L
-
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.
I'm sorry to say there are many believers who are still stuck in that lie that keeps them from knowing the true extent of what God has done IN Christ for them. Like you Chester , i used to think the same thing about God marking down every bad thought vs every good one. And you are right!! that is the devil's technique. Not our loving Fathers approach.
At the end of the day, had I not confessed with many tears and sick gut emotions as I believed was due God., those sins were still there the next morning!! I honestly tried before going to bed to remember any sin I committed that day so those sins were not held to my account the next morning when I woke up.
I hated waking up the next day with those sins still on me. So I would set my alarm on getting up at 4 a.m. having plenty of time to show God how sorry I was by confessing with tears and gut wrenching remorse during my Bible reading time. What a way to look forward to your Bible reading and fellowship with the Father???!!!!
No wonder many times I was defeated before even getting out of bed!! Soon my sins out weighed my good actions and there was no way to get it all cleaned up again for all the times I avoided the Bible reading and prayer. I must not have been that sorry if I didn't enjoy this Bible time!More guilt and condemnation on top of guilt and condemnation.
So the whole crazy scenario went on each year. Weeks of trying to always be "spiritual" and never think anything wrong. I could easily not "do" sin like not lie or cheat or steal from the store. But what about the mind? How could I always think holy thoughts?? Especially if people were doing wrong to me that day or days?
Going and confessing every thought was over whelming. Soon I avoided praying because the guilt of the verse "be sure your sin will find you out".. came to mind and I couldn't give the proper heart felt time of crying that I felt God insisted on if I really was sorry. So the sins all built up to this huge crescendo.
So probably 2x a month I'd have this major break down of crying and begging God's forgiveness and cleansing. I didn't know that Jesus took care of all my sin and guilt and shame. I didn't know I could thank God for sending Jesus and He paid for all my sins including those in my mind. I didn't know for so many years that His grace, unmerited love and favor were already mine not only for the time I first believed and was saved but for all the days after.
The truth is that my standing was sure IN Christ and grace to forgive and forget was available all the time every moment of every day because Jesus LIVES. Grace is unmerited un earned favor given because Jesus already paid for me.
So all my guts revolting, my tears and all that work I thought God wanted and liked and even required of me to show how really sorry I was were lies of the enemy. I believed for those lies for many many years.
The devil used the same trick on many of us! And he is still using it all over the place . . .
L
ladylynn
Guest
YES Abigail!! You said in few words what it took me many to say. LOL. I read this after I wrote and posted my loooong "treatise"
L
ladylynn
Guest
It's so encouraging to read these posts and these questions Chester, Abigail and now SavedByGrace!!! (and of course Bruce and Magenta and others!)
This is the stuff and these are the questions that cause us to learn to see our faith as real and substantial and what we cannot do without faith in our life here!
Faith IS the substance of things not seen yet. Hebrews 11:1 We have to believe first before we will see it. Our world and many Christians too want proof and be able to SEE first and only then will they believe. That is not how it works.
This is what growing in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus is all about. It's exciting and it's real. It's being a co laborer with the Holy Spirit in our walk. It's enjoyable and wonderful and that is what is meant when the author means "effortless" When you love your job, it's not work, it's fun and it's enriching and brings satisfaction.
It's amazing how we each have asked the question based on our wanting to know the HOW to do the walk. I can read the progression of the learning and realization that it is Christ who does it all. No., we don't sit in a chair and expect to do nothing. But we learn the "HOW" of believing our work is resting without worry or toiling like you said here SavedByGrace. And Abigail!!!! you are such a young woman and you know the truth of this I'm so encouraged. Good ol Hudson Taylor sounds like he learned the "way" to!!
When a believer finds out how grace plays such an intricate role in our walk with Jesus that is when it all breaks out in reality that it's all possible. In Christ ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE. Those words in the Bible are not just fuzzy feel good words when we are feeling especially spiritual or for only the likes of great saints like Mosses or David or Paul. They are for us today.
We can have this kind of faith while sitting in the living room and know Jesus is with us. The Holy Spirit plays a major role in our walk as we see how much God loves us. The grace that teaches how to do these things is used along with the Holy Spirit to teach us how the promises are all yes and amen for us.
