Results 621 - 640 of 645
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Results from: Notes Author: JCrichton Ordered by Verse |
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Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
621 | WHO pays the wage? | 1 John 1:9 | JCrichton | 134850 | ||
Hi, Steve! Please forgive my impetus... I only attempted to piece together what I read from your posts... It is clear that you are looking for a specific text that will tell you exactly what you want to hear... I can only apologize for the Word not being an all inclusive and unabridged volume of "here it is!" Please, undestand that I am not seeking to prove a point; I am offering to you Scripture that clearly state how we are to behave as children of the Light: Don't you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey--whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? (Romans 6:16) Here's the text you are requesting: "whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death" (Romans 6:16) "For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die;" (Romans 8:5-13) Nowhere in Scripture does it tell you that if you engage sin and make it your lord; you are free from death! Rather, it is obedience and adherance to God that brings us Life! So if you choose to sin and you choose to hold that life of sin, and you choose to not ask for repentence, you truly believe that God is going to welcome you into His Kingdom? If it were that simple, not a single person would ever taste eternity away from the Lord! No one is righteous, not one! But all are called to be holy, in Christ Jesus, as God is holy! Living in sin and claiming to know the Lord are not congruent things: Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so. Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God. You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you. Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation--but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it. For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, (Romans 8:5-13) If we are in the flesh we cannot please God! If we sin and believe in our hearts that God has to accept us "as is," are we not being rebellious and usurping God's Authority as we dictate to Him how He is to receive us? Are we stronger than God? Please, read the Bible in its entirety! Jesus did not say all who call me Lord, Lord have guaranteed Salvation; He said those who abide in Me and I in them are Loved by the Father and He will abide in them and I will abide in them! It is imposible for us to sin, take a shield (symbolic icon) and pronounce: "we are saved!" If we choose to serve the god of this world we are enemies of God! (1 John 1:1-9) If we fellowship with Christ we are saved, but if we reject Him, we have nothing! (John 15:5-6) I'll leave you with the parable of the wedding... one guest decided to do it his way... he was cast out! (Matthew 22:2-14) God Bless! Angel |
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622 | WHO pays the wage? | 1 John 1:9 | JCrichton | 134851 | ||
Hi, Ray! I understand your concern... There are many things in Scripture that happen in the background and are not revealed till at an appointed time (Jesus being the rock/Rock that gave Life to the Israelites...) We must understand that though Moses and the other prophets spoke in the Old Testament times (the old Covenant), it was God speaking through them... not a single person could claim to represent God that did not have God's direct delegated authority over Israel! Since we know that God does not change... the offering of Life was then as it is now: obedience to God and acceptance of His Authority! As in the example of the serpent (Numbers 21:8)... it was not the serpent that saved but the adherence and obedience to God's Word! So though the Covenant of the Old Testament dealt in temporal values, the offer of Life remains the same: obedience and adherence to God's Word brings us Life! God Bless! Angel |
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623 | WHO pays the wage? | 1 John 1:9 | JCrichton | 134967 | ||
Hi, Steve! Aparently you have missed my point: 1 John 1:9 clerly states that if we confess our sin to God, Jesus will forgive us... There's no other way about it: one sin or a million-billion sins cannot condemn us if we confess them to God. Now, if we pretend that we are cleansed for our past, present and future sin--not by humbling ourselves to God for the sin but by exonerating ourselves, we are once again being slaves to sin! Sin has become our new master, dictating (as the serpent did to Eve) to us that we will surely not die! That it is simply a matter of reciting Scripture to God and He is bound by our recital! This position, of course, is one of a win-win-win situation: Satan wins as he convinces us to rebel against Jesus Command that we abide in Him, we win because we can claim Christ and continue to sin as we please, and God wins as He ends up having much more many people in His Kingdom than if He were to limit membership to those who with a contrite and repentant heart ask His forgiveness for the transgressions committed! Of course, that is only an utopian ideal! Why would Christians choose sin (unrightous acts against God)and refuse to confess to God their transgressions and ask for forgiveness? Why did the Apostles clearly teach that they were to confess their sin, yet the new Christians do not have to obey Scripture? How many unrighteous acts are allowed to those entering the New Jerusalem? God Bless! Angel |
