I have been a Christian since 1997. When I first read the Bible I literally cried over many things, some were joyful tears and some were remorseful tears and repenting tears. God has helped me overcome many sins I use to struggle in. I really hate to sin however there are times I do sin yet I simply don’t want to sin but I end up sinning. I have told God I hate to sin yet I end up sinning. Oh how I desire to be perfect but I am still not perfect. Jesus placed the word in my mind ‘ sanctification” When I looked up the word “sanctification” I realized I will never be perfect until Jesus comes for me. We go through a process with Jesus that we are being purified daily through the blood of Jesus. Thank God for the blood of Jesus. Thank you Jesus for dying for my sins and resurrecting from the dead to give me eternal life.
David, I have a question...when Christ says he forgives our 'Sins'...is it for our sake?..or his?...as an example...if my own Brother robbed me and I didn't forgive him...I would be carrying the burden of his 'Sin' against me for the rest of my life..but by forgiving him I'm freeing myself of his 'Sin' against me and opens the way of a reconciliation...The Bible says that Christ took upon himself the 'Sins' of Man...if there was no forgiveness he would carry them for an eternity...so I think its for his sake that he forgives us which appears to be beneficial for us too...I could be wrong of course and I hope I'm making sense.
Our heart is dead and corrupt. God has promised to give us a NEW heart. (Ezekiel 36:26) Our human hearts are stone. We can't improve upon our old heart or really love God or love others with our old heart. We can only love our neighbors, love God, and do all things in love (1 Corinthians 16:14) with our new heart. If we try to love others or God with our old heart then it's just religion. We need God 's love to transform us and that doesn't happen immediately when we become a Christian. A baby can't run. A baby needs to eat and grow. God is transforming us takes time AND also takes our cooperation. We are being perfected (Matthew 5:48) to eventually become kings and priest to God (Revelation 1:5-6). A sign that our heart has been transformed from stone to flesh is that we "love one another" (1 John 4:12). Love is kind, patient, and not easily angered and keeps no records of wrong. (1 Corinthians 13:1) That's impossible for us to do with our old human heart. That is impossible to do in religion. Religious people can be "loving" on Sundays or other times but God sees all and knows our secrets and the real condition of our heart. Paul said: "It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." (Gal. 2:20) We need Christ to live in us more. We don't need Bible knowledge or Bible doctrines. We need Christ, the Person. We don't need to try harder. We don't need "good works" to make God happy or show our love for God. The Father loves the Son. If we have Christ in us and we live in Christ and we live by Christ then the Father will not see us but the Father will see His Son, which He loves. "God is LOVE, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him." (1 John 4:16) The solution to our problems is not religion or self-improvement or trying harder. The solution is abiding in God's love and allowing God to abide and live in us. Most, maybe all, don't allow God to "fully" live inside of us. We allow God to live in small areas of our life. God has given us "free will" which means God won't force us to love Him or force us to choose Him. We must surrender (die) to Him BUT we usually don't surrender therefore God will give us situations to break us and open us up to His love. Read the Bible and you will see many stories of God's people and God's servants being stubborn with God and then God needing to break their stubbornness. Saul of Tarsus, who became Paul is the best example. God literally struck down Saul and made Saul humble enough to accept Christ as His Savior. Paul said he died and Christ lived in Paul. The Lord died on the cross and resurrected. Christians also need to die and be resurrected not just in the future but now, while on earth. Salvation isn't just after we die. We are being "saved" day by day, today on earth IF we ask God. "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. (Rom. 10:13) God doesn't say you are immediately saved after you "call upon" Him because salvation is a process. "But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are transformed into the same image from glory to glory, even as from the Lord the Spirit." (2 Cor. 3:18) "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." (Gal 5:22-23) The fruit of the Spirit denotes a process. Fruit is not immediately produced from a new tree. It takes many years for a tree to produce fruit. Some fruit trees never produce fruit but they are still a fruit tree. The Lord says we shouldn't judge others unless we also want to be judged. Only God can judge. We can't judge others if they don't produce the "fruit of the Spirit" because we also have sin. Only God is Holy and Righteous. We ALSO need to love those who don't show the signs of "fruit" because they are our brothers and sisters in Christ even if we don't see it because we have the same Father. "Salvation" isn't a "ticket to heaven." Salvation is a Person. The Father sent His Son to "save the world through Him." (John 3:17) We can't save ourselves. Only Christ, the Son of God, in us, can save us and save others. Religion and good works can't save us. The tree of knowledge of good and evil (Genis 2:9) can't save us. Only the tree of Life and the fruit from the tree of life. If we eat from the tree of knowledge, we only get death. The tree of knowledge has good things BUT the results are still death. "Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life." (John 14:6) Christ is the way, not religion, not doctrine, not good works, not judging others, only Christ. Amen.
Again, well reasoned David. Calvinists are usually very smart people. I’m thinking of RC Sproul and others but they are also stuck in their doctrines like so many other churches. I’m like you in this regard. Christ died for all of us. He accepts all who believe on Him. But what do you think about baptism. I was of the belief that baptism was a necessary part of salvation, but lately I’m not so sure.
Was the thief on the cross baptized? Baptism is a public proclamation of your salvation in Christ. Ephesians 2:8-9 tells us we are not saved by works. One must be born again, and then be baptized. Remember what Philip told the Ethiopian in Acts 8?
No. Although he commands us to, it is not what saves us. There are three things that Jesus commands us to do AFTER we become saved: 1) Baptism 2) The Lord's Supper 3) Preach the Gospel to a lost and dying world.