That is why the joy of the Lord is our strength. And why so many believers don't have joy. They don't know about these truths that can free them from sweating and toiling in life. From condemnation and shame and guilt. No more crying for our sin and trying to pay back for all our wrongs.
I'm sorry to go on and on. One more thought. When we as the sheep of His pasture follow our Good Shepherd., do we need to worry? Do we need to find the food and the water? Take a look at what the Good Shepherd is wanting to do for us IF we let Him.
A Psalm of David.
[SUP]1 [/SUP]The Lord is my Shepherd [to feed, guide, and shield me], I shall not lack.
[SUP]
2 [/SUP]He makes me lie down in [fresh, tender] green pastures; He leads me beside the still and restful waters.
[SUP]
3 [/SUP]He refreshes and restores my life (my self); He leads me in the paths of righteousness [uprightness and right standing with Him—not for my earning it, but] for His name’s sake.
[SUP]4 [/SUP]Yes, though I walk through the [deep, sunless] valley of the shadow of death, I will fear or dread no evil, for You are with me; Your rod [to protect] and Your staff [to guide], they comfort me.
[SUP]
5 [/SUP]You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with [SUP][a][/SUP]oil; my [brimming] cup runs over.
[SUP]
6 [/SUP]Surely or only goodness, mercy, and unfailing love shall follow me all the days of my life, and through the length of my days the house of the Lord [and His presence] shall be my dwelling place.
I was sharing this Psalm with Blain tonight and am again reminded how our Good Shepherd does all the leading. He sets up a table in the presence of our enemies. In heaven there are no enemies so this is for us now and for today. And so are the other promises that are stated here. Just read what it says from the top.
He is our Shepherd...we shall not want ., we lack for nothing. He makes us to lie down in the green kind of pastures and He leads us beside the still calm waters. This is happening NOW not only when we die and go to heaven. He offers this freely to us right now. He does it. Not us.
I especially love vs 3
[SUP]3 [/SUP]He refreshes and restores my life (my self); He leads me in the paths of righteousness [uprightness and right standing with Him—not for my earning it, but] for His name’s sake.
He is the One who daily restores my life my inner self. He is the One who LEADS me in the paths of righteousness (it's HIS righteousness) It's uprightness and right standing with Him NOT for my earning it but for HIS name's sake. He gave us our standing in righteousness. So we CAN NOW stand.
This is so exciting and changes everything in my life. Grace is what we have IN Christ. He paid to give us all things IN Him. We cannot work for it or be good enough for it. We have it ONLY because of Him and that is what we need to acknowledge daily in order to see Him bring it to pass. When we think it is our own works of righteousness, it won't work. We won't be able to work to rest in our works. We will only be able to work to work.
But there is a REST for the people of God.
Last edited:
L
ladylynn
Guest
Yes Cee and most of us have tried to love God on our own and failed miserably. Until we get a revelation of His unmerited love for us. He loves us enough to do it all and then He blesses us for following Him. (shocker) What kind of a deal is that?? He blesses us and then blesses us again for allowing Him to bless us more.
Most of the blessings we miss are because we don't believe He wants to bless us. So we try and meet our own needs. No wonder the enemy wants us to see God apart from Jesus Christ. When we see Jesus and His gift of righteousness given to us., that is when we really begin to see God in our lives.
Jesus even said "if you have seen Me, you have seen the Father" We need that daily revelation of Jesus we get from the Bible. The Bible reveals and magnifies Jesus Christ.
L
ladylynn
Guest
Those are profound truths you have posted little sister!!!! God surely has blessed you and revealed some major deep truth to your heart. "The tree is just being a tree doing tree things."
This ties into the fact of knowing who we are IN Christ. We are HIS workmanship created IN Christ UNTO good works. We are HIS beloved, sheep of HIS pasture.,and sons of the Most High God. We are heirs and joint heirs with Christ. We are now allowed legally to call God our ABBA (Daddy) Father. All because of Jesus.
