Brian May 14th, 2008

Gee…..and I thought regeneration meant I received a "new" nature! What was I thinkin'….now I get it! thanks guys!!

Erik May 15th, 2008

Because of my new nature, I'm convicted when I sin. And because of my new nature - because I'm filled with the Spirit of God Himself and I cry out Abba Father - I want to please my Dad. And I try…but I fail. Then I try again. Then I fail again. Then I give up. Then He tells me He's already pleased cause of my Brother, Jesus. Then I Love Him more and want to please Him more and try and GET IT RIGHT! Then I forget and fail again.

1 John 1:8-10 "If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us.

If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us."

This show was about me struggling with that. If I had no new nature, there would be no struggle.

Erik May 15th, 2008

This show was also a public confession of sin. And praise God, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." Amen!

estuardo May 15th, 2008

Hey Erik,

I appreciate the openness, but I was waiting for you to finish the verse (1Cor. 6:9-). I understand that probably wasn't the intent at the time, but the rest of the verse gives us the hope we look for in what you were discussing, I think.

Peace.

Erik May 15th, 2008

estuardo,

Bring it bro. What part do you want to emphasize? I was wingin' it.

estuardo May 15th, 2008

I was thinking, tying the whole thing up with verse 11, …"And that's what some of you WERE, but you were washed, you were scantified, by the blood of Jesus, etc." (I'm parapharsing, obviously). I guess the part that says 'that's what we WERE', but are no longer that, because of who we are now in Christ. That's the hope, at least for me. I will never be rid of the thoughts of how much I've screwed things up in my life, the self-loathing to isolate my pride, etc. But that line in the verse, for me, says that it doesn't matter, we're free from that, even when we keep going back to those thoughts.

It's the image I've always hoped for, of a dad's love for his child, regardless of their insolence toward him.

I'll stop here, I'm babbling now.

shelly May 15th, 2008

I was about to post what estuardo said. "What about the following verse?"

And some of you were these, but you are bathed off, but you are hallowed, but you were justified in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and by the spirit of our God. (1 Corinthians 6:11, Concordant Literal New Testament)

Personally, I think verse 11 is what Paul was trying to get through to the Christians in Corinth in that chapter at that point. Even though people who practice those sorts of behaviours listed in verses 9 and 10 will not inherit the Kingdom of God, and that the Corinthians were among those sorts of people, they're not that anymore, because those sins have been washed away, they've been sanctified and purified by God (and, later on in that chapter, he's saying to them they should glorify God with their bodies).

Thomas May 17th, 2008

That was an excellent show Eric. You articulated what what many former addicts and alchoholics struggle with during their walk with the lord. Unfortunately, because it's so stigmatized in Christian circles it's not encouraged to hash out these issues related to drinking and theology… You should see if Steve can hook you up with a job at RTS as a proffesor, you can teach 'Theology and Debauchary 101'… Keep up the good work I got alot out of it.