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DeerGlow

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and what do you think the biblical "sin" is?!, the spiritual unrighteousness/wickedness is the original sin, the very sin, and even the only one, because it is the cause/source of all other iniquities/evils, so, neither spiritual causation/infliction of evil, nor physical...

Blessings

I think I get you now, you don't mean accidentally take something that's not yours you mean follow God. Throw off the old man. Right?
 
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PeaceB

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I know it is not good to live in unrepentant sins, I struggle with some sins but I want to be free of sin; free from the sentence of sin and from sin itself. I do not want to be a slave to sin. It is hard to break these sins though.
Thanks. There are a few sins that I struggle with too. Sometimes I end up thinking "It is impossible for me to stop committing this sin" and give in to it.

And to the extent that I rely on my own power, it really is impossible. Jesus made this clear when he said "Apart from me you can do nothing". On the other hand, after speaking with the rich young ruler Jesus tells Peter "All things are possible with God.” So this is the key to making progress in any area I think - remembering that we are powerless to do anything by ourselves, praying to God for his assistance, and allowing him to work within us and through us to fulfill his plan for our lives.

But don't get me wrong. For all practical purposes, we will still commit at least some smaller sins in the future. This is a result of our fallen nature, and because none of us allows God to work within us to the full extent that he desires. So we try our best to please God, allow him to work within us, and to live according to his will. And when we fall we remember that he desires to forgive us, we ask for mercy, and we move on to the next day.

So, I do not presume to know whether I will go to heaven because I do not know what sins I will commit tomorrow, or if I will continue to accept God as my Lord and Savior until the day that I die (we all know of devout Christians who have fallen away). But I have peace because I am trying to live my life in a good way, and trust that God is a loving and merciful father who will have mercy on me at the day of judgment. I have a lot more peace now, than I did when I believed in "Once Saved Always Saved", believe it or not.

And here is something that Pope Francis wrote, which I try to do:

I invite all Christians, everywhere, at this very moment, to a renewed personal encounter with Jesus Christ, or at least an openness to letting him encounter them; I ask all of you to do this unfailingly each day. No one should think that this invitation is not meant for him or her, since “no one is excluded from the joy brought by the Lord”.[1] The Lord does not disappoint those who take this risk; whenever we take a step towards Jesus, we come to realize that he is already there, waiting for us with open arms. Now is the time to say to Jesus: “Lord, I have let myself be deceived; in a thousand ways I have shunned your love, yet here I am once more, to renew my covenant with you. I need you. Save me once again, Lord, take me once more into your redeeming embrace”. How good it feels to come back to him whenever we are lost! Let me say this once more: God never tires of forgiving us; we are the ones who tire of seeking his mercy. Christ, who told us to forgive one another “seventy times seven” (Mt 18:22) has given us his example: he has forgiven us seventy times seven. Time and time again he bears us on his shoulders. No one can strip us of the dignity bestowed upon us by this boundless and unfailing love. With a tenderness which never disappoints, but is always capable of restoring our joy, he makes it possible for us to lift up our heads and to start anew. Let us not flee from the resurrection of Jesus, let us never give up, come what will. May nothing inspire more than his life, which impels us onwards!​

I think that is all I have on the topic. I hope you find something of value in it.
 
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Rescued One

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everyone who does righteousness follows the true God...

Blessings

You should qualify that statement by defining righteousness.

Phikippians 3
9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:
 
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Rescued One

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I am going to heaven on the basis of my faith in Jesus' blood. That faith is a gift that God gave me.

Romans 3
22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:

23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:

25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;




Philippians 1
6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:

1 Corinthians 1
4 I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ; 5 That in every thing ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge; 6 Even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you: 7 So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ: 8 Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.
 
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Blade

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DeerGlow John 3:16 Believe it? Rom 10:9-10. We are saved by grace. Is a gift. We walk by faith not feelings. We ALL have this kind of feelings at some point. You have to have faith. That is.. if JESUS said.. WHO SO EVER.. and you believe, then you MUST by faith believe that He can not lie and that YOU are saved. Old man pasted off.. all things become new.

Now.. as for some sin you dont know if you did nor not.. since you dont really know.. one would have to KNOW what it is.. and then mean it knowing it you will not be forgiven for it. Dont go by feeling.. if it has fear in it.. not from GOD. Doubt? Not from GOD. Condemned? Not from God.

