwide Church of God? Really?
Your good works are filthy rags in the eyes of the Lord. Paradise through good works is Islamic, not Christian.
Every one of us is a sinner.
His good deeds may not get him into Heaven, but your condemnation of him and your judging him will not get you there either.
I know of the good deeds of many, and in the Community where I live it is impossible not to know of the bad deeds of these same people. Does the good outweigh the bad? I don’t know but I also know many bad who do no good deeds.
Which is the most acceptable?
Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.
you just summed it up with those scripture quotes. We will all sin regardless, but sinning and doing good things to try to justify it are two different things.
If I do something wrong, I feel remorse etc. I don’t go out and buy a homeless guy some food so I can go out and run a scam on seniors with a clean conscience as an example.
Bible says that pride comes before a man’s fall.
If you have direct knowledge of his sins, then go and speak to your brother humbly, after praying that the speck in his eye is not a log in yours. If have knowledge of his sins through gossip, then ask God to forgive you of your sin.
What a joke.
I do wonder what caused you to have such a notion and what your motivation to further the notion was. It surely wasn’t Christianity or Catholicism.
I trust you will find time to reflect on your own life. My suggestion is for you to attend a nearby noisy charismatic church and observe Christianity in concert with the New Testament covenant.
Their good works will not save them. Remind them of that. Once we come to the cross, embrace it, and commune with our Lord, we are to turn from sin, not practice it. The mark of a real Christian is one that loves, and one that is striving against sin, not embracing it. We do not have to ask Christ in again for every sin, but we are to confess it and attempt to sin no more. We have struggles with some sins, and that does not affect our true faith, but if we openly practice sin, which means that we deliberately do (in-your-face) some kind of sin, Scripture warns us that there is no longer any sacrifice for that and you are in dire straights. There is need for concern for one who thinks that sin has no consequences.
**way you conduct your life is more important than your personal pride and demonstrations of faith.**
You are correct here.
Remember to read in The Letter of St. James that it is faith AND works that is important.
It looks like this book is a lie. Pure propaganda.
They cannot Save anyone. Speak the truth to them and they will either cling to it or flee from it. Then you will know.
If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves.
The Bible tells us plainly that we should not lie or steal, is this what they are doing? and what about the other sins?
Are they sins that is plain in the scripture or are they just sins according to you?
And what good works are they doing? busy boding is not good works and it is also not saving souls.
If what they are doing is just to be seen of men then they already have all the reward they will get.
Matt 6
1 Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven.
2 Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
Yes, i knew a guy very well who would go back and forth from being a drunk to a saint, he was a much better guy when he was a drunk especially when he was sober.
But when he would change to a saint and get
with his church group he was so overbearing and self righteous that he was hard to take.
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