You Don’t Have to Change to be a Christian!

[Gospel Believer]

A great teacher of the Word that I used to listen to used to tell people outside of the Church the following “ You don’t have to change to attend this Church, But WATCH OUT! If you start to Practice Faith , God “might” just Change You! He went on to say, “ Bring me every Sinner in town!

Haven’t really heard that particular message preached by anybody else ....Comments?

 

[Davy]

A great teacher of the Word that I used to listen to used to tell people outside of the Church the following “ You don’t have to change to attend this Church, But WATCH OUT! If you start to Practice Faith , God “might” just Change You! He went on to say, “ Bring me every Sinner in town!

Haven’t really heard that particular message preached by anybody else ....Comments?

If it weren't for the second part about practicing Faith, it would be called a blasphemy message. Believe it or not, this is one of the huge problems with some churches out there that just preach a 'be happy, Jesus loves you' message, and then take your money.

 

[Wrangler]

All this identity disorder stuff with sexuality is causing confusion. To be something IS to DO something. It is nonsense to say, "I am a hockey player" but I don't actually practice or play hockey." Same with anything else.

The expression is appropriate, Come to Jesus. It requires a delta of geography, if taken literally. Taken spiritually, it requires a change from
"I did it my way" being lord of yourself, to surrendering that lordship over to the true lord. To do this requires humilty, which again is a change.

If you don't want to change, continue to enjoy the suffering in your sins.

 

[Ronald David Bruno]

A great teacher of the Word that I used to listen to used to tell people outside of the Church the following “ You don’t have to change to attend this Church, But WATCH OUT! If you start to Practice Faith , God “might” just Change You! He went on to say, “ Bring me every Sinner in town!

Haven’t really heard that particular message preached by anybody else ....Comments?

God transforms/ converts a person's soul and spirit. He makes us holy, we can't. We cooperate though. He draws us to Himself, enlightens us to see the sin in our lives and offers a solution. We read His word, are persuaded and believe. The solution to the wages of sin (death), is not something we can accomplish by ourselves. So we seek God for salvation through Christ. He changes us and we are in agreement to turn away from our old ways and follow. We become willing to change, and we are empowered to change by God. We can do nothing without Him.
Belief requires a response, a turning towards God and dying to yourself. You just can't say you believe and continue your life of sin. If you don't do what Jesus says, then you are a liar. We demonstrate our faith and eventually we produce fruit.
Now that demonstration may be just a verbal confession of your sins, a plea for forgiveness, a kind word prior to death like the man on the cross next to Jesus. He confessed who He was, guilty, a sinner, and asked Jesus to rememeber Him (to forgive) when He comes into His kingdom. He said kind words about Jesus and spoke truth. Jesus forgave Him and promised him that he would be in Paradise TODAY with Him.
Just the act of going to church and reading the Bible id something that you refused to do before and now you are seeking God. That's a change of heart and you begin to cooperate with His plan for you. I never wanted to read the Bible and would reject invitations to church and evangelistic witnessing in my face. I'd be polite and say no thank you. But then something happened ... it's a long story. But it was God orchestrating the people and events that came into my life that led me to that moment of a divine appointment. That whole process was God drawing me, opening up my eyes, sending someone to witness to me - that I finally listened to and invite me to church - and I was open for that. Jesus knocked and I opened the door. He came in and supped with me.

 

[marks]

Maybe you don't have to change yourself to become a Christian, but you most certainly do have to change, from dead to alive, to start with.

Much love!

 

[Gospel Believer]

Maybe you don't have to change yourself to become a Christian, but you most certainly do have to change, from dead to alive, to start with.

Much love!

Yes.....and that passing from Death to Life is an Act of God for All Of Those That simply Believe.....

“ All Of Those That Hear My Word and Believe the One that sent me, Already Have Eternal Life and shall Never come under Condemnation—- they have passed from Death unto Life...

 

[Gospel Believer]

If it weren't for the second part about practicing Faith, it would be called a blasphemy message. Believe it or not, this is one of the huge problems with some churches out there that just preach a 'be happy, Jesus loves you' message, and then take your money.

I never changed anything in my life.....I started Trusting the Promises Of God and actually started Acting on them, and because of that God put His Spirit in me and He Transformed me from the inside out....I guess it’s that “ Inside Of The Cup” thingy that Jesus spoke of.....we can polish up the Outside of the cup—- that is what the religionists do— But only God can Change the Inside....
As a Free Man in Christ , I do what I “want” to do.....God has transformed my New Heart so that, over time, “ My” wants seem to line- up with “ His” wants......I continue the same way that I started out—- Trusting—- and God does the Changing.....as I said, I do what I want and He changes my wants.....when I want to do good , I get blessed......when I want to do bad, I get Chastised.........it’s pretty simple... ...” The Righteous shall *LIVE * by Faith.....we are to LIVE “ From Faith to Faith”...... that is what I do.....

