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Original poster

Does God withhold blessings from Christians who are living in disobedience?

479 replies

Jewcy · 03/05/2013 18:00

I am a Christian but my husband is not. I am desperate to be a better person in God's eyes but can not escape the instruction in 2 Corinth ch 6 re being unequally yoked to non-believers. I am nearly 42 and desperately trying to start a family (I mc'd last year). We are due to fly to the Czech Republic in June for donor egg IVF but I can't help worrying that God will not bless me with a child whilst I continue to willfully live a disobedient life. I entered into a relationship with my husband knowing that it is not God's will for me to be with a non-Christian. Am I to be forever outside of God's will? My prayer life has become almost non-existent as I don't feel I can appeal to the Lord for his blessings re a baby and yet it is all I can think about.

I guess the real problem here is that my obsession with starting a family has superceded my devotion and surrender to God's will. Please help me Sad

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Original poster
Jewcy · 05/05/2013 20:10

In other news, I've had an email from the Czech clinic asking me to choose between the following two egg donors:

Donor A:

  1.  Blood group and Rh factor: 0+

  2.  Eyes: Brown

  3.  Hair: Brown

  4.  Height and Weight: 172 cm/59kg

  5.  Education: Student of Economics

  6.  Hobbies: History, Reading, In-line, Skiing, Swimming, , Theater, Cooking

  7.  Age: 24

She has donated once before ? successfully.

Donor B:

  1.  Blood group and Rh factor: 0+

  2.  Eyes: Brown

  3.  Hair: Brown

  4.  Height and Weight:  170cm/60kg

  5.  Education: Student of Journalism

  6.  Hobbies: Reading, Writing, Movies, Dogs, Walking, Bike, Nature

  7.  Age: 23

She has donated once before ? successfully.

Any thoughts, ladies?

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Original poster
Jewcy · 05/05/2013 20:15

Blimey, daftdame! No, I haven't read that but I'm sat here now with Joyce Meyer's The Confident Woman, which my husband bought for my birthday last year!

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BackOnlyBriefly · 05/05/2013 20:20

When atheists try to negate Christianity by beating them with the OT

It makes perfect sense that things changed as people progressed and become more civilised. A problem only arises if you think a god was somehow involved. A god would not become more civilised as time went on. A god surely wouldn't change his mind about what was right and wrong either. Christians tell me every day that there is an objective morality. If so then god used to be immoral.

On the other hand you could try claiming (as some do) that whatever god declares is moral today becomes moral because he said so. That would mean the atrocities in the OT were virtuous.

daftdame · 05/05/2013 20:20

Well enjoy! By the way re. the eggs I don't think it matters what you choose, just do your best to be a wonderful mother!

daftdame · 05/05/2013 20:28

BackOnlyBriefly - God doesn't change but the point is people can now be redeemed through Christ.

The OT law was dealing with people who couldn't necessarily have a personal relationship with God except through the law. The problem was it didn't always change them at a heart level, like a health and safety jobsworth, all for the sake of the rule book, self congratulation for memorising the thing, instead of the purpose behind it.

Original poster
Jewcy · 05/05/2013 20:31

Back, I am not claiming that God somehow 'moves with the times' or becomes 'more civilised'. I believe His laws and edicts were wholly appropriate for his people at that time (before Christ came to the world with His message of salvation).

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Original poster
Jewcy · 05/05/2013 20:33

Thanks, daft, I'm praying about the donor, obviously but am already drawn to donor A; she sounds suitably nerdy Grin

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BackOnlyBriefly · 05/05/2013 20:43

Iin that case why didn't Christ come earlier? What was the point in waiting?.

God told people that if they saw a homosexual they should kill him. Does anyone really think that was good and necessary? Imagine yourself talking to a gay friend now and explaining it. "yeah well I wouldn't kill you of course, but back then murdering gay people was right and proper".

it's not just the laws either. According to the OT god was a monster. You can almost open it at random and find another example of this. Christians say things like "oh well that was the OT, it doesn't count".

