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The Bible states that if you are truly saved, you'll be transformed into a new creature in Christ. God will give you new wants and desires. You'll love righteousness, and hate wickedness. Are you like that today.One of the main ways I know I'm saved is that I become very upset and uneasy when someone uses God's name in vain around me. The same goes when someone cusses, and tells someone to go to hell.The best part about being saved, is that we are automatically Children in God. Isn't that amazing!?Also; do you have the desire to know God more? To study upon His Word (Bible)?
(eternalarcadia;37903)
How are you 100% sure that your saved..?
Salvation is a process.The Lord’s harvest is a process of sowing the Word, refining, cleaning, sifting, purification, and separation.The Lord’s harvest sprouts at the First Advent and continues through the Second Advent into the Millennium to the great white throne.To be 100 percent sure is to be born from above, born of the Spirit which is the Word of God.I Pet.1:23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.
How are you 100% sure that your saved..?
Salvation is a process.The Lord’s harvest is a process of sowing the Word, refining, cleaning, sifting, purification, and separation.The Lord’s harvest sprouts at the First Advent and continues through the Second Advent into the Millennium to the great white throne.To be 100 percent sure is to be born from above, born of the Spirit which is the Word of God.I Pet.1:23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.
Hi Wayne Murray,You need to spend a bit more time reading the gospels and the letters of Paul in order to settle this matter for yourself.You see, salvation is justification as we hear in Romans 8:1-2, "Therefore, there is now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the spirit of life has set you free from the law of sin and death."You are confusing justification with sanctifiation. Sanctification is the purifying process that goes on in the saved (justified) soul by the indwelling work of the Holy Spirit.By your theory of 'gradual justification' (salvation), if you died tonight you would be lost in Hell forever.Jesus clearly taught otherwise in John 5:24, "Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgement, but has passed from death to life."Note the phrase, "has passed from death to life."waynemlj
(eternalarcadia;37903)
How are you 100% sure that your saved..?
Okay When Jesus died on the cross he shed his blood. The blood shed was for forgiveness of sins. Not just the little ones or just the big ones but all sins.Why? Because God is light and in him there is no darkness at all. So he cant be around us if we are tainted with sin. So the infamous John 3:16 says it all:For God so loved the world that he gave his begotten son that Whosoever shall BELIEVETH in him SHALL NOT PERISH BUT HAVE EVER LASTING LIFE INTHE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN. Your heart has to be right ready for a new way of living matthew 3:2 and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” Repentence is the willingness to turn from your old ways and obey God. Acts 8:37 7And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. 38And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him.[/COLOR]so believe and be baptized . Repent ,believe and be baptized. the great commission that Jesus gave to his disciples was Matthew 28 : 19 go into the world and make disciples baptizing them in the name of the father the son and the holy spirit. While I do not believe that God would send someone to hell for not being baptized I think its very important because it signifies the death burial and ressurection of Christ. Finally God tells us" My Grace is sufficent for you" For those of us who feel like we are never good enough for God . He loves you . If you are actively seeking him ,he knows it. Amen! God is good and loves you in all your faults so Because he sent Jesus he now looks at you as if you are white as snow. All we have to do is ask for his forgiveness. For doing things that he knows hurt us. Things he cant be around . And the blood of Jesus covers everything. Praise God!
How are you 100% sure that your saved..?
