Born Again Christians, Sin and Repentance

[CynthiaCypher]

One of the most bothersome aspects of Born Again Christianity is their attitudes towards sin and repentance. Many Born Again Christians are very vehement in condemning the sins of others such as homosexuality and abortion but when confronted with their own sins more than likely you will get these little nuggets:

"Yes, I am a sinner but if I repent God if faithful and just to forgive me"

"There is no condemnation for those in Christ"

So basically what we have is that some Christians not understanding the concept of repentance believing that they through Christ have somehow acquire a free pass to sin. What many fail to realize is that repentance is more than just saying sorry to God.

You'll notice that the more mainstream and traditional sects of Christianity have a more complex view of repentance involving reformation of one's character in conformity with Christ (perfection), penance and restitution of those you have wrong.

But yet the Born Again model seems to lack these things and offers a quick and easy solution to a guilty conscience. If one lived a life of being a total jerk to one's neighbor, all you have to do is go to the meeting, take the altar call and say sorry to Jesus to be saved. Afterward you can go back to being a jerk, but this time a Spirit filled jerk who can condemn one's neighbor but is freed from sin because there is no condemnation for those in Christ?

Don't you think that this kind of attitude is dangerous and anti-social? Maybe this is the reason that many Born Again Christians have become so judgmental of others? Is Born Again Christianity offering something that really does not truly and accurately reflect the Christian faith?

 

[Jainarayan]

I think BACs are guilty of the sin of pride.

 

[CynthiaCypher]

I think BACs are guilty of the sin of pride.

I firmly believe that the self-righteousness and pridefulness of the BAC's stems from their attitudes about sin and repentance. They have a free pass with God, that would puff up any ego.

 

[Falvlun]

I don't see it as necessarily believing that they have a free pass. It's more like they believe that some sins are worst than others, and their sins aren't really on par with murduring fetuses or loving someone of the same gender.

 

[ChristineES]

We Christians DO NOT have any free pass. We just can't keep on sinning, that is where the repentance comes in. Once you repent, you are not supposed to go back to what you were doing. I am not sure where people get the idea of a "free pass", but I am telling you, Christians just can't keep sinning and it is also written that we "have to make it right" if we harm someone or steal from someone or whatever. And if a person is in prison, becoming a Christian is not going to get them out of prison- they still have to carry out the penalty of the laws they live under. And we still live under our country's laws.

But we also believe that we don't have to please anyone but God. Usually, though, we can please God and others as well (but not some).

 

[CynthiaCypher]

I don't see it as necessarily believing that they have a free pass. It's more like they believe that some sins are worst than others, and their sins aren't really on par with murduring fetuses or loving someone of the same gender.

That 's a problem too. They seem to have a heirarchy of sins, with their own sins has the least amongst sins and homosexuality being the oerse sin ever but when we look at what the BIble actually teaches we see something different.

"Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God" (1 Cor. 6:9-11).

"Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God" (Gal. 5:19-21).

"For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God" (Eph. 5:5).

Now just the sin of variance or factions would put every Christian on the face of the Earth in sin because Christianity is a sectarian religion. Now look at being covetous and envying, do you think any conservative Christian is going to say "Oh no I coveted, I am just as bad as a gay!" Nope, what they will say is that "There is no condemnation in Christ" and go back to being Republicans.
​

 

[CynthiaCypher]

We Christians DO NOT have any free pass. We just can't keep on sinning, that is where the repentance comes in. Once you repent, you are not supposed to go back to what you were doing. I am not sure where people get the idea of a "free pass", but I am telling you, Christians just can't keep sinning and it is also written that we "have to make it right" if we harm someone or steal from someone or whatever. And if a person is in prison, becoming a Christian is not going to get them out of prison- they still have to carry out the penalty of the laws they live under. And we still live under our country's laws.

But we also believe that we don't have to please anyone but God. Usually, though, we can please God and others as well (but not some).

Christine, you might have been taught different but many BAC's have been taught a very simplistic message that if they do sin all they have to is say sorry to Jesus and then they will be ok. The periodical Christianity Today even recently publish an article about how this sort of juvenilization of Evangelical Christianity is happening at a troubling rate.

I have heard this stuff from many Christians when I have talked to them about the issue of sin and judging others for their sins. Many BAC's see themselves as priveleged as if they could "accidently" sin or backslide and well just go say sorry to Jesus and smell like roses. Most BAC's I know believe that perfection is not a possible goal even though that is what has been taught by the traditional and more mainstream churches for centuries. One of the primary goals of a Christian is perfection and conforming yourself into the likeness of Christ.

