Religion vs The Word

  • Thread starter Thread starter JaimeMartinez26
  • Start date Start date
  • 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.
J

JaimeMartinez26

Guest
spiritual warfare.....


please just stick to the Bible


anyone here ever stumble over the blocks religion cast infront of the believers of the inspired word?
 
I still find myself tripping over legalism (personally, not promoting it). I gotta do this right and that right or I'm not good enough. The obvious end of this is me depending on my own strength and taking my eyes off Christ which inevitably leads to my downfall, depression, sinful behavior, anxiety, and feelings of hopelessness.

Dunno if this is what you mean, but can't really get more religious than legalism IMO.

I might also add that depending on my own strength also comes with pride and a sense of superiority which is always a recipe for disaster as I become unloving and cold in my actions and words.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Taro
ForthAngel said:
I still find myself tripping over legalism (personally, not promoting it). I gotta do this right and that right or I'm not good enough. The obvious end of this is me depending on my own strength and taking my eyes off Christ which inevitably leads to my downfall, depression, sinful behavior, anxiety, and feelings of hopelessness.

Dunno if this is what you mean, but can't really get more religious than legalism IMO.

I might also add that depending on my own strength also comes with pride and a sense of superiority which is always a recipe for disaster as I become unloving and cold in my actions and words.
Click to expand...

If we don't desire to sin continually, and are believers, we are all "good enough" even though we stumble occasionally. There are other criteria such as loving God and others so don't get upset that I didn't mention everything. It is a war between flesh and spirit that Paul explained in Romans chapter seven.
 
Last edited:
Crustyone said:
If we don't desire to sin continually, and are believers, we are all "good enough" even though we stumble occasionally. It is a war between flesh and spirit that Paul explained in Romans chapter seven.
Click to expand...

Totally. It's not that I like sin. I think it's disgusting and stinks to high heaven. The struggle is real though.
 
It's a bad feeling when I realize that I knew better and yet succumbed to the temptation. I'm glad that I can ask for forgiveness and realize that He understands our weakness.
 
Just realized what the title of this thread was about. No contest. I am of the opinion that no religion follows the bible completely. I am afraid that we will have to look hard to find a church that does follow biblical teaching or maybe start one that does, but try to find a pastor that hasn't been steeped in some church tradition or other and starting new may be impossible.
 
Crustyone said:
Just realized what the title of this thread was about. No contest. I am of the opinion that no religion follows the bible completely. I am afraid that we will have to look hard to find a church that does follow biblical teaching or maybe start one that does, but try to find a pastor that hasn't been steeped in some church tradition or other and starting new may be impossible.
Click to expand...

wouldnt you say a 99% truth is inaccurate?

now i want to be baptized
but im going to search for a "church" with a Godly man following Jesus as best he can from my ability to test


then i may or may not attend more than needed for that


but most my study is done with the Bible and prayer and rereading and re reading then comparing what i heard in the word to online teachings


i want fellowship but i dont want to be persuaded away from scripture
 
JaimeMartinez26 said:
wouldnt you say a 99% truth is inaccurate?

now i want to be baptized
but im going to search for a "church" with a Godly man following Jesus as best he can from my ability to test


then i may or may not attend more than needed for that


but most my study is done with the Bible and prayer and rereading and re reading then comparing what i heard in the word to online teachings


i want fellowship but i dont want to be persuaded away from scripture
Click to expand...

I would recommend finding a good reformed church in your area, or at least a church that is honest. I was in LA with my girlfriend last year and we visited a reformed baptist church that she now attends regularly, and they stick to core undisputed doctrines and do a book by book chapter by chapter study throughout the year from start to finish.

When they come across a teaching from scripture that is interpreted differently by many denominations (always non-salvific and peripheral doctrines) they make clear that there are many differing views on the particular subject (eschatological views for instance concerning things like the rapture). So they present their interpretation while also urging the congregation to study and pray for themselves about it and telling them to look at opposing views as well.

I felt that this kind of honesty from those leading them is a rare thing in churches today and I respect them a lot for it. But other than things like the rapture, when will the rapture be, etc, they stick to all the standard core reformed theology and doctrines that you are probably aware of.
 
Last edited:
ForthAngel said:
I still find myself tripping over legalism (personally, not promoting it). I gotta do this right and that right or I'm not good enough. The obvious end of this is me depending on my own strength and taking my eyes off Christ which inevitably leads to my downfall, depression, sinful behavior, anxiety, and feelings of hopelessness.

Dunno if this is what you mean, but can't really get more religious than legalism IMO.

I might also add that depending on my own strength also comes with pride and a sense of superiority which is always a recipe for disaster as I become unloving and cold in my actions and words.
Click to expand...

im not super up on the terms..... is legalism where you feel since you sinned from until you repent if you were to die you are hellbound?


like even after being saved?


because if thats what you mean i struggle with that

or is it like the "how can you sin with a new heart" type of deal...


cause thats got me too...
 
