God is a Gentleman

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JFSurvivor

JFSurvivor

Senior Member
#1
Jan 20, 2015
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#1
I dunno if I posted something with this topic title before but if I did oh well.

God is a gentleman and He doesn't force himself on anyone. So He won't change anyone who doesn't want to be changed. For example, luke warm Christians who are happy to be luke warm Christians. So then if this is true where does prayer fit in to all this? Can prayer make a difference in this aspect? What are your thoughts on this?
 
J

Jeff_56

Banned
#2
Dec 26, 2014
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what difference would you like prayer to make ?
God cannot be changed in any way, nor obviously can God be more Perfect than always...

so what or who would change due to prayer ?

(in the Bible, when it "looks like" God or Jesus 'repents' or 'changes' , it is for our benefit written that way;
plainly
not a change in God's Purpose or Plan that He has known since before creation)
 
JFSurvivor

JFSurvivor

Senior Member
#3
Jan 20, 2015
1,184
25
0
#3
Jeff_56 said:
what difference would you like prayer to make ?
God cannot be changed in any way, nor obviously can God be more Perfect than always...

so what or who would change due to prayer ?

(in the Bible, when it "looks like" God or Jesus 'repents' or 'changes' , it is for our benefit written that way;
plainly
not a change in God's Purpose or Plan that He has known since before creation)
Click to expand...
I don't want GOD to change. I wonder if prayer makes a difference like when we pray for Bob Joe's heart to change and for him to come to Christ.
 
J

Jeff_56

Banned
#4
Dec 26, 2014
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#4
good, and YES! ABSOLUTELY YES ! (Yahweh Willing of course, but His Answers to Prayer are well documented through all history, including the last few decades, by many many believers and even by unbelievers at times)...

(read in ACTS about one of those stoned to death, his prayer, and saul's conversion shortly after - not a guarantee that the prayer was 'required', but a sure good testimony)

also, on biblegateway or elsewhere, see "pray" and "prayer" in Scripture >> and what we are told to pray.
 
JFSurvivor

JFSurvivor

Senior Member
#5
Jan 20, 2015
1,184
25
0
#5
Jeff_56 said:
good, and YES! ABSOLUTELY YES !

(read in ACTS about one of those stoned to death, his prayer, and saul's conversion shortly after - not a guarantee that the prayer was 'required', but a sure good testimony)

also, on biblegateway or elsewhere, see "pray" and "prayer" in Scripture >> and what we are told to pray.
Click to expand...
I am so confused.
 
MarcR

MarcR

Senior Member
#6
Feb 12, 2015
5,486
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#6
When Jesus said: Rv 3:15-16
15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.
16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.
KJV
He is saying that He wants wholehearted sincere commitments when we come to Him.

The implication is:Jas 1:5-7
5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.
7 For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.
KJV

The intent seems to be that Jesus regards a lukewarm commitment as no commitment.

Another implication seems to be that when we resist the Holy Spirit's leading, our prayers become ineffective while we persist in our resistance.
 
J

Joshua_Generation

Banned
#7
Mar 10, 2015
1,174
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#7
JFSurvivor said:
I don't want GOD to change. I wonder if prayer makes a difference like when we pray for Bob Joe's heart to change and for him to come to Christ.
Click to expand...
It is the ministry of the Holy Ghost to reprove the word of SIN and bring the sinner to God. Start praying for the spirit of repentance to work on people you know that are lost. Ask the Lord that they will receive Jesus from someone they will receive from. God is not slack concerning his promise that none perish and that all should come to repentance.

You can and should always pray for the lost. There are countless examples in the Bible where prayer changed God's mind...and did not execute judgement,because someone stood in the gap. There are lots of examples how Moses did this.
 
P

psalm6819

Guest
#8
#8
The Bible says the prayers of the righteous availeth much, so yes, praying for another (even if they are lukewarm) is effective. When dealing with those lukewarm, I pray that God will more fully reveal His love to them. It is the goodness of God that draws one to repentance. When we obey out of love...it lasts and changes the heart; when one obeys out of fear it does not change the heart but only the outward behavior and only temporarily.

