Self-Indulgence

[bbyrd009]

focusing on God's love and mercy and forgiveness

how do you mean? wadr this reads to me as a really pious and cool thing to say that has no functional meaning, by which i mean i am deaf here. ty

I'm reminded of . . . (from the NLT)

Colossians 2
20 You have died with Christ, and he has set you free from the spiritual powers of this world. So why do you keep on following the rules of the world, such as, 21 “Don’t handle! Don’t taste! Don’t touch!”? 22 Such rules are mere human teachings about things that deteriorate as we use them. 23 These rules may seem wise because they require strong devotion, pious self-denial, and severe bodily discipline. But they provide no help in conquering a person’s evil desires.

not my fave xlation, but encapsulates Christianity, Inc in a nutshell imo

Amen!

It's nice to know some people understand this! It encourages me!

Much love!

well, i guess i'm getting you a la sin, and i was just trying to apply that to things we do habitually that would not be deemed sin...working for food, feathering our nests, plowing our own ground iow so to speak. Yes, all is forgiven except the one i guess

 

[VictoryinJesus]

true. However, this is sin, not perfect love. It still needs the work of the Potter

Very true is we need Him. There is a love that ...no matter how hard we try ...we could never fix all that is wrong. No humanitarian is going to transform the world by acts of love...yet His love is not to condemn but to save. There is a love that doesn’t come by our own strength (imo) ...it is a love like no other love. Greater and more excellent. Acts 7:59-60
And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. [60] And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

(Matthew 5:43-47)...speaking of “perfect love”, God speaks of it and how it is only by His Spirit.

 

[bbyrd009]

Serving mankind is one thing. A good thing. Serving God quite another. This is the way of Christ. The first is done in the strength of the flesh. And the latter by the power of the Spirit.

hmm, not getting you here. Seems like the two might be the same? sometimes maybe? But i would say all the time. hmm.

It is a common error to attribute a consecration of oneself to God with holiness. But these are as different as heaven is from earth.

i gues Paul even remarked on this, yeh

 

[bbyrd009]

Could be so but at the same time even “loving others” can become self-indulgence.

word

"codependence"

 

[VictoryinJesus]

How do you mean?

Didn't have an answer fully until this morning. How can “loving others” be self-indulgence? 1 Corinthians 13:1-3 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. [2] And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. [3] And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.

 

[Waiting on him]

Didn't have an answer fully until this morning. How can “loving others” be self-indulgence? 1 Corinthians 13:1-3 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. [2] And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. [3] And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.

Without charity, what you have is a faithful goat.
And goats can be trained, all you need is a carrot a stick and a string.

 

[VictoryinJesus]

i note the onsite xlation at least parenthesis "country," that helps.

this sentence seems to lack an object, not getting you here sorry. Something between "So" and "will?"

this would be easier if we could sans the "barketh, barketh" imo...but anyway yeh, i still find myself "plowing my own ground" and not shepherding, i am doing it right now even. We are trained into it from birth, seems like.

Sorry. I’ve lost it. Basically I’m saying there is a hypocrite who seeks the praise of men and to be seen of men...a goat in me. A fire prepared for that goat to enter into and be consumed. I Could easily get caught up in religion of men...if remembering what we are called to come out of. But then there is also that born of God ...a lamb...which seeks after God with the whole heart following Him where-ever He goes. Only possible by that “worker of iniquity” being (removed)told by the Lord to depart for He never knew her. And I’m in agreement with God in telling that which was born after the flesh and a worker of iniquity to depart...I never knew you. The Old has passed away and all things have become new. The former not brought into remembrance. How sure is God’s word in He said He would remember the sin no more in IF any be of Christ they are a new creature. Consider Saul who sought the praise of men, to be seen of men...how often he rebuked that old way in: do you want me to glory after the flesh. Do you want someone set over you in power? How often Paul said but I haven’t used this power to bring you under bondage. the magnitude of a New Creature only God could separate from Iniquity. Acts 22:19-20 And I said, Lord, they know that I imprisoned and beat in every synagogue them that believed on thee: [20] And when the blood of thy martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by, and consenting unto his death, and kept the raiment of them that slew him.

A murderer. A blasphemer. Chief of all sinners. Yet he said his conscience was clear. Not clear in and of himself but could only be in knowing the power of God to separate that goat from the Lamb.