 

[gzusfrk]

I guess their not bac's after all.

 

[fallingblood]

One of the most bothersome aspects of Born Again Christianity is their attitudes towards sin and repentance. Many Born Again Christians are very vehement in condemning the sins of others such as homosexuality and abortion but when confronted with their own sins more than likely you will get these little nuggets:

"Yes, I am a sinner but if I repent God if faithful and just to forgive me"

"There is no condemnation for those in Christ"

So basically what we have is that some Christians not understanding the concept of repentance believing that they through Christ have somehow acquire a free pass to sin. What many fail to realize is that repentance is more than just saying sorry to God.

You'll notice that the more mainstream and traditional sects of Christianity have a more complex view of repentance involving reformation of one's character in conformity with Christ (perfection), penance and restitution of those you have wrong.

But yet the Born Again model seems to lack these things and offers a quick and easy solution to a guilty conscience. If one lived a life of being a total jerk to one's neighbor, all you have to do is go to the meeting, take the altar call and say sorry to Jesus to be saved. Afterward you can go back to being a jerk, but this time a Spirit filled jerk who can condemn one's neighbor but is freed from sin because there is no condemnation for those in Christ?

Don't you think that this kind of attitude is dangerous and anti-social? Maybe this is the reason that many Born Again Christians have become so judgmental of others? Is Born Again Christianity offering something that really does not truly and accurately reflect the Christian faith?

I come from a Born Again background. I was baptized into such a congregation, and even ordained. I can tell you from my experience, the way you are presenting these individuals is quite opposite of what is taught.

Being Born Again doesn't give one a free pass. Actually, it means that they must constantly ask for forgiveness. At the same time, they must try to abstain from sinning, and live a life as Christ would have.

That means they don't have the right to be a jerk, as that is against the basic teachings of most Born Again congregations. Sure, some do exactly that, and are truly jerks. However, they don't represent the larger group. Instead, they are taught that they must like a life in a Christlike fashion. And for them, that means they must spread the word of God, and try to turn others from sin. Now, they may be misguided, but you are portraying them inaccurately.

 

[siweLSC]

I come from a Born Again background. I was baptized into such a congregation, and even ordained. I can tell you from my experience, the way you are presenting these individuals is quite opposite of what is taught.

Being Born Again doesn't give one a free pass. Actually, it means that they must constantly ask for forgiveness. At the same time, they must try to abstain from sinning, and live a life as Christ would have.

That means they don't have the right to be a jerk, as that is against the basic teachings of most Born Again congregations. Sure, some do exactly that, and are truly jerks. However, they don't represent the larger group. Instead, they are taught that they must like a life in a Christlike fashion. And for them, that means they must spread the word of God, and try to turn others from sin. Now, they may be misguided, but you are portraying them inaccurately.

There are some "Christians" who believe that we get a total free pass, even if not the BACs you assiciate with. Hyper-Calvinists do (I think). Hyper-Calvinists also believe that as everyone is predestined, we don't need to bother spreading the gospel.

 

[uu_sage]

The way that I see it is that as Christians regardless of our denominational background or tradition, are seeking to grow into the stature of Christ (being aligned with his teaching and example, forgiving as he did, welcoming people as Jesus did, serving as he did) All of us no matter our faith tradition or lack thereof are prone to falling short, missing the mark and doing things that hurt other. When we have fallen short or hurt somebody we need to reconcile with the ones we have harmed. God will always forgive but even with God's forgiveness we need to reconcile with those we wronged. What does it profit a person to have forgiveness from God while neglecting reconciliation with the one they harmed? Unfortunately some of my sisters and brothers in Christ (mostly in the Evangelical or fundamentalist world) absolve any responsibility for their actions by projecting their sin and evil unto Satan or even Jesus. In the case of Satan, they argue that since the devil is the author of evil, then it is ok to plant people's sin on Satan because the devil is evil. In the case of Jesus, they argue that since Jesus died for them they no longer sin or Jesus becomes a scapegoat because their sins are washed in the blood of the lamb. Just because people are forgiven doesn't mean you are perfect or free from messing up. I can speak from experience because I was raised an Evangelical in Baptist and Lutheran traditions.