Last edited:
JaimeMartinez26 said:
im not super up on the terms..... is legalism where you feel since you sinned from until you repent if you were to die you are hellbound?


like even after being saved?


because if thats what you mean i struggle with that
Click to expand...

Nah, I mean, it's kind of like that. It's more of feeling guilty for sins and feeling like we should by our own power resist them or we are not good enough for God. I believe in the perseverance of the saints, so personally for me it isn't a feeling of I lost my salvation, but doubts about it form while in sin.

It's more like I need to follow these rules, don't do this or that or God will hate me. It's a self-defeating mindset. If I wasn't such a believer and proponent of reformed theology, I would probably be questioning if I'm saved or not every single minute of every day honestly.

Legalisms outside of the saved Christian perspective would be "If my wrongs outweigh my rights, I will not be saved". From a christian mindset (speaking personally), it's constant guilt trips and lack of focus on Christ who is our strength to overcome these sins and who gives the ability and desire to walk in his statutes.
 
see sometimes i feel like.... God changed my heart other times i worry that maybe i feel so much different cause i know hes honest and im scared


i struggle a lot with assurance


i question my salvation almost every day... which is probably a shameful thing in itself
 
mathew 7 : 18

A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.

john 8 :34
Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.

mathew 6 : 24
No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon

john 2 -15 +15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.


this is what scares me

as much as the Word has changed me
more than i ever could have imagined doing on my own

i wonder if i love him like in supposed to how could i do things that are so disresoectful to God
 
Magenta said:
I often think of Roman Catholicism when I hear the word "legalism."
Click to expand...

They are a great example of systematic legalism.

JaimeMartinez26 said:
see sometimes i feel like.... God changed my heart other times i worry that maybe i feel so much different cause i know hes honest and im scared


i struggle a lot with assurance


i question my salvation almost every day... which is probably a shameful thing in itself
Click to expand...

We all struggle with assurance from time to time. I have heard even some of my favorite preachers say so. Then you see verses like work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. When I first converted, it was a terrifying time for me. Doubts, insecurities, sin trying to drag me down, depression, and so on.

One thing that helps me a lot when struggling with thoughts like that and doubts, is that an unsaved person loves his sin. I hate sin. It's disgusting. I think you believe that as well about yourself. That alone should give you hope.

I think those feelings can also serve to push us toward God and helps to align our focus on Christ. When we get to this point, we find peace and we become overcomers of the sins and doubts that haunt us. I seem to go through seasons, but each time come out a stronger Christian than before, as well as having learned a lot through the experience, and become even more aware of the mercy of God for saving such a wretched sinner. So God is glorified through our struggles that way and we will always come out realizing just how much we need him.
 
JaimeMartinez26 said:
mathew 7 : 18

A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.

john 8 :34
Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.

mathew 6 : 24
No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon

john 2 -15 +15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.


this is what scares me

as much as the Word has changed me
more than i ever could have imagined doing on my own

i wonder if i love him like in supposed to how could i do things that are so disresoectful to God
Click to expand...

The sins referred to in these verses are the kind that people don't want to stop doing. As far as committing sin occasionally and knowing it is wrong before and during the sin, Paul writes about it in Romans chapter seven. Then there are the sins that we commit and are not aware of, which are forgiven by Christ also. Chapter six verses 16, 19 and 22 all say that righteousness leads to holiness. This indicates to me that once we believe we will need to keep following and improving to get to the ideal of holiness, which I suspect that some of us won't achieve. I think there will be different levels of achievement, and I need to look this up again because I don't know where I read it and don't even know if it is biblical, but I have heard that there will be more or less rewards in heaven depending on our performance in this life. The performance is only dependent on how well we did at telling.
 
Magenta said:
I often think of Roman Catholicism when I hear the word "legalism."
Click to expand...

All of Jesus's people either have or will (before it is too late) "come out of her My people"

I'm confident we are commanded to come out of not only Roman Catholicism, but to come out of her whole family of cults.

(mostly Trinitarian cults)

In order to live, the baby must come out of the mother.

If the baby stays in the mother too long, the baby dies.

We must come out of what is commonly called "organized religion."
 
mailmandan said:
Do you reject the fact that there is one God in essence/nature; yet three distinct persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit?
Click to expand...

i feel like the word made flesh is God

and the holy spirit is Gods spirit
given hes a spirtual God

the holy spirit is Gods spirit ... he is spirit


like

when i go to heaven

i expect to see our savior on the throne

who is Jesus

when he emptied himself and manifested in flesh
he prayed to The father

who is him in spirit


but his flesh was filled with his spirit
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom
Back