Do you consider yourself saved?

[twin1954]

And there you have it...the way is narrow and few find it. Let us not try to make excuses. And why I am so surprised as to why so many people think they are saved and are in complete and utter opposition to what the Bible clearly says in both Hebrews and John's 1st letter. You are really having to put a huge spin on it in order to meet your desired understanding.

I do wish (no sarcasm) I could believe it like that, but every time I read those verses it is clear that a truly saved person cannot sin in any form. Hence, I voted 'no.'

Not excuses but we do live in reality. If your assurance comes from you you will never have any. The fact is that when you look at yourself you will see sin you cannot get around it. Then when you see sin you feel guilt and guilt drives you to despair. The weight of your sin will bend you down and all you will be able to see is more sin. The answer is to look up. The Lord Jesus has taken all the sin of all His elect as His own and put it away by the sacrifice of Himself. Look to Him as all your righteousness, all your holiness and all your hope before God. He is enough for God and He is enough for you. If you ever find out what it is to rest in Christ you will be free to work. But until you can rest in Christ you will never be free.

 

[98cwitr]

Not excuses but we do live in reality. If your assurance comes from you you will never have any. The fact is that when you look at yourself you will see sin you cannot get around it. Then when you see sin you feel guilt and guilt drives you to despair. The weight of your sin will bend you down and all you will be able to see is more sin. The answer is to look up. The Lord Jesus has taken all the sin of all His elect as His own and put it away by the sacrifice of Himself. Look to Him as all your righteousness, all your holiness and all your hope before God. He is enough for God and He is enough for you. If you ever find out what it is to rest in Christ you will be free to work. But until you can rest in Christ you will never be free.

What if I am not the elected? The whole reason I believe in God is because I am convinced I have been protected by Him (my life experiences convince me), but what if I am just a common pot with a purpose to protect or influence one of his elect (maybe my wife?)?

Now I understand this following verse:

Philippians 2:12 Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling,

 

[Bluelion]

That's not what the commandment says...it says "love your neighbor as yourself." The key part is "as yourself." Now if I love myself enough to support myself, what does it say if I am not equally willing to support a poor person?

No dude...that's the problem. I do love myself and the life I have!

John 12:25 Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life.

If I have Jesus in my heart I wouldn't sin! That's what 1 John 3:9 and 5:18 says!

I have prayed more than the words I have typed in this thread about this very thing, but God doesn't listen to sinners!

John 9:31 We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly person who does his will.

How do you explain it then?

Abraham sinned and yet is in Heaven, king David sinned and yet is in Heaven, Jacob, Elijah in fact ever prophet sinned. How did they make it to Heaven. Paul spoke of His sin and struggles.

Rom 7 NLT

7 Now, dear brothers and sisters[a]—you who are familiar with the law—don’t you know that the law applies only while a person is living? 2 For example, when a woman marries, the law binds her to her husband as long as he is alive. But if he dies, the laws of marriage no longer apply to her. 3 So while her husband is alive, she would be committing adultery if she married another man. But if her husband dies, she is free from that law and does not commit adultery when she remarries.

4 So, my dear brothers and sisters, this is the point: You died to the power of the law when you died with Christ. And now you are united with the one who was raised from the dead. As a result, we can produce a harvest of good deeds for God. 5 When we were controlled by our old nature, sinful desires were at work within us, and the law aroused these evil desires that produced a harvest of sinful deeds, resulting in death. 6 But now we have been released from the law, for we died to it and are no longer captive to its power. Now we can serve God, not in the old way of obeying the letter of the law, but in the new way of living in the Spirit.

God’s Law Reveals Our Sin
7 Well then, am I suggesting that the law of God is sinful? Of course not! In fact, it was the law that showed me my sin. I would never have known that coveting is wrong if the law had not said, “You must not covet.”[c] 8 But sin used this command to arouse all kinds of covetous desires within me! If there were no law, sin would not have that power. 9 At one time I lived without understanding the law. But when I learned the command not to covet, for instance, the power of sin came to life, 10 and I died. So I discovered that the law’s commands, which were supposed to bring life, brought spiritual death instead. 11 Sin took advantage of those commands and deceived me; it used the commands to kill me. 12 But still, the law itself is holy, and its commands are holy and right and good.

13 But how can that be? Did the law, which is good, cause my death? Of course not! Sin used what was good to bring about my condemnation to death. So we can see how terrible sin really is. It uses God’s good commands for its own evil purposes.

Struggling with Sin
14 So the trouble is not with the law, for it is spiritual and good. The trouble is with me, for I am all too human, a slave to sin. 15 I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate. 16 But if I know that what I am doing is wrong, this shows that I agree that the law is good. 17 So I am not the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it.

