were you saved by a decision YOU made?

[DinoDillinger]

Alot of churches tell you to repeat a prayer and you will be saved. Is it possible that you are when you say the prayer, yes. Is it assured that you were born again, no. After you said the prayer did you notice a major difference in your life? In my personal experience I wasn't in a church when I was saved. Sure 10 years earlier I had said the prayer and been baptized, but it didn't change my relationship with sin for very long. In the bible it says the Holy Spirit will show you the truth. You will have a new heart that seeks to do good.

2 problems that I think I had were these
1. I didn't fully understand what it meant to repent. Yea I knew I had sinned and I was sorry about it. But I still loved it, I won't go into details on that. As I heard someone say it, "it's not that you have sinned it's that all you did was sin". I couldn't accept that I hated God. I wondered why while I was reading the Bible I had a hard time totally believing all the Healings and such that Jesus did, sure I wanted to believe because I wanted to go to Heaven but in my heart I had doubts. The Bible says that people don't believe because they love sin and hate God and what why they don't see the truth.

2. believe in your heart. I believe in my experience anyway and what I have read from the Bible that the Holy Spirit reveals the truth to you. It's more than a mere acknowledgement with your mind. Now when I believe that I was born again it was the second time in my life that I had felt the Holy Spirit. So maybe I was saved way back when. I'm not sure if the bible says whether you can feel His presence if your not saved. At that time I wasn't asking for truth just in a very low point in my life and praying for peace.

I didn't see the truth until much prayer and having the Word of God totally convict me of my sins to the point I realized I didn't deserve to go to Heaven and I couldn't live up to the life Jesus lead no matter how hard I tried. God was Justified in sending me to Hell because I had hated the pure Goodness that he was. There was absolutely nothing I could do. That's when God did it. I'm still amazed at how loving and forgiving he is to Save anyone because no one deserves it, espcially not me.

Anyway, I just thought that relaying my story might help some people who "accepted Jesus" in their life and never noticed a change, most notibably of the bat is a sensitivity to even the "little" sins around us.

I haven't found it anywhere in the Bible where it says if you ask Jesus in your heart he will definatly come in.

 

[SwordOfFire]

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OY6F0pkArds[/video]

 

[DinoDillinger]

Paul Washer is very good at convicting you of your sins, when I first heard him I didn't like what he was saying. But as I read the Bible I realized he was right. Funny thing is I was actually reading comments on youtube of people arguing over the faith vs. works thing and feeling hopeless when someone said "I believe God can save people any way he wants" and it set off a chain reaction. I started flipping to a couple spots in the Bible I didn't understand before and they made sense all of a sudden.

It's amazing how simple the truth is when you ask yourself what does God want from you. What does any Father want from a child above all else? Love!

The ability to love God is something we by ourselves are incapable of because of our love for sin. That's why he gives us a new heart so that we can love him. Because a sinner's heart loves the sin because it created by it.

 

[wattie]

Just wanted to say it is a prayer that does save you.. and it isn't a life long process. But also the prayer isn't just repeating words from someone .. but is from the heart.

The word believe from the bible.. refers to 'entrusting or committing' your salvation with Jesus.

John 3:16: For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Also when you see 'should not' 'or shall not'... this isn't like modern day English where it is a maybe.. but it is a certainty. So should not becomes 'will not' and shall becomes 'will'

Romans chapter 10:

(Rom 10:8-13) But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

For the Scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

(Ephesians 2:8-9) For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.

so...

salvation through calling out to Jesus for salvation .. that is a gift of God. A free gift.. no strings.

When we call out to Him for salvation, this is how He responds:

(Ephesians 1:13-14) In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.


So.. calling on Jesus for salvation.. and we are then sealed by the Holy Spirit..guaranteeing us eternal, everlasting life.

Who keeps our salvation? Us? NO! Look at this:

(1Peter 1:3-5) Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

Are we justified by our own faith? NO!