The LORD wants to be gracious and merciful- we have only to ask (pray).
 
crossnote

crossnote

Senior Member
#9
Nov 24, 2012
30,706
3,650
113
#9
JFSurvivor said:
I dunno if I posted something with this topic title before but if I did oh well.

God is a gentleman and He doesn't force himself on anyone. So He won't change anyone who doesn't want to be changed. For example, luke warm Christians who are happy to be luke warm Christians. So then if this is true where does prayer fit in to all this? Can prayer make a difference in this aspect? What are your thoughts on this?
Click to expand...
God is a gentleman...?!...well sometimes. In Paul's case the 'gentleman' kicked down the rebellious door of Paul's heart. Sometimes a rescue takes more drastic steps than a polite conversation over tea. We just can't tame that 'Gentleman' to behave as we see fit.
 
K

kaylagrl

Guest
#10
#10
Yes,prayer changes a heart.My mother prayed for years and years and both of my uncles became saved before they died.So yes,a hardened heart can be changed.
 
Deluge

Deluge

Member
#11
Dec 31, 2014
64
0
6
#11
JFSurvivor said:
I dunno if I posted something with this topic title before but if I did oh well.

God is a gentleman and He doesn't force himself on anyone. So He won't change anyone who doesn't want to be changed. For example, luke warm Christians who are happy to be luke warm Christians. So then if this is true where does prayer fit in to all this? Can prayer make a difference in this aspect? What are your thoughts on this?
Click to expand...
Do you need to force yourself upon a friend in order to affect change in them? Sometimes you just have to explain where a friend has gone wrong to them and they will realize that they need to change. I believe God can use everything in our lives to show us that we need to change, and so he doesn't have to force anything upon anyone in order to change them. When I pray for a non-believing friend of mine, I pray that God will show them the truth, that He will soften their heart and open their mind. This may not seem very different from "Dear God, please make so and so a Christian" but I think the latter does raise the question you put forward, while the former does not.
 
tribesman

tribesman

Senior Member
#12
Oct 13, 2011
4,612
274
83
#12
JFSurvivor said:
I dunno if I posted something with this topic title before but if I did oh well.

God is a gentleman and He doesn't force himself on anyone. So He won't change anyone who doesn't want to be changed. For example, luke warm Christians who are happy to be luke warm Christians. So then if this is true where does prayer fit in to all this? Can prayer make a difference in this aspect? What are your thoughts on this?
Click to expand...
Do you think a father who see his child drown in the sea, and helps him up from it, is not a gentleman if he don't ask first his child to choose to be saved from drowning or not?
 
prove-all

prove-all

Senior Member
#13
May 16, 2014
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#13
God is a jelious God, but loving his children
 
prove-all

prove-all

Senior Member
#15
May 16, 2014
5,977
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#15
mere man, that God should be mindfull of Him.


Glory be to the Highest
 
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Tintin

Guest
#16
#16
crossnote said:
God is a gentleman...?!...well sometimes. In Paul's case the 'gentleman' kicked down the rebellious door of Paul's heart. Sometimes a rescue takes more drastic steps than a polite conversation over tea. We just can't tame that 'Gentleman' to behave as we see fit.
Click to expand...
Agreed. I've been a Christian as long as I can remember, but I've still been given a swift kick or two or three up the backside by Holy Spirit. God's a gentleman, but not always. That's a fallacy. Sometimes tough love is needed. A good father disciplines his children out of love for them, more-so a perfect Father in Heaven who loves us unconditionally.
 
breno785au

breno785au

Senior Member
#17
Jul 23, 2013
6,002
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Australia
#17
Tintin said:
Agreed. I've been a Christian as long as I can remember, but I've still been given a swift kick or two or three up the backside by Holy Spirit. God's a gentleman, but not always. That's a fallacy. Sometimes tough love is needed. A good father disciplines his children out of love for them, more-so a perfect Father in Heaven who loves us unconditionally.
Click to expand...
I'm glad I'm not the only one, if His kicks were physical..i wouldn't be able to sit!
 
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