So.. read believe John 3:16 again.. until you SEE. As if you can only say it once haha.. your doing great.. just the enemy is playing with your mind. If you were not saved.. WHY would he tell you your not? Satan can not tell the truth.. so FLIP IT!
 
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toLiJC

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You should qualify that statement by defining righteousness.

Phikippians 3
9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:

righteousness is salvation and life's provision not only for some souls, but for all

Blessings
 
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aiki

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I know it is not good to live in unrepentant sins, I struggle with some sins but I want to be free of sin; free from the sentence of sin and from sin itself. I do not want to be a slave to sin. It is hard to break these sins though.

It is impossible to break the power of sin - on your own. And the desire to do so ought to arise from a love for God, not a desire to protect your own skin. God doesn't accept obedience to His commands that doesn't flow out of keeping the First and Great Commandment which is to love God with all of your being. (1 Cor. 13: 1-3; Matt. 22:36-38) Do you love God? Does the thought of Him fill you with joy and love? Or are you just hoping by your obedience to protect yourself?

Every believer has been freed from the power of sin. Romans 6 talks a great deal about this. Your "old man" (or woman, as the case may be) has been "crucified with Christ" and thus rendered powerless to compel you into sin. (Ro. 6:6) Do you believe it? Are you standing on this truth in the face of temptation to sin? Are you "reckoning it so" as the apostle Paul tells you to do? (Ro. 6:11) Until you are, sin will continue to operate in your life as it always has.

Galatians 2:20
20 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.
 
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aiki

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I think I get you now, you don't mean accidentally take something that's not yours you mean follow God. Throw off the old man. Right?

The heavy lifting spiritually has already been done by Christ. You don't have to throw the "old man" off; he's already been thrown off - or, rather, nailed down some 2000 years ago with Christ. What you have to do is believe it, count on it being so right now, or "reckon" it to be true of you as a born-again child of God. Will you?
 
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I have a lot of anxiety and fear about not being saved but don't know how to be saved.
Wow, man you are really beating yourself up. It is very obvious to me that what is really going on is that you are suffering from paralysis by analysis. Don't feel alone. Iv'e noticed that there are hundreds of people on this forum who suffering from the same thing. First and foremost, stop worrying weather your save or not. The fact that you are experiencing anxiety over it is proof positive that you are. People who are not saved don't worry about it. They don't even THINK about it, GET IT ???......What you are going through is a minor attach from the enemy, happens all the time. If you were a General w/a million man army, who would you attach??? your own troops or the other guys troops???....Get it???........Rejoice in the fact that your being attached. Satan doesn't attach his own troops.. He's already got them. At the times when the enemy reminds me of my past, I remind him of his future.
Now the three most important things about reading the Bible are:
1. Context
2. Context
3. Context
It's very obvious you've been reading things out of context. All 4 Gospels and the Book of Acts are replete with very specific instructions on how to be saved. But for this exercise we'll keep it simple. Let's do the ABC's
1. ADMIT you are a sinner in need of Salvation, and you can't save yourself.
2. BELIEVE Jesus Christ died for your (you personally) sins, was crucified, buried, resurrected, and accended into Heaven.

3. CONFESS with your mouth that Jesus Christ is your personal Lord and Savior.
Guess what???.......your saved.
 
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ChristianFromKazakhstan

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I have a lot of anxiety and fear about not being saved but don't know how to be saved. I have been afraid of the unpardonable sin (Matthew 12, Mark 3, Luke 12), the mark of the beast (Revelation I don't know what even the number six by itself sets off impulsive thoughts), apostasy and wilful sin/leaving the faith for itching ears (Hebrews 6, Hebrews 10, mentioned in 2 Timothy and 2 Peter I think I do not know where). Also Matthew 7:21 (?) makes me nervous that not all faith and not everyone who calls Lord will be saved. Proverbs 1 also causes anxiety, and the scriptures about, "These people honour me with their lips but their hearts are far from me." How can I overcome the fear, and "confirm my calling and election" and be saved and gain assurance?

Edit: Grammar mistake.

You are saaaaved!!!! Period.
 
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faroukfarouk

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It IS fear-mongering no matter how much you deny it. "Believe or you'll be tortured for all eternity". That's fear mongering. That's the idea people have when they have anxiety over their salvation.
The point is that the work of the Cross - received in faith - is effective against the eternal consequences of sin.
 