(Galatians 2:16) Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.

SO

if at some point someone has asked Christ into their life.. genuinely from the heart..

They can be assured they are going to heaven.. and have eternal life, because the Holy Spirit now indwells their spirit and promises eternal life to that person.

Salvation isn't a life long process.. and it also isn't trying to commit your entire life to Jesus right on teh spot.. just acknowledging your sin and accepting His payment for you and the free gift of eternal life.

Sounds easy? It is! God has made salvation simple so that anyone can be saved and they don have to go through a million hoops.

People talk alot about repentance in these forums.. and you repent when you ask Christ in! You repent at salvation..

Any repentance you do after salvation.. is not going to affect your eternal destiny.. but whether you want to be a true friend of God.. or just an acquaintance.

A saved person MAY do good works... not WILL do good works

 

[SwordOfFire]

Just wanted to say it is a prayer that does save you.. and it isn't a life long process. But also the prayer isn't just repeating words from someone .. but is from the heart.

The word believe from the bible.. refers to 'entrusting or committing' your salvation with Jesus.

John 3:16: For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Also when you see 'should not' 'or shall not'... this isn't like modern day English where it is a maybe.. but it is a certainty. So should not becomes 'will not' and shall becomes 'will'

Romans chapter 10:

(Rom 10:8-13) But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

For the Scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

(Ephesians 2:8-9) For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.

so...

salvation through calling out to Jesus for salvation .. that is a gift of God. A free gift.. no strings.

When we call out to Him for salvation, this is how He responds:

(Ephesians 1:13-14) In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.


So.. calling on Jesus for salvation.. and we are then sealed by the Holy Spirit..guaranteeing us eternal, everlasting life.

Who keeps our salvation? Us? NO! Look at this:

(1Peter 1:3-5) Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

Are we justified by our own faith? NO!

(Galatians 2:16) Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.

SO

if at some point someone has asked Christ into their life.. genuinely from the heart..

They can be assured they are going to heaven.. and have eternal life, because the Holy Spirit now indwells their spirit and promises eternal life to that person.

Salvation isn't a life long process.. and it also isn't trying to commit your entire life to Jesus right on teh spot.. just acknowledging your sin and accepting His payment for you and the free gift of eternal life.

Sounds easy? It is! God has made salvation simple so that anyone can be saved and they don have to go through a million hoops.

People talk alot about repentance in these forums.. and you repent when you ask Christ in! You repent at salvation..

Any repentance you do after salvation.. is not going to affect your eternal destiny.. but whether you want to be a true friend of God.. or just an acquaintance.

A saved person MAY do good works... not WILL do good works

Your soteriology is scrambled. Very scrambled. God does not have acquaintances. Read 1 John. A saved person MAY do good works? Read James. For that matter, read Matthew. A good tree WILL bear good fruit."Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire." Why? Because they didn't do enough? No, it's because they weren't good trees. They were never born again. You need to reevaluate your doctrines of salvation and assurance. You seem to think that you can pray an emotional prayer and then go about your life, as an ACQUAINTANCE of God, and go to heaven. I can't even express how preposterous that is.

 

[carpetmanswife]

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OY6F0pkArds[/video]

AMEN!!.........

 

[DinoDillinger]

John 3:3 Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again."
Acts 11:16 Then I remembered what the Lord said,"John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit".
Ephesians 2:8 For it is by Grace you have been Saved, through faith-and this not from yourself, it is the gift of God.
2 Timothy 1:9 who has saved us to a holy life-not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the begining of time.

 

[DinoDillinger]

also
Mt7:14"Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it."
sound easy?

 

[MahogonySnail]

It is not a prayer, it is not anything other than FAITH in the heart and confession with the mouth that allows Jesus to save you. (Rom 10).

Get it right people it's not that hard to figure out it's elementary stuff.