18 And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature.[d] I want to do what is right, but I can’t. 19 I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway. 20 But if I do what I don’t want to do, I am not really the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it.

21 I have discovered this principle of life—that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. 22 I love God’s law with all my heart. 23 But there is another power[e] within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. 24 Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? 25 Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God’s law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin.

 

[98cwitr]

Dont stop with Romans 7...keep going because the answer to that is in Romans 8!

Life Through the Spirit
8 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you[a] free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering.[c] And so he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

5 Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. 6 The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. 7 The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. 8 Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God.

9 You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. 10 But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life[d] because of righteousness. 11 And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of[e] his Spirit who lives in you.

12 Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. 13 For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.

14 For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. 15 The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship.[f] And by him we cry, “Abba,[g] Father.” 16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. 17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.

Present Suffering and Future Glory
18 I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. 19 For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. 20 For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21 that[h] the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.

22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23 Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? 25 But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.

26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. 27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.

28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. 29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. 30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.

More Than Conquerors
31 What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? 33 Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34 Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written:

“For your sake we face death all day long;
we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”[j]
37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,[k] neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.


--


YAY PREDESTINATION! <---and there's how I'd explain it. They no longer sinned after their repenting and were predestined to salvation.

 

[twin1954]

What if I am not the elected? The whole reason I believe in God is because I am convinced I have been protected by Him (my life experiences convince me), but what if I am just a common pot with a purpose to protect or influence one of his elect (maybe my wife?)?

Then it is right that God use you for His purpose in whatever way He sees fit. I am convinced that you not only acknowledge this truth but take comfort in it. I don't know who the elect are so I cannot tell you that you definitely are but I can tell you that Paul was convinced that the Thessalonians were by proofs he saw:
Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God. For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake. And ye became followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost: So that ye were ensamples to all that believe in Macedonia and Achaia. For from you sounded out the word of the Lord not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith to God-ward is spread abroad; so that we need not to speak any thing. For they themselves shew of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God; And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.
(1Th 1:4-10)

The fact is that you will probably never see these things in yourself. The folks that the Lord said were His in Matt. 25 didn't even know that they had done the things He said that they did. Your salvation doesn't depend on you it depends on Christ. You are looking for fruit which you doubtless cannot see but that doesn't mean it isn't there. I would bet that others see it in you.

Now I understand this following verse:

Philippians 2:12 Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling,

This is an admonition to not be complacent and sit on your hands. It is telling us to not take our salvation for granted but to see to it that we rest in Christ and follow Him in life.

 

[98cwitr]

On the contrary:

2 Corinthians 13:5 Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you&#8212;unless, of course, you fail the test?

 

[twin1954]

On the contrary:

2 Corinthians 13:5 Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test?

I didn't say that you shouldn't test yourself to see whether you are in the faith. What I said is that if you look at yourself with an eye of guilt and a standard that no one can pass you will fail the test in your own eyes. The test isn't am I bearing fruit and do I not see sin in myself but do I rest in Christ. The faith, in the context meaning the truths of the Gospel, is about His worthiness and His promises to all who trust Him. Ask yourself am I trusting Christ alone or am I trusting in myself? Once more when you can answer that you are resting in Christ and not yourself you will have that assurance that comes with faith in Him. It isn't about you and what you do or don't do but about Him and what He has done.

 

[twin1954]

People couldn't see Christ in Christ Jesus do you honestly think you are going to see Him in yourself?

 

[Bluelion]

do you think God saved you from a death from His Law which you could not keep only to then put you back under the Law? That is a legalistic.

 

[98cwitr]

I didn't say that you shouldn't test yourself to see whether you are in the faith. What I said is that if you look at yourself with an eye of guilt and a standard that no one can pass you will fail the test in your own eyes. The test isn't am I bearing fruit and do I not see sin in myself but do I rest in Christ. The faith, in the context meaning the truths of the Gospel, is about His worthiness and His promises to all who trust Him. Ask yourself am I trusting Christ alone or am I trusting in myself? Once more when you can answer that you are resting in Christ and not yourself you will have that assurance that comes with faith in Him. It isn't about you and what you do or don't do but about Him and what He has done.

I have no choice but to rest in Him. I myself can do nothing unto my salvation.

People couldn't see Christ in Christ Jesus do you honestly think you are going to see Him in yourself?

Im sorry but I don't agree:

Matthew 16:14-16New International Version (NIV)

14 They replied, &#8220;Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.&#8221;

15 &#8220;But what about you?&#8221; he asked. &#8220;Who do you say I am?&#8221;

16 Simon Peter answered, &#8220;You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.&#8221;

do you think God saved you from a death from His Law which you could not keep only to then put you back under the Law? That is a legalistic.

