Not By Works

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May 23, 2020
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I wrote this last night for Dorothy.



Self examining has its purpose at all stages of walk, but at a certain point, you are grown and mature enough to know very well that neither you nor God aren't going anywhere, and from then on the reasons you examine yourself change.

There are two purposes of warnings. One is for are those who aren't yet certain who they are in Jesus, or their faith hasn't grown strong yet. They examine themselves until they have firm faith in their heart that they are justified in Jesus and that His Spirit lives in them. This took me first several years as a believer, to really get rooted.

Then after we know this, we are examining ourselves because we love Him, it is unthinkable for a born again person to abuse God's grace. Self examining comes from the place of agape love. Not from place of fear. Apostle John wrote that "perfect love casts out fear" and "whoever fears" is "not being made perfect in love". So that was one of the biggest influences for me to decide to trust Jesus when it comes to salvation security. He doesn't want me to be distracted with constant checking if I am still saved because that is me focusing on MYSELF, but our God is a jealous God and wants my undivided attention. :)

(And I guarantee you, He especially does NOT want people who are prone to anxiety to constantly wonder in their mind if they are still okay with Him, or maybe they have messed up :censored: God does not like or want such.
Just believe me on that one...)

I used to think that I would please God better that way (minding salvation loss) and I was very afraid to let go of that control. This didn't help me be more godly. The disturbance that I still stumbled at times was constantly gnawing at me, I was distressed and agonizing about it daily. From a young believer bursting in praise, when I gave my life to Jesus, I gradually became very depressed. I had no hope to continue another day. I would only get some relief reading Psalms, just enough to fall asleep. It was like a balm to hear them. But I still doubted so much about my safety with God. It was so odd, that this David could find refuge in God and that God would endure forever in mercy for him, but somehow it did not apply to me, I could lose salvation. Why did I struggle so much receiving this? What was this iron grip, this fear that held me back and pulled me down? An elder sister in Christ started reading Psalms to me one day, to make me understand, simply saying my name wherever God said "you" in Psalms. I broke down weeping.

The more I read, the more I was realizing the safety was in God's very character. God can be trusted and depended upon and taken refuge in because He cannot lie or take His word back. David leaned in absolute faith on God's promises and magnified God, there was distress when he stumbled and sinned, but he never thought thoughts such as, God might let me go, or I might be unsaved, or God is our refuge but we can't be 100% sure we have refuge until we are dead, there's none of that...

David asks God to examine him for one reason: because he looks forward to being with God and wants to please God and be ready in clean robes. Not because he is afraid that him or God will leave. Same thing as in John.

"Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ," this is the Scripture that pulled me out of the hellhole, in combination with Psalms. I did not defeat doubt by myself, it was the Word of God taking effect in my life and destroying the enemy. Jesus was always the one who delivered me.

That's my testimony on salvation loss theology and how unprofitable and fruitless it was in my life...
Dear Soul,

I was moved by your testimony and proud to call you brother, one belonging to the same family.

When another bares his soul in a personal account, it isn’t right to point out matters where I see it differently. Instead I’ll give my journey.

I was saved as a child when God shower me my sin and I wept in repentance and was cleansed. The Gospel was explained years later and I matched my experience to it and had then words to describe my experience.
I grew in my faith as a teen having excellent teaching at our church. Our youth nights did not consist of pizza and games but challenging messages.

Anyway, I do recall being afraid Id. lose my faith in college so I made sure I joined a Christian fellowship and continued in having quiet times of prayer and obeying what I felt God asked me to do. I had enough on my plate with trying to ascertain what my major ought to be from Him and other matters of what He wanted me to do in the details of my choices.

I discovered CS Lewis’s Mere Christianity and that was a tremendous help in the reasonableness of my faith. That’s the last time I recall being concerned about my salvation. (I had never heard of OSAS at that point. One never gets this from the scripture but needs a man to tell you. I hadn’t met any yet.)

Since then I continue to pursue knowing God and making Him know .
 
Dec 12, 2013
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No E is not correct. I am here to exchange with my brothers and sisters and learn.

