Fear God or Presume acceptance

[FollowHim]

6 But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble."
7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
8 Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
9 Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom.
10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.
James 4:6-10

James declares we need to come near to God, through obedience and repentance, without which we are not acceptable.

Some who reject this use these words below:-
"Something I will never worry or fear. Is God kicking me out of his family. For he has not given me a spirit of fear. But of sound mind, Whereby I can even enter in, and call him my Abba!"

Sadly if in their hearts they have never entered into the Kingdom, they are not in Gods family, they have not been cleansed and purified, none of the promises hold true and their faith is no faith at all. In their lives their walk needs to testify of Gods word, His love, His grace, His power. If it is thorns and thistles, anger and conflict, then there has never been entering in and no Abba, only rejection, because they have never known Jesus.

Jesus says simply we must be written in the Lambs book of Life. It is He who writes us in, so you would think people would listen to Him and His definition of love of Him, to obey and follow His words and path, His encouragements and His love.

15 "If you love me, you will obey what I command.
16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever--
17 the 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 14:15-17

But no, that is all sarcastic failure of the impossibility of walking in love and truth 24/7 so you must just believe Jesus has sorted it, and carry on being a sinner, with no pretence of righteousness or freedom or victory or change.

4 You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.
James 4:4

 

[CharismaticLady]

Some who reject this use these words below:-
"Something I will never worry or fear. Is God kicking me out of his family. For he has not given me a spirit of fear. But of sound mind, Whereby I can even enter in, and call him my Abba!"

That is because of the misinterpretation of grace that has been taught in the Church during the Reformation. They believe it means getting away with murder...

 

[FollowHim]

Some might find it odd, that walking in the ways of Jesus is bound into faith in Jesus and believing Him though it is actually obvious from what He says, and if the words become real in ones heart you will know this is the Kingdom of God.

There are believers, who call themselves followers of Jesus, or at least believers in Jesus who would describe this reality in these words

"I find it to be a despicable doctrine that undermines God's grace and preservation."
"Agree. I can add to the list... disgusting, reprehensible, irresponsible... it actually deserves censure I think."

Now I suppose these guys live in a nice society, with caring law abiding folk who treat them well and nothing is actually out of place.
If they lived in a place driven by corruption, fear, fighting and death, knowing how desperation and sin drives people to the edges of madness, then the light of Jesus's words and when He fills someone with His Holy Spirit who then walks the walk of love and faith, the light shines brightly, and this light is the light of life.

But these fools speak of something they do not know and of a hatred of something they have come from which was not of Christ.
Every time I read of folk like this and what they are hating it fills me with great sadness, because their hearts are full of so much presumption and they are trying to destroy the very thing they claim their hope is invested in. The stronger they exercise their hatred the deeper they sink into a place they can never return from.

God help anyone who ends up in this place, it leads only to gnashing of teeth and weeping. I cannot feel anything for these folk other than regret that they have taken this path, not knowing what they are doing or why.

 

[101G]

Addressing the OP only.

8 Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

it's about 2 or 3 topic on "FEAR", or about the "FEAR" of the Lord. there are several types of "FEAR". in reference to God, who is our FATHER, I take my clue for my natural father. the same man I "FEARED", is the same man who when he come home from work takes me in his armes and hugs me. but yet, if I had not did what he said or instructed me to do, YES that fear of retribution is real. but just as my natural father will not "KILL" me dead... (it came close a couple of times.. (smile), the same is Similar of our heavenly Father. (which he can kill us... ), but he correct us, if we obey not, yes, look for retribution, scripture, Hebrews 12:8 "But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons". God don't have babe babe kids, running loose doing what ever they want. the "FEAR" of the Lord is .... Proverbs 1:7 "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction". so maybe many "Presume acceptance" might be based on one's own foolishness.

PICJAG.

 

[Windmillcharge]

There is a contraction is Christianity that is difficult to hold in balance.

On the one side God is. Holy, Almighty, being who we fall on our face in sheer terror.
Who can read the chapters in Revelation about the Majesty of God or the passage in Isaiah and not tremble.

But we have the right to address Almighty God as 'Daddy', to come at once into his presence and tell him what has frightened us, or what we want and he willingly hears us.

Ever seen the King and I, an absolute monach has an English girl to teach his numerous children. There is a scene where he welcomes his children.
They all walk in, respectfully how and greet him. He on his throne returns the bow and greetings. Finally the youngest toddles in makes her how and throws her self into daddies arms and is welcome.
That is us, to be formal, respectful and honouring to God, yet also part of his interimit family.

 

[mjrhealth]

and carry on being a sinner,

Love the way christians throw this about, have you stopped sinning????

 

[marks]

. . . have you stopped sinning????

I haven't found anyone who will answer this question in the affirmative. More that they just like to cast aspersions on everyone else.

 

[marks]

"I find it to be a despicable doctrine that undermines God's grace and preservation."
"Agree. I can add to the list... disgusting, reprehensible, irresponsible... it actually deserves censure I think."

So . . . you invent your 'opponent', then argue against your invention?

 

[Episkopos]

Love the way christians throw this about, have you stopped sinning????

Do you believe in sinful grace? Do you believe that the righteousness of God is as filthy rags just like our own?

So then your question should go in the unbeliever section of the forum. And that's why your kind of question doesn't get answered. You are assuming that we remain the same in Christ as outside of Christ.

