What about the many Christians who are struggling with mental illnesses, or old sins from their unsaved days? There is plenty to “blackmail” them with, and the world will do so. I remember talking with a man who says he didn’t act very Christian on a given day when he yelled at someone. This is also why so many people don’t want to share their faith. They may be divorced or have a kid whose not behaving. There’s something missing in the current gospel message today, (not the gospel, but the gospel message).

I wonder how Jesus or even Paul would have responded if they had received a letter like Dave did. Would they have felt blackmailed or would the response be that “There could be no evidence to show it, because it’s not a fact.”? I believe that for Paul the facts were that he chose a life with God where God lived in Paul and transformed him from the inside out through living in him and Paul confessed his sins and had been forgiven, living openly and honestly before God and man about the mistakes he had made and how God had changed him. It seems like few Christians are living really open, authentic and transparent lives and we live knowing that we too could one day be exposed by someone. Wouldn’t it be better for us to confess our sin and deal with it now so that from this point forward we can live free and unencumbered by our sin and this risk of exposure?

It was a Christian named Paul who owned up to being the worst of all immoral people…essentially saying, “you want to know who to expect to be superior in wrongdoing, count on me, the Apostle Paul…not some talk show host. Not proud of it, but Dave L. has nothing on me.”

What may be more helpful is…because Christians believe that good people don’t go to heaven but only those that realize they are far worse than they first realized, we actually now don’t have to wait to be blackmailed before we confess. In fact, if part of growing in the Christian faith is deepening repentance, we not only expect to fail but have to assume it (otherwise we will think we’re better than the buddhist or jew) and act superior to everyone else…which we’ve never been guilty of.:)

Enjoyed the article and discussion. Cheers!

Every Buddhist monk, and Jewish people are in active rebellion towards God because they refuse to believe in God’s son.

And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us. 1 Jn. 3:23

If you are not living your life in submission to the Son of God, (which is God the Father’s command to us all) then you, by default, are living for something that is created. (and not the creator)
Therefore,
Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16For everything in the world—the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does—comes not from the Father but from the world. 1 Jn. 2:15-16

Thus, yes Dave, anyone who is outside of Christ is in active rebellion to their Creator.
“Therefore let all Israel (and the whole world) be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.” Acts. 2:36 What else can we expect from people who are in active disobedience, then for them to multiply their disobedience, not only through their rejection of Yaweh’s Son, but through lust, the love of money, sex, pride, self-righteousness, etc. etc.? ? ?
The human race is sinful and is in desperate need of someone who can not only remove the penalty for their sin, but also remove the sinful nature. Praise God for His son who is both willing and able to do both of those things.

grace & peace,

Ian