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624 | WHO pays the wage? | 1 John 1:9 | JCrichton | 134969 | ||
Hi, Ray! I understand your point! I can only offer that I see the Word of God not only as Jesus, the Gospel, the Epistles and Revelation... to me the Word of God is every commandment that God gave to us, every admonition, every promise, and every revelation... sometimes we find Scripture where Yahweh Himself is speaking while other times we find Scripture where His angels, or prophets are given delegated assignments to speak on His behalf... So, though the Law never gave Spiritual Life to any Isrealite, their obedience to His Word (Command, warning, revelation) gave them Life--this Life being hidden in Christ, of course! It is not surprising that Jesus said that Abraham looked forward to seeing His Day (John 8:56), and that he saw it, and was glad! Clearly, we know that Abraham did not stay alive till the incarnation of the Word! It is by the Holy Spirit that Abraham was given the ability to see and know Christ! God Bless! Angel |
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625 | WHO pays the wage? | 1 John 1:9 | JCrichton | 135047 | ||
"become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, [18] and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness." Hi, Steve! So from the above cited Scripture you understand that once a person claims to be saved he/she is able to sin without any accountability to God? Please understand that to be in the Spirit or being obedient from the heart to God does not mean able to sin free of the consequence of sin! ""Why would Christians choose sin (unrightous acts against God)and refuse to confess to God their transgressions and ask for forgiveness?" " This is precisely what this thread proposes: once "saved" we can sin without confessing to God our sins because Jesus has already covered all our past, present, and future transgressions--regradless of how intent we are in rejecting God over the sin/s we want to commit! Scripture does not support such ideals!: When tempted, no one should say, "God is tempting me." For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death. Don't be deceived, my dear brothers. (James 1:13-16) "One sin does not equal slavery to sin. It's not a pattern or lifestyle. You simply cannot equate these extremes." One sin is a separation from God! One sin is a rebellious act against God! One sin festering for hours, days, weeks... can corrode the heart, mind and spirit! (James 1:13-16; Romans 6:16; 2 Corinthians 13:5; Ephesians 2:8; 2 Thessalonians 3:6; 2 John 1:8; 1 Corinthians 10:12; Revelation 21:27) It is not by error that John clarifies that if we confess our sin Jesus will forgive us (1 John 1:9)... not because we ourselves are able to absolve sin, but because He is Just! Claiming that sin does not damage our relationship with God belies all of Scripture that teach that sin is death! God Bless! Angel |
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626 | WHO pays the wage? | 1 John 1:9 | JCrichton | 135203 | ||
Hi, Steve! I think this thread has been spent! It's better to let it rest! God Bless! Angel |
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627 | 1st John 3:4-9 Discussion on sin. | 1 John 3:4 | JCrichton | 126527 | ||
Hi, Minor! I tried back-reading to see what happened... I'm fading out... I think I understand your point: Jesus calls us to change our ways into His Way; to give up our sinful lives and enter into the Kingdom--not that we on our own have the power to change, but that we can abide in Him, who is Pure, and He will strengthen us and give us the ability to remain as children of the Light! Please, do not let your experience here tarnish your mind and heart! Our growth in the Lord requires much sacrifice and humility; episodes such as the one you have experienced should serve to test our resolve: Jesus or bust! God Bless! Angel |
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628 | How do we know that we are truly saved? | 1 John 3:24 | JCrichton | 141583 | ||
Hi, Aixen7z4! I understand your position! Yet I must also caution that to trust in the Lord does not just mean that we quote His Gospels! Too many "Christians" trust in Jesus in the sense that we trust in one another (proof, verification, material gain, enhancement of social status... in essence the ole "Quid pro quo!"); yet, trusting in Jesus goes beyond our normal word-usage of the phrase "trust in!" Trusting in Jesus means Believing in Him. Trusting that He means it when He says: "Why do you call me Lord, Lord, and do not do what I say?" (Luke 6:46) "If you love me, keep my commandments!" (John 14:15) If you do not abide in me you will be removed, thrown out, and burnt--reworded for greater impact; you will find the Biblical text in John 15:1-6. Then, many will say to me, "Lord in your Name we did this and that and that other thing..." I will tell them begone from me you children of eniquity!