Secondly, faith increases the joy of sexual relations in marriage because it frees from the guilt of the past. I didn't say much about this last week because I had in view, mainly, single people who still had in front of them the chance to go the way of purity and freedom, or the way of unchastity and bondage. What would you say to a person about to commit a sexual sin because he was confident God would forgive him? I would say (and have said to such a person): "If you believe that what you are about to do is sin, and you decide to do it because God has promised to forgive sin, then probably your decision will be evidence that you are not born again, you are not a Christian but are still 'in the gall of bitterness and the bond of iniquity (Acts 8:23)."' ''Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound?" Paul asks in Romans 6:1, 2, and answers, "By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?" Those who are born of God and love Jesus cannot walk up to Jesus as he hangs on the cross and say, "I know that you are suffering now for my sins and that it is your dying wish that I sin no more. But there's this one need that I have that I can only satisfy by sinning, so I hope you'll understand as I thrust this other sword into your side. There now. I sure am glad that every time I do that your blood forgives me." Those who have been born of God cannot think like that. So all I have to say to a person before he chooses to commit sin is, "Advance at your own peril. There may be no forgiveness, because you may be so decisively hardened by crucifying Christ afresh (Hebrews 6:6) that you will not be able to find genuine repentance anymore (Hebrews 12:16, 17)."
I don't think I know Jesus at all. I am still in the gall of bitterness and the bond of iniquity. Oh to find true repentance, and true salvation.
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After that passage in Hebrews 6:6, it says:
9 Dear friends, even though we are talking this way, we really don’t believe it applies to you. We are confident that you are meant for better things, things that come with salvation.
10 For God is not unjust. He will not forget how hard you have worked for him and how you have shown your love to him by caring for other believers, as you still do.
11 Our great desire is that you will keep on loving others as long as life lasts, in order to make certain that what you hope for will come true.
12 Then you will not become spiritually dull and indifferent. Instead, you will follow the example of those who are going to inherit God’s promises because of their faith and endurance.
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