If a Christian doesn't understand what their standing in Christ really means, they won't grow that fruit (won't be rooted and built up in the faith) because they will be trying to toil and work hard to water themselves and build themselves up and be strong in themselves. When in truth they need only to be who they are and allow God IN Christ to love them and care for them. Amen!!!!
Have you heard the one about how God is recording everything you say and do, and on Judgment Day he’ll show all your dark, dirty secrets on a big TV screen? It’s a frightening thought—but it’s a fiction.
God is not like that. God is love, and love keeps no record of wrongs. Not a diary, not a videotape, nothing. If he’s making a movie of your life, it’s a highlight reel, not a horror flick.
God keeps no videotapes, but we may have quite the collection. They play in the dark cinema of our minds rehashing our regrets, broadcasting our bitter memories, and showing our secret shame.
The dirty tapes of our lives cripple us. They suck the color out of our days and the sleep out of our nights. They keep us from entering the house of grace and enjoying the banquet of God’s favor.
“I cannot come in,” we say. “I’ve done some bad stuff.” And God replies, “I hold nothing against you.”
“But haven’t you seen what I did?” And God replies, “Haven’t you seen what Jesus did?”
Your videotapes don’t belong to you. Jesus purchased them with his blood. If they start playing in your head, change the channel. Look to Christ who is the star of a better movie.
“Happy are those whose wrongs are forgiven, whose sins are pardoned! Happy is the person whose sins the Lord will not keep account of!” (Romans 4:7–8, GNB)
Got this in my email this morning and wanted to share it. When I was a young Christian I was told
that there were going to be recordings of all the sins we committed and everyone would see.
It was a great day to find out that this and many other teachings we were taught were not from
the Bible.
I laughed in tears when I saw this one:
L
ladylynn
Guest
I was really tested yesterday at work. I have a coworker who is just flat out hateful and will do anything to make herself look superior even if it means planting something to make another person appear in a negative light. I was ready to tell her off when I suddenly asked myself if I did that what it would solve and the answer was nothing. I called up a guy I work with who inspired me to kill of that hateful bitterness and downright jealous attitude with kindness because if I do they wouldn't want to talk to me about anything which I'm okay with haha. But then I applied what the Bible says about loving those who persecute you and how we can apply the fruits of the Spirit. We can't control how another person acts, but we can control our response to it which is the self control part of all of it
I firmly believe if we wait and call on him he will direct our steps in how to handle the most sensitive tasks even when we may not see eye to eye.
Very much hear you renewed_hope!!!
Working in the world can be an almost terrifying thing for a woman my age (and your age) It is a jungle out there. But we have Jesus to be our defense. I've been learning to allow Him to defend me at work too. I needed to step back from defending myself and stay stepped back.What you said in your post works for sure because it's Biblical.
When we wait on Him and allow Him to defend us in these impossible situations in life (and at work) where often times it's "dog EAT dog" He will give us success. And as I've been learning GOOD SUCCESS! I've been working with women for some time now and have noticed that they will undermine co workers if they can to get a head. That's how it is in the world. They don't have a heavenly Father to take care of them. They must rely on their own talents. Not so with us because we do have a Heavenly Father who loves us and sent Jesus.
Unlike the world we don't have to rely on our smarts or our beauty or our friends or connections. Those things will fade soon enough like everything else on earth. We need His favor and His protection. I just got a promotion at work and it was not due to my skill or beauty or connections. It was due to His favor on me and He gave me favor with my co workers and bosses. Many times I could have and many times almost decided to protect myself from the gossip that often goes around work.
But although it went against my natural tendencies to protect myself, i stopped talking and defending my work and my motives to people and my bosses. I kept working and believing He loves me and He brought me this far and He will take me the rest of the way. I am nothing without Him and soooo acknowledge that each day!!! And in the end all worked out better than I could have ever done on my own.
It is a way of life we can have -this resting business. We can just keep working on following Jesus and acknowledging His wisdom over our own. Letting Him do the leading to the still and quiet waters. There are so many young Christians here on CC and you guys are so much further along in your Christian walk than I was at your age. It's very encouraging to read here!!