--again reworded for effects; you will find the Biblical text in Matthew 7:21-27! It is not enough to rely on a quote from Scripture... Satan quoted Scripture to Jesus with great ease and control... yet, Jesus refers to him as a Murderer and a Liar! Jesus didn't call us to learn Scripture or to memorize certain passages, He calls us to Live His Gospels (John 6:63); this is why He did not simply teach that all who call on the Name of the Lord will be saved! He taught that those who did the Will of His Father would be saved! (John 6:40) And while the Father's Will is that we Believe in Jesus Christ, His Only Begotten Son, Jesus is clear about what He means when He says Believe in Me (John 14:1; 12:44; 15:4-6; 15:7; 9-10); Jesus makes it clear that it is not about chanting hymns and enunciating prayers or formulas (Matthew 7:24-27: which means Love God above all and your neighbor as yourself). Jesus challanges all those who were listening by commanding them to Love their enemies, to uphold the Sacrament of Matrimony, to be generous with what God has provided for us--everything belongs to Him, hence, we are mere stewards! ...in the end, it is not those who appropriate His Name or perform certain feats that will be saved but those who abide in Jesus, those who Trust in Him to obey His commandments, those who are not simply content with owning a "guarantee of salvation" which they have done nothing to merit! (Matthew 7:21-27; Luke 6:46; Matthew 25:31-40)... James puts it simply in his admonishion to Christians to be doers of the Word and not mere hearers! (James 1:22-23)! So, I admonish you, as I admonish all Christians, to not just rely on the articulation of "feel-good" words... we are called, by Jesus, to change our ways, to obey Him, to Believe in Him and to Love Him: by obeying Him we demonstrate that we love Him, by loving Him we love ourselves, our neighbors and even our enemies! The Word did not become flesh to guarantee us a secure and safe passage (Matthew 7:13-14; Luke 13:23-28); He became one like us to rescue us from Death and to serve as the perfect archetype of humility, obedience, and dependence! (Philippians 2:5-8; Isaiah 42:3; John 12:27; 13:3-15)... So, to borrow Paul's admonishion, we should not boast that we have a secured place in Heaven--as the elected Remnant of the Tribes of Israel--(for neither are we God nor have we been removed from the flesh); rather, we should boast of Jesus, and Him Crucified for our Salvation: it is He who secures our Salvation--without Him we are nothing! God Bless! Angel |
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629 | How do we know that we are truly saved? | 1 John 3:24 | JCrichton | 145147 | ||
Hi, Ray! I think that most people can understand from the Biblical passages that you have cited that in Christ Jesus we have eternal life! Though I believe that some jump to the conclusion that these passages equate having eternal life in Jesus to "always saved" or "never losing salvation." When I read Scritural passages I automatically conmpare them with other passages (specially those that contain Jesus' own Words)... I also seek to understand any direct effect/consequence that binds the actual passages (ie: "If you love me, keep my commandments." John 14:15--how can we love Jesus while insisting on transgressing His Commandments?... it just can't be done!) 1 John 5:11, tells us that we have eternal life, given to us by God; it also tells us that that Life is Jesus! Further it tells us that we have eternal life if we have Jesus, and Jesus tells us that if we abide in Him (John 15:4-6) He abides in us... he further tells us that if we love Him we are to keep His Commandments! Hence, I do not equate having eternal life to possessing a special clause or pronouncing a special statement... I equate having eternal life to having Christ: keeping His Commandments! God Bless! Angel |
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630 | How do we know that we are truly saved? | 1 John 3:24 | JCrichton | 145151 | ||
Hi, Ray! I followed most of the arguments... I fully agree with you on the Holy Spirit; as He is God, the Holy Spirit does not seek to control us... rather, He desires our obedience (belief) and submission (yielding our wills to His)... "However, I do believe that there is a "perfect" understanding that we need to go back to and rediscover; or that will be revealed later in the will of God." If the Holy Spirit would be controlling us... would such statements as the one above not be unnecessary?... yet, since we are granted free will, we may choose to serve God or to reject Him (choosing death rather than life); that perfect understanding which you speak of is found in 1 Corinthians 2:16... sadly, our egoes do not allow us to surrender our will to God fully, otherwise we would live that perfect union which Christ called us to live ("be one" "love one another")... that special relationship between us and God through the Holy Spirit is seen in 1 Corinthians 2:6-16... it is by surrendering to the Holy Spirit that we can fully achieve that unity with Christ, with all Believers and, ultimately, with the Father! One more point, if God controlled us, how would we be able to choose death rather than life?, ...how would we sin, embracing the creatures while rejecting the Creator?, ...how would we be able to grieve the Holy Spirit, Ephisians 4:30, rather than obey and revere Him? ...Capitalization: I agree with you, our spirit, that essence of the Holy Spirit, indwelling in us, should be in lower case "s"--Romans 8:9; however, in 2 Cor 5:4, God did not give us the pledge of His spirit but rather of His Spirit--that is the seal which we have receive, the Holy Spirit which Jesus sent to the world from the Father. ...As far as translations, I rather enjoy my Bible's version of Roman 8:10: But when Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin but the spirit is alive because you have been justified; (The New Jerusalem Bible) ...it is a simple variation but it more clearly conveys that we have life because of Jesus, as we are justified by Him! God Bless! Angel |