Okay When Jesus died on the cross he shed his blood. The blood shed was for forgiveness of sins. Not just the little ones or just the big ones but all sins.Why? Because God is light and in him there is no darkness at all. So he cant be around us if we are tainted with sin. So the infamous John 3:16 says it all:For God so loved the world that he gave his begotten son that Whosoever shall BELIEVETH in him SHALL NOT PERISH BUT HAVE EVER LASTING LIFE INTHE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN. Your heart has to be right ready for a new way of living matthew 3:2 and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” Repentence is the willingness to turn from your old ways and obey God. Acts 8:37 7And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. 38And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him.[/COLOR]so believe and be baptized . Repent ,believe and be baptized. the great commission that Jesus gave to his disciples was Matthew 28 : 19 go into the world and make disciples baptizing them in the name of the father the son and the holy spirit. While I do not believe that God would send someone to hell for not being baptized I think its very important because it signifies the death burial and ressurection of Christ. Finally God tells us" My Grace is sufficent for you" For those of us who feel like we are never good enough for God . He loves you . If you are actively seeking him ,he knows it. Amen! God is good and loves you in all your faults so Because he sent Jesus he now looks at you as if you are white as snow. All we have to do is ask for his forgiveness. For doing things that he knows hurt us. Things he cant be around . And the blood of Jesus covers everything. Praise God!
Jon-Marc
New Member
Because I was there when it happened. I called on the Lord as He said to do, and He saved me as He said He WOULD do. Pure and simple. So simple that unbelievers stumble over it.
(waynemlj;38321)
Hi Wayne Murray,You need to spend a bit more time reading the gospels and the letters of Paul in order to settle this matter for yourself.You see, salvation is justification as we hear in Romans 8:1-2, "Therefore, there is now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the spirit of life has set you free from the law of sin and death."You are confusing justification with sanctifiation. Sanctification is the purifying process that goes on in the saved (justified) soul by the indwelling work of the Holy Spirit.By your theory of 'gradual justification' (salvation), if you died tonight you would be lost in Hell forever.Jesus clearly taught otherwise in John 5:24, "Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgement, but has passed from death to life."Note the phrase, "has passed from death to life."waynemlj
Dear waynemlj,Hey that is a good name, lol. You quote Rom.8:1-2 but leave off the qualifier.Rom.8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.That was very convenient to leave off the qualifier, “who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit”. I guess according to you, you instantaneously do not walk after the flesh. For me, walking not after the flesh but the Spirit, is a daily learning process.I am not confusing anything, but of course, I do not know it all. The only ones who are already ((justified)) (judged), are God’s elect or the Zadok. They overcame Satan in the first earth age (see Eph.1:4). Before the foundation of the world, and if you are a good Bible student you know this word “foundation” means the overthrow of Satan’s rebellion. I have no theory, only God’s Word. According to you, once saved always saved. According to you, I am pure Gold without any impurities. According to you, I am wheat without any chaff. According to you, I can sin without any need to repent. I am now free to become a serial killer or promote Satan. According to you, I am saved already.Yes many have passed from the sentence of death unto life eternal, but how many have put on immortality as of yet. __Prerequisite For Lord’s Harvest__Adam and Eve ate, assimilated, or consumed knowledge from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, that is Satan. Later God said.Gen.3:22 And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of Us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever: All must eat, assimilate, or consume knowledge of the tree of life, that is Jesus Christ, to live forever. Notice that the individual must put forth their hand. Born innocents into this flesh age all consume knowledge of good and evil. All are sinners.__Retro-Harvest Post Crucifixion__ I Pet.3:18-19, I Pet.4:6__Lord’s Harvest__ Mal.3:1-6, Rev.14:14-16, Matt.3:11-12, Matt.25:31-34__Final Harvest__ Mal.4:1-6, Rev.14:17-20, Matt.3:10, Matt.25:30The soil (mind) has to be cultivated, the seed (Word) is planted, watering, germination, growth, maturity, and then harvest. You know it seems like a process to me.