Last edited:
L
ladylynn
Guest
Hi breno! I have not seen that picture yet. Wow! And people actually do believe it to be God's way. When it is totally NOT. It's much like cleaning yourself up first before you can accept Jesus as Savior. We wouldn't need a Savior if our cleaning up process made any difference!! We need the REAL SHOWER.
Take a shower before you take a shower? NOOO We don't deserve healing or anything we have based on our own merit. We have everything because we have JESUS. My deep prayer is that any people Christians and none Christians that read these threads we are on will be persuaded to read the Word and see the love of God IN Christ in the words shared.
Grace that Jesus offers is un merited un earned LOVE and FAVOR that will LAST FOREVER. It's given to us because of the payment Jesus made on the cross. His love never ends. It keeps going on and going on. The only limit is our own limited understanding.
You don't like Jesus' words in Matthew 5:18-19? How bout Paul's--->>>Romans 3:31 "Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.
And how do we establish the Law? By recognising that WE CANNOT KEEP IT, that it utterly CONDEMNS us. It has thus fulfilled its function. Thus we turn from the Law to Jesus Christ Who bore its condemnation on Himself. He bore it because we could not. We are therefore by a free gift through grace declared by Him as righteous apart from the Law. The Law Has no more to do with us...
YOUR spirit is not telling you the truth!!
Last edited:
LOL..me too. I like this one too.
I can't heal you because you have not been eating right.
( the funny thing is that they were all on the "Mediterranean Diet" when Jesus was on this earth...lol )
E
eternally-gratefull
Guest
Sounds like the old saying, You love because he first loved you..
That is what powers you, ie,, You do not do it of your own power, because apart from those things, You would not do those things.
L
LaurenTM
Guest
since you pander baloney, you might think several times about how you respond to others
Ah, yes, I agree,
And yet, it is not just God alone, it is really me . . .
"I (old nature) am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live, yet not I (old nature), but Christ liveth in me, and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God . . . "-- Gal 2:20
I know what I am about to say will not be taken well by people who say its all grace. The Bible does tell us we all will stand before the judgment set of God and we all shall give account unto God (Romans 14 and 2 Cor. 5:10). These are proof that God is keeping record of our actions, Matt. 12:36 is proof of the same for what we say.
As for the New Covenant God's law being written on the heart is talking about even more that the 10 commandments because Jesus make the statement if you love me you will keep my commandments (John 14:15). Jesus also express how much more the New covenant standard is by saying if you look at a woman with lust you commit adultery in the heart and if you hate someone you are a murderer in the heart (Matt 5:21-30).
To believe that we are under a new covenant and we are not under any laws is not the correct thinking. There cannot be any place with the living who have freedom of choice with no laws and them being enforce. In a kingdom the King makes all the laws and Jesus is King over all as well as known as the Word. Now what ever the king has put to be enforced is the law in that kingdom and remains law until that king dies. Well Jesus is the Everlasting King who will never die because he is God known as Alpha and Omega the first and last! So when the Bible says heaven and earth shall pass away it says the Word (laws od God) will always stand.
As for the New Covenant God's law being written on the heart is talking about even more that the 10 commandments because Jesus make the statement if you love me you will keep my commandments (John 14:15). Jesus also express how much more the New covenant standard is by saying if you look at a woman with lust you commit adultery in the heart and if you hate someone you are a murderer in the heart (Matt 5:21-30).
To believe that we are under a new covenant and we are not under any laws is not the correct thinking. There cannot be any place with the living who have freedom of choice with no laws and them being enforce. In a kingdom the King makes all the laws and Jesus is King over all as well as known as the Word. Now what ever the king has put to be enforced is the law in that kingdom and remains law until that king dies. Well Jesus is the Everlasting King who will never die because he is God known as Alpha and Omega the first and last! So when the Bible says heaven and earth shall pass away it says the Word (laws od God) will always stand.
We do have laws in the New Covenant. They are exciting laws that bring life and wholeness to us all - because these are all Christ Himself in us.
There is no greater revelation than to know Him and the Father and to plumb the depths of their love and grace towards us which Paul says in Eph. 2:7 - the Father will be doing for all the ages to come to us.
Ephesians 2:7 (NASB)
[SUP]7 [/SUP] so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
Jesus fulfilled the law. The law was a mere shadow of the real thing which was Jesus.