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631 | How do we know that we are truly saved? | 1 John 3:24 | JCrichton | 145203 | ||
Hi, Ray! I understand what you are saying... however, my emphasis is on the Holy Spirit as God's seal... Jesus told His disciples that He would send the Holy Spirit, this is our seal... this is what makes us part of the Unit: Body of Christ... the Holy Spirit is the one that guides and enlightens our beings awaking in us that desire to call God "Abba!" In the case of Romans 8:15 I would capitalize the second Spirit since it is directly referring to that Spirit which grants us the right to call God our Father! As comparison I refer to the Jesus' words in John 10:34: we are gods... we are essence of God; yet we are not gods with capital "g" but creatures made in God's image and likeness... our spirit, reflective of this relationship, is essence of the Holy Spirit never capitalized unless the reference is a direct reference to the Holy Spirit who dwells in us! I would also capitalize 2 Cor 1:22 and John 3:34... the Holy is in us not just symbolically but tangibly (as much as God can exist in our corporial bodies) and functionally! God Bless! Angel |
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632 | How do we know that we are truly saved? | 1 John 3:24 | JCrichton | 145363 | ||
Hi, Ray! There are things that are evident in Scripture and there are things that are not so evident... the best I can do is expose you to Scripture... as much as I want, I cannot convince anyone to see (understand) or accept (begin to understand) anything: 20For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God. 21Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, 22set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come. (2 Corinthians 1:20-22) 30And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. (Ephesians 4:30) 19Nevertheless, God's solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness.” (2 Timothy 2:19) 3Therefore I tell you that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus be cursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit. (1 Corinthians 12:3) 16And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever– 17the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. (John 14:16-17) The above Scriptural passages should clarify to you how I've concluded that we are sealed by and in the Holy Spirit, the Third Person of God; He is the promise made by Jesus, our Teacher and Guide: God with us and in us! God Bless! Angel |
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633 | How do we know that we are truly saved? | 1 John 3:24 | JCrichton | 145373 | ||
Hi, Aixen7z4! Part 1 of 3 “I did not realize before now that there are those…” I am not sure how to assimilate the above… I hope that you are playing on words/ideas rather than truly unaware! The Church (not a denominational congregation) has been under constant assault both from within and without… the worst offenders are the “Christians” who are diluting Christ’s Gospel in order to be seen as unthreatening or “friendly!” We have heard/seen in the news the erosion the Church caused by “Christians” who assault the Church through abuse and manipulation of the people under their charge, embezzlement of funds to purchase anti-Christian lifestyles, distortion of Scripture through warped doctrinal teachings, whole congregations not only tolerating secular rebellion against God’s moral teachings but actively engaging in them and pronouncing priests and bishops who themselves are living examples of the abomination that is to befall the Church as Satan ushers in perverted Gospels that not only tolerates nefarious behavior but actively promote it through immersion in both the practice of the acts and the rejection of the Word of God which condemns both the acts and the people who revel in the ungodly acts! This wanton disobedience has been creeping up on us from the beginning of Creation… and though we might think that it is far from us, if we are very observant, and honest with ourselves, we can witness the assault changing us: making us more liberal, more eager to please society’s mandates than to stand for and with Christ! I do not mean to be critical of anyone… but you offered me an example that I wish to capitalize on: “It is obviously important that those of us who call him Lord should do what he says.” When did Jesus preach that we “should” do what He says? When did Peter, John, Paul or any of the others? This is precisely what is transforming the heart of man: we believe that we can pick and choose… that we can determine what God really meant to teach… that we can receive Salvation as a prize that we own… that “Christians” are above Christ’s own Commands… that “Christians” are better than Christ… (just in case you