What's the difference between "having to" and "wanting to"

[JohnnieGuy]

Right. And we can all agree that sin is a pleasurable thing, at least in the moment. But I know personally, even though i am tempted, I am SO HORRIFIED at the thought of it and what it does that I am actively trying to run from it. I didn't really understand what sin was before, and I think the Holy Spirit was trying to tell me, but I wasn't listening. I accepted Christ and what He did for me, but growing in the knowledge of sin and WHY Christ died for me was a long process.

Also, I think once you accept Christ, He is your Savior and Lord whether you like it or not. We can stray and sometimes be very stubborn to His will for our life, but He will not allow us to succeed or be happy on our own.

So all this 'submit to Christ as Savior AND Lord' is kind of weird. When you accpet Christ, you accept Him totally, whether you have knowledge of it or not. He IS Savior and Lord. And He will make it known to you. You can trust Him or you can go your own way and learn the hard way. It can be smooth sailing as you trust in God or it can be a rollercoaster ride, the choice is yours.

As far as wanting to sin, I understand what you mean, and I think it is a process. Sin is a pleasurable thing, anyone who denies this is in my opinion pretty blind. But it's a question of who we serve. As Paul said,

Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.

Doesn't mean it is not possible to serve sin. It's horrifying, but it's possible. But we should run from it. Sure it feels good, but we don't do it because it is an offense to God, and our Savior.

Something I didn't understand for years.

[Dani H]

With all due respect, we are all sinners. The difference between believers and non-believers is that Christ has already paid the debt associated with our sins--something that the non-believer cannot say.

Sir, I can honestly say that I haven't been a sinner since Jesus set me free in 1992.

"Sinner" not being a person who sins occasionally, but who does so habitually and with little to no regard for God. One who lives outside the kingdom of God.

I am what the Bible calls a "saint" actually. Not the kiss-the-feet-of-the-statue-and-pray-to-me religously traditional kind of saint, but part of the royal priesthood, the holy nation, the peculiar people, the bride of Christ, the redeemed, those covered by the blood of the Lamb and elevated to righteousness before God, not because of what I did but because of what Jesus did for me.

[Brother Mark]

Okay -- I understand that we don't have to do that, but what if we want to?

Well, if there wasn't some kind of desire there, it wouldn't be much of temptation. I think the "want to" is part of having an earthly body. Jesus didn't want to die on the cross, but he did. He wanted his own way, but he surrendered to the Father.

So, we take up our cross and follow him and learn to die daily to those sins that we want to do. But this, IMO, is only part of the picture.

I think deliverance of strongholds is also important in helping us get through the "want to" part.

[JohnnieGuy]

When your eyes are on Christ and what He has done for you, THAT is the power of the cross, and it awakens within you nothing less than the total and willing submission to whatever God wants for your life.

Reconciled by love!

[Desperaux]

Sir, I can honestly say that I haven't been a sinner since Jesus set me free in 1992.

"Sinner" not being a person who sins occasionally, but who does so habitually and with little to no regard for God. One who lives outside the kingdom of God.

I am what the Bible calls a "saint" actually. Not the kiss-the-feet-of-the-statue-and-pray-to-me religously traditional kind of saint, but part of the royal priesthood, the holy nation, the peculiar people, the bride of Christ, the redeemed, those covered by the blood of the Lamb and elevated to righteousness before God, not because of what I did but because of what Jesus did for me.

Exactly! It is a pet peeve of mine that some Christians consider themselves sinners. We aren't considered that by Jesus. We are His fellows, and saints.

[th1bill]

Something that has always sort of confused me is the whole concept of us, because we are in Christ and have a new nature, that we no longer "have to sin."

The Bible says that, as Christians, we are no longer in bondage to sin, which means that we no longer have to fulfill the desires of the flesh, because Christ has given us a "new nature," so to speak.

I understand all of that, and agree with that, but I guess I am just a bit confused on the term "have to." Just what does this mean? If someone wants to go out drinking, for example, I don't think it's always because they feel they have to, but they want to.

So, then, what's the difference between sinning because you have to and sinning because you want to? I've heard a few ministers talking about temptation, and saying "You no longer have to do that, to fulfill the desires of the flesh."

Okay -- I understand that we don't have to do that, but what if we want to?

... I am probably just going to confirm what someone else has already stated because I didn't read past the first post but this is a great life issue and the answer is worthy of being confirmed.
... Some folks seem to mind that I use life examples to teach the Bible but I find that method to be more often understood. When I signed that three year contract with the US Army I did so because I wanted to. The government afforded me the 'grace' to enlist into the branch of the service that I chose and allowed me to determine certain circumstances concerning my enlistment. But, and this is such a big turn, if I failed the course I had selected I was going to become an infantryman for those three years and that was bondage. I signed that contract because I was given the grace, not God's, to fly even though I did not have so much as a high school diploma and I desired that but the three year obligation was bondage.
... When I was on stage I purchased the glittering clothes of the time and the expensive guitars and amps because I was in bondage. At that time I always answered that I purchased the regalia because I wanted to but the truth is that I was in bondage, a bondage I could not see, to a dream that will never satisfy anyone. The very first time I carted one of my guitars and amps into church the only thing on my mind as that I had chosen to ignore the people that had just offered me the dream I had desired and to, instead, use my God given talent and my musical ability to praise and to worship God.
... Before I yielded to God and refused the same offer that has lifted other Texas musicians to stardom I had to be in the club every Friday and Saturday night. (All the while I swore that I was doing so because I wanted to.) Our total out look on life changes when we surrender to Christ ad it is the that we begin to see the bondage that Satan had us under, deceived!