Read the law to see Jesus in it and to know that Jesus did that for us and His life in us now leads us in all things. Those who are led by the Spirit of God are the sons of God.
We now live by:
1) The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus. ( Romans 8:2 )
2) The law of love ( Romans 13:10 James 2:8 )
3) The law of faith ( Romans 3:27 and the law of Moses is NOT of faith - Gal. 3:12 )
4) The law of liberty ( James 1:25 )
5) The law of Christ - which is Christ Himself in us. ( Gal. 6:2 )
We can trust the Holy Spirit in us to lead us in all affairs of life. We don't go back to the beggarly elements that were a shadow of the real thing which is Christ in us.. Jesus is more then enough.
Yes...we glory in the laws that we have in the New Covenant because they are all Christ Himself living in and through us. ( Gal.2:20 and Col. 3:3 )
Galatians 5:22-23 (NASB)
[SUP]22 [/SUP] But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
[SUP]23 [/SUP] gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
There is no greater revelation than to know Him and the Father and to plumb the depths of their love and grace towards us which Paul says in Eph. 2:7 - the Father will be doing for all the ages to come to us.
Ephesians 2:7 (NASB)
[SUP]7 [/SUP] so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
Jesus fulfilled the law. The law was a mere shadow of the real thing which was Jesus.
Read the law to see Jesus in it and to know that Jesus did that for us and His life in us now leads us in all things. Those who are led by the Spirit of God are the sons of God.
We now live by:
1) The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus. ( Romans 8:2 )
2) The law of love ( Romans 13:10 James 2:8 )
3) The law of faith ( Romans 3:27 and the law of Moses is NOT of faith - Gal. 3:12 )
4) The law of liberty ( James 1:25 )
5) The law of Christ - which is Christ Himself in us. ( Gal. 6:2 )
We can trust the Holy Spirit in us to lead us in all affairs of life. We don't go back to the beggarly elements that were a shadow of the real thing which is Christ in us.. Jesus is more then enough.
Yes...we glory in the laws that we have in the New Covenant because they are all Christ Himself living in and through us. ( Gal.2:20 and Col. 3:3 )
Galatians 5:22-23 (NASB)
[SUP]22 [/SUP] But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
[SUP]23 [/SUP] gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
Last edited:
E
eternally-gratefull
Guest
Thats prety rude is it not? Let me guess, Your going to set us all straight?
Show me one grace person who does not believe this, Of course we will all be held accountable. for our works will be tried by fire, If it endures, we will get a reward, If it does not it will be burned and we will be left wiht nothing but ash. But we will still be saved.
So again, What grace person would deny this? I hope you have more than this considering your opening statement.
1. Your wrong, If one looked at a woman with lust in the OT it was a sin. The problem was people looked at the letter. and not the spirit. That is the attitude Jesus had to correct when he made that statement. And why trying to follow a law will get you in trouble thinking your more righteous than you really are. (the law can not tell you how good you are, nor how to be as good as God requires us to be)
2. All the law can do is what Paul said in gal. and romans, The law can shut our mouths, because we are guilty. because it exposes we are sinners.. And since we are sinners, the least the law can do and does is condemn us because all have sinned and fall short.
Then you ignore paul
1. The law can only condemn us. ( Rom 4: [SUP]15 [/SUP]because the law brings about wrath; for where there is no law there is no transgression.)
2. We are saved by grace, NOT LAW.. if a law was given that could save us, Christ died in vein.
You want to earn salvation *try) feel free. But please. Stop mocking grace people (You obviously did not understand what we teach or you would never have made your opening statement) and please stop trying to push law, the law will never do a thing for you once you are saved, The tutor has done its job.
P
Preacha24-7
Guest
Our own righteousness is as filthy rags, but when God sees us He sees us in his righteousness. God justified us. In other words when we repent and get born again God looks at us as though we never sinned. Romans8:1-2 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set me free from the law of sin and death. Satan condemns but God forgives. God put us on this earth to win and with his death he redeemed us from our sins. Galatians6:9 And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. To God be the glory. Preacha24-7