The Cross is why.

[hies]

That verse is not talking about the Spiritual Kingdom of God.
And that is why this verse is given to JEWS, (house of Israel) before Jesus died on the CROSS, for the "sin of the World"


So, to do the "will of God the Father" is not to be water baptized and confirmed.
Its not to "endure to the end"

Its this.

"Believe on Jesus, and you shall be saved"..

That is God's will for everyone, but not all will do His Will.
How do you know?'
Because thousands of water baptized religious people, died today and went directly to Hell.
And they are now there, wondering..."but i was told that i was a Christian, once i was water baptized".
and they believe it, and Hell is filled with these "believers".. who Jesus NEVER KNEW.



God has the ability to lead a person to Salvation in Christ, without a preacher or a bible.
That's true.



Your problem is not evil desires.
Your issue is sin consciousness, that manifest as carnality, that is driven by trying to be good.
See, that is to put yourself under the Law and "the Law is the power of sin".
So, when you dont understand who you are "in Christ", then you will try to BECOME the Behavior of what you believe you understand as "Christianity" and that is the carnal mind trying to DO Christianity, and all that leads is more carnality that is empowered by wrong understanding.

Alright, well Christ has saved me from a lot of things already, including drug addiction. But the way I understand it right now is he wants me to discipline myself. He wants me to learn how to control myself and not give myself over to lust or the other evil desires that are left in me.

I'm not sure how all of this fits into what you've said, because I believe self-discipline is still important. But are you saying that when you truly believe in Jesus, all of your evil desires will completely melt away? Yet we all fall short of the glory of God...

Essentially, don't we still have to try, because we care? This slightly contradicts what I said before, but I believe that this is definitely what he wants. For us to try. For us to desire him and his righteousness, and not our own evil ways.

I guess what I'm trying to say is there are parts of me that don't desire Christ's righteousness, but other parts of me that do want him ultimately trump the parts that don't.

 

[Behold]

Alright, well Christ has saved me from a lot of things already, including drug addiction. But the way I understand it right now is he wants me to discipline myself. He wants me to learn how to control myself and not give myself over to lust or the other evil desires that are left in me.

CHRISTianity, is God in You, living His Life through you.
That is not you trying to be like Jesus, as some sort of Act or Performance.
See it?

This is why Paul told you...>"I DIE DAILY"... which means...>"I stop trying to DO Christianity and allow the Power of God to live CHRISTIANITY....
= Through Me".

Or as Paul teaches us...>"I can do all things THROUGH Christ"........>NOT>..."I can do all things by trying to behave as some idea of what Jesus was like"...

See it?

Listen @hies ....

CHRISTianity is not what you do...
Its What God has provided from the Cross of Christ, that lives inside you, that empower you to live as a CHRISTian..

See it?

 

[hies]

CHRISTianity, is God in You, living His Life through you.
That is not you trying to be like Jesus, as some sort of Act or Performance.
See it?

This is why Paul told you...>"I DIE DAILY"... which means...>"I stop trying to DO Christianity and allow the Power of God to live CHRISTIANITY....
= Through Me".

Or as Paul teaches us...>"I can do all things THROUGH Christ"........>NOT>..."I can do all things by trying to behave as some idea of what Jesus was like"...

See it?

Yeah I know what you're saying. But it is still our choice ultimately is what I'm trying to say. We can reject God's will, or allow it to take control of us. And again, there are parts of me that don't desire Christ's righteousness, but other parts of me that do want him.

So what saves us in the end is what we truly desire, regardless of what we know. That seems to be the most fair and just when you consider all of those who never heard about him. But it also makes sense for those who only do God's will because they want to save themselves and not because it's right to then be sent to hell.

 

[Behold]

Yeah I know what you're saying. But it is still our choice ultimately

Here is the choice.

You can try to strive against your wrong desires, and you will find that you want to do them more.

or, you can stop, and instead come to the place of believing that the power of God that overcomes, is found by understanding, and not self effort.

Listen.
The more you try to "not think about some carnal deed" is the more you will think about it.
Why?
Because that is you trying by /FLESH, by willpower to overcome.. and all that does is cause the dominion of LAW to empower you to want to sin more.

See that?

So, that is the opposite of How God has provided DELIVERANCE.
Or as Jesus told you...>"Apart from ME, you can do NOTHING">

And He means..."if you try to do it, then You shut off my Power"".