Hi Wayne Murray,You need to spend a bit more time reading the gospels and the letters of Paul in order to settle this matter for yourself.You see, salvation is justification as we hear in Romans 8:1-2, "Therefore, there is now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the spirit of life has set you free from the law of sin and death."You are confusing justification with sanctifiation. Sanctification is the purifying process that goes on in the saved (justified) soul by the indwelling work of the Holy Spirit.By your theory of 'gradual justification' (salvation), if you died tonight you would be lost in Hell forever.Jesus clearly taught otherwise in John 5:24, "Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgement, but has passed from death to life."Note the phrase, "has passed from death to life."waynemlj
Dear waynemlj,Hey that is a good name, lol. You quote Rom.8:1-2 but leave off the qualifier.Rom.8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.That was very convenient to leave off the qualifier, “who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit”. I guess according to you, you instantaneously do not walk after the flesh. For me, walking not after the flesh but the Spirit, is a daily learning process.I am not confusing anything, but of course, I do not know it all. The only ones who are already ((justified)) (judged), are God’s elect or the Zadok. They overcame Satan in the first earth age (see Eph.1:4). Before the foundation of the world, and if you are a good Bible student you know this word “foundation” means the overthrow of Satan’s rebellion. I have no theory, only God’s Word. According to you, once saved always saved. According to you, I am pure Gold without any impurities. According to you, I am wheat without any chaff. According to you, I can sin without any need to repent. I am now free to become a serial killer or promote Satan. According to you, I am saved already.Yes many have passed from the sentence of death unto life eternal, but how many have put on immortality as of yet. __Prerequisite For Lord’s Harvest__Adam and Eve ate, assimilated, or consumed knowledge from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, that is Satan. Later God said.Gen.3:22 And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of Us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever: All must eat, assimilate, or consume knowledge of the tree of life, that is Jesus Christ, to live forever. Notice that the individual must put forth their hand. Born innocents into this flesh age all consume knowledge of good and evil. All are sinners.__Retro-Harvest Post Crucifixion__ I Pet.3:18-19, I Pet.4:6__Lord’s Harvest__ Mal.3:1-6, Rev.14:14-16, Matt.3:11-12, Matt.25:31-34__Final Harvest__ Mal.4:1-6, Rev.14:17-20, Matt.3:10, Matt.25:30The soil (mind) has to be cultivated, the seed (Word) is planted, watering, germination, growth, maturity, and then harvest. You know it seems like a process to me.
(waynemlj;38321)
Hi Wayne Murray,You need to spend a bit more time reading the gospels and the letters of Paul in order to settle this matter for yourself.You see, salvation is justification as we hear in Romans 8:1-2, "Therefore, there is now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the spirit of life has set you free from the law of sin and death."You are confusing justification with sanctifiation. Sanctification is the purifying process that goes on in the saved (justified) soul by the indwelling work of the Holy Spirit.By your theory of 'gradual justification' (salvation), if you died tonight you would be lost in Hell forever.Jesus clearly taught otherwise in John 5:24, "Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgement, but has passed from death to life."Note the phrase, "has passed from death to life."waynemlj
I don't think that he is wrong. If he said justification is a process then he would be wrong. But salvation is a process to some people depending on your understanding of how the process works. We are justified at one point in time. Sanctification as you point out it a lifelong process. Glorification is yet to come.Salvation means different things to different people. It can be used to encompass the whole process or it can be used more narrowly as you have chosen. In general terms, Protestants tend towards the narrower meaning, but Catholics use it more broadly.I don't want to split hairs or be argumentative. It is simply a different way of describing how we are saved.Someone who does not believe in once save always saved would have a hard time with the idea that we are justified and cannot lose our salvation. this is an argument as old as the hills and we aren't going to resolve it here. People will have to make up their own minds.I personally see salvation as more meaningful. I think that one isn't saved truly by the words we speak (such as a confession of faith) or an action (such as baptism). Words can be false. Actions can be empty. I think that we are only saved when words become actions. In other words, there is no separation between what we say and what we do. This is the faith and deeds synergistic relationship that James wrote about in James 2: 14 and John wrote about in 1 John 3: 18. Our faith cannot save us if if is so shallow that we cannot be moved to act. To be a Christian is to love. Love has actions associated with it.There are lots of people who call themselves Christian but aren't. They have spoken the words. They have done some actions (gone to church or been baptized), but there is no synergy between the two.Christians need to walk the walk, not just talk the talk. We also cannot be mere do-gooders either. Our faith must move us to act in obedience to God. This sanctifies us and advances the Kingdom of God. We must act out of love for God and others. Always. Anything less than this is unacceptable to God and it should be to us.James and 1 John are good books to read. They tell us what real Christians are like and what the counterfeits look like. John even goes so far as to say their are Antichrists in the church. He says they have gone out from us (the church), but we never truly saved. This appears to deal with once saved, always saved as well. You cannot lose your salvation if you never had it in the first place.If there were Antichrists in the church then there are some now. If there were unsaved people in the church then then they are here now. Jesus is even tougher. He says, Matthew 7: 21 "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' 23 Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!' Notice the emphasis on doing. Our actions must match our words and our words must be rooted in the love of the Father.Jesus says, his sheep know his name and he knows them (John 10: 14). He says that not one that the Father has given to his care will perish . I take him at his word. salvation cannot be lost.