And they who abide in Him do not sin. There is no sin IN Christ. So you have to arrange your stance around the truth. Have you ever been cleansed from all unrighteousness? Have you ever confessed your sins to God?

Do you sin constantly? Or just sporadically?

Do tell.

 

[Joseph77]

I haven't found anyone who will answer this question in the affirmative. More that they just like to cast aspersions on everyone else.

Sad testimony.
Maybe wrong question, wrong motives, or not understanding it ?

 

[Episkopos]

People say they believe that their own righteousnesses are as filthy rags. But these same people also say they now have the righteousness of God (or of Jesus). So then does that mean they have exchanged their own filthy rags of righteousness...with it's sins...for "God's" righteousness or His righteousness which they make filthy with their sins...so that this becomes God's filthy rags of righteousness? So then the end is worse than before.

 

[mjrhealth]

Do you believe in sinful grace? Do you believe that the righteousness of God is as filthy rags just like our own?

So then your question should go in the unbeliever section of the forum. And that's why your kind of question doesn't get answered. You are assuming that we remain the same in Christ as outside of Christ.

And they who abide in Him do not sin. There is no sin IN Christ. So you have to arrange your stance around the truth. Have you ever been cleansed from all unrighteousness? Have you ever confessed your sins to God?

Do you sin constantly? Or just sporadically?

Do tell.

Something to do wuth that log in ones eye. So finally we found the perfect christian.

 

[Episkopos]

Something to do wuth that log in ones eye. So finally we found the perfect christian.

You may be in the minority that thinks that in Christ is sin. So some of us have found the perfect saviour.

You need an introduction?

I think the modern church doesn't have any depth of understanding or experience of Christ when compared to the living church of the 1st century. They certainly had their problems. But the leaders had a real spiritual connection to God.

What we have now is a pale shadow of that. No depth or power and a doctrine that emphasizes sinful humanity and the weakness of the flesh...as if Jesus had never established His kingdom at all.

The religion of death says that we must physically die to abide in Christ...to be saved from our sins...and to bear an eternal spiritual fruit.

The true gospel is in the power of the Holy Spirit and cleanses people of all sin...so that we can have fellowship with a Holy God and His Son Jesus. The new man is HOLY...without any spot or wrinkle of sin. We are exhorted to put him on.

Have you ever encountered Jesus?

 

[Episkopos]

I think it's better to call oneself a seeker or a Jesus fan rather than a disciple of Jesus if one has not known the walk in the Spirit by the blood (life) of Christ. To call Christ impure is to insult the God of grace. So it is better to fear the Lord and not try making Christ a sinful saviour.

There is a judgment for these type of things.

In Him is NO sin.

Rather than attack His followers who have experienced His power over sin...called grace...consider what you are doing.

In Rom. 7 Paul describes sin as a thing...not an action...but rather as something residing in him. Paul was distressed at this that sin was still in him even after he was "dead to sin" as far as he was concerned. (Rom. 6)

But Paul goes from...it is sin in me...to it is no longer I who live....but Christ in me.

So Paul is showing his early progression from being a slave to sin....to ....becoming a slave to Christ.

In Romans 8 Paul has the victory stating...IF we put to death the deeds of the body by the power of the Spirit (grace)...then we will live.

So we have this progression

Rom.6...awaking to righteousness
Rom. 7...a realization that righteousness is not enough
Rom. 8...an entrance into the Spirit and holiness thus overcoming sin by a new law...the law of life in the Spirit.

So then by grace we overcome sin just like the law of flight overcomes gravity. Grace is a higher law.

 

[marks]

Something to do wuth that log in ones eye. So finally we found the perfect christian.

You know, I've never seen @Episkopos state that he does not sin, or that he is the perfect Christian. Though he may bandy about those words, I haven't seen him apply them to himself. Not to say he hasn't, only that I haven't seen it.

So I don't know that I should assume that this is what he means.

I mean, do we really believe there is a Christian who does not commit sins? He doesn't say that he doesn't sin.

So I get the idea that he is discussing a theological stance while not actually claiming it for himself.

Does that make sense?

I can talk all day long that the "true Christian never commits a sin", but that's not the same thing as saying, "I'm a true Christian, and therefore do not sin."

So we can say, abiding in Christ, we do not sin. I agree with that competely. But is someone saying, I abide in Christ at all times, and never sin? I haven't seen where anyone has said that, including episkopos.

Much love!

 

[marks]

Rather than attack His followers who have experienced His power over sin...called grace...consider what you are doing.

Consider this carefully.

 

[marks]

says that we must die to abide in Christ...to be saved from our sins...and to bear an eternal spiritual fruit.

This part is exactly true.

Romans 6
8 Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him:
9 Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.
10 For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.
11 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

We must die, and we do die, being immersed into Christ.

 

[marks]

Sad testimony.
Maybe wrong question, wrong motives, or not understanding it ?

What do you mean?

The question simply is, do you commit sins?

 

[marks]

The true gospel is in the power of the Holy Spirit and cleanses people of all sin...so that we can have fellowship with a Holy God and His Son Jesus. The new man is HOLY...without any spot or wrinkle of sin. We are exhorted to put him on.

To this I give an hearty AMEN!

 

[marks]

But no, that is all sarcastic failure of the impossibility of walking in love and truth 24/7

It's not impossible, not at all! In faith we do just that.