As for a legalistic gospel, if E thinks the commandments to love God and love man are being legalistic, then that is true.
Since you are too deceptive to tag someone in a post that you are mouthing behind their back I will do it for you! @eternally-gratefull
 
May 23, 2020
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First of all, THIS WORLD IS NOT THE PERFECT WORLD, and the NEXT ONE WILL BE ABSOLUTELY PERFECT.

Second of all we INHERITED the SIN NATURE OF ADAM (the propensity to SIN) passed on to the Whole Human Race.

You might not believe in an inherited Sin Nature, but I can prove it to you.

Put two 2 years old boys in an EMPTY room with a one way glass window, than set ONE attractive Toy between them.
Quickly leave the Room and watch how quickly the SIN NATURE develops into the SIN OF SELFISHNESS develops in the boy holding the TOY.

You had better make it a NERF TOY.

That SIN NATURE WILL BE IN US UNTIL THIS BODY OF DEATH Actually Dies. Yes, spiritually we can gain Victory over the sin nature, but that Sin Nature will cause us to sin occasionally, but not habitually. As we MATURE SPIRITUALLY, we will Sin LESS, and Sin LESS, and Sin LESS, as we mature spiritually. When we take the word of GOD and apply it to our Hearts, it will Mature us. That is why some people spiritually mature faster that others, it is directly related to how much BIBLE you DO apply to your heart.

The Third reason for GOD allowing a SIN NATURE in us would be the FOLLOWING:

Leviticus 10:3 (NKJV)
3 And Moses said to Aaron, "This is what the LORD spoke, saying: 'By those who come near Me I must be regarded as holy; And before all the people I must be glorified.' " So Aaron held his peace.

1 Peter 4:11 (NRSV)
11 Whoever speaks must do so as one speaking the very words of God; whoever serves must do so with the strength that God supplies, so that God may be glorified in all things through Jesus Christ. To him belong the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen.

There is NO GLORY, if GOD MADE US TO BE BIOLOGICAL ROBOTS. On those who CHOSE to believe in HIM, does the Glory go to GOD, and continues as we put our TRUST IN HIM and LOVE HIM BACK. That then becomes our SPIRITUAL NATURE, when He Birthed our New Born Spirit with ETERNAL LIFE. By the Way, ETERNAL LIFE, literally means you CANNOT FALL AWAY, once you are TRULY Born Again.

John 17:3 (ESV)
3 And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.

John 3:36 (HCSB)
36 The one who believes in the Son has eternal life, but the one who refuses to believe in the Son will not see life; instead, the wrath of God remains on him.
That does not answer the question, which you changed from the wrong we actually do to others to a theological concept no Bible write knew of as it had not been invented which relieves one of the guilt for wrongs done. Why does God allow people including those born again christians supposedly filled with Agape love at salvation to do grievous wrong to others? Do YOU, an OSASer, know the answer? Please stop repeating the OSAS doctrine. I understand it thoroughly having thought about it not merely swallowed it whole.
 
May 23, 2020
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Hi again,


You do agree that Yeshua (Jesus) is God?
He orders the step of men and men are moved to do His will, by His Spirit, there is no "if".
To add, it is all spiritual, according to Ephesians...we are told exactly what we "wrestle" with...
The flesh profits nothing.

John 6:63 It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.

God Bless
Jesus is God.
He definitely does NOT order (manipulate) the deeds of men (which includes raping little girls and killing people by chopping off body parts.)

How do you believe we wrestle against spiritual beings AND God is controlling all we do? Is it all just a game where He pretends there is love? Or did you mean something else?
 
May 23, 2020
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That is an UNTRUE Statement. MOST of OSAS BELIEVERS, are ALSO Born Again Believers. AND WE KNOW HIM INTIMATELY AND PERSONALLY, BECAUSE HE IS IN US, LITERALLY, AND WE ARE IN HIS SPIRITUAL BODY, LITERALLY.
If you knew Him intimately you would not write in caps essentially yelling your position. You would know I am one of His even though I don’t agree with your OSAS. And you would know the answer to my question without having to consult theological statements by others.
 
May 23, 2020
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im not accusing you of anything. I’m hoping you will look at the scripture closer that YOU posted. You made a statement about it and gave what you say is how one will know if they are the one who says Lord Lord yet never enters the kingdom.