Hi Wayne Murray,You need to spend a bit more time reading the gospels and the letters of Paul in order to settle this matter for yourself.You see, salvation is justification as we hear in Romans 8:1-2, "Therefore, there is now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the spirit of life has set you free from the law of sin and death."You are confusing justification with sanctifiation. Sanctification is the purifying process that goes on in the saved (justified) soul by the indwelling work of the Holy Spirit.By your theory of 'gradual justification' (salvation), if you died tonight you would be lost in Hell forever.Jesus clearly taught otherwise in John 5:24, "Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgement, but has passed from death to life."Note the phrase, "has passed from death to life."waynemlj
I don't think that he is wrong. If he said justification is a process then he would be wrong. But salvation is a process to some people depending on your understanding of how the process works. We are justified at one point in time. Sanctification as you point out it a lifelong process. Glorification is yet to come.Salvation means different things to different people. It can be used to encompass the whole process or it can be used more narrowly as you have chosen. In general terms, Protestants tend towards the narrower meaning, but Catholics use it more broadly.I don't want to split hairs or be argumentative. It is simply a different way of describing how we are saved.Someone who does not believe in once save always saved would have a hard time with the idea that we are justified and cannot lose our salvation. this is an argument as old as the hills and we aren't going to resolve it here. People will have to make up their own minds.I personally see salvation as more meaningful. I think that one isn't saved truly by the words we speak (such as a confession of faith) or an action (such as baptism). Words can be false. Actions can be empty. I think that we are only saved when words become actions. In other words, there is no separation between what we say and what we do. This is the faith and deeds synergistic relationship that James wrote about in James 2: 14 and John wrote about in 1 John 3: 18. Our faith cannot save us if if is so shallow that we cannot be moved to act. To be a Christian is to love. Love has actions associated with it.There are lots of people who call themselves Christian but aren't. They have spoken the words. They have done some actions (gone to church or been baptized), but there is no synergy between the two.Christians need to walk the walk, not just talk the talk. We also cannot be mere do-gooders either. Our faith must move us to act in obedience to God. This sanctifies us and advances the Kingdom of God. We must act out of love for God and others. Always. Anything less than this is unacceptable to God and it should be to us.James and 1 John are good books to read. They tell us what real Christians are like and what the counterfeits look like. John even goes so far as to say their are Antichrists in the church. He says they have gone out from us (the church), but we never truly saved. This appears to deal with once saved, always saved as well. You cannot lose your salvation if you never had it in the first place.If there were Antichrists in the church then there are some now. If there were unsaved people in the church then then they are here now. Jesus is even tougher. He says, Matthew 7: 21 "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' 23 Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!' Notice the emphasis on doing. Our actions must match our words and our words must be rooted in the love of the Father.Jesus says, his sheep know his name and he knows them (John 10: 14). He says that not one that the Father has given to his care will perish . I take him at his word. salvation cannot be lost.
