Some people will never cease to amaze me, christian or otherwise, but especially Christians. To say that we are using God because we have sinned and feel the need to be forgiven. Paul said, I don't do what I should and do things I know I shouldn't , that came from Paul, xzander, if Paul sinned when he knew he shouldnt have, what must you think of him, a more rightous man, other than Jesus, in my opinion, didn't exist. We have all failed to meet the great standards that Jesus held and live by, but thankfully I am not Jesus Christ, but I do strive to be like him, but I miss the target each and everytime, am I going to hell as a sinner.................N ope. Its not by my works that I am saved, but only because of the grace of God. I am saved by the grace of God, and nothing more, nothing less.
Having the Holy Spirit with us after we become Christians is prove enough for me that God is still in my life, no matter what I do. God saved me not for what I did or do, but because I came to him with an honest heart and asked him into my life to become my Lord and Saviour, done deal. That doesn't give me a license to sin, and God will change us from the inside, to show people on the outside that we have changed, but it doesn't happen over night, and to say that backsliders are not still saved or a Christian still, is absolutely WRONG. If there are new Christians out there, its so important for you to understand that, we don't lose our salvation, never, never, never. God will be there with you always. Can you imagine how much harder it is to live a life for Christ, than it is to live a  life of this world, let me tell you from expreience , that it is and or will be the toughest thing you have ever done, but the most rewarding as well.
I know I have probably missed out on a few points here and may come back to add on to this, but felt it so very important that I say how I feel. Xzander I hope that you are able to keep an open mind to this, we can all change and do, you should know that yourself, may God bless you and keep you in his favour.

Love you all,

Kim

I think God is not that simplistic, or harsh ::amen!::The characters you mentioned that were not Christians,  I'm all of them and more, or have been at sometime during my Christian walk, noticed I said walk, because the Holy Spirit was with me the whole time, ( I will never leave you, sound familiar???) encouraging me, convicting (not condemning, God does not condemn, he convicts) me when I did wrong and let me know that I needed to ask for forgiveness, genuinely, not flippantly, off the cuff, without thinking kind of forgiveness, but thought through sincerity, there is a difference, hard to think you can't see that, you seem to be someone who thinks about what he has to say, so I'm surprised. You seem to me that you are taking the bible from the old testament, God knew that it was too hard for us to live up to those standards set in those times, hence the coming of a baby named Jesus, to save the world from itself, if to only believe that he came and died for our sins, and to accept him as my Lord and Saviour was a life changing moment, but it was a moment, though I felt the instantaneous change in my heart, I was only 14, and the euphoria didn't last, it would be many years later that I would come to realize what I needed to do, to keep myself close to God. I now have a daily dialog with God, that I initiate, because I know he wants my time and attention, to be given willingly. For that I get blessing's, knowledge, internal peace while here on earth, wisdom, the love of family, I am very blessed to have what I have and I know without a doubt, that God may not have been with me during the times of sin, but he sure was there to pick up the pieces afterwards, like the footprints in the Sand, it was he who carried me through all my toughest times in my life  .
Well brother/sister, I guess I will leave it at that and I will pray that God gives both of us the direction that is right, I'm not saying that I believe I am 100% right or wrong, I'm just going by what I feel God is putting on my heart, I think to let people know he's all about love, and not just hell and brimstone, is the way to bring people to him, to feel that void in their lives that only God can fill. Having said that,  I'm no fool, I know that God commands us to be of good stewards once we become Christians, but if we sin, God doesn't take our salvation away, we don't earn it to begin with.

God bless

Kim

You must have been appointed the one and only official Christian , and apparently the only one who has never sinned since becoming a Christian, lol. I absolutely have faith in my caring , loving father, who will be welcoming me into heaven some day, you are so far off base, I just truly hope that new Christians don't get wind of your teachings, because if they do they might as well pack it in and go to the ways of the world, because there is no hope of ever being a Christian, if thats the criteria we have to meet to become a Christian.
I bet you think that you can lose your salvation for looking at a person with unpure thoughts, or being a smoker, or a liar. What am I talking about, you have already said that, lol. Thank God your the only one living in your shoes. I am praying for a miracle, I know they happen, I happen to be one, but I think that God can change anything, anyone, he chooses to, I hope he can do that for you.
God bless

Kim

God indeed can change anyone, and give the strength to overcome all temptations,
do you not understand when it says, that sin is what seperates us from God. the Lord does not dwell with sin. To sin is too corrupt, and to allow a sinnner into Heaven will never happen.
I have already said that a person that is saved by the grace of the Lord and
forgiven of sin is nolonger a sinner, they are guiltless, they are the ones granted paradise.
But to go back and do it again is just shameful, and wrong thinking, and once again become a sinner.
If you murdered someone, and were forgiven for it, then went and did it again, it's ok because
you already know God, that is just absurd.
In your view everyone goes too heaven when forgiven once, that is just not so.
Keep lying to yourself see where it gets you, but I assure, you are in for a surprise.
Why would you lie if you know better, or smoke, or fornicate,  you think you shall be rewarded for this.
You are misinformed indeed. You are too correct what you know to be wrong, not accept it as your flaw.

But I guess I am just too extreme.

God indeed can change anyone, and give the strength to overcome all temptations,
do you not understand when it says, that sin is what seperates us from God.

These are your words???.......................l ol, I fully understand why God can't be any part of or partisipate in sin, obviously, God is holy, no question. But please don't ever beileive that just because your life is within sin, that your going to hell, God works with you after the fact, lol. He truly does , thats what the inherent feelihngs are within all of us.

Hope that makes a little sense.

Love ya brother,

Kim

It is like your are trying to convince me I am wrong, as I am trying to do the same to you.
We each have a different view, and at least one of us is wrong, why are you so sure it is me.
I say don't sin, you say it is impossible to not sin.
But Jesus did it.

Shall be awarded according to faith.  God is not asking you to walk on water, or get nailed to a cross,
or tortured to death, he lived by faith, and he sinned not, because sin is an act against God,
so if you sin you are no friend of the Lord, how can you not know that.
I do not know what sins you commit, but if you lie, you sin, and that one should easily avoided.
God does not require you to be the best, just to do your best.  And he has given the ability
to fulfill all that he wants from you, you just lack commitment.  You are to stand up for the Lord and do what is right as he did for you.  Never in the bible does it say sin is okay, you corrupt the words,
maybe my belief does frighten, but people should be terrified to believe as you do, for you condone
sin, pity those souls.

If I didn't is that a good enough reason for you?