Main reason people become Christians?

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Seedz

Guest
#41
Can you be a "TRUE" christian unless you are a true christian? Or were "they" never saved? the wheat and the tares? The people G-d will will say I never knew you? The Word says if you believe with all of your heart and confess with your mouth you are saved, you are saved.
My initial post and question was directed to generalizing the motives of our perception for the need of God.

The only way to reach God is through Christ, hence the term Christians.

My stance in this question is that we have to consciously work on keeping the flesh in check. We are in control of our decisions.

What I meant to say is that we need to react to God's calling to salvation and to follow his will. He does not force it on us.
 

mcubed

Senior Member
Dec 20, 2013
1,449
218
63
#42
My initial post and question was directed to generalizing the motives of our perception for the need of God.

The only way to reach God is through Christ, hence the term Christians.

My stance in this question is that we have to consciously work on keeping the flesh in check. We are in control of our decisions.

What I meant to say is that we need to react to God's calling to salvation and to follow his will. He does not force it on us.

I got ya. I (for whatever my opinion is worth, and I know it is a lot... you can pay me latter...)... I actually agree. We do need to act. There have been several times over 25+ years with My Dad we have been talking... And I simply say I do not get it... You chose to reveal Yourself to me. Yet I chose to accept Him, in Feb of 1991, to be my Lord and Savior. It's this crazy thing I, to this day do not understand, in that moment in Patton's restaurant, if I would have rejected Him like I did in June of 1990 when He showed up would He have revealed Himself again.?. I don't know.... There is somehow this strange ballane with G-d... His wooing and our responsiveness I do not get. My grandmother is 99 years old, good faithful Jew that if dies tonight will go to hell because she does not believe Y-shua is Messiah. Yet G-d keeps her kicking. Why? Because He knows she will get saved or just because.?

There is a GREAT IN BETWEEN calvinist and arminians I believe do not get.... a GREAT BALLANCE...

My grandmother who lived in Germany before escaping in WWII tells G-d every night "I am not ready to go home yet"... she does not know how right she is... And He gives her another day... I pray He will grant her another day until she BELIEVES IN HIM... MESSIAH!!!!
 
D

Depleted

Guest
#43
I never blame the flesh, I blame myself, but there is no guilt because I have been forgiven.

i don't give credit to anyone else but Jesus and the Holy Spirit working in me for my salvation.

Temptations are real, and the word address such topic.

Are you saying that because you have been chosen by the lord that your flesh is not weak and it does not struggle ever at all?

Or all those passages about the flesh and temptation were just filler?

That face is for me about me, not from me to you. I have been feeling very frustrated and impatient the last few days, because I have not answered you. That's my impatient face to me.

I went off and got hives three days ago. (Whoops four days ago, but I couldn't sleep well last night, and frankly the first day I was stupid enough to think they'd go away over night.) I am getting better, (except for that couldn't sleep well part), but I'm not there yet. And yes, I can think at times, but I'm generally tunnel-visiony in the first place, and sick kind of causes more tunnel-vision thinking on top of that.

I consider this an important discussion, and I really don't want to slap together what my brain is slap-sticking together, especially because we don't know each other well enough for you to tell the difference, and I'm just tired enough that I can't tell the difference.

So all that to say... I will be able to get back to this and answer you, but want to do it when I'm completely back. IF the hives weren't caused my new soap (and boy I hope not since I just used that same soap again lol), and the dosage is correct, according to all the signs I'm having (I went from 80% hives all over me to about 15% hives now -- I can see my real flesh again! Thought you'd appreciate that humor lol), I should be okay in 1-2 days. Then I have catch-up-chores plus standard chores, so if you do not hear back from me by January 10th, really really PM me a nudge to get back to this.

I really have been this

with myself for the last two days waiting around to have a clear enough mind to answer you as well as I can. Answering you now, would be a mess.

Sorry 'bout that. (And really sorry about that, because no one ever should get hives. I forgot how bad it was. Been half a century since I had them this bad. lol)
 
D

Depleted

Guest
#44
This is talking about the flesh. The flesh is influenced by the enemy.

We are flesh and spirit. The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.

Matthew 26:41
Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed
is willing, but the flesh is weak.

Our spirit was designed to have a relationship with God, and it does indeed have a God shaped void that only God can fill. Jesus is the mediator between the Father and man.

Our spirit knows it is lacking something and it is willing to reconnect with God. The flesh in the other hand only wants to experience pleasure, regardless of the consequences of sin.

God does not pick and chose who gets saved. It is a gift for all men. Not just for "The chosen ones."
(Finally able to start getting back to this.)

[video=youtube;jtIEYjNZgiU]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jtIEYjNZgiU[/video]

This is was a song from my youth. It's close. I don't think it's accurate. We are/were slaves to sin. That's what we're born into. And slaves to sin is slaves to Satan. No influence, albeit, very influential. It controlled us. And we bowed down to it. We loved it, (again, because in the darkness we can hide our sin... at least, that's what we thought we were doing.) It worked for us.

