Thanks.
I just read the scripture and notice a gulf between what is written and church doctrine.
It seems most ignore what Paul said.
HOW CAN I BE 100% SURE THAT I WILL GO TO HEAVEN WHEN I DIE?
- Thread starter seymourclear
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I just read the scripture and notice a gulf between what is written and church doctrine.
It seems most ignore what Paul said.
Not really.
All I do is post the Scripture.
Galatians 5:22-23
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
Against such things there is no law.
These fruit of the Holy Spirit we receive and are not commandments.
If the Scripture itself causes you doubt and trouble then, it is far better to deal with this now and not later.
I am not provoking you on the contrary you are reacting.
John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
i see the reverse, most people rather ignore what Christ said.
Following the spoken words of Jesus which is referred to as Red-Letter Christianity.
May in fact miss that Jesus commissioned the apostles, and especially Paul to explain the following.
In no particular order.
1) To expand upon and explain the death and resurrection of Jesus, i.e., the divine atonement
2) A detailed description of the Christian life and what commandments Jesus gave us
3) The function and the power of the Holy Spirit and what being 'led by the Holy Spirit' means
4) The end times
5) Jesus told His disciples, "I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now" (John 16:12)
6) Jesus promised the Holy Spirit would guide the apostles into all truth (John 16:13)
7) Discarding Paul's writings in favor of only the Gospels creates a division within Christianity
8) 2 Peter 3:14-16
Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless,
and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation; just as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given him,
wrote to you, as also in all his letters, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand,
which the untaught and unstable distort, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction.
Grace is unmerited favor. Eternal life is everlasting life. Lets see if we can find more Scripture that may expound on that a bit.
Romans 6:23 But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life.
John 5:24 "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.
John 17:3 And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.
1 John 5:11-13 And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.
Yeah.. we all know this path.. we all tried to take it. As He said to me when I read in the margin of the word.. if your heart convicts you, you will not get anything from God. I got up said I quit. I said my heart convicts me 24/7 of sin. Then tack on the enemy doing it. I reached for the door He asked me "what is righteousness?" I said ok ok righteousness is right standing with GOD. He asked me "how do you get righteousness?" I said by believing in Jesus. Man it was like being blind then I could see.. I cried and cried.
The point here is.. the word says there is none righteous no not one. We are all unrighteous. All our good works.. if we never sinned we are still like dirty rags to Him. You can stand before GOD pure holy righteous (in right standing with HIM) because you believe in Jesus.
Yeah that is one of the hardest things to get into your heart. Its never you.. its HIM. All the good works we do after He found us being born again.. its as He said you can do not thing without Him. But with Him all things are possible.
So what do we do? We get up dust off keep going. We repent we do a 180 not 360
and .. we have to know that He forgives us.. and cleanses us from "all" unrighteousness. If you focus on the sin ..sin is all you will see. Focus on Him.. not the sin. Saved for many years loved to listen to Acid Rock music. I still remember sitting at work and .. I didn't like it any more.. it was as if I never did. What HE starts in you HE will not maybe not lets hope so.. but will finish it. He found you.. all the angles rejoiced when He found you. He told the Father about you.. He knows you. You are in His hands.. His hands are in the Fathers and it is not written He drops anyone. You are His because GOD is faithful to what Christ did not what you do. You are His because you believe in His son. When these thoughts come.. remember they are not from GOD but the enemy and the enemy can only lie.
We can not live a sinless life. Paul said.. the things I want to do.. should do..I don't. The things I don't want to do I do. Its no longer I that sin but sin that is in me. And not that does not mean we can freely sin. We all fall we all miss it.. we all at some point in this life get stuck in some sin yet we run to HIM.. and whom the son sets free are free indeed. Its what His WORD says not what I say or anyone else. If His word says you are righteous because you believe in Jesus.. rejoice.. ok you miss it sometimes..
