Sex out side of marriage
May I just say that a community of Christians IS the church, and it says in the Bible..so they were right on that one. Not so sure about the no Sunday thing.. thats one for discussion..
I know a number of Christians who have fallen away from church for a number of reasons. In many cases I think it comes from disillusionment and hurt. That is more true in charismatic churches than any other I think, because of the dangers of human arrogance.
For example, one of the big reasons I left my previous church was because one of the leaders basically believed all her words had God's authority. I do believe God can communicate with us and through us (subject to His Word of course), but she had such a lust for authority that she couldn't tell the difference between God's words and her own. She ended up driving away a lot of people from that church through false accusation, manipulation, and other terrible things.
That kind of thing can make people very distrustful of church. And what's more worrying is that those kinds of churches are often built on some ideas that grew originally from the "shepherding movement". The result is that church leaders and pastors have too much control and influence over people, to the point that members become dependent on them. Take the member out of that situation and suddenly they feel spiritually lost, and what they thought was a strong faith suddenly falls apart.
The consequence is often people who are hurt and distrustful of church. They might even blame God because they don't realise who was really at fault, so over time they start to reject Him and His Word.
Unfortunately many Christians are (or can seem) quite judgmental when someone has fallen into sin, so it's hard for some folks ever to feel welcome at church again.
Sorry for the rather long reply! Anybody interested in this topic should read a book called "Post Charismatic?" by Rob McAlpine. It's a very interesting read.
Well this is how I see it :
2 Timothy 4:3 NKJV
For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine,
but according to their own desires, because they have itching
ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers;
Titus 1:9 NKJV
Holding fast the faithful word as he has been taught, that he may
be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who
contradict.
Elysia
Yes, it is such a shame that the devil has got into these ladies
life and deceived these people who God had called. Now blind to
his grace and mercy, his unconditional love.
Feel nothing but compassion, that God’s grace will reach their
heart again, free their hearts and minds so that they can be
totally open to Gods will for their lives. That what he has in
store for them is so much more, when they live in his will and
blessing.
The song says “Jesus paid it all“, there is nothing that we could
pay, to settle this debt, and the best news is, it is all free
:-) We may get knocked down, but he gives us the strength to rise
and fight another day.
I think that problems begin in all sorts of areas, not least in relationships, when we look to things / people other than God to provide our validation and sense of worth. Other people may be the agents of God's healing in our lives, but they cannot and must not be the primary source. Sadly, disillusionment with church, or family, or friends can be projected onto God, until we begin to see him as a strict headmaster, rather than a loving Father who seeks only our good and wholeness; his love and desire to protect us is why the 'rules' are there, and that is why we break them at our peril. Thanks to his wonderful, immeasurable, unstoppable grace and mercy, worked by Jesus on the cross, a failure does not bring an end to our place as his beloved child, but as Paul says 'am I to keep on sinning that Grace may abound? BY NO MEANS' We must not use our freedom as a licence to do as we please, however great the societal pressure, and however strong the motivation to 'feel better' by giving in to temptation.
i don't understand the correlation in this isssue helena sweetheart , you titled your agony as ''sex outside of marriage'' and started with that in your discuss but then you went on to mention people or christians who do not attend fellowship with other believers. are you implying these two are an ongoing fad or that people that do not attend group fellowship are those that subscribe to sex outside of marriage.
to me these two could be an ongoing fad but have no correlation. some people that attend group fellwoship with other believers have sex out side of matrimony. while others that do not attend group fellowship do not have sex outside of marriage.
To those that do not attend fellowship with other believers i would like to exhort you to ask the LORD to lead you to the pastors HE has set over you who will feed you and care for you ( Jeremiah 23:4)and also lead you to the fellowship of believers He has for you, because He said '' we should not neglect the assemblying of ourselevs as others advocate but let us fellowship with one another even as we see the day( the day of the coming of The Lord) approaching'' ( in the bible).As the sheep have shepherds feeding them and having the care over them , so does the christian. firstly Christ is our great shepherd and He has shepherds which are pastors that He has set over us; to recieve from Him and give unto us in feeding and care!. God is a God of order He does everything as He sets it, He confirmed this when He told the Apotle Peter ''.......HE saith unto him ( Peter) feed my sheep'' John 21 15-17. He has set His servants in the fivefold ministry ; apostle, prophets, evangelist, pastors and teachers for the perfecting of us the saints and for the work of the ministry.we are all parts of His body and each of us have a purpose and use . As each part of the body cannot exist individually but in union that is how the christian community is, so that there is no schism ( 1CORINTHIANS 12: 1-31, IS ALL ON THE CHURCH, PURPOSE AND USE--AS SET BY GOD)
While on the issue of sex outside marriage either before marriage or while in it, it is a sin that we should strive not to engage in. we have help with The LORD for that because one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit who is our unction is; self control!. so if and when we ask The Lord for His help for our sexual appetites He will help us by the power of HIS HOLY SPIRIT. Who is the anointing in us and upon us, He is our help and comforter!. after all it is God that works in us( if we let Him by asking Him and allowing Him to) both to will and to do of His good pleasure (Phillipians 2: 13).God bless
Loulou, I agree wholeheartedly with what you say. You are so much better at putting it than me..
Karen - I may not be understanding what you said but sex within marraige is not a sin.. ! It is a wonderful gift!
Karen, look at the the very first post.
I was told be someone " A post evangelical is someone who has
grown beyond charamatic/pentecostal/evangelical church structures
and practices. They don't go to church on a sunday anymore, as they believe that church is the community of people they meet with and
live around during the week. I think as a result of the above, they
believe that Sex before and outside of marriage is ok, and other
relationships as you can imagine.
When you are isolated from the body, it is so easy for the devil to
pick you off, and destroy you.
I think sex before marriage is ok - if it's within a relationship and not some sort of one night stand. Sex and love are gifts from God. I know there are extracts from the Bible which rebuke this, but what, ultimately, did Jesus teach on the subject? I might be wrong, but I don't think He even commented on it.
Jesus didn't talk about [deleted] but it is a sin as it is committing adultery in your heart.
Sex should be kept for marriage, just look at society and the mess it's in with families in decline.
les sweetheart what you are saying is true and correct when someone is outside fellowship he falls prey . but there are some people that go church and have human fellowship but do not have fellowship with The LORD. I believe the right thing and set by thw word of THE Lord is first fellowship with The Lord and then with other believers. and having one without the other are both dangerous. some people go to church and because they do not have fellwoship with The Lord and with His Spirit, they fall prey to sex outside marriage . like i said earlier , when we have the fellowship( participation) of The Holy Spirit He produces His fruits in us; one of which is self control; the ability to control all forms of lusts.
God bless
I thought this was a fluke and a one off, but it looks like there
maybe more people that feel that this is acceptable.
I was told be someone " A post evangelical is someone who has
grown beyond charamatic/pentecostal/evangelical church structures
and practices. They don't go to church on a sunday anymore, as they believe that church is the community of people they meet
with and live around during the week. Sex before marriage is ok
How many people believe that ?