:5 born in sin. (Not just David, but all of us. This isn't talking about just being flesh, having flesh or having sex. But rather about having a nature that will both sin & die. Human nature sins. Human nature is not perfect like GOD is. His ways are not naturally our ways. His thoughts are not naturally our thoughts. We have to receive the Mind of Christ.)
Romans 5:12 Sin & death came to all mankind via Adam & Eve. We inherited their mind/personality of sin/rebellion against GOD, even as we also did inherit weaknesses & strengths of our parents & grandparents.
Romans 7:14-25 Apostle Paul's struggles with sin.
1 Tim. 1:13-16 Apostle Paul was chief/foremost of sinners. Current tense, not past tense.
Testimony: I don't stand here as someone who has already attained perfection. But rather as someone who has learned that I should not completely give up striving for perfection just because I have made some mistakes.
Nov. 9, 2004 I stopped leaving GOD every time I made a mistake. I learned to stick with it. Perseverance!
Before then, I would go back and forth, in and out of church, because I felt like giving up because I felt like a hypocrite. But leaving the church and stopping trying to live for GOD was NOT the answer to that. The right answer would have been to persevere and ask GOD's forgiveness and try to do the best that I could do, and take necessary steps to avoid repeating the same sins. To just stop trying isn't the answer. To just embrace the sins is not the answer. To leave GOD is not the answer. To stop attending church services isn't the answer. The answer is to try harder, stay in church & put your mind MORE on Christ, not less, and to put sinners out of your life if they would hold you in bondage, be MORE strong against the sin and be proactive against the sin.
Peter denied Christ at least 9 times. So Peter sinned much also! But both Peter and Paul were truly called of GOD and chosen servants of His and ministers of the church. So was Samson who had sex with prostitutes, because that was part of his specific calling to make friends with the Palestinians in order to destroy them.
Mark 2:16-17 Many times, Jesus chooses people who are extremely sinful. He didn't come to save the righteous, but the lost.
Philippians 2:12 Work out your salvation with fear & trembling.
NOT just saying that you must already be saved just because of baptism or keeping of the laws. But rather knowing that GOD will require perfection/completion from us.
Not permission to sin willfully. But rather, just encouragement to not give up when we make mistakes, no matter how big or how small. Many of my sins have been HUGE! But JESUS has not left me and I have not left Him in these pass 15 years! I refuse to give up!
Col.3:5 Put to death spiritually what is sinful nature inside of all of us. This does require working out our salvation with fear and trembling. But we need not to be depressed about it. Just work hard at it and press forward and never give up. Christ makes the way through The HOLY Ghost. He lives inside of us and works inside of us and transforms us.
Romans 12:1-3 Be Transformed by the RENEWING (Remaking) of our mind.
:3 Humble self. We've all been guilty.
2 Cor. 3:18 Look in the mirror to see The Glory of The LORD if He is inside of you. We are being transformed/changed/remade from glory to glory. From what He greatly made at creation and birth, to what He is currently still creating, an even greater creation in you.
The Master Potter is still in the process of making each & every one of us.
Philippians 1:6 He is Faithful to FINISH The Work He began in us!
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