Can a saved person live an unsuccessful, depressed life?

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Blik

Blik

Senior Member
#1
Dec 6, 2016
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#1
I think we can. To be saved we only need to have faith in Jesus, repent of our sins and take them to Him for forgiveness. It does not require that we live a life that shines, that follows all God’s ways. We can live our married life and think of our own well-being ahead of our mate’s well-being as scripture tells us to do. We can be a gossip instead of making friends of others and still go to God for forgiveness. We do not need to think in a positive way as Phil. 4:8 tells us to be saved, but we need to follow it to be successful and let our light shine.

In fact, there are unsaved persons who do not know Jesus but follow His suggestions for triumphant living who are then happy, content and successful in this life but dead in the life to come. There are saved persons who have no light that shines.

The person who shines brightest is the person who listens well to all the guidance of Christ and lets what is of Christ shine through them. They are both a saved person and a person who lets Christ shine through them.
 
Dino246

Dino246

Senior Member
#2
Jun 30, 2015
25,487
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#2
To the thread title, sadly, yes.
 
O

Oblio

Guest
#3
#3
You mean like a man acquainted with sorrows?
 
Blik

Blik

Senior Member
#4
Dec 6, 2016
7,312
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#4
Oblio said:
You mean like a man acquainted with sorrows?
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No I don't think that a man acquainted with sorrows is living an unsuccessful life in Jesus' or the world's eyes. Christ was a man acquainted with sorrows. You can live a light that shines before the Lord in the midst of sorrow.
 
O

Oblio

Guest
#5
#5
Last year, I rejoiced in my affliction and my personal revival began.
I put my trust in Jesus, my anchor to the ground, my hope and firm foundation, He'll never let me down! from Promises by Maverick City
Praise God!
 
T

TheIndianGirl

Guest
#6
#6
Blik said:
I think we can. To be saved we only need to have faith in Jesus, repent of our sins and take them to Him for forgiveness. It does not require that we live a life that shines, that follows all God’s ways. We can live our married life and think of our own well-being ahead of our mate’s well-being as scripture tells us to do. We can be a gossip instead of making friends of others and still go to God for forgiveness. We do not need to think in a positive way as Phil. 4:8 tells us to be saved, but we need to follow it to be successful and let our light shine.

In fact, there are unsaved persons who do not know Jesus but follow His suggestions for triumphant living who are then happy, content and successful in this life but dead in the life to come. There are saved persons who have no light that shines.

The person who shines brightest is the person who listens well to all the guidance of Christ and lets what is of Christ shine through them. They are both a saved person and a person who lets Christ shine through them.
Click to expand...
Yes. I believe Christians can lead "unsuccessful" and depressed lives. Being both depressed and being unsuccessful can actually be related, as one can cause the other.

On success, there are multiple takes on what success means. Many Christians have no ambition to be successful under the "worldly" definition, in terms of education, wealth, etc. since they believe that being saved is enough and nothing else really matters. Even though JWs are not technically Christian, they come to mind. Many JWs did not pursue higher education because they thought the world was going to end soon (they previously had apocalypse predictions, now sure about now). They were at one point one of the lowest educated and poor populations.

Yes, I believe Christians can be depressed. I personally don't know people who have perfect mental health. There are many causes for depression, such as medication side effects, grief from loss of lived one, etc. Hopefully, the depression will go away after some time rather than be a lifelong issue. Yet, some forms of depression are a lifelong issue and are diagnosed medical conditions. I think there are a variety of reasons why a person could be depressed.
 
wattie

wattie

Senior Member
#7
Feb 24, 2009
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#7
Look at Job.. he lost everything, right into the pits of despair. Through that experience he might have got some serious health problems. I'm the end he had restoration from God to what he lost, but he may have had long lasting issues after ward.

Success.. spiritually is very different to the worlds
 
O

Oblio

Guest
#8
#8
Then there is the spiritual conflict that we are all involved in, whether we know it or not.
 
Blik

Blik

Senior Member
#9
Dec 6, 2016
7,312
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#9
TheIndianGirl said:
Yes. I believe Christians can lead "unsuccessful" and depressed lives. Being both depressed and being unsuccessful can actually be related, as one can cause the other.

On success, there are multiple takes on what success means. Many Christians have no ambition to be successful under the "worldly" definition, in terms of education, wealth, etc. since they believe that being saved is enough and nothing else really matters. Even though JWs are not technically Christian, they come to mind. Many JWs did not pursue higher education because they thought the world was going to end soon (they previously had apocalypse predictions, now sure about now). They were at one point one of the lowest educated and poor populations.

Yes, I believe Christians can be depressed. I personally don't know people who have perfect mental health. There are many causes for depression, such as medication side effects, grief from loss of lived one, etc. Hopefully, the depression will go away after some time rather than be a lifelong issue. Yet, some forms of depression are a lifelong issue and are diagnosed medical conditions. I think there are a variety of reasons why a person could be depressed.
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Do you believe that following all scripture tells us to do such as "think on these things" can lead a person to being a light in the world as Christ told is to be, in spite of the problems you list?
 
JohnDB

JohnDB

Well-known member
#10
Jan 16, 2021
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#10
Let me consult with the book of Jeremiah....BRB
 
Blik

Blik

Senior Member
#11
Dec 6, 2016
7,312
2,428
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#11
JohnDB said:
Let me consult with the book of Jeremiah....BRB
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The book of Jeremiah explains how the law was written in stone and God now writes those laws in our hearts. It is only indirectly going to give you information on how to be a shining light for the Lord. A better way is to go to the psalms, especially psalm 119. All through the gospels is information on how to shine, and Paul is a wonderful source. Good Luck.
 
Blik

Blik

Senior Member
#12
Dec 6, 2016
7,312
2,428
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#12
wattie said:
Look at Job.. he lost everything, right into the pits of despair. Through that experience he might have got some serious health problems. I'm the end he had restoration from God to what he lost, but he may have had long lasting issues after ward.

Success.. spiritually is very different to the worlds
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There are many similarities, also, as the world is created in the image of God. We are told that one result of obedience is abundance. In God's eyes, that is not the huge mansions we are told the Holywood star like to live in, that is not Godly abundance. But there is material abundance that represents spiritual abundance.

The old covenant tells us of material rewards from obedience. The old covenant was written in stone, not in our hearts, but it was truth. One result, for example, of obedience is to regard our jobs as working for the Lord. This is a key to success in our jobs that gives earthly rewards. It is a mistake to read old testament without seeing the heart in the commands, but it is also a mistake to say they are all heart with nothing physical in them. The physical we live in is created in the image of God.
 
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