Thank you, Mparker for your response and the rest of you for complying with my request.
Shane since I’m rather long winded and I hate reading very long posts myself I will respond in a series of posts instead of just one. I think we have several points to consider and this way maybe they won’t get too tangle up with one another.
How do you know? God sometimes allows us our sin now knowing that eventually we’ll figure it out, or because He knows that we’ll learn/understand our lesson better later on if He gives us enough room to hang ourselves.
Let’s go back and re-examine David’s story. Did God know when David decided to stay home from the war (perhaps a sin in itself, as a king was supposed to be leading his men into battle)? Could God not have averted the whole episode by sending Nathan to David right there at the beginning? But in His wisdom He left David to do as he pleased.
Now David is on the roof looking down at Bathsheba, who probably thinks she’s safe bathing in the evening air because all the men are supposed to be at war. Could God not have sent Nathan (a respected prophet) to tell her not to do it, because David will certainly sin if she does? But God didn’t do it. It was David who sent to Bathsheba to come to the palace. Should Bathsheba have said no? Possibly, but remember she is Soloman’s mother, so think before you answer that one.
Now the deed is done and Bathsheba is pregnant. God could have sent Nathan to David when David was only contemplating killing Uriah and Nathan could have told him the same story about the man with a single lamb. David might have been just as outraged and would have stopped before he committed murder. But God, in His wisdom, didn’t do that either. He allowed David to not commit just one sin but many sins in order that David learn the consequences of impurity and not only for David. Think about it: Do we ourselves not learn to this day from David’s experience?
Sometimes, God lets us sin and continue sinning because He knows that it will suit His purposes in some way and at the same time will turn to good for ourselves.
Chastening
Discussion in 'General Baptist Discussions' started by menageriekeeper, Jun 16, 2008.
Page 2 of 2
-
-
Ro 7:19
For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.
We know what we should do, but we don’t always do it!
Please explain the basis for this belief? Given what I said earlier about how God dealt with David, show me where you come by the understanding that God deals quickly with us.
-
Now you may say that there should be no secrets and in a perfect world that would be the case. We, however, live in a world corrupted by sin and all we can do is trust that our spouse doesn’t have a secret that will harm our marriage. Often, often, often, one spouse will find out that the other holds a secret devastating to their marriage. That, my friend, is the sad reality of life.
-
If I could get a count of have many years this man has cheated on his wife -- and add that to how many months he has been fornicating -- I would surely appreciate that.
Menagerie, the longer these people do such things and are living freely with it, the higher the chance the person is not saved. It is not something that just falls out of the sky one hot July afternoon -- it is something that is embedded in your heart. We're all human, we're going to sin, but we are not going to live like the world and not like a Christian. -
I was basing this on this man's life. It seems to me that this has been going on a very long time now, and if we took into account every single person that SAID they were saved and anytime we see that they aren't acting like it and conclude that God is "chastening" them -- I think we would be fairly disappointed when we get to Heaven. I hate to break it to you menagerie, but there are some people out there that says they are saved, but are not. It is by their fruits we will know them!
1 Corinthians 7:16 - "For what knowest thou, O wife, whether thou shalt save thy husband? or how knowest thou, O man, whether thou shalt save thy wife?" -
-
Ah yes, there are always those who believe/claim they are saved but aren't really. This man may indeed be one of those. I'm not going to discount that possibility. I have seen many a man (even some who were deacons in the church) who had all the world fooled into believing they were saved/Christian but had a deeply seated sin in their lives that even their wives didn't know about for years.
But, it is not for me to say that these men weren't really saved. We can't see the heart of a man.
We also can't say that the wives of such men sinned by marrying them when at the time of marriage the men were carrying on the act of being Christians. Like you say, there are many who only claim salvation but have never experienced it and are only following a set of "rules" that they think make them "Christian".
-
Menagerie, I think it would matter a great deal if someone got "saved", got married, fornicated, and twenty years later -- is still doing the same thing. I'm not sure about you, but when I pick my friends, I pick the ones that are in the will of God or at least act like it 'round me. I would not pick this man. A saved person does not live his new life built on the world, yet (supposedly) "calls" upon God. It may just be a personal thing with me, but I thank God for giving me the ability to see right from wrong in such situations.
We may not be able to say that these wives "sinned" when they married these men, but we certainly can say they sinned when they divorced them. To almost completely eliminate this possibility, date the person for a period of years. See what he/she is like. Do not dive in head first, or you will probably end up in such a situation. If you do, divorce is not the answer. Today, people would rather divorce and go out and get them a new parter (or in other words, commit adultery) than separate from the one they are having troubles with and praying about it -- and have the chance of saving your marriage and to continue in the will of God.
Not if he is already saved. And you and I BOTH got the drift of that scripture, didn't we?! Let's me make the point one more time... DO NOT DIVORCE! And I would say that if this woman would have stayed with her husband and lead him to Christ -- would have had a HUGE impact on him -- wouldn't you say? -
I hate divorce as much as the next person, but not all marriages can be saved. Marriage is not a 50/50 proposition. It is a 100/100 propostion and without that kind of commitment a marriage won't last.
We Christians are given certain advice that if we follow it, we will have a better marriage, but the burden is on the WE. One person can't do it all by themselves with no input from the other. Divorce happens when one party doesn't want to commit.
And the verse "Who knows whether?" The question leaves open the possibility that the wife won't save the husband.
I do think we mostly agree here though. -
-
I'm not arguing divorce in this thread Shane.
And you and I don't have to agree.
:) -
Shane, have you read my post to you?
-
Shane, It sure would be interesting to fast forward about forty years into your life and see where you are and how you talk......
Page 2 of 2