John 10: 25 Jesus answered, "I did tell you, but you do not believe. The miracles I do in my Father's name speak for me, 26 but you do not believe because you are not my sheep. 27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand. 30 I and the Father are one."
Salvation is a paradox. It is more complicated than many people believe. Yet it is so simple that it eludes them. They think that they can make God love them more if they just say this or do that. All they really do is to take him at his word and to love him and others unconditionally. It isn't about us. that's what we forget. It is about God. It is about putting him first and last. It is about putting others ahead of us.The church is full of people who think that they are saved because they have the wrong standard. They are using human standards. God doesn't use our standards. He only needs to look into our heart. It never lies. If we have God's heart then he knows that we will love him and want to obey him. He knows that whatever we do will put others first.1 John 3; 10 This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God; nor is anyone who does not love his brother.
There you have it. Love God and obey him. Love others. Jesus said it. John says it. We need to do it. Some people cannot love others. This is because God has not penetrated their heart. If he had then they could not help but love others. God knows who they are. We don't need to know. We also cannot presume that anyone is saved just because they call themselves Christian.John tells us to pray for those who fall short. We can still love them even though it may never be returned. That is a challenge for some people. But God can give us the grace to do it.It is impossible for a Christian to hate. It is impossible for a Christian to speak unkind words. James and John give lots of other things that we can't or shouldn't do.We all fall short at times. But this isn't who we are. God knows who we are. He knows us better than we know ourselves. He knows us from inside out. When we fall short we can make amends. We can express sorrow and remorse. We can change. Some people were born in the church and no nothing else. They have no desire to change and see no need to. A Christian is asking the sort of question being asked here. He knows that he can be better and is called to a high purpose.God does not measure us as we are now. He sees the first and the last in an instant. He sees our heart today and our heart at the end. He does not need to rely on a snapshot taken on any given day. We all have bad days and highs and lows. It isn't the highs and lows, but the character that is important. The desire has to be genuine. The love has to be real. The confession must be sincere. We need to lay it all before God.Jesus takes what we have and re-makes us. We are a new model every day, hopefully better than the day before. We have a fresh start each day and we are never the same person once we have Jesus in our heart. Each day we are a new person. It is this attitude that defines us. It is what makes us special. This is why I see it as a process. I also get it that there is a point in time where we are saved. The two aren't really different. They are the same thing because one cannot be without the other.John tells that we can be confident before God. Asking the question does not make us less confident. It shows that we are allowing ourselves to be vulnerable and we are saying that we know that being a Christian is radical. It involves change. Big change.Don't question your faith. Examine your deeds. They are the mirrors as to whether our heart has been transformed.(lilithb;38561)
I believe that I am and that is enough for me.
Is it enough for Jesus?"If I bear witness of myself, my witness is not true." (John 5:31)
I believe that I am and that is enough for me.
Is it enough for Jesus?"If I bear witness of myself, my witness is not true." (John 5:31)
Yes it is enough We are to believe upon him accept him as our savior repent of our sins in his name and we are saved by his grace. To put any other qulifications on this is deny faith in our Father to do as he has said.Upon acceptance and repentance our spirit that dwells within us is awakened to the Holy spirit of God. This awakening of our spirit is to be reborn You know this when you love him and want to walk in his ways. Even if we stumble we want to get back up and ask his forgivness and help not to fall again.