Dude...you even made a thread about this:

John 14:15 &#8220;If you love me, keep my commands."

John 15:10 If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father&#8217;s commands and remain in his love.

Romans 8:2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.

Now...are you calling Jesus legalistic because of John 14+15?

Do you not believe that the Spirit has a Law? If so, if that Spirit us upon us, so is that Law. The Spirit will follow, and if within us, so will we.

 

[Bluelion]

I have no choice but to rest in Him. I myself can do nothing unto my salvation.



Im sorry but I don't agree:

Matthew 16:14-16New International Version (NIV)

14 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”

15 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”

16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”



Dude...you even made a thread about this:

John 14:15 “If you love me, keep my commands."

John 15:10 If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love.

Romans 8:2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.

Now...are you calling Jesus legalistic because of John 14+15?

Do you not believe that the Spirit has a Law? If so, if that Spirit us upon us, so is that Law. The Spirit will follow, and if within us, so will we.

sorry you miss the point of the thread, it was to Love, no one loves perfectly but God so we are guilt of breaking, however, we get better at it each day and closer to the image of God, to Love hangs all commandments.

If a person could become with out sin in this world I guess they would not need a new body now would they. But the promise comes at finishing the race.

 

[twin1954]

How do you explain it then?

Abraham sinned and yet is in Heaven, king David sinned and yet is in Heaven, Jacob, Elijah in fact ever prophet sinned. How did they make it to Heaven. Paul spoke of His sin and struggles.

Rom 7 NLT

7 Now, dear brothers and sisters[a]—you who are familiar with the law—don’t you know that the law applies only while a person is living? 2 For example, when a woman marries, the law binds her to her husband as long as he is alive. But if he dies, the laws of marriage no longer apply to her. 3 So while her husband is alive, she would be committing adultery if she married another man. But if her husband dies, she is free from that law and does not commit adultery when she remarries.

4 So, my dear brothers and sisters, this is the point: You died to the power of the law when you died with Christ. And now you are united with the one who was raised from the dead. As a result, we can produce a harvest of good deeds for God. 5 When we were controlled by our old nature, sinful desires were at work within us, and the law aroused these evil desires that produced a harvest of sinful deeds, resulting in death. 6 But now we have been released from the law, for we died to it and are no longer captive to its power. Now we can serve God, not in the old way of obeying the letter of the law, but in the new way of living in the Spirit.

God’s Law Reveals Our Sin
7 Well then, am I suggesting that the law of God is sinful? Of course not! In fact, it was the law that showed me my sin. I would never have known that coveting is wrong if the law had not said, “You must not covet.”[c] 8 But sin used this command to arouse all kinds of covetous desires within me! If there were no law, sin would not have that power. 9 At one time I lived without understanding the law. But when I learned the command not to covet, for instance, the power of sin came to life, 10 and I died. So I discovered that the law’s commands, which were supposed to bring life, brought spiritual death instead. 11 Sin took advantage of those commands and deceived me; it used the commands to kill me. 12 But still, the law itself is holy, and its commands are holy and right and good.

13 But how can that be? Did the law, which is good, cause my death? Of course not! Sin used what was good to bring about my condemnation to death. So we can see how terrible sin really is. It uses God’s good commands for its own evil purposes.

Struggling with Sin
14 So the trouble is not with the law, for it is spiritual and good. The trouble is with me, for I am all too human, a slave to sin. 15 I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate. 16 But if I know that what I am doing is wrong, this shows that I agree that the law is good. 17 So I am not the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it.

18 And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature.[d] I want to do what is right, but I can’t. 19 I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway. 20 But if I do what I don’t want to do, I am not really the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it.

21 I have discovered this principle of life—that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. 22 I love God’s law with all my heart. 23 But there is another power[e] within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. 24 Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? 25 Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God’s law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin.

You should get an actual translation of the Bible instead of a paraphrase. The NLT says what the compilers think it ought to say rather than what it actually says. If you are a serious Bible student get a better Bible.

 

[twin1954]

I have no choice but to rest in Him. I myself can do nothing unto my salvation.

Exactly! Since that is the case why rob yourself of assurance because you can't live up to what you think is the standard? Christ has met all the requirements and in Him so have all who rest in Him.

Looking at yourself in a way as to determine whether you are living as you should according to a perceived standard always has one of two results: it steals all peace in believing or fosters self-righteousness. It seems as though it has robbed you of peace. You will never in this body of death be able to live up to what you think you ought to.

Rest in Christ, follow Him, seek His honor and glory, serve Him in your life and leave judgment to Him.

People couldn't see Christ in Christ Jesus do you honestly think you are going to see Him in yourself?

Im sorry but I don't agree:

Matthew 16:14-16New International Version (NIV)

14 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”

15 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”

16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”

True but read the rest of the passage.

