Not By Works

  • Christian Chat is a moderated online Christian community allowing Christians around the world to fellowship with each other in real time chat via webcam, voice, and text, with the Christian Chat app. You can also start or participate in a Bible-based discussion here in the Christian Chat Forums, where members can also share with each other their own videos, pictures, or favorite Christian music.

    If you are a Christian and need encouragement and fellowship, we're here for you! If you are not a Christian but interested in knowing more about Jesus our Lord, you're also welcome! Want to know what the Bible says, and how you can apply it to your life? Join us!

    To make new Christian friends now around the world, click here to join Christian Chat.
P

PHart

Guest
Maybe it is, maybe it isn't. There is weak believing, and there is strong believing.


The smallest of seeds goes down deep, and grows up into a strong bush.
Maybe it does, maybe it does not.


It's impossible to stamp it out. Read about this seed.
I read in the Bible where the seed is not retained by the soil in some cases. It was in the soil, and even started growing, but was not retained by the soil.
 
Nov 22, 2015
20,436
1,431
0
Some things cannot come from a change of mind after things have been put into being as an established truth.

Can someone by an "act of their will" or "changing their mind" un-born themselves from being a human being?

Can they one day say "I don't want to be a human anymore so I as an act of my will by changing my mind - I am un-borning myself" ( we would think there is something wrong with this person's mind and there is..:) )

Can some one by "an act of their will" through the "changing of their mind" stop being a son/daughter to someone? Of course not - they will always be the child of their parents once they are born whether they like it or not.

We can no more by "an act of our will" un-born ourselves from God which Peter says we are born again of incorruptible seed which lives and abides forever. We cannot "un-child" ourselves from being God's child because of Jesus Christ's finished work on the cross and resurrection.

( we can become sick in our minds as the person that wants to "un-born" themselves as a human but the real us - the inner man of the heart that is in Christ - that inner man
has his will entwined with God's perfect will because of union with Christ )

This is one of the reasons we need to "renew our mind" to align up with the spiritual truths that are in our new spirit in Christ.

Following God's commandments to us will be a natural result of being in Christ as we grow up in Him.


We are looking at what "we do" when we say that we lose salvation for going to heaven instead of what "Jesus has already done". It is a works-based doctrine that actually denies the work and grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.


Jesus said that the Holy Spirit would be with you and in you forever. Now, is Jesus a liar? That's a question to ask ourselves.

Our Father will perfect that which concerns us for it is He that is at work in us both to will and to do His good pleasure. I'll trust His love in us to "guide us" through life. Phil. 2:13

There is also discipline of the Lord ( child-training in Greek - not "un-childing" them as children ) This proves that we are legitimate children of God.

Philippians 1:6 (NASB)
[SUP]6 [/SUP] For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.
 

stonesoffire

Poetic Member
Nov 24, 2013
10,665
1,829
113
1Jn 2:27 But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.
 
Nov 12, 2015
9,112
823
113
Faith is rooted. The smallest of seeds goes down deep, and grows up into a strong bush. It's impossible to stamp it out. Read about this seed.
Some accept the word with joy but then the cares of this life choke out the seed. And so they reject trust to listen to the world instead and store money on earth because it makes them feel secure and not scared. They reject believing He will see to their care as He has promised and instead go with what the world says our security lies in.
 
Feb 28, 2016
11,311
2,974
113
as PH has said, without that Holy Hope, we are 'lost', there's nothing even close
to signing- off, or resigning,,,Praise God...
 

stonesoffire

Poetic Member
Nov 24, 2013
10,665
1,829
113
Maybe it is, maybe it isn't. There is weak believing, and there is strong believing.



Maybe it does, maybe it does not.



I read in the Bible where the seed is not retained by the soil in some cases. It was in the soil, and even started growing, but was not retained by the soil.
The good seed are we who have been converted and sealed. The ground was prepared.
 