(Dunamite;38445)
I don't think that he is wrong. If he said justification is a process then he would be wrong. But salvation is a process to some people depending on your understanding of how the process works. We are justified at one point in time. Sanctification as you point out it a lifelong process. Glorification is yet to come.Salvation means different things to different people. It can be used to encompass the whole process or it can be used more narrowly as you have chosen. In general terms, Protestants tend towards the narrower meaning, but Catholics use it more broadly.I don't want to split hairs or be argumentative. It is simply a different way of describing how we are saved.Someone who does not believe in once save always saved would have a hard time with the idea that we are justified and cannot lose our salvation. this is an argument as old as the hills and we aren't going to resolve it here. People will have to make up their own minds.I personally see salvation as more meaningful. I think that one isn't saved truly by the words we speak (such as a confession of faith) or an action (such as baptism). Words can be false. Actions can be empty. I think that we are only saved when words become actions. In other words, there is no separation between what we say and what we do. This is the faith and deeds synergistic relationship that James wrote about in James 2: 14 and John wrote about in 1 John 3: 18. Our faith cannot save us if if is so shallow that we cannot be moved to act. To be a Christian is to love. Love has actions associated with it.There are lots of people who call themselves Christian but aren't. They have spoken the words. They have done some actions (gone to church or been baptized), but there is no synergy between the two.Christians need to walk the walk, not just talk the talk. We also cannot be mere do-gooders either. Our faith must move us to act in obedience to God. This sanctifies us and advances the Kingdom of God. We must act out of love for God and others. Always. Anything less than this is unacceptable to God and it should be to us.James and 1 John are good books to read. They tell us what real Christians are like and what the counterfeits look like. John even goes so far as to say their are Antichrists in the church. He says they have gone out from us (the church), but we never truly saved. This appears to deal with once saved, always saved as well. You cannot lose your salvation if you never had it in the first place.If there were Antichrists in the church then there are some now. If there were unsaved people in the church then then they are here now. Jesus is even tougher. He says, Matthew 7: 21 "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' 23 Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!' Notice the emphasis on doing. Our actions must match our words and our words must be rooted in the love of the Father.Jesus says, his sheep know his name and he knows them (John 10: 14). He says that not one that the Father has given to his care will perish . I take him at his word. salvation cannot be lost.
very wise words there. Seems you know what your talking about. elucidate further on this though."It is impossible for a Christian to hate. It is impossible for a Christian to speak unkind words. James and John give lots of other things that we can't or shouldn't do.We all fall short at times. But this isn't who we are. God knows who we are. He knows us better than we know ourselves. He knows us from inside out. When we fall short we can make amends. We can express sorrow and remorse. We can change." It seems you contradict yourself. If christianity is a process, then obviously, we sin. I get what your saying, but i dont believe that it's impossible for christians to sin. In the new heaven and earth when it comes yes, but currently we are all vulnerable to temptation, and we cannot withstand unless we have jesus at the moment. And i say at the moment, because every moment should be of us with god in our thoughts and heart, not just the fact that we know him, so obviously we are going to sin. How many times did the isrealites sin? God's chosen people, and look at the world today.
I don't think that he is wrong. If he said justification is a process then he would be wrong. But salvation is a process to some people depending on your understanding of how the process works. We are justified at one point in time. Sanctification as you point out it a lifelong process. Glorification is yet to come.Salvation means different things to different people. It can be used to encompass the whole process or it can be used more narrowly as you have chosen. In general terms, Protestants tend towards the narrower meaning, but Catholics use it more broadly.I don't want to split hairs or be argumentative. It is simply a different way of describing how we are saved.Someone who does not believe in once save always saved would have a hard time with the idea that we are justified and cannot lose our salvation. this is an argument as old as the hills and we aren't going to resolve it here. People will have to make up their own minds.I personally see salvation as more meaningful. I think that one isn't saved truly by the words we speak (such as a confession of faith) or an action (such as baptism). Words can be false. Actions can be empty. I think that we are only saved when words become actions. In other words, there is no separation between what we say and what we do. This is the faith and deeds synergistic relationship that James wrote about in James 2: 14 and John wrote about in 1 John 3: 18. Our faith cannot save us if if is so shallow that we cannot be moved to act. To be a Christian is to love. Love has actions associated with it.There are lots of people who call themselves Christian but aren't. They have spoken the words. They have done some actions (gone to church or been baptized), but there is no synergy between the two.Christians need to walk the walk, not just talk the talk. We also cannot be mere do-gooders either. Our faith must move us to act in obedience to God. This sanctifies us and advances the Kingdom of God. We must act out of love for God and others. Always. Anything less than this is unacceptable to God and it should be to us.James and 1 John are good books to read. They tell us what real Christians are like and what the counterfeits look like. John even goes so far as to say their are Antichrists in the church. He says they have gone out from us (the church), but we never truly saved. This appears to deal with once saved, always saved as well. You cannot lose your salvation if you never had it in the first place.If there were Antichrists in the church then there are some now. If there were unsaved people in the church then then they are here now. Jesus is even tougher. He says, Matthew 7: 21 "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' 23 Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!' Notice the emphasis on doing. Our actions must match our words and our words must be rooted in the love of the Father.Jesus says, his sheep know his name and he knows them (John 10: 14). He says that not one that the Father has given to his care will perish . I take him at his word. salvation cannot be lost.