See, Christianity is all of God, and we RECEIVE IT.... and that is how you DO IT,.

Its by FAITH, not by self effort.... as all self effort does is turn off God's Delivering Power.

Its like this @hies....

When you work....when you TRY to be good, then God rests.... and when you rest in God, then God works and you find HIS power over wrong desires,.. as your continuing deliverance over "the world, the flesh, and the Devil".

 

[hies]

Here is the choice.

You can try to strive against your wrong desires, and you will find that you want to do them more.

or, you can stop, and instead come to the place of believing that the power of God that overcomes, is found by understanding, and not self effort.

Listen.
The more you try to "not think about some carnal deed" is the more you will think about it.
Why?
Because that is you trying by /FLESH, by willpower to overcome.. and all that does is cause the dominion of LAW to empower you to want to sin more.

See that?

So, that is the opposite of How God has provided DELIVERANCE.
Or as Jesus told you...>"Apart from ME, you can do NOTHING">

And He means..."if you try to do it, then You shut off my Power"".

See, Christianity is all of God, and we RECEIVE IT.... and that is how you DO IT,.

Its by FAITH, not by self effort.... as all self effort does is turn off God's Delivering Power.

Its like this @hies....

When you work....when you TRY to be good, then God rests.... and when you rest in God, then God works and you find HIS power over wrong desires.

I think I see what you're saying. So when we focus only on God we succeed in doing his will, but when we focus on ourselves we fail to do his will and fail because it's impossible with man.

It reminds me of this dream I had Dream about casting out devils please read that and let me know what you think. Thanks for your patience.

 

[Behold]

I think I see what you're saying. So when we focus only on God we succeed in doing his will, but when we focus on ourselves we fail to do his will and fail because it's impossible with man.

It reminds me of this dream I had Dream about casting out devils please read that and let me know what you think. Thanks for your patience.

Im happy to talk to you about the Cross of Christ and The Blood of Jesus that is your forgiveness and your atonement.

See, the power to live Holy, is found in God's Grace, and never in our self effort.

Jesus came to give us Eternal Life, and REST from ourselves.., as its ourselves, its the wrong mind, the wrong understanding, that prevents a believer from finding perfected discipleship.

There is a verse that says to you....>"work out your salvation, in awe and wonder"...

And that means......."now that you have received from God, His "Gift of Salvation"... you have to understand what it is that you now possess, and until you do.. you have not worked out, what you have been given, already".

 

[hies]

Im happy to talk to you about the Cross of Christ and The Blood of Jesus that is your forgiveness and your atonement.

See, the power to live Holy, is found in God's Grace, and never in our self effort.

Jesus came to give us Eternal Life, and REST from ourselves.., as its ourselves, its the wrong mind, the wrong understanding, that prevents a believer from finding perfected discipleship.

There is a verse that says to you....>"work out your salvation, in awe and wonder"...

And that means......."now that you have received from God, His "Gift of Salvation"... you have to understand what it is that you now possess, and until you do.. you have not worked out, what you have been given, already".

But what about those who never heard the gospel, or were only taught lies their entire lives, like Muslims? Aren't they judged by their desires?

 

[Behold]

But what about those who never heard the gospel, or were only taught lies their entire lives, like Muslims? Aren't they judged by their desires?

Study Paul's Epistles.
Always.

Paul teaches us in Romans 1, that "they are without excuse, as God has shown them"..

How?

God is revealed by "the things that are created"....as that proves His Existence.
This is why the Devil tries to use SCIENCE to deny God.... as Creation can't happen, without a CREATOR.

So, that is the Proof of God.. and for those who have never heard the "Gospel"... God will make a way for them to find the truth.

If they are a "moron".. somehow damaged mentally so that they have no mental facility to believe, then God count's that as acceptable.

Or, in the case of a child, up to a certain age, they are not counted among the sinners.... until they reach a point in their mentality when they understand what SIN is... and they then pursue it, willfully.

 

[Ziggy]

When I think of the cross, I hear the song: Like a bridge over troubled water.

Hugs

 

[Randy Kluth]

I agree with you. I believe God will judge people based on what they desire. If they desire to be with him, then Jesus paid the fine for them. If they desire to be righteous in their own eyes, or if they don't want to believe in God, then they will be destroyed. I don't believe anyone in the afterlife will think the judgement they were handed was unfair.