have not heard of any of this… some preach that we do not need the Church; some, that we do not need to be baptized; still others preach guilt-free, pain-free, remorse-free, death-free sinning--for “Christians” only; while still others preach tolerance of everything and everyone--consequently they blot out, if only in their own minds, all Scriptural passages that challenge their ideologies, philosophies, and theologies--some of these doctrines include salvation for all regardless of Faith in Christ or not; belief on any and all deities is equal since we all seek a god, hence all doctrines are sound and eventually lead to the same god/gods; God loves man so if man sins He understands without passing judgment, choice (be it homosexuality, abortion as a form of contraceptive, suicide as a form of escaping a painful/hard life, cloning or harvesting organs from the indigent or reaping organs/organic material from babies whose bodies have been wrenched from the wombs of their biological carriers…) is a God given right…) Christ never expects that we should do as He says… Christ demands that we do as He says! (Matthew 7:26; ) “…It is not doing good works that makes us saved.” When have I stated that works save? |
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634 | How do we know that we are truly saved? | 1 John 3:24 | JCrichton | 145374 | ||
Part 2 of 3 “We are new creatures (2 Corinthians 5:17) created in Christ Jesus” Sadly Scriptural passages as the above are taken to their extreme value while rejecting Christ’s own words when He decisively rejects those who have become so adapt that they can perform great feats in “His Name” even though their hearts and spirits are away from God (they lack humility, charity, compassion…); Jesus’ words are quickly excused as pertaining to non-believers or people passing as Christians--Jesus, of course, never stated: “this refers to the unbelievers and the charlatans…” He admonished Israel and taught His disciples… He was never ambiguous about His words even when His own disciples would find them hard to stomach! (John 6:53-66) When Jesus spoke about divorce, He did not expect His disciples to choose obey or reject His Word… as with everything else, He Commanded them to do what He said… not to try to do their best, not to chose an alternative interpretation! “But I encourage you to consider that he was speaking of being removed from a place of service. ” So you are saying that the average person can opt to not abide in Christ and all that is lost is a place of ministry? You truly believe in once “saved” you can do as please without fear of damnation? I missed that parable, where did Jesus teach that (reject me or disobey me or ignore me… it’s OK!)? “It may involve being removed from this life (1 Corinthians 11:30). Yet the soul that trusts in Jesus will be saved (1 Corinthians 3:15).” So you mean to say that if I opt to continue a life of sin, since I’m saved, the worst that could happen is that my number will be called prematurely or I wont be able to hold a place of leadership in the afterlife? “Come to him, admit that we are sinners, ask him to change us, and he does.” This sound excellent! But when did I say different? I think that there’s a great misunderstanding… the iniquity that these people (Matthew 7:21-27) are being charged with is not believing in Jesus, not humbling themselves to abide in Him, not accepting their sins and confessing them… rather, like the Masters of the Law, they charged everyone else and used prepackaged language to claim their status as “saved” (born of Abraham or of knowing the Law!)… These people externalize Christ but continue to dwell in their old nature! Jesus sees into the core of their being and rejects them because He is not swayed by outwardly appearance--wondrous signs, in their case! “All those good works come after salvation.” That sounds very sound! But how can callously returning to sin be a product of “salvation?” How can God change us, only to grant us free and clear sin-full life? How can an “eternally saved” person disobey Christ Commandment? How does adultery or fornication, serving the creature rather than the Creator, demonstrate that a person has eternal life?: We obey Christ because we Believe. We humble ourselves to God because we Believe. We repent from our sin because it is His way or the fire way! We seek to abide in Him because He Commands us to abide in Him! As disciples of Christ, our goal is not to seek to excuse our behavior by interpreting Scripture in a manner that conforms to our desired mold… as disciples of Christ we are to have a greater justice/responsibility than the Pharisees and Sadducees who circumvented the Law whenever it was convenient/profitable! (Matthew 5:20) It is not our attempt to be humble or to love our enemies or one another that demonstrates that we are abiding in Christ…. it is doing it that demonstrates that we are abiding in Christ (Matthew 7:17)… claiming that we are of the Light and yet living in darkness is evident testimony that our statement is flawed! (1 John 2:10) |
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635 | How do we know that we are truly saved? | 1 John 3:24 | JCrichton | 145375 | ||