John 10: 25 Jesus answered, "I did tell you, but you do not believe. The miracles I do in my Father's name speak for me, 26 but you do not believe because you are not my sheep. 27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand. 30 I and the Father are one."
Salvation is a paradox. It is more complicated than many people believe. Yet it is so simple that it eludes them. They think that they can make God love them more if they just say this or do that. All they really do is to take him at his word and to love him and others unconditionally. It isn't about us. that's what we forget. It is about God. It is about putting him first and last. It is about putting others ahead of us.The church is full of people who think that they are saved because they have the wrong standard. They are using human standards. God doesn't use our standards. He only needs to look into our heart. It never lies. If we have God's heart then he knows that we will love him and want to obey him. He knows that whatever we do will put others first.1 John 3; 10 This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God; nor is anyone who does not love his brother.
There you have it. Love God and obey him. Love others. Jesus said it. John says it. We need to do it. Some people cannot love others. This is because God has not penetrated their heart. If he had then they could not help but love others. God knows who they are. We don't need to know. We also cannot presume that anyone is saved just because they call themselves Christian.John tells us to pray for those who fall short. We can still love them even though it may never be returned. That is a challenge for some people. But God can give us the grace to do it.It is impossible for a Christian to hate. It is impossible for a Christian to speak unkind words. James and John give lots of other things that we can't or shouldn't do.We all fall short at times. But this isn't who we are. God knows who we are. He knows us better than we know ourselves. He knows us from inside out. When we fall short we can make amends. We can express sorrow and remorse. We can change. Some people were born in the church and no nothing else. They have no desire to change and see no need to. A Christian is asking the sort of question being asked here. He knows that he can be better and is called to a high purpose.God does not measure us as we are now. He sees the first and the last in an instant. He sees our heart today and our heart at the end. He does not need to rely on a snapshot taken on any given day. We all have bad days and highs and lows. It isn't the highs and lows, but the character that is important. The desire has to be genuine. The love has to be real. The confession must be sincere. We need to lay it all before God.Jesus takes what we have and re-makes us. We are a new model every day, hopefully better than the day before. We have a fresh start each day and we are never the same person once we have Jesus in our heart. Each day we are a new person. It is this attitude that defines us. It is what makes us special. This is why I see it as a process. I also get it that there is a point in time where we are saved. The two aren't really different. They are the same thing because one cannot be without the other.John tells that we can be confident before God. Asking the question does not make us less confident. It shows that we are allowing ourselves to be vulnerable and we are saying that we know that being a Christian is radical. It involves change. Big change.Don't question your faith. Examine your deeds. They are the mirrors as to whether our heart has been transformed.very wise words there. Seems you know what your talking about. elucidate further on this though."It is impossible for a Christian to hate. It is impossible for a Christian to speak unkind words. James and John give lots of other things that we can't or shouldn't do.We all fall short at times. But this isn't who we are. God knows who we are. He knows us better than we know ourselves. He knows us from inside out. When we fall short we can make amends. We can express sorrow and remorse. We can change." It seems you contradict yourself. If christianity is a process, then obviously, we sin. I get what your saying, but i dont believe that it's impossible for christians to sin. In the new heaven and earth when it comes yes, but currently we are all vulnerable to temptation, and we cannot withstand unless we have jesus at the moment. And i say at the moment, because every moment should be of us with god in our thoughts and heart, not just the fact that we know him, so obviously we are going to sin. How many times did the isrealites sin? God's chosen people, and look at the world today.