Another favourite example. Elisha says "God! those kids called me baldy!". So god sends some bears to tear them to pieces. I guess if you hear that in a sermon you just nod along with it, but think about it. Think about the blood and the screams. Think about the grieving parents. Can you really say that was ok because god said so?

Original poster
Jewcy · 05/05/2013 20:45

Back, I am serious when I say I will come back when I've stopped Grin! I mean it...your post certainly makes the OT sound so cruel and absurd. I'll be back...

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Original poster
Jewcy · 05/05/2013 20:46

..Back, can you remember the exact place in the OT? I want to look it up..

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Original poster
Jewcy · 05/05/2013 20:51

Back, I've found this. Does it help at all?

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daftdame · 05/05/2013 20:58

back Re the waiting, the people had to be ready to come back to faith in God rather than their own righteousness. There were lots of prophesies to prepare them.

Re. the rest I just don't know fully. I suppose if the people were so broke and degraded they couldn't be fixed. God still was very forgiving to those who genuinely sought Him, think David, Abraham.

daftdame · 05/05/2013 21:02

Jewcy re your husband buying you the Joyce book - lovely, he's genuinely encouraging then...just give him time.

BackOnlyBriefly · 05/05/2013 21:02

2 Kings 2:23-24

23 And he went up from thence unto Bethel: and as he was going up by the way, there came forth little children out of the city, and mocked him, and said unto him, Go up, thou bald head; go up, thou bald head.

24 And he turned back, and looked on them, and cursed them in the name of the Lord. And there came forth two she bears out of the wood, and tare forty and two children of them.

BackOnlyBriefly · 05/05/2013 21:08

Ah yes think Abraham.

Genesis 22 where god tells Abraham to take his son and kill him and Abraham says "Yeah ok god. If you say so" and fetches a knife.

Original poster
Jewcy · 05/05/2013 21:11

I would also fetch the knife if God wanted me to slay DH especially when he's watching the golf Grin

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daftdame · 05/05/2013 21:12

back it is harsh, but sin ruins those without hope of redemption.

daftdame · 05/05/2013 21:16

God did not require Abraham to slay his son....got to remember the end of the story.

BackOnlyBriefly · 05/05/2013 21:16

Thank you, Jewry. I read that and no it doesn't help. It tries hard to paint a different picture and reinterpret it because the writer knows that no decent person could accept what it says as reasonable.

BackOnlyBriefly · 05/05/2013 21:17

No he didn't, but the moral of the story is that if you are a good person you should be willing to kill your children to please god. Abraham was rewarded for being willing.

daftdame · 05/05/2013 21:25

As I said you can't take parts of the Bible in isolation for it to work. You need faith and you need to want too seek God.

Without God all is rendered meaningless for me, degradation and entropy. I don't know what to say - you'd have to tell me how you have hope without God, how do you navigate and find your moral compass?

NicholasTeakozy · 05/05/2013 21:25

all science involves assumptions

As does religion. The difference between religion and science is that science tests those assumptions/hypotheses and if they're found wanting minds/theses are changed accordingly. Thus we see that science is evidence based. The opposite of religion.

To quote Hitchens again, "that which is asserted without evidence can be dismissed without evidence".

Hitchslap

Spero · 05/05/2013 21:27

Er, last time I looked the Children Act did not advocate killing people. It's core principles remain unchanged - he welfare of he child is paramount. Statutory amendments have expanded certain definitions, not changed its meaning entirely.

so not a helpful analogy.

Sorry, don't want to derail thread but as a non believer find it endlessly fascinating that Christians get to pick and choose which part of the Scripture they follow. so all those embarrassing demands that you stone to death certain groups get glossed over as out of context.

So there is your answer op - just ignore the bits of the Bible that make you uncomfortable.

Original poster
Jewcy · 05/05/2013 21:30

I don't know what to say - you'd have to tell me how you have hope without God, how do you navigate and find your moral compass?

^^
This.

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BackOnlyBriefly · 05/05/2013 21:30

A moral compass that points you towards killing children, gay people, and women. Is that really a help?

I and others work out morals without god and no children are required to suffer and die to inspire us.

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