 

[VictoryinJesus]

Without charity, what you have is a faithful goat.
And goats can be trained, all you need is a carrot a stick and a string.

Fainting goats...how odd. Without the strength and power of God...I would be a fainting goat. 2 Corinthians 4:16 For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.

Luke 21:26 Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.

Mark 4:16-17 And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness; [17] And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word's sake, immediately they are offended.

Matthew 11:6 And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.

 

[VictoryinJesus]

word

"codependence"

“Enabler.”

 

[bbyrd009]

“Enabler.”

enablers are codependents, yeh

 

[Waiting on him]

enablers are codependents, yeh

Reminds me of the gate called beautiful, the religious propped that cripple there every day to have someone to throw their pennies at. Charity comes along and says arise.

 

[bbyrd009]

Reminds me of the gate called beautiful, the religious propped that cripple there every day to have someone to throw their pennies at. Charity comes along and says arise.

word
"your love's like rhinestones, falling from the sky"

 

[Mayflower]

The Lord has been putting this subject on my heart lately. I think that this is an important subject and necessary to understand properly for any kind of spiritual maturity.

Now we all indulge our flesh to some degree and at some point if we are walking in our own strength. There are different levels of indulgence of the flesh...some quite innocuous but others quite or very harmful.

Just when we may think we are not indulging our flesh in carnal things, we may then become indulgers of religious judgment on others for THEIR more obvious indulgences. And this is the very worst kind of indulgence we can undertake. How can we judge others for their indulgences as we indulge our own flesh in judging them?

So we are all in the same boat when we are walking in our own strength...no matter how much or little we seem to be in control of ourselves. Sin is ever present. It is like trying to put too much water into too little a glass. There will be spillage. There will be indulgence. It is our responsibility to see that that spillage is kept under some control...especially in regards to others.

Of course ALL that is not of faith is sin. We sin when we indulge our flesh. But not all sins lead to death (the 2nd death). Some sins are petty sins....sins of omission or carnal preference. We should go easy on people, and ourselves, for these things (unless the Holy Spirit is convicting us).

I have already spoken on the death away from holiness and the presence of God...that is the first death. It was the death experienced by Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden.

But there is another layer of death...and that is a complete loss of life through the destruction of the soul. That is the 2nd death.

There are sins (indulgences) that do lead to death.

So in the flesh we struggle to keep our flesh at bay. Of course no one can do this perfectly (there will be spillages along the way). But this is the human condition of all people that are NOT yet crucified with Christ.

I struggle when my husband works thirds. It is like I have a darkness inside my mind I wish I could just pull out and throw away. Because sometimes when my mind thinks about bad things, and then sometimes for pleasure, it really makes me feel sick afterwards. It is very hard to say no. I am learning I need to pray in the spirit until the urges and thoughts go away. Pray for me in this brothers and sisters. Because I really want even the times where I am alone to be pleasing to God. It is just when I am alone and my daughter is asleep that I struggle with my thought life. It is from games I have played and things I have watched. God is more powerful then any sin/temptation in the flesh or mind.

 

[Waiting on him]

I struggle when my husband works thirds. It is like I have a darkness inside my mind I wish I could just pull out and throw away. Because sometimes when my mind thinks about bad things, and then sometimes for pleasure, it really makes me feel sick afterwards. It is very hard to say no. I am learning I need to pray in the spirit until the urges and thoughts go away. Pray for me in this brothers and sisters. Because I really want even the times where I am alone to be pleasing to God. It is just when I am alone and my daughter is asleep that I struggle with my thought life. It is from games I have played and things I have watched. God is more powerful then any sin/temptation in the flesh or mind.

God loves you mayflower! There’s never a moment that He ever sees anything in you other than Chris, despite what the judges say. Your flesh was judged the moment you turned to Him, and the penalty has already been paid in full.

 

[Episkopos]

God loves you mayflower! There’s never a moment that He ever sees anything in you other than Chris, despite what the judges say. Your flesh was judged the moment you turned to Him, and the penalty has already been paid in full.

This is false of course. (not the love part) The answer to our flesh problems is the cross of Christ and abiding in His power and life...NOT by just ignoring these thinking that God has become blind to sin.