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faroukfarouk

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Dear DeerGlow,

Your anxieties about salvation show that you fear God, that you love God, that you have the Spirit and you are saved.

Listen, it's about grace. It's what Jesus DID, not anything we could DO.

I hope this short video will help you.
It's the Holy Spirit that gives assurance of salvation. John's First Epistle has a lot about assurance.
 
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leothelioness

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Hopefully this passage from 1 John 3 will help. "19 By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him;
20 for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything.
21 Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God;
22 and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him.
23 And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us.
24 Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God, and God in him. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us. (1 John 3:19, ESV)"
 
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effalo

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I have a lot of anxiety and fear about not being saved but don't know how to be saved. I have been afraid of the unpardonable sin (Matthew 12, Mark 3, Luke 12), the mark of the beast (Revelation I don't know what even the number six by itself sets off impulsive thoughts), apostasy and wilful sin/leaving the faith for itching ears (Hebrews 6, Hebrews 10, mentioned in 2 Timothy and 2 Peter I think I do not know where). Also Matthew 7:21 (?) makes me nervous that not all faith and not everyone who calls Lord will be saved. Proverbs 1 also causes anxiety, and the scriptures about, "These people honour me with their lips but their hearts are far from me." How can I overcome the fear, and "confirm my calling and election" and be saved and gain assurance?

Edit: Grammar mistake.

Hello DeerGlow,

May I please add these simple remarks? Please remember Jesus' statement, "fear not." Such is another way of saying, "trust me." Would you trade with a business that you don't trust? I wouldn't. You only trade with that which you trust.

God is the one to be trusted with all confidence. I speak of Him as personally, not in some form of religion. Your conscience will then be clear for Him to peacefully lead and guide you through His word. It is He that delivers us from the imprisonment of our sins.

ELD
 
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GirdYourLoins

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And if you don't have salvation anxiety you may be in the group of people to whom Jesus will say "I never knew you." A person does not go to heaven merely because he believes that he will.
It is Gods will for us to have assurance. Here are a few verses to prove it. (Note the KJV uses fullness of faith in a number of verses where other versions use the word assurance)
Hebrews 6:11
2 Corinthians 13:5
Hebrews 10:21-22
Ephesians 1:18-19

I would not say someone is not saved because they dont have assurance, but would ask the question. I would say they are not in the place God wants them to be.
 
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John 1720

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I have a lot of anxiety and fear about not being saved but don't know how to be saved. I have been afraid of the unpardonable sin (Matthew 12, Mark 3, Luke 12), the mark of the beast (Revelation I don't know what even the number six by itself sets off impulsive thoughts), apostasy and wilful sin/leaving the faith for itching ears (Hebrews 6, Hebrews 10, mentioned in 2 Timothy and 2 Peter I think I do not know where). Also Matthew 7:21 (?) makes me nervous that not all faith and not everyone who calls Lord will be saved. Proverbs 1 also causes anxiety, and the scriptures about, "These people honour me with their lips but their hearts are far from me." How can I overcome the fear, and "confirm my calling and election" and be saved and gain assurance?

Edit: Grammar mistake.
Read John 3:14
Keep your eyes on the cross and on Jesus, no matter how many stings you receive. And judge all advice by whether or not it has the fruit of the Holy Spirit. When you post your vulnerabilities you will always hear both the messages based on God's love and from the enemy and accuser. Learn to discern!
The fruit of the Spirit is:

Gal 5:22
  • But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.
And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

So turn all your focus off of yourself and back to Christ and His love that He showed you by bearing the shame of the cross for you and let the Spirit of God make His story your story! You once were lost but now just get yourself lost in the love of Christ - our sin was great His love was greater!!!
In Christ, John 17:20

 
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PeaceB

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It is Gods will for us to have assurance. Here are a few verses to prove it. (Note the KJV uses fullness of faith in a number of verses where other versions use the word assurance)
Hebrews 6:11
2 Corinthians 13:5
Hebrews 10:21-22
Ephesians 1:18-19

I would not say someone is not saved because they dont have assurance, but would ask the question. I would say they are not in the place God wants them to be.
None of those verses teaches 100% absolute assurance of one's salvation. We cannot have that, for then there would be no need of faith and hope.

Nevertheless, we can know that God is loving and merciful towards his children.

If you want to debate this further, perhaps we should start a new thread on it, so as not to derail this one again.
 
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