Part 3 of 3 “You note well that we own a guarantee of salvation which we have done nothing to merit! The fact is, we cannot merit salvation.” You misunderstand me! The fact that we cannot do anything to merit Salvation should be cause enough to keep us from boasting about being saved! Not once in Scripture do we find anyone boasting about being saved! They boast about Christ! They boast about God’s Mercy! They boast about God’s Love! It is due to our liberal notions that we seek security instead of obedience; liberty instead of accountability, complacency instead of abstinence, rebelliousness instead of submission! “I am born again” or “I am saved” or “we have eternal salvation…” it all has an egocentric sound, doesn’t it? Even though we profess one thing, we behave contrary to our own profession! Being born again is not an excuse to sin, and it should never be used as a means to equate ourselves to God (free of sin) or to believe that we are above damnation when we purposefully choose to sin and to remain in a sinful state! It is not that we are saved! It is that He Saved us! As Paul attests, He did not purchase us so that we should summit ourselves to the old nature that is contrary to the Holy Spirit and can only produce death! (1 Thessalonians 4:7; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20) “So, admonish us, but we do not believe you that we can merit salvation.” Again, I admonish all, not to live secure in the understanding that we can sin because we are “saved” or “born again!” And, I clarify that not once have I claimed salvation due to works; not once have I stated that we merit salvation; and, not once did Christ say that He is the resurrection and the life so all are saved! I admonish all to search the Holy Scripture for not once does it state that “once saved always saved” so eat, drink and be merry! Jesus clearly warns that those who are double-minded cannot be His disciples (Luke 9:62; Revelation 3:16)… though it is true that there are some Scriptural passages that seem to guarantee “once saved always saved,” even Jesus warned that not all who claim to abide in Him do (Matthew 7:21-27, Luke 6:46); further, He also warned that the Word did not save all (Matthew 13:18-43; John 3:14-21)… notice, though, that it is not the Word that cannot save, rather is man who determines that he rather stay in darkness than to enter into the Light! “But please do not insist on condemning us, because God may ask you who are you (See Romans 8:33,34).” I insist in that we abide in Christ and be saved, rather than rely on “special commendations” to grant ourselves salvation! Christ warns that it is not He who Judges, it is the Word that Judges. Who am I to condemn anyone? (John 12:46-49) But, as a servant of Christ, I cannot sit idle awaiting to see if others decide to abide in Christ or continue in their own wisdom! It is not in vain that Scripture warns that it is better to rely on Yahweh than to trust in human beings… Peter was always quick to run to Jesus, yet, when facing the unknown, while walking on water, instead of keeping his eye (Faith) on Jesus he trusted his own knowledge of the environment (wind, etc.)… the split second he hesitated… he began to sink! (Matthew 14:23-31) “But please leave us the right to know that we are saved.” This has never been my argument! My argument is that we are saved by Jesus and in Jesus… that once we begin our lives in Jesus it is our obligation to continue in Him, to abide in Him, to humble ourselves to Him, to know Him as our Salvation, to not excuse our turning back to sin/sinful life with the “saved” card--rejecting Christ (disobeying His Command) cannot be seen as a result of having a “guaranteed salvation!” Please, rely on Jesus, He is the Resurrection and Life! And we must understand that Believing in Him does not mean knowing Scripture (Satan and his angels know Scripture, yet they do not submit to God‘s Authority)… to Believe in Jesus is to OBEY HIM--this of course is explained by Him: “If you love me, keep my commandments.” (John 14:15) “To the extent that we do sin after we are saved, please correct us...” This is precisely my argument! I am not seeking to limit Salvation (God’s ability and willingness to save us)… I am simply concern with the doctrine that blinds us by offering “Christians” total and automatic exoneration from sin… our Salvation is guaranteed by Christ but we are not guaranteed a life of sin in Christ! Abiding in Christ can never validate disobedience and rebelliousness! As John said: if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9) God Bless! Angel |
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636 | How do we know that we are truly saved? | 1 John 3:24 | JCrichton | 145441 | ||