The answer to my question is the kingdom of heaven. Which you never gave.

So you are taking this verse out of context which is something I know you do. And you are giving it a negative twist towards those who are born from above as possibly, they won’t make heaven.

that’s what you are doing continuously Dottie, which is almost like siding with the serpent in the question....hath God said?

I am concerned for you. You may not be aware of what you are doing.
Stone, there is a serious disconnect between what you think you say and what you really say. You are, in short, fooling yourself.

You say you don’t accuse me and then go on to accuse me of giving a negative twist to the scripture, siding with the serpent, and maybe more.

Now I’m amazed to hear that you actually think when Jesus said not everyone who says “Lord lord” he is not talking about Heaven but something else. Can you please elaborate on that? What context do you think be means? Please stop falsely accusing me of taking stuff out of context without providing what you think the context is.

Let me ask you, do think loving God is a commandment OSAS believers have to obey to enter the Kingdom of Heaven?
 
May 23, 2020
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There are two kingdoms taught in scripture. I’m not sure if this has come up here. I know I’ve mentioned it many times. The kingdom of God, the kingdom of heaven.

one is within. The other above.

It makes a big difference which is being referred to in the scripture.
Good way to wrongly divide the Word. Just assign passages that indicate one has to reign in wrong to the less desirable one. Spiritualized warnings to some “internal” place isolating them from what one actually does to others.

Fact is, if God is not king internally in a man meaning He, not the man, rules that man’s words and deeds to increasing degrees, then the external Kingdom won’t be a place that man feels at home in.
 
May 23, 2020
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Every OSAS BELIEVER can explain what BORN AGAIN actually is, AND IT HAS EVERYTHING TO DO WITH SALVATION! Also all of our answers will be VERY SIMILAR. SO ARE YOU READY TO KNOW WHAT IT MEANS to be BORN AGAIN, OR ARE YOU GOING TO CLING TO YOUR DOGMA ?

There is not shame in not knowing what HE meant by Born Again, their is only shame in not Knowing, BUT REFUSING TO LISTEN.
Ask and I will be willing to explain in simple terms.

John 3:2-12 (NIV)
2 He came to Jesus at night and said, "Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him."
3 In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again."
4 "How can a man be born when he is old?" Nicodemus asked. "Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb to be born!"
5 Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water
{Referencing the breaking of water at Natural birth} and the Spirit.
6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.
7 You should not be surprised at my saying, 'You must be born again.'
8 The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit."
9 "How can this be?" Nicodemus asked.
10 "You are Israel's teacher," said Jesus, "and do you not understand these things?
11 I tell you the truth, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen,
but still you people do not accept our testimony.

12 I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things?
Can you only repeat the OSAS doctrine?
 
May 31, 2020
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so Why haven’t you matured in that area Dusky....instead of taking offence at some members posts...that you have addressed..I can quote some if you like.

You also take things personally...so I find that a bit rich coming from you.....but thanks for praying for me.
First and foremost, always and forever, I proclaim the saving grace of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Messiah, Lord of all and Savior of everyone who puts their faith in Him. With such a proclamation, I couldn’t possibly care if people think negatively about me. That said, please stop deflecting.
 
May 23, 2020
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First and foremost, always and forever, I proclaim the saving grace of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Messiah, Lord of all and Savior of everyone who puts their faith in Him. With such a proclamation, I couldn’t possibly care if people think negatively about me. That said, please stop deflecting.
If you didn’t care you would respond differently. Me thinks the man doeth protest too much.
 
May 23, 2020
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Working in the medical field has afforded me the unpleasant opportunity of seeing the psychological after effects of serious head trauma. Lately I see it here as well.
Debating with OsAS believers over years has afforded me the unpleasant opportunity of seeing the characteristic results of embracing that license to behave as one feels all the while assured of Heaven. Lately I see it here as well.
 
May 23, 2020
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I care about JR seeing things correctly regarding herself and used myself as an example. Nice attempt at deception on your part.
OSAS believers can be pretty comfortable with the wrong they do others. Bothers them only a little.

I can already hear VCO going red in the face and yelling at me that this is not a part of OSAS teaching and another lie. I mean the statement is what your kind of believers tend to do, not what is taught. That point VCO hasn’t figured out.