The fact when you sin it really bothers you.. this would never bother someone that is not of GOD...they don't care about Him.
grace in this life
eternal salvation in the next
when eternal life implies grace
Jn 1:16
Jn 10:10
Jn 14:6
1 Jn 2:25
1 jn 5:13
1 Jn 5:20
when eternal life implies eternal salvation
mt 7:14
mk 10:30
rom 6:23
thks
I'll pray for you! The most important thing is that you get close to God to hear Him speak to you in the "still small voice" (1 Kings 19:12). I just don't know how He will choose to do that. Just be alert to Him when He does.
The Bible says that God gives His Holy Spirit to those who repent and obey. Not just believe.
Acts 5:32. "We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him."
Acts 2:38 "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."
In terms of obeying God, it's good that you want to. God WILL give you the Holy Spirit. He is the only way you can obey God easily. I can testify to that. He will start changing your ways.
Just submit to the Holy Spirit and He will empower you to obey Him and resist sin. He is really powerful to do this. If you don't think so or you think your habitual sins are too strong, He welcomes you to test Him on this. I did and He really did set me free from sinful strongholds I thought I could never be able to stop!
With cursing, you will find yourself not wanting to more and more. When you're frustrated, you will be able to find clean words to express that frustration instead of curse words for example.
I also used to smoke and I asked God if He didn't want me to smoke anymore and laid that habit at His feet. And I stopped cold turkey! At the beginning, I had to run to Him for strength to resist smoking so many times a day, but he helped me through each temptation. He also instructed me to chew gum for the first few months.
I never touched a cigarette since then. Once in a while, I would actually dream I was smoking and felt bad about it only to realize it was only a dream, but that too eventually stopped. You can stop smoking too with the help of the Holy Spirit!
I used to also watch horror movies but I asked God if He didn't want it for me, that the desire to watch them will go away. And it did! So don't force yourself. Abide in God and He will change your desires Himself so it won't be a struggle for you.
Very excited about the changes He will wrought in you to make you reflect Christ! God bless you very much!
there is a misconception that we grow stronger as we have years under our belt as a Christian. Three things that we must do and they are not works they are necessities for Christian walk just like food is to the body and water.
1. You must pray= those in a relationship with Christ must pray. Jesus said Matthew 6:5-6
5 "And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen," Jesus did not say IF you pray he said when. We must have an active prayer life. IF we do not speak woth the one who we call GOD who is with us everyday and minute how rude that would be. Who sits in a room with a love one and not talk to them?
2. We must study the word of God. It is the sword of the Spirit Eph 6. It is God speaking back to us. I know there are those who say God speaks to me all the time and I know it is him. IF you do not know the word of God you will not know the voice of God as a professing Christian. Jesus quoted much of the Old Testament in His earthly ministry.
3. Fellowship with like minded believers is a must. Hebrews 10:25, 25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.
WE must separate ourselves from those things that God called us out of. News Flash WE as Christians are not to fit in with the world. We were called out to be separate. Be holy and I am Holy says the Lord. Think it is not strange when you are tempted.
1Per 4:12-16
12 Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you;
13 but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy.
14 If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you.
On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified.
15 But let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or as busybody in other people’s matters. 16 Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this matter.
it is works!
what your problem?
eph 2:10
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
the purpose of our creation is to know, love, & serve God!
Amen?
apart from Christ? nothing no merit or value! Jn 15:5
with Christ? all things have merit value! phil 4:13
example deed prayer
Jn 15:5 apart from Christ you can do nothing, you can perform the deed but it has no effect no merit or supernatural value
with Christ we can do all things
James 5:16 ...the prayer of a righteous man avails much.
thks
"works are forbidden"
verses
"works are required"
((works are forbidden))
eph 2:9 Not of works, lest any man should boast
((works are required))
eph 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
how do you solve this seaming contradiction in scripture?
thks
That is actually rather easy to resolve. Works do not earn you merit to get into heaven, but works are a sign of how closely you align with God. Those who love God will do things that please God, not to earn His pleasure but because they love Him