But it stole from us too. You're right. We are designed to be God's. To do what God would have us do -- love and worship him. We're like terra cotta pots made for honey. (I know. Most the time people go with good wine or olive oil, but I don't particularly like wine, and olive oil is to be used in small quantities. Honey. Honey! You just can't go wrong with too much honey. lol) Instead we filled ourselves up with vinegar, (sin), thinking vinegar filled us, protected us, and satisfied us.

The thing with terra cotta as a material is that it absorbed what's in it into its very structure. Liquids leach into it and can't be pulled out. Well, technically, they can, but it's so much work, it's not worth the effort. Easier just to get a new pot.

We were made for the honey that is God, yet we filled ourselves with sin/vinegar. Worthless! Broken!

So who chose to fix us? We were too full of vinegar to know we were useless. We wanted to be useless. (John 3:19-20 again.) Only answer is God, right? (John 3:21, for verification.)

He didn't choose just some? He chose all? Then please explain Judas, Pontius Pilate, Herod, the Pharaoh, Hitler, Stalin, Saddam Hussien, Bin Laden, etc.

His Word says over an over about "the chosen." "The elect." Was he fooling?

How were you saved? By your choice or by Jesus himself? Because Jesus also said this:
John 6:[FONT=&quot]35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.[/FONT][FONT=&quot] [/FONT][FONT=&quot]36 But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe.[/FONT][FONT=&quot] [/FONT][FONT=&quot]37 All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.[/FONT][FONT=&quot] [/FONT][FONT=&quot]38 For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me.[/FONT][FONT=&quot] [/FONT][FONT=&quot]39 And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day.[/FONT][FONT=&quot] [/FONT][FONT=&quot]40 For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”[/FONT]

The Lord chose some terra cotta pots of vinegar and washed them clean for their true purpose -- his honey.

It's important, because if salvation is through your choice, than you never needed Jesus. If you never needed Jesus, you never needed to be saved.

Be careful with that "free will gospel." People use it to prove they're worth being saved. We're just terra cotta pots. What's inside is what makes us worth anything.
 

Jimbone

Senior Member
Aug 22, 2014
2,694
818
113
44
#45
I by no means claim to be perfect or wise. I am young, and not very experienced in life.

However, I have come to think of a few things that I sort of only realized from myself having experienced them.

I've wondered what encourages someone to become a true Christian?

From what I have experienced some people try to become Christians because they fear that their souls will burn for eternity.

Some people want to have a prosperous and wealthy life.

Some people want healing, and some people are just scared that God is going to punish them.


I too thought this way, and I am guilty of having been motivated by some of these ways of thinking.

What I have now come to see is that I want to follow Christ because I want to live as I was intended to live by God.

I want to adhere to the original design and intentions God had set for his creation.

By doing so, we will lack nothing in every sense. Allowing the will of God to shape your life and character is truly the only way for us to find peace, love and communion with YHWH.

I think the focus has to be redirected and we need to understand that the modern world is pushing society further and further away from the original design that God had intended for our lives.

This way we will have better discernment when it comes to identifying snares set by the enemy.

If we truly allow the will of God to guide our path, everything else will follow.

Seek first the Kingdom of God, and everything else will be added.
I have found that, for myself at least, and even many testimonies I hear that the most repeated reason is once we realize "our way" can't work. Once we realize that "I just can't", that is kind of the "how" or main reason I hear come up the most when people are giving testimony to His power. I know that the day I was saved (9-29-13) I wasn't even sure I bought into the "God thing" anymore, if I ever had in the first place. When I hit my knees I was just broken and this was what I said "I can't do this anymore, I can't do this anymore, I can't do this anymore, I tried my best and the world wins, I QUIT!!". When I look back now I see that was when the old man died, that was when God granted me repentance and I didn't want to do it "my way" anymore. Funniest thing is I didn't "do" anything at all just like the Bible says, I just woke up the next day a new creature, and I am still in complete awe of His truth, mercy, justice, love, and power. Anyway that's the biggest "reason" I seem to come across, seeing "my way" is wrong.
 

tourist

Senior Member
Mar 13, 2014
41,243
16,252
113
69
Tennessee
#46
Probably the main reason in first becoming a Christian is the fear of going to hell. The main reason for remaining a Christian is the love of God and the desire to humbly serve the Lord.
 

Bentz

Junior Member
Nov 8, 2017
8
2
0
#47
Desparate need for a Savior.
 
M

Miri

Guest
#49
The main reason I became a Christian, is God reached out to me and I
responded. Who wouldn’t respond to such love. Even as an 11 year old I recognised it was
exceptional, beyond normal human love.

It was never about why “l” became a Christian it was about God revealing Himself
to me.
 
M

Miri

Guest
#50
Just wondered also what Saul/Paul would make of this question. :)
 
M

Miri

Guest
#51
Also,

Amazing grace how sweet the sound
that saved a wretch like me
I once was lost but now am found
Was blind but now I see


The bit in bold should form an important part of this discussion.
It’s not what we did, it’s what Jesus did. He found us, not the other way around.
 