 

[GISMYS_7]

You Don’t Have to Change to be a Christian! but if you are you will!!!​

 

[Gospel Believer]

You Don’t Have to Change to be a Christian! but if you are you will!!!​

My point exactly......practice Faith ....That “ Faith” is Acting upon a Promise Of God ... ..( a Promise as simple as “ Turn to Me and I will Turn to you) and get the Holy Sprit in you , and if that Holy Spirit is allowed to hang around long enough......” Change” is inevitable ....
“ The Just shall LIVE by Faith”
And if you want that “Holy Spirit” That we speak of, all you have to do is Act upon a Promise Of God—— Here is the Promise—- “ All That ASK shall receive” .....want that Holy Spirit? Trust that Promise from our God that can never lie.... simply Ask....

 

[Davy]

I never changed anything in my life.....I started Trusting the Promises Of God and actually started Acting on them, and because of that God put His Spirit in me and He Transformed me from the inside out....I guess it’s that “ Inside Of The Cup” thingy that Jesus spoke of.....we can polish up the Outside of the cup—- that is what the religionists do— But only God can Change the Inside....
As a Free Man in Christ , I do what I “want” to do.....God has transformed my New Heart so that, over time, “ My” wants seem to line- up with “ His” wants......I continue the same way that I started out—- Trusting—- and God does the Changing.....as I said, I do what I want and He changes my wants.....when I want to do good , I get blessed......when I want to do bad, I get Chastised.........it’s pretty simple... ...” The Righteous shall *LIVE * by Faith.....we are to LIVE “ From Faith to Faith”...... that is what I do.....

On the nail!

 

[Gottservant]

The flipside is, if you don't change, you don't expect to be received (remember the prodigal son "I am not worthy")

 

[Patrick1966]

A great teacher of the Word that I used to listen to used to tell people outside of the Church the following “ You don’t have to change to attend this Church, But WATCH OUT! If you start to Practice Faith , God “might” just Change You! He went on to say, “ Bring me every Sinner in town!

Haven’t really heard that particular message preached by anybody else ....Comments?

I think it's a fair statement for most people. In other words, most struggle with sin but also TRY to follow God's commandments. Nobody perfectly walks the narrow path. So, yea, it's not a prerequisite to refrain from ALL sin in order to claim to be a follower of Christ.

On the flip side, a serial rapist who continues to rape is probably not considered by Jesus to be one of his flock.

 

[Patrick1966]

John 6:28-29 ESV
28 Then they said to him, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?” 29 Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.”

 

[Gospel Believer]

The flipside is, if you don't change, you don't expect to be received (remember the prodigal son "I am not worthy")

One does not “ change” to come to God....one comes to God and “ finds himself” changed....

 

[Gottservant]

One does not “ change” to come to God....one comes to God and “ finds himself” changed....

No? The prodigal son quite clearly changes his mind (before he returns to his father).

I appreciate you would like to be certain that you will change, but hope for what one knows is not hope.

 

[Patrick1966]

No? The prodigal son quite clearly changes his mind (before he returns to his father).

I appreciate you would like to be certain that you will change, but hope for what one knows is not hope.

Yes, we should all change from any "bad" behavior in which we are engaging. However, it's simply not possible for us to change ourselves to perfection. Only God can do that for us, but he will!

 

[Gottservant]

Yes, we should all change from any "bad" behavior in which we are engaging. However, it's simply not possible for us to change ourselves to perfection. Only God can do that for us, but he will!

He will, with our help.

The Holy Spirit speaks up for us, but He can't speak up for all of us.

Doing well, what we failed at in sin, is part of the story, but part of the story is doing things we never could have done, without Jesus.

 

[Patrick1966]

He will, with our help.

The Holy Spirit speaks up for us, but He can't speak up for all of us.

Doing well, what we failed at in sin, is part of the story, but part of the story is doing things we never could have done, without Jesus.

I like this verse.

1 John 3;3
And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure. Our faith in Jesus is enough, but I also believe that we must at least try to follow the narrow path that he prescribed.

 

[Gottservant]

[...], but I also believe that we must at least try to follow the narrow path that he prescribed.

There are those that try now and those that try later and those that try in the afterlife, this is a disciplingly hard saying. Let him who can commit to it commit to it.

 

[Gospel Believer]

I like this verse.

1 John 3;3
And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure. Our faith in Jesus is enough, but I also believe that we must at least try to follow the narrow path that he prescribed.

We should “ Try” to be as Obedient as we can possibly be—- “ WE” are the Beneficiaries Of That Obience—- it just has Nothing to do with Salvation....that is a Gift.....it is Given to those that Trust in Jesus Plus Nothing to Save them....