 

[watchmen]

Alot of churches tell you to repeat a prayer and you will be saved. Is it possible that you are when you say the prayer, yes. Is it assured that you were born again, no. After you said the prayer did you notice a major difference in your life? In my personal experience I wasn't in a church when I was saved. Sure 10 years earlier I had said the prayer and been baptized, but it didn't change my relationship with sin for very long. In the bible it says the Holy Spirit will show you the truth. You will have a new heart that seeks to do good.

2 problems that I think I had were these
1. I didn't fully understand what it meant to repent. Yea I knew I had sinned and I was sorry about it. But I still loved it, I won't go into details on that. As I heard someone say it, "it's not that you have sinned it's that all you did was sin". I couldn't accept that I hated God. I wondered why while I was reading the Bible I had a hard time totally believing all the Healings and such that Jesus did, sure I wanted to believe because I wanted to go to Heaven but in my heart I had doubts. The Bible says that people don't believe because they love sin and hate God and what why they don't see the truth.

2. believe in your heart. I believe in my experience anyway and what I have read from the Bible that the Holy Spirit reveals the truth to you. It's more than a mere acknowledgement with your mind. Now when I believe that I was born again it was the second time in my life that I had felt the Holy Spirit. So maybe I was saved way back when. I'm not sure if the bible says whether you can feel His presence if your not saved. At that time I wasn't asking for truth just in a very low point in my life and praying for peace.

I didn't see the truth until much prayer and having the Word of God totally convict me of my sins to the point I realized I didn't deserve to go to Heaven and I couldn't live up to the life Jesus lead no matter how hard I tried. God was Justified in sending me to Hell because I had hated the pure Goodness that he was. There was absolutely nothing I could do. That's when God did it. I'm still amazed at how loving and forgiving he is to Save anyone because no one deserves it, espcially not me.

Anyway, I just thought that relaying my story might help some people who "accepted Jesus" in their life and never noticed a change, most notibably of the bat is a sensitivity to even the "little" sins around us.

I haven't found it anywhere in the Bible where it says if you ask Jesus in your heart he will definatly come in.

I will have to agree, repeating the sinners prayer does not save you. Truly accepting Christ into your heart making Him not just Savior but also Lord of your life does. Further more we must then endure unto the end to receive final redemption.

 

[watchmen]

Paul Washer is hard core one of my favorite preachers to listen to, he definitely tells it like it is and hold back no punches. To bad there is not more like him.

 

[BLC]

AMEN!!.........

I want to start by saying that none of the disciples wept over their sin except in the case of Peter when he had denied the Lord three times after the Lord was arrested. There was never a time before or after the resurrection that Jesus asked any of His disciples to repent, not even Peter, and you would think they would be sensitive about sin because they were close to Jesus having walked with Him for three years and then some. Peter sinned when he denied the Lord, if you don't think so, he at least lied when he said he knew not the man. There is no record in the gospels or in any of Peter's epistles that he was sorry or had repented for this. I can't find it, show me if you do! Even in the episode on the shore when that swam from the fishing boat, when the Lord challenged Peter 'if he loved him' (three times), there was no mention of repentance from the Lord or from any of the disciples that forsook Him also. When He appeared to the disciples, after the resurrection, that were gathered in the house, He said 'fear not' and never mentioned anything about them repenting.

When Paul was converted on the road to Damascus, there is no record of him repenting (or weeping) of any personal sin during or after his conversion. The Lord Jesus, who spoke to him out of the bright light, never mentioned the word 'repent' or any word that meant repent, even though Paul had been responsible for the death of many believers through persecution. Was the Lord a little slack concerning repentance or did He show a little favoritism toward Paul and let him slide? After the Lord had separated Paul for a few years unto Arabia and back to Damascus, he came back and never asked the church or any believers to forgive him (not even Peter) for the persecution he had executed on them. The only thing he said it that he did it ignorantly in unbelief (1Tim 1:13).