And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.
(Mat 16:17)

 

[classicalhero]

I don't consider myself to be saved, I know I am saved.

 

[twin1954]

I don't consider myself to be saved, I know I am saved.

On what do you base this knowledge?

 

[MWood]

Salvation is by faith....not by love. If David loved god so much, why did he go out and commit adultry (among so many other sins)? It was by faith david was saved.

Abraham, if he loved god so much, why did he lie about his wife...why did he disobey god by settling down in a different land with his father, why did did he commit adultry?

What does the scripture say? Abraham was saved by not his love for god, not by his work.....IT WAS BY FAITH.

John doubted that Jesus was the messiah while John was in prison, Peter denied Christ 3 times......was it by love they were saved? NO, IT WAS BY FAITH.

Even Judas Ischariot can love Jesus....hey Jesus gave him the financial matters of his ministry and he stole the money. But we know Judas Ischariot was not saved cause he DID NOT believe.

Salvation is by Grace through faith, not by faith alone.
Abraham didn't settle in a different land with his father, he stopped over in a different land so his father could die and be buried. Then he moved on. And in the day and age of Abraham there were no 10 commandments. A man in those days could have as many wives and concubines as he wanted. So there was no adultery. And Abraham did not get salvation. His faithfulness was counted to him as Righteousness. Not salvation. Judas? We don't know a lot about Judas. We don't know if he was saved or not. It don't say. We don't know if he believed or not. It don't say. If he did believe, then yes, he is saved.

 

[twin1954]

Salvation is by Grace through faith, not by faith alone.

It is by grace alone through faith alone. Faith is the conduit through which grace flows. Both are necessary and both are the gift of God. Eph. 2:8

Abraham didn't settle in a different land with his father, he stopped over in a different land so his father could die and be buried. Then he moved on.

Scripture please. Abram was called out by God to a land that was promised to his seed. He was a sojourner in that land was buried in it as well.

And in the day and age of Abraham there were no 10 commandments. A man in those days could have as many wives and concubines as he wanted. So there was no adultery.

Are you suggesting that sin wasn't sin until Sinai? I think Rom. 5 would dispute that.

And Abraham did not get salvation.

Of course he did. Rom. 4:20-25 would dispute that claim.

His faithfulness was counted to him as Righteousness. Not salvation.

So it is your contention that being righteous before God is not salvation?

Judas? We don't know a lot about Judas. We don't know if he was saved or not. It don't say. We don't know if he believed or not. It don't say. If he did believe, then yes, he is saved.

He is called the son of perdition. That pretty much settles it.

 

[Bluelion]

Salvation is by Grace through faith, not by faith alone.
Abraham didn't settle in a different land with his father, he stopped over in a different land so his father could die and be buried. Then he moved on. And in the day and age of Abraham there were no 10 commandments. A man in those days could have as many wives and concubines as he wanted. So there was no adultery. And Abraham did not get salvation. His faithfulness was counted to him as Righteousness. Not salvation. Judas? We don't know a lot about Judas. We don't know if he was saved or not. It don't say. We don't know if he believed or not. It don't say. If he did believe, then yes, he is saved.

actually it does say Jesus said he was head for destruction from the very start, doesn't sound like he was saved to me.

 

[morse86]

Judas Ischariot was unsaved. Jesus said he chose 12 of them, one of them a devil.

John 17:12:
While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled.

Matthew 26:24:
The Son of man goeth as it is written of him: but woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! it had been good for that man if he had not been born.

Judas never believed.



Of course there were commandments BEFORE Abraham. Why do you think Abel and Cain bought offerings to God? God was disappointed with Cain's offering because he "brought his own work" meanwhile Able bought the firstlings of his flock. How did Abel know which offering to bring?


Also what exactly did God tell Abraham?
Genesis 12:1:
Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will show thee:

God said for Abraham to go into the land that he will show....he didn't say take his father also.

 

[ALoveDivine]

Christ has met all the requirements and in Him so have all who rest in Him.

This. If our performance is what determined our eternal destiny, not a single human being would be saved. No, not one. Christ not only died for us, he lived for us, he fulfilled the divine standard of righteousness in our place.

The gospel is essentially a legal exchange. Our sins are charged to Christ's account, and he pays the penalty. Likewise, his righteousness is charged to our account and we receive the reward. When we are united to him by faith in him and what he has done for us, this exchange is eternally ratified.

You want to know the truth? If you trust in Christ alone for your salvation, and have turned to him in faith, then there is nothing in this life that you could ever possibly do to make God love you any less. When he looks at you he doesn't see your filth, he sees his beloved Son in you. I don't think we truly understand just how much our heavenly Father loves us, and that is a shame.