Q: Is there anything to forgive if you've been hurt by someone who is not aware that her/his action has hurt you? Let's say, they said something that really hurt you, or lead you to believe that what they said has meaning that made you have some expectations that they couldn't live up to, is there anything to forgive in this case?
A: Think about the sins you have committed that you are not aware you have done. What has God done with those sins?
"All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them." 2 Corinthians 5: 18-19
We in turn share what we have received from God with those we encounter in our lives. Since you admit this individual is not aware of the sin, the chances that they will seek your forgiveness are slim. Therefore, in order to free yourself from the bondage you are in, you must release them from the debt they owe you. That is exactly what God did with us. We owed a debt we could not pay. Therefore, in Christ, He forgave our sins without waiting for us to ask Him to do so. By removing the sin that separated us, God is now free to have a relationship with all who have accepted Christ by faith. You can free yourself up to have a relationship with this person, or to move on without needing restitution in order to do so.
Q: Do you believe the 10 commandments are done away with since you don't believe in the OT?
A: I believe in the Ten Commandments and the Old Testament. The difference is that I know the role of them both. The Law is for the lost to lead them to Christ. It is not a guide for a Christian on how to live their life. Once you have accepted Christ, the Law has done it's work in your life. It is to show you your sinfulness and spiritual death so that you will turn to Christ by faith. After salvation, a believer is led by the Holy Spirit from within, not outwardly by the Law or any other religious rules and regulations. A Christian is not under the law nor does it glorify the finished work of Christ and the New Covenant to participate in Jewish festivals.
Q: My late husband was killed in Vietnam.I know one of the commandments is "Thou shalt not kill" and I have to assume that having been in the war zone for 8 months before his death, he must've killed at least one, maybe more? Does this mean he will not go to Heaven? Does saving a life cancel out the others?
A: "When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment: in regard to sin, because men do not believe in me..." John 16:9
The only sin that will send a person to Hell is the sin of unbelief in Jesus Christ as an individuals Lord and Savior. Your husband is a hero. If he died in Christ he is safe in the arms of the Lord. Do not let your heart be troubled by what may have happened in the midst of a war. Our sins do not separate us from God because of the finished work of Christ on the Cross. I hope this comforts you.
Q: Well, I'm a lesbian. I've been dealing with this problem for as long as I can remember. For as long as I can remember, I've liked other girls. I really think I was born with this. This has been the cause of me slipping up in my faith ever since I've come to God. I really don't want to come out, but I don't see the sense in lying about it to everyone if its a sin regardless.
A: The place to start with overcoming your struggle is to stop calling yourself a lesbian and start calling yourself what God calls you; a child of God. "Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—" John 1:12 If you are indeed a born again Christian then you are not a lesbian, but a child of God who struggles with homosexuality. The reason you struggle with lesbianism is because if you identify yourself as one, not engaging in the act is contrary to your identity. When God looks at you He sees His child, not a lesbian. When you start looking at yourself the way God sees you then you will realize that engaging in lesbian activity is not consistent with who you are. I used to struggle with alcohol and getting drunk all the time. Once I realized how God saw me and who I am in His eyes my behavior changed. That was over eight years ago. It doesn't mean that I can't fall into that behavior again, but it is easier not to indulge in the behavior knowing that it is not consistent with who I am. I wasn't born a drunk and you weren't born a lesbian. But, we were all born dead to God, in our sins, and alive to the world. We look to the world to fill that void that can only be filled through a relationship with Jesus Christ. And when we try to fill that void in the world it is only through sin that we can accomplish it. Remember, when God looks at you He doesn't see a lesbian. He sees a forgiven, holy, blameless, sanctified, redeemed, seated in the Heavenlies, cleansed, righteous, justified, perfect, accepted and indwelt by the Holy Spirit child of God. You don't need to "come out" of the closet and reveal the sin you are struggling with. Rather you need to go into your "prayer closet" and study about how God sees you. The world has many labels for us, but only God gives us the right to be called children of God.
Q: What will happen if I break a vow to God?
A: God's not going to do anything to you when you break a vow (Romans 8:1). He knows the heart of man (Genesis 6:5) and isn't surprised when we fall on our face. The power of sin is in the law (1 Corinthians 15:56), even laws (vows) we make up and say we will honor. You must realize that the Christian life isn't something you live through keeping vows, but by trusting in the indwelling Holy Spirit (Titus 2:11-12). Jesus is the only one who ever lived the Christian life and now wants to live it in and through you. If and when you do make a vow and don't keep it you must realize that you can't live up to God's requirement of perfection (Matthew 5:48). You must also realize what God did with your sin (Hebrews 10:17). Your sin is so terrible that merely asking forgiveness doesn't cut it. The wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23) not an apology. That is when you thank Jesus that He died in your place and then you approach God in confidence(Hebrews 4:16) to try and find out why you weren't trusting Him when you sinned. God isn't dealing with us on the basis of sin and death (2 Corinthians 5:19), but on a new life in Christ. Remember God is faithful, not us (1 Corinthians 1:9). You don't need to try and prove yourself to God through futile attempts to keep vows and live a certain way (Romans 3:20). It is God, through the power of the Holy Spirit, that teaches us to say no to sin and ungodliness and has already made us perfect in His site (Hebrews 10:14) through the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ!
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