Most references dealing with repentance in the NT involved:

1. the Jews repenting from their old system of righteousness through the law that they were under
2. the Gentiles repenting of systems of belief that involved idolatry and the worship of other gods
3. the repenting of evil and wicked works associated with unfruitful works of darkness
4. the repenting of works of the flesh that were disapproved by God

Paul writes (9) letters to (7) churches in major cities in Asia Minor and (4) letters to (3) men from A.D. 52 – A.D. 68 (a 16 yr period) involving (87) chapters of the NT and only mentions 'repentance' in relationship to personal sin 'once' in (2Cor 12:21). In chapter 13 that follows, he speaks of living by the power of God, through grace, in our weakness. The examination that we are to give ourself is to see it we are in the faith according to grace and not according to the the law that reveals sin. If you read (Rom 2) you will see that Paul is dealing with 'judging others' and those not knowing the goodness and forbearance of God that leads to repentance. In (2Cor 7:1-10) you have the believer being exhorted to cleanse themselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit according to the promises of God (v/1). There is no personal sin being repented of or related to in (v/8-11). In (2Tim 2:25) repentance referred to here is to the acknowledging of the truth.

After you examine yourself, make a list of sins that you are guilty of and try to repent of them. You can't do it and even if you could you would be doing it in the flesh (with no grace) only to fail at a later time in the same areas. What you should do is make a picture of the cross and transpose (or nail) that list of sin on the cross and confess that Christ was judged for those sins and put them all away through mercy and grace. The cross is how we get victory over sin. Mercy did away with what we deserved (death) and grace gives us what we don't deserve (life), and repentance has nothing to do with it. Repentance has no power to transform anyone's life, even the most vial of sinners. Repentance is when I change my mind through grace to turn from myself to God by faith (and I can do that without shedding a tear). God does the transforming and if there is sin in my life that God wants to deal with then He will convict me and give me grace to not continue in it.

That brings me to (Heb12:1) where we are to...'lay aside the weight and sin that so easily besets us... Sin is mentioned and we are to 'lay it aside'. This expression means 'to put off as one would a coat'. It has no reference whatsoever 'to repent' like some would have us think. Your running a race and the sin is bogging you down so shed it and lay it aside. There is no remorse in that and there is no condemnation either.

When Paul had his dilemma in (Rom 7) he said that he did things he should not do and when he did what he should, evil was present with him. He concluded (twice) that it was not 'I' that did it but the 'sin' that dwelleth in him (v/17, 20). Was Paul shirking his responsibility by blaming his sin nature for his personal sin, so he wouldn't have to repent? He asked as a wretched man, who would deliver him from the body of this death (v/24). In (v/25) he thanks God through Jesus Christ that there is no condemnation (Rom 8:1). We get victory by thanking God through Jesus Christ that His grace is sufficient for my weakness, that His death paid for all our sin and that we can walk by faith in the promises of God and be a partaker of God's divine nature (2Pt 1:4).

Lastly, Jesus washed the disciples feet in (John 13:1-15) This was done to demonstrate how they were to wash one another's feet. They were all clean every whit (except Judas) but needed to have their feet (their walk with God) washed from time to time with the water of the word of God. Jesus never asked them to repent or even confess their sins, but He washed and cleaned their feet. Love will always wash the feet of those that fail without exposing their failure or revealing their sin. Peter wanted to be washed all over but there was no need, just his feet was all that was needed. Jesus said, 'that you are clean through the word that I have spoken unto you'.

And in (Eph 5:26,27) 'That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, that he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.

It takes the word of God to keep us clean, to wash our feet and to wash one another's feet. Demanding repentance, because personal sin has violated the law, will only strengthen sin (1Cor 15:56) but ministering the word through grace will wash clean the dirty feet of men. When the goodness of God is ministered this way, the believer will be lead to true repentance wherever it is needed.