That desire to be with God can be shown through preaching about Jesus, and believing in Jesus. If someone truly desires to be with God, they will find Jesus. And those who never heard about him will die with that same desire, and then be given the revelation of Christ.

More importantly, those who claim to want him in this life perhaps only do so out of fear. They still desire evil deep down, but they can't reject the overwhelming evidence about Christ, so they pretend to want him, so that they don't go to hell. Wolves in sheep's clothing.

This actually answers my questions in Anger when arguing with atheists

I think a good way of looking at all of this is:
God is loving, merciful, and full of justice. He knows more than all of us combined. But he won't try to lawyer us out of anything, because he is just. He gives everyone the desires of their hearts. If deep down they desire evil, they get evil. If deep down they desire good, they get good. Maybe I'm wrong, but it seems to be completely just, merciful, and loving. No one gets ripped off. We are all given complete justice.

Yes, that's how I see it. Unfortunately, many legitimate biblical positions get set in stone by carnal Christians in history because over time, the more worldly views tend to gain the upper hand.

Hell gets painted as God's torture chamber, and all people in history who have never heard the name "Jesus" are destined to boil in oil for all eternity, hour by hour. Can you think of anything more "non-Christian?" Just get to know God a little, and you'll know what He's really like!

 

[Ziggy]

Yes, that's how I see it. Unfortunately, many legitimate biblical positions get set in stone by carnal Christians in history because over time, the more worldly views tend to gain the upper hand.

Hell gets painted as God's torture chamber, and all people in history who have never heard the name "Jesus" are destined to boil in oil for all eternity, hour by hour. Can you think of anything more "non-Christian?" Just get to know God a little, and you'll know what He's really like!

I think it's what they believe putting the FEAR of God in you.
But we know that there is No FEAR in Love.

But if your not in Love, then you better be fearful. And those who preach hell and damnation are spreading the FEAR but omitting the Love.
It's a half truth in my opinion.
Hugs

 

[Behold]

And those who preach hell and damnation are spreading the FEAR but omitting the Love.
It's a half truth in my opinion.

Try not to let your opinion lead you away from the NT.

Listen,
Hell is real and is waiting., Just like Heaven.

Some people, only react to that fact...

You can love everyone, but sometimes you have to make them realize that the consequences of dying unforgiven, are ETERNAL.

That Cross is not a Myth, and going to Hell, as a Christ rejector, never born again, is not a myth.

This verse is not a myth, and its designed to cause FEAR, that can bring you to the Cross, as God's love didnt...

JOHN 3:36

 

[Ziggy]

There is another thread running simultaneously with this one.
The Lake of Fire or hell.

I believe both serve a purpose but not how the churches teach it.
I believe the Lake of fire is the fiery furnace/temptations we have to go through, to be perfected.
Hell is the grave. Where your dead body goes and turns to dust.

Heb 10:31
It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. Lake of fire.
1Jo 4:8
He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.

I believe this.

Those that loveth not and knoweth not God, are going to have to find out the hard way.
Hugs

 

[Behold]

I believe both serve a purpose but not how the churches teach it.
I believe the Lake of fire is the fiery furnace/temptations we have to go through, to be perfected.
Hell is the grave. Where your dead body goes and turns to dust.

Not that many JW's are going to Heaven.

You might want to find out why, while you are still breathing.

 

[Randy Kluth]

I think it's what they believe putting the FEAR of God in you.
But we know that there is No FEAR in Love.

But if your not in Love, then you better be fearful. And those who preach hell and damnation are spreading the FEAR but omitting the Love.
It's a half truth in my opinion.
Hugs

I 100% agree with you!

 

[Ziggy]

Not that many JW's are going to Heaven.

You might want to find out why, while you are still breathing.

I don't know any JW's or who is or who isn't going to heaven.
I figure we just go fishing and God sorts out the catch in the end right?

Hugs

 

[Monkeyes]

I appreciate you sharing your heartfelt thoughts on faith and salvation. It's a topic that hits close to home for many, including myself.

 

[Tarantass]

Your words really resonate with me, especially the emphasis on love and grace over notions of fairness.
I've had my own journey with faith and understanding the role of Jesus and the Cross in salvation. It's been a rollercoaster of questioning, seeking, and ultimately finding peace in the idea that God's love knows no bounds.
And hey, speaking of faith, I stumbled upon some incredible Christian Wall Art that spoke to me on a personal level. Thinking of incorporating a few pieces into my home decor from christianwalls.com.