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Questions
On Growing Stronger In The Lord
Question 1. Why do people
keep on sinning, even after being saved?
Answer First, we
must recognize that sinning is a choice that we make. We are not born sinners, but when we
choose, because of being deceived in some way, to break the law of God, we become sinners.
We sin because we are drawn by our own desires and we take the bate, so to speak. This is
what happened in the beginning and it has continued even now as each of us has chosen to
sin.
GEN 3:1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the Lord God had
made. And he said to the woman, "Indeed, has God said, 'You shall not eat from any
tree of the garden'?"
GEN 3:2 And the woman said to the serpent, "From the fruit of the trees of the garden
we may eat;
GEN 3:3 but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has
said,' You shall not eat from it or touch it, lest you die.' "
GEN 3:4 And the serpent said to the woman, "You surely shall not die!
GEN 3:5 "For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and
you will be like God, knowing good and evil."
GEN 3:6 When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to
the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and
ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate.
JAM 1:13 Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am being tempted by God"; for God
cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone.
JAM 1:14 But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust.
JAM 1:15 Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is
accomplished, it brings forth death.
But, when we become Christians, we make another choice, to submit to God and turn from our
sins. When we become a Christian, if we are sincere, we express a desire to leave sin and
follow righteousness. When we believe in Jesus as the Son of God, repent of our sins and
are baptized in water, we begin a new life brought about by a new relationship. This
relationship begins when God forgives us of our sins as we arise from baptism.
ROM 6:1 What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace might increase?
ROM 6:2 May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it?
ROM 6:3 Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have
been baptized into His death?
ROM 6:4 Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, in order that
as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk
in newness of life.
ROM 6:5 For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we
shall be also in the likeness of His resurrection,
ROM 6:6 knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, that our body of sin might
be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin;
ROM 6:7 for he who has died is freed from sin.
Although our relationship changes, we must learn how to live the righteous life and
continue to make the effort to abstain from those things we have learned to do, sins. This
is a process that continues for the rest of our lives. We must grow by applying the
knowledge we gain from the word of God to our lives. As we are growing, at times we do
sin. But, the mercy of God is freely extended to us as we turn from our sins and confess
them to God and to others.
EPH 4:17 ¶ This I say therefore, and affirm together with the Lord, that you walk no
longer just as the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind,
EPH 4:18 being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God, because of
the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart;
EPH 4:19 and they, having become callous, have given themselves over to sensuality, for
the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness.
EPH 4:20 But you did not learn Christ in this way,
EPH 4:21 if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him, just as truth is in
Jesus,
EPH 4:22 that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self,
which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit,
EPH 4:23 and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind,
EPH 4:24 and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in
righteousness and holiness of the truth.
EPH 4:25 ¶ Therefore, laying aside falsehood, speak truth, each one of you, with his
neighbor, for we are members of one another.
EPH 4:26 Be angry, and yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger,
EPH 4:27 and do not give the devil an opportunity.
EPH 4:28 Let him who steals steal no longer; but rather let him labor, performing with his
own hands what is good, in order that he may have something to share with him who has
need.
EPH 4:29 Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good
for edification according to the need of the moment, that it may give grace to those who
hear.
EPH 4:30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of
redemption.
EPH 4:31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from
you, along with all malice.
EPH 4:32 And be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in
Christ also has forgiven you.
1JO 1:5 ¶ And this is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is
light, and in Him there is no darkness at all.
1JO 1:6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie
and do not practice the truth;
1JO 1:7 but if we walk in the light as He Himself is in the light, we have fellowship with
one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.
1JO 1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in
us.
1JO 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to
cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
1JO 1:10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.
1JO 2:1 My little children, I am writing these things to you that you may not sin. And if
anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous;
1JO 2:2 and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also
for those of the whole world. Contact
Gary
Question 2. What does the Bible say
about stewardship?
Answer Actually, quite a lot. When I
looked up the word, I found this entry in the lexicon: 3623 oikonomos {oy-kon-om'-os} from
3624 and the base of 3551; TDNT - 5:149,674; n m
AV - steward 8, chamberlain 1, governor 1; 10
1) the manager of household or of household affairs 1a) esp. a steward, manager,
superintendent (whether free-born or as was usually the case, a freed-man or a slave) to
whom the head of the house or proprietor has intrusted the management of his affairs, the
care of receipts and expenditures, and the duty of dealing out the proper portion to every
servant and even to the children not yet of age 1b) the manager of a farm or landed
estate, an overseer 1c) the superintendent of the city's finances, the treasurer of a city
(or of treasurers or quaestors of kings) 2) metaph. the apostles and other Christian
teachers and bishops and overseers
If we consider God as the 'owner' of all things, then we are just stewards of all that
we have. And we will be judged by how we use what we have. Consider Luke 12:41-48. This
sections teaches we are to live and use the things entrusted to us as if Jesus was
returning soon. We are to be ready at all times.
Luk 12:47 And that servant, who knew his lord's will, and made not ready, nor did
according to his will, shall be beaten with many (stripes); 48 but he that knew not, and
did things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few (stripes). And to whomsoever much
is given, of him shall much be required: and to whom they commit much, of him will they
ask the more.
The principle here seems to be that if God requires according as he has blessed us.
Isn't that stewardship? While we might be tempted to only think of this principle in terms
of physical things - money, etc. - I think it is also true of spiritual things. God has
given us the gospel by the writers of the New Testament. We all have a responsibility to
know and obey it. In addition, we have a responsibility to teach it to others according to
our abilities - stewardship.
Other passages you might study in this regard are Luke 16:1-13, 1 Cor. 4:1-5, Titus
1:7, 1 Peter 4:10. Contact Larry
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