AMEN

 

[DeeperStill]

In answer to the question posed by the original poster, I believe God has sovereignly ordained that man must make a choice. I know Calvinists would have us believe that we take no part whatsoever in salvation, but that is not biblical.

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that who so ever WILL believe on Him shall be saved and have everlasting life.

mankind must make a choice

 

[broken]

What fruit does this question produce?

 

[BLC]

I haven't found it anywhere in the Bible where it says if you ask Jesus in your heart he will definatly come in.

Rev 3:20-21 'Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches'.

 

[SwordOfFire]

In answer to the question posed by the original poster, I believe God has sovereignly ordained that man must make a choice. I know Calvinists would have us believe that we take no part whatsoever in salvation, but that is not biblical.

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that who so ever WILL believe on Him shall be saved and have everlasting life.

mankind must make a choice

You misquoted John 3:16. You should be careful about that. The word "will' does not appear anywhere in that verse. If it is in a particular translation that you are using, it is an addition. I have 5 different versions of the Greek New Testament in front of me, and the Greek word for "will, desire, determine," "Thelayma," does not appear anywhere in that verse.

Also, that is a gross over simplification of John Calvin's teachings. In truth, the will of God works in conjunction with the will of man. There certainly are hyper calvinists who don't believe there is such things as a human decision, but I think people on both sides of the issue should actually read what the man wrote before they idolize or completely dismiss him.

The issue of determinism is, contrary to what anyone believes, a very difficult one. In the book of Romans, Paul certainly seems to be arguing in favor of what we, today, call Reformed doctrine. However, in keeping with a Hebraic mindset and a study of the Hebrew scriptures, it certainly seems that God does not exert control over every single thing, though He has the power to. There are many instances where God either hardened someone's heart, or turned in whatever way He wished recorded in the OT scriptures, and there are are instances where God seems to react to the choices and decisions that men made. Certainly, God does command all men everywhere to repent, but those who are in sin are slaves to sin. Martin Luther said something to the effect of "how can a slave claim free will?" Jonathan Edwards' book "The Freedom of the Will" is a very good treatise on the subject, although it's also very hard to follow.

To be honest, I'm not sure what side of this issue I fall on. A simple reading of the text certainly seems to say that God desires the salvation of all men. Also, a simple reading of the text seems to say that God created some vessels who were prepared before hand for destruction. So, at this point, I believe that there is a constant interplay between the will of God, and the will of man. I believe that salvation is a super natural work of God, and that apart from the drawing of the Holy Spirit, none can come to salvation. Whether not a man can resist this sovereign grace, I don't know. Perhaps the stubborn resistance of the grace of God is the "sin unto death" that is spoken of in 1 John, and the hardened apostasy spoken of in Hebrews. Like I said, it is a difficult issue; and, there are great men of God on both sides of it.

 

[MahogonySnail]

I want to start by saying that none of the disciples wept over their sin except in the case of Peter when he had denied the Lord three times after the Lord was arrested.

No recorded cases, that is. Contrived weeping/emotion is not necessary.

Rev 3:20-21 'Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches'.

Great verse. Admittedly, asking "Jesus into your heart" is terribly confusing and innaccurate I prefer not to use it.
Jesus does not come into a person's heart He is at the right hand of God in heaven.
The Spirit dwells within the heart.

In answer to the question posed by the original poster, I believe God has sovereignly ordained that man must make a choice. I know Calvinists would have us believe that we take no part whatsoever in salvation, but that is not biblical.

Both sides of the same coin are right in part. We had nothing to do with God's decision to send Jesus and all that involved, where we were born and who told us the Gospel etc. We do however have control over our own choices and decisions. As did our parents/grandparents etc.

We might find, that our situation today is a consequence of past decisions made, even small ones. Life is normally a sum total of all past decisions made, and that includes when, why, and how we accept God's offer of salvation.