P

PHart

Guest
1Jn 2:27 But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.
"24As for you, let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father." (1 John 2:24 NASB)
 
Nov 12, 2015
9,112
823
113
Some accept the word with joy but then the cares of this life choke out the seed. And so they reject trust to listen to the world instead and store money on earth because it makes them feel secure and not scared. They reject believing He will see to their care as He has promised and instead go with what the world says our security lies in.
And I don't mean by that that it's not a tremendous struggle of our faith to come to full trust in the matter. It was such a tremendous struggle for me that I can't even convey it to you. I struggled in it for a long time.
 

stonesoffire

Poetic Member
Nov 24, 2013
10,665
1,829
113
Some accept the word with joy but then the cares of this life choke out the seed. And so they reject trust to listen to the world instead and store money on earth because it makes them feel secure and not scared. They reject believing He will see to their care as He has promised and instead go with what the world says our security lies in.
They aren't yet prepared good ground. Do you think that is you? I don't.
 

stonesoffire

Poetic Member
Nov 24, 2013
10,665
1,829
113
And I don't mean by that that it's not a tremendous struggle of our faith to come to full trust in the matter. It was such a tremendous struggle for me that I can't even convey it to you. I struggled in it for a long time.

Do you understand that that you have sat down in heavenly places with Him? If you study this, you see this as above our soulish life. And the phrase "in Him" is a fixed position stunned. Look at the word in.. en, fixed
 
Nov 22, 2015
20,436
1,431
0
Here John says that for all those that "know the truth" - this truth abides in them "forever" - these are believers when they heard the gospel message of Christ and believed and were sealed with the Holy Spirit. Eph. 1:13

2 John 1:1-2 (NASB)
[SUP]1 [/SUP]
The elder to the chosen lady and her children, whom I love in truth; and not only I, but also all who know the truth,

[SUP]2 [/SUP] for the sake of the truth which abides in us and will be with us forever:

I am amazed at how many "unbelieving believers" we have.

Yes - we can have our minds filled with all kinds of stinking thinking but the new man in Christ - that is a new creation created in righteousness and holiness cannot be "un-born" nor stop being a new creation.

True belief is of the heart - not in the head. Rom. 10:9-10
 

stonesoffire

Poetic Member
Nov 24, 2013
10,665
1,829
113
"24As for you, let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father." (1 John 2:24 NASB)
Exactly. The foundational truth of Jesus Christ the Righteous. We then build in revelation of Him which shows our membership in His body here on earth. Works of the Spirit, the spiritual nature that is Holy for He who is within us is Holy Spirit.
 
May 12, 2017
2,641
65
0
Don't you think though that all of those conditions all boil down to the one - abide/trust/continue in trust?
Absolutely....and without question...

There are also many more DO NOT commands in the NT than people like to admit...and those are a bit different...you follow them to be conformed to his image, not to retain salvation...Example are found in the Sermon on the Mount in Matt chapters 5-7
 
Nov 12, 2015
9,112
823
113
I have so enjoyed talking with you guys this evening but my eyes are drooping!
See you later.
Love one another. :)
 
Dec 12, 2013
46,515
20,402
113
You say:




Bible states:

3 And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead.
2 Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God.
3 Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.
4 Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy.
5 He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.
6 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
7 And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth;
8 I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name.
9 Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee.
10 Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.
11 Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.
12 Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.




So much instruction that refutes what you say.

Partaking in the works of the law of Moses was not of Faith and much was written to Provoke people to remain Faithful to the Messiah and not be yoked in to bondage with the Old Testament..

So here we see that the Messiah is giving further instructions and we should listen and believe.


So while you are set in your ways others I pray will listen to the Messiah.
None of this teaches a works based salvation as you push, maybe you should try context.....
 

stonesoffire

Poetic Member
Nov 24, 2013
10,665
1,829
113
His work will continue of salvation in our life because He has commissioned Holy Spirit here to bring us into His divine image. The Lord never stops with His own, we are not abandoned orphans left to fend for ourselves. He's our zFather who supplies ALL our needs.
 

Desertsrose

Senior Member
Oct 24, 2016
2,824
207
63
I think confusion continues because you are thinking in terms of Him only holding you....Abiding is not one sided....it takes 2 to abide...if you think you have no part in the abiding then this might be the issue..If you do not want to hold someones hand anymore, you stop holding the hand.....Not one verse in the Bible says that God has an obligation to hold you against your choice....There are more IF & DO conditions in the New testament than people really like to admit....
I kind of see God grasping our arm and we are grasping the Lord's righteous right arm. Those who let go in my opinion are those who were one of the 3 bad soils that only last for a period of time.

They don't endure and don't persevere because they aren't truly born of the Spirit or they'd have the power to continue on in the faith. They have a dead faith.

jesus-grasping-hand-in-strength.jpg
 
7

7seasrekeyed

Guest
Colorado is only getting crowded because of the legal recreational use of pot....

I heard it was because Californians were moving there in record numbers and it's becoming California 2.0

prices out of reach