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God bless you David
I have been a Christian since 1997. When I first read the Bible I literally cried over many things, some were joyful tears and some were remorseful tears and repenting tears. God has helped me overcome many sins I use to struggle in. I really hate to sin however there are times I do sin yet I simply don’t want to sin but I end up sinning. I have told God I hate to sin yet I end up sinning. Oh how I desire to be perfect but I am still not perfect. Jesus placed the word in my mind ‘ sanctification” When I looked up the word “sanctification” I realized I will never be perfect until Jesus comes for me. We go through a process with Jesus that we are being purified daily through the blood of Jesus. Thank God for the blood of Jesus.
Thank you Jesus for dying for my sins and resurrecting from the dead to give me eternal life.
Whosoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved!
David, I have a question...when Christ says he forgives our 'Sins'...is it for our sake?..or his?...as an example...if my own Brother robbed me and I didn't forgive him...I would be carrying the burden of his 'Sin' against me for the rest of my life..but by forgiving him I'm freeing myself of his 'Sin' against me and opens the way of a reconciliation...The Bible says that Christ took upon himself the 'Sins' of Man...if there was no forgiveness he would carry them for an eternity...so I think its for his sake that he forgives us which appears to be beneficial for us too...I could be wrong of course and I hope I'm making sense.
Probably
Our heart is dead and corrupt. God has promised to give us a NEW heart. (Ezekiel 36:26) Our human hearts are stone. We can't improve upon our old heart or really love God or love others with our old heart.
We can only love our neighbors, love God, and do all things in love (1 Corinthians 16:14) with our new heart. If we try to love others or God with our old heart then it's just religion. We need God 's love to transform us and that doesn't happen immediately when we become a Christian. A baby can't run. A baby needs to eat and grow.
God is transforming us takes time AND also takes our cooperation. We are being perfected (Matthew 5:48) to eventually become kings and priest to God (Revelation 1:5-6).
A sign that our heart has been transformed from stone to flesh is that we "love one another" (1 John 4:12). Love is kind, patient, and not easily angered and keeps no records of wrong. (1 Corinthians 13:1) That's impossible for us to do with our old human heart. That is impossible to do in religion. Religious people can be "loving" on Sundays or other times but God sees all and knows our secrets and the real condition of our heart.
Paul said: "It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." (Gal. 2:20) We need Christ to live in us more. We don't need Bible knowledge or Bible doctrines. We need Christ, the Person. We don't need to try harder. We don't need "good works" to make God happy or show our love for God.
The Father loves the Son. If we have Christ in us and we live in Christ and we live by Christ then the Father will not see us but the Father will see His Son, which He loves. "God is LOVE, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him." (1 John 4:16) The solution to our problems is not religion or self-improvement or trying harder. The solution is abiding in God's love and allowing God to abide and live in us. Most, maybe all, don't allow God to "fully" live inside of us. We allow God to live in small areas of our life. God has given us "free will" which means God won't force us to love Him or force us to choose Him.
We must surrender (die) to Him BUT we usually don't surrender therefore God will give us situations to break us and open us up to His love. Read the Bible and you will see many stories of God's people and God's servants being stubborn with God and then God needing to break their stubbornness. Saul of Tarsus, who became Paul is the best example. God literally struck down Saul and made Saul humble enough to accept Christ as His Savior. Paul said he died and Christ lived in Paul. The Lord died on the cross and resurrected. Christians also need to die and be resurrected not just in the future but now, while on earth.
Salvation isn't just after we die. We are being "saved" day by day, today on earth IF we ask God. "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. (Rom. 10:13) God doesn't say you are immediately saved after you "call upon" Him because salvation is a process. "But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are transformed into the same image from glory to glory, even as from the Lord the Spirit." (2 Cor. 3:18)
"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." (Gal 5:22-23) The fruit of the Spirit denotes a process. Fruit is not immediately produced from a new tree. It takes many years for a tree to produce fruit. Some fruit trees never produce fruit but they are still a fruit tree.
The Lord says we shouldn't judge others unless we also want to be judged. Only God can judge. We can't judge others if they don't produce the "fruit of the Spirit" because we also have sin. Only God is Holy and Righteous.
We ALSO need to love those who don't show the signs of "fruit" because they are our brothers and sisters in Christ even if we don't see it because we have the same Father.
"Salvation" isn't a "ticket to heaven." Salvation is a Person. The Father sent His Son to "save the world through Him." (John 3:17) We can't save ourselves. Only Christ, the Son of God, in us, can save us and save others. Religion and good works can't save us. The tree of knowledge of good and evil (Genis 2:9) can't save us. Only the tree of Life and the fruit from the tree of life. If we eat from the tree of knowledge, we only get death. The tree of knowledge has good things BUT the results are still death. "Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life." (John 14:6) Christ is the way, not religion, not doctrine, not good works, not judging others, only Christ. Amen.
Again, well reasoned David. Calvinists are usually very smart people. I’m thinking of RC Sproul and others but they are also stuck in their doctrines like so many other churches. I’m like you in this regard. Christ died for all of us. He accepts all who believe on Him. But what do you think about baptism. I was of the belief that baptism was a necessary part of salvation, but lately I’m not so sure.
Was the thief on the cross baptized?
Baptism is a public proclamation of your salvation in Christ.
Ephesians 2:8-9 tells us we are not saved by works.
One must be born again, and then be baptized. Remember what Philip told the Ethiopian in Acts 8?
Yes but is it necessary for salvation?
No. Although he commands us to, it is not what saves us. There are three things that Jesus commands us to do AFTER we become saved: 1) Baptism 2) The Lord's Supper 3) Preach the Gospel to a lost and dying world.
@@arthurleavitt6635where does Jesus command us to be baptised
Matthew 28:18-20
Mark 16:16 KJV