M

Miri

Guest
#52
what is the point of preaching the gospel and of the disciples using their lives to spread the good news?

If God just chooses and calls you, then were all the efforts of spreading the gospel in vain?
No you got this bit wrong, God uses people to bring about His will. I don’t know why
He just does. I suspect because we were created to have a relationship with Him from the
very beginning. He wants us to partner with Him. (Think of bride bridegroom).

Look how God used all the people of the Bible to bring about His perfect will.
We are not slaves though, we are friends, Jesus said of His disciples I call you friends.
It is a blessing to do the will of God not a burden. It is joyous allowing Jesus to
call the shots as we rest in Him.

It can be very hard hard to do, there are many time I forget to rest in Him but then I
just get caught up in “stuff”. When I rest in Him and do His will that’s when He
works it all out.
 

Magenta

Senior Member
Jul 3, 2015
55,249
25,719
113
#53
I have found that, for myself at least, and even many testimonies I hear that the most repeated reason is once we realize "our way" can't work. Once we realize that "I just can't", that is kind of the "how" or main reason I hear come up the most when people are giving testimony to His power. I know that the day I was saved (9-29-13) I wasn't even sure I bought into the "God thing" anymore, if I ever had in the first place. When I hit my knees I was just broken and this was what I said "I can't do this anymore, I can't do this anymore, I can't do this anymore, I tried my best and the world wins, I QUIT!!". When I look back now I see that was when the old man died, that was when God granted me repentance and I didn't want to do it "my way" anymore. Funniest thing is I didn't "do" anything at all just like the Bible says, I just woke up the next day a new creature, and I am still in complete awe of His truth, mercy, justice, love, and power. Anyway that's the biggest "reason" I seem to come across, seeing "my way" is wrong.
You surrendered (your will to the will of God). The Bible says we are to repent and believe :) Jesus started His earthly ministry by calling people to repent and believe the good news.

3340. metanoeó ►Strong's Concordance

metanoeó: to change one's mind or purpose

Original Word: μετανοέω

Part of Speech: Verb

Transliteration: metanoeó

Short Definition: I repent, change my mind

Definition: I repent, change my mind, change the inner man
(particularly with reference to acceptance of the will of God), repent.

HELPS Word-studies 3340 metanoéō (from 3326 /metá, "changed after being with" and 3539 /noiéō, "think") – properly, "think differently after," "after a change of mind"; to repent (literally, "think differently afterwards").

 
S

Seedz

Guest
#54
(Finally able to start getting back to this.)

[video=youtube;jtIEYjNZgiU]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jtIEYjNZgiU[/video]

This is was a song from my youth. It's close. I don't think it's accurate. We are/were slaves to sin. That's what we're born into. And slaves to sin is slaves to Satan. No influence, albeit, very influential. It controlled us. And we bowed down to it. We loved it, (again, because in the darkness we can hide our sin... at least, that's what we thought we were doing.) It worked for us.

But it stole from us too. You're right. We are designed to be God's. To do what God would have us do -- love and worship him. We're like terra cotta pots made for honey. (I know. Most the time people go with good wine or olive oil, but I don't particularly like wine, and olive oil is to be used in small quantities. Honey. Honey! You just can't go wrong with too much honey. lol) Instead we filled ourselves up with vinegar, (sin), thinking vinegar filled us, protected us, and satisfied us.

The thing with terra cotta as a material is that it absorbed what's in it into its very structure. Liquids leach into it and can't be pulled out. Well, technically, they can, but it's so much work, it's not worth the effort. Easier just to get a new pot.

We were made for the honey that is God, yet we filled ourselves with sin/vinegar. Worthless! Broken!

So who chose to fix us? We were too full of vinegar to know we were useless. We wanted to be useless. (John 3:19-20 again.) Only answer is God, right? (John 3:21, for verification.)

He didn't choose just some? He chose all? Then please explain Judas, Pontius Pilate, Herod, the Pharaoh, Hitler, Stalin, Saddam Hussien, Bin Laden, etc.

His Word says over an over about "the chosen." "The elect." Was he fooling?

How were you saved? By your choice or by Jesus himself? Because Jesus also said this:
John 6:35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.36 But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe.37 All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.38 For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me.39 And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day.40 For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”

The Lord chose some terra cotta pots of vinegar and washed them clean for their true purpose -- his honey.

It's important, because if salvation is through your choice, than you never needed Jesus. If you never needed Jesus, you never needed to be saved.

Be careful with that "free will gospel." People use it to prove they're worth being saved. We're just terra cotta pots. What's inside is what makes us worth anything.

I understand what you are saying and it is valid.

I still believe we need to chose to follow God through Jesus Christ.

It is up to us to accept or deny the gift.

Once you accept you need to maintain your righteousness. Keep from sinning and continue in the word and prayer.

Do you see what i am saying?

Read Romans 7, that may clear things up.