Hi, Aixen7z4! I agree with your statement completely! We are all found in various levels of knowledge and understanding (spiritually)... spiritual maturity comes with dependence and Faith in Christ... our confidence is that He is our Salvation! My concern is that much too many times we find people who profess to be "saved" and through their actions they are in complete contradiction of their statement of faith! Too many times these are the models for many who seek to limit their responsibility in Christ... As you noted, many times we are not able to assist others during church service/meetings... our task, I believe, is to be ready, as Jesus commanded us, to testify to anyone anywhere (supermarket, office, school, restaurant, road, while visiting friends and relatives, on-line, while shopping, while answering/screening our calls); the best way is to simply convey the message (no heavy preaching, no patronizing, no issuing of pamphlets... heavy listening, heavy determination to assist/guide/teach; heavy life of prayer!)... One thing to keep in mind... our responsibility is not to convert people... as Christ's messengers our obligation is to bring to others the Good News! Sometimes... it seems that there is little that I am able to accomplish... then I meet someone and we end up speaking about the Lord for hours or I see an elderly woman smile that confident smile that means that we are walking the path together or someone tells me of answered prayer! I believe that if you look back you will find that you are guiding many onto the Path... sometimes a simple joyous "We are starting/involved with a Bible study group," may be all that you hear... you may never know how many people you have reached through one person that you have assisted/brought to Christ! God Bless! Angel |
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637 | Is there such a thing as a false Christ? | 1 John 4:3 | JCrichton | 133874 | ||
"I think that you should become aware that verse 17 with its "But" shows a difference in spirit between the one who joins himself with the harlot and the one who joins himself to the Lord." Hi, Ray! I am aware of this fact... but when I state false Christs, I am not saying that Christ is false or that He is anything other than God! I have known people who think that they are serving Christ by claiming His Name--yet, they submerge themselves in spiritualism (contacting the realm of the dead), astronomy (searching for truth and guidance in symbols and planets), and numerology (seeking a divine path to God through a bogus science)... all these brush with the occult in one way or the other... but these people (the ones I've met) do not distinguish between the fellowship of Christ and those "mediums." In essence they have created a false teaching (as Santeria--a mixture of Catholicism and Voodoo)... we can witness a similar "false" Christ in the verious public people who profess to be Christian (by word, affiliation to a Christian congregation, or carrying a cross); yet the Christ they follow is a mixture of "feel good," Oriental/Asian spiritualism, and their own interpretations of Christ! Sadly, those who become one with abomination will never, simultaneously, be one with Christ, yet they live the fallacy that God is good and all forgiving so people are free to worship as they please; hence the "false" Christ! God Bless! Angel |
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638 | Why did the GOD create man? | Rev 4:11 | JCrichton | 123187 | ||
Hi! When the issue about God's identity arose here's what He said to Moses: Moses then said to God, 'Look, if I go to the Israelites and say to them, "The God of your ancestors has sent me to you, and they say to me, "What is his name?" what am I to tell them?' God said to Moses, 'I am he who is.' And he said, 'This is what you are to say to the Israelites, "I am has sent me to you."' God further said to Moses, 'You are to tell the Israelites, "Yahweh, the God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you." This is my name for all time, and thus I am to be invoked for all generations to come. (Exodus 3:13-15) God revealed only that which He wanted to reveal: I am! Could Moses have gotten more information if he continue to pry? The Apostles knew that there was a purpose for God's revelations that His purpose went beyond personal gratification: My dear friends, we are already God's children, but what we shall be in the future has not yet been revealed. We are well aware that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he really is. (1 John 3:2) Now we are only reflections in a mirror, mere riddles, but then we shall be seeing face to face. Now I can know only imperfectly; but then I shall know just as fully as I am myself known. (1 Corinthians 13:12) Hebrews 11 is an excellent passage for meditation on knowledge, faith, and understanding, in the Holy Spirit, of God's ways. God Bless! Angel |
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639 | What would prompt these tears? | Rev 7:17 | JCrichton | 121146 | ||
"so what of those sins that we neglected to ask forgiveness for?" Hi, mommapbs! So you are saying that we will inherit eternal life in a sinful state? If not, are you saying that we do not need to ask God's forgiveness because all sins (not the unforgivable sin) are automatically forgiven in Christ?--if so, then why was John and Jesus preaching for Israel's repentence? God Bless! Angel |
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640 | What would prompt these tears? | Rev 7:17 | JCrichton | 121236 | ||
"The sacrifice of Christ on the cross was wholly sufficient for my sins as well as those of the world. If I have to do anything to further merit His forgiveness, then Christ must go back to the cross of necessity- something that is impossible!" Hi, mommapbs! So, if I understand you correctly, you are saying that those in Christ could commit murder or any other transgression and not need to repent because Christ died so that they could be free to do as they please? God Bless! Angel |
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