so...i shaved my head today after raymond wanted some practice with his barber tools. i have to say it is really breezy up there now :P, not to mention interesting in appearance.
haha...my dream of being bald at least once in my life is now complete. i'll have pictures up soon hopefully (or from sean, since he took pics)
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Sunday, April 11, 2010
freedom from sin
Recently, God has taught me the importance of the Gospel and what it means in my life. Many churches teach and many people believe in a Gospel that says you are free from the punishments of sin. They teach how you are free from the harm, the repercussions, and the "bad things" that sin brings. While that is true, that is NOT the full Gospel.
If Jesus died to merely relieve us of the hefty punishments of sin, then that is meaningless. My Jesus did not die to just 'forgive' my sins, but He died to free from its bondage. Let me explain. Many 'Christians' believe that the Jesus has forgiven our sins, but continue sinning (the same habitual sin) thinking that they do not have any fault any more.
BUT WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? Nothing. Jesus did not die to ONLY forgive sins. He died to free us from the bondage of sin, from the seemingly-never-ending cycle of pain and suffering. He died so we might have LIFE in Him. And if this life in Him is genuine, where does sin belong? (it was a rhetorical question, but the answer is nowhere)
5If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection. 6For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with,[a] that we should no longer be slaves to sin— 7because anyone who has died has been freed from sin.
8Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. 10The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.
Freedom from sin does not entail only forgiveness; it is a part of it, but the greater part is the freedom from sin itself, to be able to live life without sin whatsoever. Being a slave to righteousness, to God, means you cannot be bound to sin at all. It is impossible to be both a slave to sin and a slave to God.
If Jesus died to merely relieve us of the hefty punishments of sin, then that is meaningless. My Jesus did not die to just 'forgive' my sins, but He died to free from its bondage. Let me explain. Many 'Christians' believe that the Jesus has forgiven our sins, but continue sinning (the same habitual sin) thinking that they do not have any fault any more.
BUT WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? Nothing. Jesus did not die to ONLY forgive sins. He died to free us from the bondage of sin, from the seemingly-never-ending cycle of pain and suffering. He died so we might have LIFE in Him. And if this life in Him is genuine, where does sin belong? (it was a rhetorical question, but the answer is nowhere)
5If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection. 6For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with,[a] that we should no longer be slaves to sin— 7because anyone who has died has been freed from sin.
8Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. 10The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.
Freedom from sin does not entail only forgiveness; it is a part of it, but the greater part is the freedom from sin itself, to be able to live life without sin whatsoever. Being a slave to righteousness, to God, means you cannot be bound to sin at all. It is impossible to be both a slave to sin and a slave to God.
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