Results 1 - 4 of 4
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Results from: Answered Bible Questions, Answers, Unanswered Bible Questions, Notes Ordered by Verse | ||||||
Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
1 | Confused With Pastor | Rom 10:9 | Bully_Mom | 173118 | ||
Hello all, new here. I am looking to be baptized, but do not belong to a church. I've always been a believer and lover of God, and was raised to know Jesus, just not in your typical "go to church on Sunday" home. We read and studied by ourselves. My Mother and I both want to be baptized without being forced to join a church, and found one with a very nice man who was A-OK with this. However he did say one disturbing thing, and I wanted other's opinions: He asked when I accepted Jesus Christ, and I said I was always a beliver, but he said I should have had an, "Ah-ha" moment of revilation. A moment that changed my life, and he discribed his own. I just always knew about Jesus, and always accepted him. Just like I know red is red, I know that Jesus is the Son of God who died for our sins. He kind of made me feel that I was missing something... Went home and jumped on the Bible for scripture on this and did find a few ways I'm slacking on in different areas (Thank you Lord for the insight) but nothing on this. I was wondering what others think. Not doubting my own faith, just confused at the pastor's position. Thanks for all responces and views! Go with God! Amanda |
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2 | Confused With Pastor | Rom 10:9 | DocTrinsograce | 173126 | ||
Dear Amanda, I certainly concur with Brother Mark's reply to your post. John Owen wrote long ago, "Now concerning this whole work, I affirm, that the Holy Spirit does make use of it in the regeneration or conversion of all adult persons, either by the Word preached, or by some other application of light and truth to the mind derived from the Word." I cannot, of course, speak for your pastor. You will have to explicitly ask what he means. I might speculate, though, about what he might mean. As our Brother Mark has rightly asserted, Christianity is not based in emotion or experience. Nevertheless, we are creatures with emotions, interacting with our world in an experiential fashion. Another Puritan theologian, Jonathan Edwards wrote, "There is much affection [emotions] in the true saints which is not spiritual; their religious affections are often mixed; all is not from grace, but much from nature. And though the affections have not their seat in the body; yet the constitution of the body may very much contribute to the present emotion of the mind. And the degree of religion is rather to be judged of by the fixedness and strength of the habit that is exercised in affection, whereby holy affection is habitual, than by the degree of the present exercise." In other words, the evidence of our salvation is measured much more certainly in how we live than in what we feel. However, the Scripture says, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come." (2 Corinthians 5:17 ESV) Salvation is a transformation of the WHOLE man -- including the emotions. Scripture speaks of some of these emotional components: A true believer ...no longer finds joy in in his former sins (Ephesians 4:17-24); ...no longer is easily provoked (1 Corinthians 13:4); ...loves other believers (1 John 4:20); ...delights in the things of God (Psalms 37:23). ...etc. Jonathan Edwards stated it this way, "There are false affections, and there are true. A man's having much affection, does not prove that he has any true religion: but if he has no affection it proves that he has no true religion. The right way, is not to reject all affections, nor to approve all; but to distinguish between affections, approving some, and rejecting others." Your pastor might have been thinking along these lines... Now, obviously, there must be an instant in which we are saved. One moment we were lost and the next we entered into the kingdom. That is quite clear from the Scripture. However, it is not clear to me at all from Scripture that a person must necessarily remember that moment. I know of brethren that very clearly manifest every evidence of being saved, yet who do not remember the moment of their salvation. I do not find in Scripture that remember the moment in which God saved us is a required nor always assured. Well, my heart, Amanda, is only to bring greater clarity and light to these discussions. But sometimes I only muddy the waters. I hope I've done the former and not the latter. In Him, Doc |
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3 | Confused With Pastor | Rom 10:9 | Bully_Mom | 173128 | ||
Thanks guys for the past replys! Mark and Lionheart, thank you for reaffirmin what I really thought I knew! Just a little southern girl who can be slow on the uptake so I wanted to be clear. Doc, you didn't muddy me too much (though I'll admit... I had to read slow!) and I think you actually gave me some insight. I told the pastor (whom I had just met today)the reason I didn't attend church is because I've never found one that kept my attention and sometimes I just felt down right uneasy. I feel God when I'm reading my Bible, when I'm talking to people about Him, heck, I feel Him now while typing about him... But not so much in church... I can see how this would have been taken the wrong way, and then added to my lack of epiphany, just steady faith could have given him a reason to think strangely... Sorry so wordy, kinda typin' to work it out for myself... I see I type in a southern accent when in deep thought.. Ha! God Bless, Amanda |
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4 | Confused With Pastor | Rom 10:9 | DocTrinsograce | 173130 | ||
Dear Amanda, Here's another Edwards quote, "There never will, in this world, be an entire purity, either in particular saints, in a perfect freedom from mixtures of corruption; or in the church of God, without any mixture of hypocrites with saints, and counterfeit religion, and false appearances of grace with true religion, and real holiness." The church is one of the gifts of God so that we might be conformed to the image of Christ. I'd encourage you to not neglect any of the gifts of God. Remember, the disatisfaction you are "feeling" could also be hiding the sin of pride or rebellion. We can offer clear Scripture directives that participation and submission to the local church are not optional matters for the real believer. God bless you. (Writing in a Western accent, but thinking in a Yiddish accent.) :-) In Him, Doc |
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