To be honest, I'm not sure what side of this issue I fall on. A simple reading of the text certainly seems to say that God desires the salvation of all men. Also, a simple reading of the text seems to say that God created some vessels who were prepared before hand for destruction.

Romans 9 speaks in context of God's decision to choose Gentile and Jew, not just Jew. It is all inclusive language, and by no means supports a doctrine of some chosen for hell and others chosen for life.
Vessels prepared is in reference to God's plans and purposes, not individual salvation.

God is fair and no respector of persons. One good example is, if we look at the example of Pharaoh, and read carefully, it says Pharoah hardened his own heart, and then it also says God hardened Pharoahs heart (as punishmnet/judgement I suppose). Confusing I agree. But it is an interplay between God and Pharoah.

John Wesley puts this nicely when he says:

Exo 9:12 Now the Lord hardened Pharaoh's heart - Before he had hardened his own heart, and resisted the grace of God, and now God justly gave him up to his own heart's lusts, to strong delusions, permitting Satan to blind and harden him. Wilful hardness is commonly punished with judicial hardness. Let us dread this as the sorest judgment a man can be under on this side hell.

So if God does harden a persons heart to prevent them salvation, it is judgement and by no means due to any prior decision by God to do that, apart from the person's own subsequent bad choices and will that rejects the grace of God.

 

[DinoDillinger]

Rev 3:20-21 'Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches'.

He is talking about the churches not an unbeliever.
that whole chapter Christ is speaking to the churches.
As far as repenting goes.
Christ speaking to the Churches:
"As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therfore be zealous and repent."
To say a decision you made saved you is you taking credit for the Grace of God.
One thing I know is that I don't deserve any of the Glory, it is Him who does Good.
As far as fruit goes, I feel knowing the difference between saying that prayer and being born again makes a big difference in someone's life.
Alot of Paul Epistoles start out with, "those called to be Saints".
Maybe someone here will read this and watch those videos and realize that the prayer alone doens't save you but the Grace of God.
When I started reading the Bible it scared me to death. why couldn't I see the truth, how could I be a saint? But I kept seeking.
Luke 11:9"So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you;seek, and you will find, knock, and it will be open to you."
you can also read Matthew 25 that talks about faith and whether you should sit comfortable with what you have.

 

[Lauren]

Re: were you saved by a decision YOU made?

I think this is a good question. I know that before I was saved, I had no desire to know God - I really couldn't have cared less about Him.


It would seem to me that He, by way of the Holy Spirit, placed something in my heart that made me desire to know Him.....one day I wouldn't have given a flying fig to know Him and the next day I was drawn irresistibly to the beauty that is Him.

Perhaps I could have said "no" to it, but it's hard to imagine refusing such an incredible warmth, beauty, and completeness. Do some people have the same type of experience and refuse it? I guess it's possible; it's just hard to imagine.

~ lauren

 

[BLC]

You misquoted John 3:16. You should be careful about that. The word "will' does not appear anywhere in that verse. If it is in a particular translation that you are using, it is an addition. I have 5 different versions of the Greek New Testament in front of me, and the Greek word for "will, desire, determine," "Thelayma," does not appear anywhere in that verse.

DeeperStill, I know you can handle your own, so the following is just a compliment.

She quoted (John 3:16) just fine. The word 'believeth' is what you need to look at. It is 'pisteuo' and it starts out in the mind where you perceive truth through conviction and the human volition kicks in to act upon that truth with faith. The human volition or 'free will' of the 'whosoever' cooperates with the light of truth concerning the Son and grace brings salvation to that soul through faith (Eph 2:8,9). God initiates His plan of grace to draw us to Himself through the Holy Spirit to meet His Son Jesus Christ at Calvary and that is the moment and the accepted time of our salvation when we believe upon the Son (2Cor 6:2). That makes salvation a specific act of faith at a specific moment in time that God arranged and we cooperated with it. Our name is written in Lamb's book of life never to be blotted out.