It is inevitable how new Christians (myself as well) would sometimes have doubts about their salvation.The main question is, would 'love' or 'fear' give you more strength, and heal your wounded soul?
(kriss;38601)
Yes it is enough We are to believe upon him accept him as our savior repent of our sins in his name and we are saved by his grace.
How do you know if you are really believing on him?
Yes it is enough We are to believe upon him accept him as our savior repent of our sins in his name and we are saved by his grace.
How do you know if you are really believing on him?
(TallMan;38624)
How do you know if you are really believing on him?
I explained this in the rest of my answer alreadyUpon acceptance and repentance our spirit that dwells within us is awakened to the Holy spirit of God. This awakening of our spirit is to be reborn You know this when you love him and want to walk in his ways. It is called faith Faith is belief in things one can not see or prove but knows in ones soul if you require physical proof you are no longer walking in faith.
How do you know if you are really believing on him?
I explained this in the rest of my answer alreadyUpon acceptance and repentance our spirit that dwells within us is awakened to the Holy spirit of God. This awakening of our spirit is to be reborn You know this when you love him and want to walk in his ways. It is called faith Faith is belief in things one can not see or prove but knows in ones soul if you require physical proof you are no longer walking in faith.
(kriss;38646)
(Tallman;38624)
How do you know if you are really believing on him?
I explained this in the rest of my answer alreadyUpon acceptance and repentance our spirit that dwells within us is awakened to the Holy spirit of God. This awakening of our spirit is to be reborn You know this when you love him and want to walk in his ways. It is called faithFaith is belief in things one can not see or prove but knows in ones soulif you require physical proof you are no longer walking in faith.I agree Kriss.II Corinthians 5:7 - (For we walk by faith, not by sight
JagLovest thou in Christ Yahshua, Lord and Saviour of the world.
(Tallman;38624)
How do you know if you are really believing on him?
I explained this in the rest of my answer alreadyUpon acceptance and repentance our spirit that dwells within us is awakened to the Holy spirit of God. This awakening of our spirit is to be reborn You know this when you love him and want to walk in his ways. It is called faithFaith is belief in things one can not see or prove but knows in ones soulif you require physical proof you are no longer walking in faith.I agree Kriss.II Corinthians 5:7 - (For we walk by faith, not by sight
JagLovest thou in Christ Yahshua, Lord and Saviour of the world.Sometimes when I say I believe Jesus died for my sins, I have this intruding thought that comes up in my head saying No he didn't. Is this satan because it scares me and makes me feel like I really don't believe and I'm only fooling myself.
(Mikey;38666)
Sometimes when I say I believe Jesus died for my sins, I have this intruding thought that comes up in my head saying No he didn't. Is this satan because it scares me and makes me feel like I really don't believe and I'm only fooling myself.
Yes that is Satan, only he brings out negativity into our thoughts...I know he brings up back some of the old filthy thoughts I watched back when I was a teenage, but I know I am forgiven....I just don't listen to myself well either.JagLovest thou in Christ Yahshua, Lord and Saviour of the world.
Sometimes when I say I believe Jesus died for my sins, I have this intruding thought that comes up in my head saying No he didn't. Is this satan because it scares me and makes me feel like I really don't believe and I'm only fooling myself.
Yes that is Satan, only he brings out negativity into our thoughts...I know he brings up back some of the old filthy thoughts I watched back when I was a teenage, but I know I am forgiven....I just don't listen to myself well either.JagLovest thou in Christ Yahshua, Lord and Saviour of the world.
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