Quote:
Originally Posted by Falla39
My husband's cousin still declares himself an alcohoic even though he hasn't touched a drop in 12 yrs. I would think it would be better to say "a former alcoholic" or, "such WAS I". But then I wasn't an alcoholic, etc. Husband's cousin doesn't claim to be a Christian, or say he's an "alcoholic Christian" either.
Falla39
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Wait... I have to comment here...
There is a false teaching flying here. First, it's said that if you were an alcoholic (or anything else for that matter) and then you’re born again you’re a “new creature”. That’s taken by many to mean that you are not what you used to be. But they are NOT putting this into a biblical context.
First, when one is born again, the Holy Ghost unites their SPIRIT with the Spirit of God bringing eternal life and a new nature to the person’s SPIRIT. By partaking in the divine nature through the work of Jesus Christ and the power of the Spirit a person becomes a “new creature”, meaning a new kind of creature. They are now a human being who is one with God through the Holy Ghost. They now have a new sinless nature to their human spirit. They are…Regenerated.
However, the soul of a person (the psyche, or mind) still needs to be renewed (carnal mind). They may still very well be what they were before mentally (in the soul). As their minds are renewed they are changed with regards to the soul. This is why we may not want certain people with emotional or psychological addictions to go certain places…even though they are born again.
Also, the body of a person (the flesh) may also continue to be prone to a given addiction. For examples the alcoholics body responds to alcohol differently from lets say non-alcoholics. There still may be hormonal imbalances, conditions, etc. Just because someone with a genetic disorder or anomaly is born again and becomes a “new creature” (in their spirit) it doesn’t mean that they physiologically or genetically change. Who would tell a born again recovered alcoholic that it’s okay to just have a “sip”? Who??? I’m praying none of you would. Why? Because we know that while they might be “new creatures” with regards to their spirits…they are still in the flesh and the flesh has yet to be raised, glorified, perfect, and incorruptible.
So a born again alcoholic is indeed that… a born again alcoholic. He or she is a “new creature” with regards to their spirit…but their flesh is still an alcoholic. Else we’d not care and maybe we might even encourage a “sip” for them to prove to the world that they are changed and can handle it.
So don’t mock that born again saint that has gone to AA, cleaned their act up, mended their broken family, and has humbled themselves before God as being powerless against alcohol who says, “I’m an alcoholic.”, or “I’m a born again alcoholic.”
Now, let’s translate this to the subject of this thread. If homosexuals have an innate predisposition in their flesh (flesh is fallen and sinful) towards a certain sinful behavior (as with people that have improper hormonal levels in the brain lending to wrath and violence)… unless they receive a miraculous healing in their flesh (perhaps even down to the hormonal or genetic level)… they may always have said tendencies. If born again, they are a “new creature” with regards to their spirit...but their flesh is very much still the same ol’ flesh it was before being saved. It’s just now the nature of their spirit is holy and their flesh is fallen and sinful like everyone else’s. Now the war between flesh and spirit is on. This is why a “new creature” still has to discipline and mortify their flesh. If they were entirely made a new creature, the sinful nature of the flesh would be eradicated and they’d live without sin effortlessly. The truth is… in the spiritual sense, they are “new creatures”. In the natural sense, the flesh is still gay. And as long as the flesh is a part of them… or for as long as they go without being physically healed… they will be both gay and born again. They will only cease being gay, as it relates to the flesh, when their bodies are raised, glorified, perfected, and without a sinful nature.
I just had to clarify something I’ve been reading that was getting to me. Most don’t understand, or forget about, the various elements of salvation as it relates to justification, regeneration, adoption, sanctification, and final glorification when addressing subject they ASSUME are simple, or cut and dry.
Hybrid Mode