I can only imagine the shock of so many believers that think they can get away with sin by rubbing their bibles so that a "magic Jesus" (like a genie) can continually cover up ongoing sins.

Christians are to seek to enter into His grace in holiness...to be empowered by His holy Spirit. We are to put on Christ...not try handling the spiritual battles in our own strength (thinking it's all covered up anyway).

it seems many have gone down the path of grievous error in denying the sanctifying power of Christ on they who abide in Him.

Who denies the power of Christ? Is God so weak that He can just turn a blind eye continually for sins? Jesus Christ is come. He isn't just an animal that covers up sins...He is the living God who takes away the sins of the world by His Life and power ON a believer who enters into Him.

IN Him is no sin.

The answer is to abide in Christ who knew no sin.

 

[Waiting on him]

This is false of course. (not the love part) The answer to our flesh problems is the cross of Christ and abiding in His power and life...NOT by just ignoring these thinking that God has become blind to sin.

I can only imagine the shock of so many believers that think they can get away with sin by rubbing their bibles so that a "magic Jesus" (like a genie) can continually cover up ongoing sins.

Christians are to seek to enter into His grace in holiness...to be empowered by His holy Spirit. We are to put on Christ...not try handling the spiritual battles in our own strength (thinking it's all covered up anyway).

it seems many have gone down the path of grievous error in denying the sanctifying power of Christ on they who abide in Him.

Who denies the power of Christ? Is God so weak that He can just turn a blind eye continually for sins? Jesus Christ is come. He isn't just an animal that covers up sins...He is the living God who takes away the sins of the world by His Life and power ON a believer who enters into Him.

IN Him is no sin.

The answer is to abide in Christ who knew no sin.

No matter how much lipstick you place on a goat, it’s still a goat.

 

[Episkopos]

The flesh judges that God's love should just cover up the sins of His favourite humans. But God is not like that. His love bore our rebellious natures on the cross so that by entering into Him...by love and faith in Him...we should be just as He is....empowered by His love to overcome sin.

But the flesh will have none of it.

The flesh continues to be rebellious and self-seeking.

God isn't selfish as we are.

The flesh thinks love is self-preserving by nature rather than self-denying. So then there is a huge error in thinking that God champions one person's flesh over anothers'.

God will judge righteously...even as He loves. God in His love has provided the power of the cross to us to destroy our carnal lives so that we can enter into the eternal life of His dear Son...so to be with Him forever. But this can only happen if we reach out to Him by faith...surrendering our entire lives through faith and love ...to Him. His love demands the full surrender of our own love.

There are no half-measures with God. He can empower us to walk as Jesus walked....without sin...very simply by entering into Him.

 

[Episkopos]

No matter how much lipstick you place on a goat, it’s still a goat.

That's why you need to be born from above...by the Spirit. That which is born of flesh is flesh...but that which is born of Spirit is Spirit. Then it remains to put on Christ who is our overcoming power in this life. This is done by faith.

So then turn to the living God in a surrender of your fleshly life seeking HIS new life in a new birth from above. Cry out to put on Christ who is our power in this world. Then you will be able to walk with Jesus in the very same power He did when He walked this earth. We have this treasure in earthen vessels.

Jesus was a man yet He knew no sin. And His gift to us is the perfected humanity He came to perfect for us...HIS life. Jesus is the way the truth and the life. Enter into Him and walk in His grace.

 

[Episkopos]

Self-indulgence demands a flesh gospel whereby we continue to walk as we always have...justified by continuing in the weakness of sinful flesh. Behold all things are become the same old same old???

No...all things have become new....not a new way to sin or a new coverup for old sins...but a new life in Christ who knew no sin.

Carnal gratification is looking for a loophole whereby sin no longer leads to death.

So the flesh demands the law be changed to..."the soul that sins...it shall live!" ????

But Jesus didn't come to pamper our flesh...but to crucify it to His cross....so that we walk in His resurrection life.

 

[Episkopos]

Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. Jesus put on OUR flesh to perfect a walk in holiness IN OUR flesh. Otherwise why would He come all the way here?

So then they who walk in sin deny the resurrection of Christ...not in word...but in power. These also deny that Jesus was fully human. (Again not in word....but in a lacking faith)

Jesus was fully human as well as fully God. When we put on Christ we put on HIS perfected humanity. They who say they abide in Him ought to walk EXACTLY as He did.