- Nov 9, 2019
- 299
- 164
- 67
- Country
- United States
- Gender
- Male
- Faith
- Christian
- Marital Status
- Single
I have struggled with the gospel for over fifty years. It is as if I am just recently realizing that the Christian life is impossible without the Holy Spirit.
On the one hand, one can be saved in a moment. OTOH, one must take up one’s cross daily and those who persevere to the end will be saved.
Moment-by-moment motives matter. If one lives for Christ moment-by-moment, the indication is that one is saved. If one lives for self moment-by-moment, indications are that one is NOT saved.
I figure that one has to trust Christ and the Holy Spirit moment-by-moment to help one live for Christ instead of for self. If one mostly lets up from this quest, then apparently one is not saved. On the one hand, one can be saved in a moment. OTOH, one must relinquish self and trust God moment-by-moment from then on.
This salvation-in-a-moment versus moment-by-moment motives thing is a supernatural paradox. There are lots of paradoxes that have to do with the supernatural realm, that have to do with the reality of God.
I have figured that if I can only have a moment of real salvation, then I am set. Then I am Christ’s no matter what. There might be a struggle between the flesh and the Spirit from then on, till I die, but I am going to heaven no matter what. Since my mother died in 2011, I have striven to experience this moment of real salvation.
Just this morning, I was thinking about how one must live for Christ, moment-by-moment, instead of for self, moment-by-moment. And how one must keep looking up at Christ and the Holy Spirit to accomplish that. Realizing that, there were moments this morning wherein I asked Christ and the Spirit to help me live for Christ, instead of for self, moment-by-moment. But then I thought about having to keep this quest up, moment-by-moment, on an on-going basis. I thought, I am not going to be “able” to keep that up. Then I figured that, by default, I just live for self, moment-by-moment. So, I tend to figure, with my wavering faith, that I am not saved.
What must I do to be saved?
On the one hand, one can be saved in a moment. OTOH, one must take up one’s cross daily and those who persevere to the end will be saved.
Moment-by-moment motives matter. If one lives for Christ moment-by-moment, the indication is that one is saved. If one lives for self moment-by-moment, indications are that one is NOT saved.
I figure that one has to trust Christ and the Holy Spirit moment-by-moment to help one live for Christ instead of for self. If one mostly lets up from this quest, then apparently one is not saved. On the one hand, one can be saved in a moment. OTOH, one must relinquish self and trust God moment-by-moment from then on.
This salvation-in-a-moment versus moment-by-moment motives thing is a supernatural paradox. There are lots of paradoxes that have to do with the supernatural realm, that have to do with the reality of God.
I have figured that if I can only have a moment of real salvation, then I am set. Then I am Christ’s no matter what. There might be a struggle between the flesh and the Spirit from then on, till I die, but I am going to heaven no matter what. Since my mother died in 2011, I have striven to experience this moment of real salvation.
Just this morning, I was thinking about how one must live for Christ, moment-by-moment, instead of for self, moment-by-moment. And how one must keep looking up at Christ and the Holy Spirit to accomplish that. Realizing that, there were moments this morning wherein I asked Christ and the Spirit to help me live for Christ, instead of for self, moment-by-moment. But then I thought about having to keep this quest up, moment-by-moment, on an on-going basis. I thought, I am not going to be “able” to keep that up. Then I figured that, by default, I just live for self, moment-by-moment. So, I tend to figure, with my wavering faith, that I am not saved.
What must I do to be saved?
