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 | Justification? | Rom 2:13 | John Reformed | 86157 | ||
Friend Scribe, Unless I have missed your point, I think you are putting the "cart before the horse". You wrote: "...True Faith, and True Grace demands True Repentance that bears fruit, and God will not have it any other way." Grace, by definition, demands nothing. It is a free gift. True faith and repentence are evidences of the presence of "saving faith" in the one who professes Christ as Lord and Saviour. If we contribute anything to the work of God in salvation (no matter how small it may be) we then have something of which to boast. Salvation, top to botton and from beginning to end is of the Lord. He will not share His glory with any created being. I believe this agrees fully with the latter portion of your post where you liken us to trees. John |
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2 | Justification? | Rom 2:13 | Scribe | 86161 | ||
I don't mean this in a mean spirited way, but I can never make sense of this concept of man having no part that you speak of, so I don't try. Philosophize it until Jesus comes, the truth is that Jesus said that Those that do not do the Word are like those that build their house on the sand. I don't think it is required for us to understand the mechanics of the spiritual workings of God, but for us to do the word is the difference between standing and falling. What does it mean to fall? I don't plan to find out. |
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3 | Justification? | Rom 2:13 | John Reformed | 86199 | ||
Dear Scribe, I'm sorry if I gave you the impression that man has no role to play or no responsibility. But, I will admit that the subject is above my head. What I have been trying to explain is that the natural man is not able to choose spiritual good because, in his heart, he has no desire for God; he thinks the gospel is foolish and can't understand it anyway!( It takes a miraculous work of grace upon the human heart (regeneration) before man will desire Christ and have the desire to willingly submit to His rule and protection. (1 Cor 2:14) But once the spirit is resurrected in the human heart the lights go on. The blind see, the deaf hear and condemned rebels willingly become servants of the true King. (Eph 2:5 even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),) If you look back on your own conversion experience, I am sure that you are amazed at the change that took place. I am equally certain that you give all the glory to God and take no credit yourself. How could this be if salvation depended on a decision of your's rather than on a decision of God? Think it through. John John |
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4 | Justification? | Rom 2:13 | Scribe | 86242 | ||
I do see that there is an awakening first prior to conversion. Matthew 18:3 And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Luke 22:32 But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren. I think that based on the conversation with the disciples and their conversion later that the more you show forth an intellectual honesty in seeking truth the more "able" you are to recieve faith unto salvation. I think that this does not give glory to the man. I am sure that theologians discussing this issue have come up with a name for it, if not I will call it "The Law of Illumination." The prophets say alot about it and Jesus confirmed all that the prophets said about the reason why the blind are blind. They reject light. Therefore they are given over to darkness. The more severe their rejection in the face of truth the more severe the darkness. Jesus gives us the parable of the sower as a foundation of why some can understand and others cant and in each case it is the condition of the persons heart (mind, will, intellect, decision process) and not an arbitrary reason about the predestined will of God. Looking at my own testimony I remember how when I was in the third or forth grade I decided based on the story of evolution that I would stop believing in God. I told some child friend this while standing in the lunchroom line at school and a little girl overhearing my casual conversation became extrememly emotional and almost shouted "WHAT? You Don't Believe in GOD?" And a few other comments about hell or something I cannot remember. I was shocked at her surprise. I decided I needed to look into this a bit further, since I did not want to make such a big decision without getting all the facts. I went home that day and asked my Dad about God. He told me something about a blade of grass being too complex to not have a designer and so from that day on I decided to believe there was a God. Was I saved? no, even the devil believes in one God and trembles. However, I went through life open to talking about God. My brother and others I witnessed who decided that God was for the weak minded and refused to believe in God were not open to discussing God. When I was in a crisis I called out to God to help me, over time I heard someone pray in Jesus Name, I realized they probably knew about this religion thing and so I would pray in Jesus name also. As of yet I did not have a clue what Jesus did for me on the cross. My prayers began to be answered and I was sure it was because I had discovered that man must come to God through Jesus. It was a while before I learned the whole Gospel story, I was born again within days after praying in Jesus Name,I really can't say which day it occurred, I witnessed a change in my thinking, my understanding, I knew I was forgiven of my sins, before I understood much about the cross. Now some might doubt my salvation, I think it really does not take much to be born again, just a faith that says Jesus I believe in You please save me. Prior to ever hearing about Jesus name I was calling out to God daily and I remember lying to someone at the time, when I did I felt very guilty.. was I saved? I had lied all my life without concern, now I was lying and feeling bad about it. Itold Go d I was sorry for lying and I would confess it to the person I lied to. It was very hard to do, but somehow I felt if I did not I could never live with myself again. I went through it and got it over with and felt much better. Was I converted? At this time I did not even know to pray in Jesus Name, that came several days later. I did not even start trying to figure out who Jesus was until after I heard the man pray in Jesus Name. It is possible that I associated Jesus with God. I mean I was praying to God and not saying anything about Jesus, but maybe in my mind I considered God and Jesus two words that meant the same thing. But other than that, there is no reason for me to have been converted yet. When I heard the Gospel message later I rejoiced and understood why it was necessary to come to God through Jesus Christ, but by then I was already born again and had experienced a dramatic change in a two or three week span. I never had an altar call experience.. it was more like a progressive revelation. I give Glory to God for all of it. Especially the lying incident. That was a foundation I learned early as to the Law of Illumination. I was faced with a choice, I was sure that if I did not confess my lie I would not recieve God or His knowlege, I wanted to learn about how to please God and I knew that if I did not confess my lie I would not be able to pray. |
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