Bubba, I agree with your assessments, if you change the "we" to "I" and the "our" to "my" in your first sentence. :thumb:

 

My point being that you have to make your own choices and work out your own walk with Christ. And so do the rest of us. It is a personal decision and a very personal relationship that each of us have to decide for ourselves where our boundaries are. Your boundaries may not be set in the same places where I set mine and it wouldn't be prudent of me to force my boundaries upon you.

 

And I'm not saying we should tolerate an anything goes attitude towards sin or a hands off approach to our brothers or sisters whom we love when we see them in sin. (or when they engage in something that we consider to be a sin, like drinking) We have a responsibility to use gentleness and love and go to them and talk to them about it and share our concerns.

 

Jesus said our greatest commandment is to love God with all our hearts and all our souls and all our minds. And the second greatest commandment was to love our neighbor as ourself.

 

To me, those two commands contain a world of awesome responsibilities and opportunities to let Christ be seen in us and share his love. And a part of that is that responsibility to talk to our brother who we see in any kind of sin, as long as we do it with patience, kindness and love and concern for that brother, and not do it out of our own pride or a holier than thou need to be "right".

 

I don't think you are trying to be holier than thou, and it seems to me that you are wanting to talk about the issue you consider sin. And even though I may not agree with everything you believe, I do applaud your effort and I feel like I can disagree with you and we can discuss these issues with a mutual respect.

 

BUT, we have to really listen to each other and be considerate and neither of us can take a narrow minded "My Way or the Highway" approach to it or we will likely walk away frustrated and neither of us will have learned anything.

Careful Toots... you're starting to make sense again...

Bubba, I agree with your assessments, if you change the "we" to "I" and the "our" to "my" in your first sentence. :thumb:

 

My point being that you have to make your own choices and work out your own walk with Christ. And so do the rest of us. It is a personal decision and a very personal relationship that each of us have to decide for ourselves where our boundaries are. Your boundaries may not be set in the same places where I set mine and it wouldn't be prudent of me to force my boundaries upon you.

 

And I'm not saying we should tolerate an anything goes attitude towards sin or a hands off approach to our brothers or sisters whom we love when we see them in sin. (or when they engage in something that we consider to be a sin, like drinking) We have a responsibility to use gentleness and love and go to them and talk to them about it and share our concerns.

 

Jesus said our greatest commandment is to love God with all our hearts and all our souls and all our minds. And the second greatest commandment was to love our neighbor as ourself.

 

To me, those two commands contain a world of awesome responsibilities and opportunities to let Christ be seen in us and share his love. And a part of that is that responsibility to talk to our brother who we see in any kind of sin, as long as we do it with patience, kindness and love and concern for that brother, and not do it out of our own pride or a holier than thou need to be "right".

 

I don't think you are trying to be holier than thou, and it seems to me that you are wanting to talk about the issue you consider sin. And even though I may not agree with everything you believe, I do applaud your effort and I feel like I can disagree with you and we can discuss these issues with a mutual respect.

 

BUT, we have to really listen to each other and be considerate and neither of us can take a narrow minded "My Way or the Highway" approach to it or we will likely walk away frustrated and neither of us will have learned anything.

 

Do you think that maybe this is the reason for many Christians not even attending a church on a regular basis? I am sure after reading the gospels and the Book of Acts that the Apostles had different view points about certain subjects, but as you stated they loved one another.

Do you think that maybe this is the reason for many Christians not even attending a church on a regular basis? I am sure after reading the gospels and the Book of Acts that the Apostles had different view points about certain subjects, but as you stated they loved one another.

For me it was a combination of two churches in a row that tried a new business model and suffered for it and the hipocrosy we ran headfirst into in the church.

Careful Toots... you're starting to make sense again...

 

Now I am worried. :eek: If I am making sense to you, there must be something wrong with me. :lol:

 

j/k FB, I actually consider that an accomplishment.

Now I am worried. :eek: If I am making sense to you, there must be something wrong with me. :lol:

 

j/k FB, I actually consider that an accomplishment.

No compliment taken... :lol:

 

I figured out there was something wrong with me years ago. :thumb:

Larry Mahoney didn't mean to do what he did he just drank too much. If he had gone to Ryans and ate too much would he have gotten on I-71 the wrong way? I don't think so.

Do you think that he could of went to Ryans ate way to much,then driving home on I-71 he has a heart attack looses control crosses over the medium?

I know thats what didn't happen but something like that can happen.

the Lord hasn't struck me down tonight.

the Lord hasn't struck me down tonight.

 

Thankfully, He doesn't do that when we mess up, otherwise none of us would be here right now.

Thankfully, He doesn't do that when we mess up, otherwise none of us would be here right now.

Not sure I am ready to 100% agree with this because there are MANY, MANY Old Testament issues of him doing that exact thing.

Not sure I am ready to 100% agree with this because there are MANY, MANY Old Testament issues of him doing that exact thing.

 

You couldn't be saved in the Old Testament either.

I personally don’t have a problem with someone drinking during dinner or just on occasion. I also don’t think that it is a sin if done in moderation. My wife likes to have a drink when we go out to eat. I don’t drink, but it is because I can’t stand the taste of any alcohol. It tastes terrible to me.

Not sure I am ready to 100% agree with this because there are MANY, MANY Old Testament issues of him doing that exact thing.

 

Then maybe I should have also added that thankfully we live under the New Covenant and not the old one...

You couldn't be saved in the Old Testament either.

 

What exactly do you mean by that?

What exactly do you mean by that?

 

Jesus wasn't sacrificed for our sins yet...