[RollTide21]

Because of our nature, When given the choice we will choose wrongly.
Being in Christ frees us up to choose rightly.
Without Christ we are not strong enough nor do we have the inclination to do what is righteous.
Being washed clean, we now have the spirit to be righteous.

Agree with this...specifically regarding a non-Christian not having the INCLINATION to do what is righteous.

Sin is the master of the Non-believer (bondage) because sin is the natural means of fulfillment for the Non-believer.

[JohnnieGuy]

So it is also possible for a Christian to be in bondage to sin? To want to do what is right in their heart but keep falling and falling.

[Desperaux]

So it is also possible for a Christian to be in bondage to sin? To want to do what is right in their heart but keep falling and falling.

There are Christians who struggle with a certain sin, which is bondage.

[tt1106]

You can't serve two masters. You can certainly fall, but the question remains, are you trying to overcome? Have you asked for deliverance? Do you return to your previous habits? This is the struggle of the flesh. Grace is freely given. It is up to us to accept it and GLORIFY our creator with our acceptance.
We have to make it more about HIM and less about US.
God is GLORIFIED when we choose rightly. He is not, when we say we want deliverance but do nothing to bee delivered other than wrestle within our own minds with the thought of sin. This is temptation and we will fall to it.
When we start thinking about doing what we do not want to do, we will do it.
This is the running towards instead of fleeing.

I know you are Trying JG, You just have to believe and stick with it.

[JohnnieGuy]

You can't serve two masters. You can certainly fall, but the question remains, are you trying to overcome? Have you asked for deliverance? Do you return to your previous habits? This is the struggle of the flesh. Grace is freely given. It is up to us to accept it and GLORIFY our creator with our acceptance.
We have to make it more about HIM and less about US.
God is GLORIFIED when we choose rightly. He is not, when we say we want deliverance but do nothing to bee delivered other than wrestle within our own minds with the thought of sin. This is temptation and we will fall to it.
When we start thinking about doing what we do not want to do, we will do it.
This is the running towards instead of fleeing.

I know you are Trying JG, You just have to believe and stick with it.

The Lord is actually giving me victory over a lot of things lately.

[tt1106]

Praise the Lord Brother. We can see in your posts the spirit working within. Continue to believe in God's words. John 10:28
I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand."

He will grow you and sustain you, just agree to be used and be open to the prompting and let him have his way with you.

You are on the right track.

[JohnnieGuy]

Oh I am. It's my hearts desire to be the bond slave of Jesus Christ! I was so P.O.ed whenever someone said this before, I was like pfffffttttt ya like I'm ever going to be a slave! But now I understand. Every fibre of mine is His.

[Equipped_4_Love]

... Before I yielded to God and refused the same offer that has lifted other Texas musicians to stardom I had to be in the club every Friday and Saturday night. (All the while I swore that I was doing so because I wanted to.) Our total out look on life changes when we surrender to Christ ad it is the that we begin to see the bondage that Satan had us under, deceived!

That is an interesting point. So, would you say that a lot of those musicians who play in smoke-filled bars and run-down clubs every night, trying to "make it big," do so because they are in bondage to their lusts -- their overarching, all-consuming desire to become successful and famous?

In other words, they don't really want to be there, but their desire to be successful keeps them there?

[Equipped_4_Love]

So, then, the whole issue about "having to" and "wanting to"....I've been thinking about this, and Bill's post sort of gave me a clearer perspective. It's not about wanting to do the sin itself, but having to do the sin because of fulfilling some greater desire.

For example, a person who drinks -- It's not the act of drinking itself, but the buzz that comes from it, or the intoxication, that they want, so that person HAS to drink in order to achieve the desired effect of the alcohol, which that person WANTS. Perhaps he wants to forget about his problems, or perhaps he just likes the feeling of being drunk (serving pleasure) -- either way, he has to drink the liquor in order to get what he wants, which is drunkenness. The same with anyone who takes drugs, or perhaps engages in promiscuous sex -- It's all in order to fulfill a deeper need, that they want, so they do what they have to do.

The same with musicians who are willing to play in lame clubs and endure abuse, etc. every night -- they have to in order to achieve the fame and fortune that they want.

I guess it's all about what your god is. I know that as Christians, we serve the only, living God, Jesus Christ, so I guess that's what it means when people say that we don't have to sin.....we don't need to do those things anymore in order to fulfill a deeper need, because Christ is our deeper need.

We may want to sometimes, because that is just temptation, but in order to feel like we're fulfilled in life, we don't have to, because Christ has given us a new nature, and sinful living won't fulfill that.

Does that make sense? Am I on the right track?