Do you guys really want me to get "saved"

AllworthThunder · Oct 27, 2007

And what benefit is it to me other than life after death in heaven?

ebia · Oct 27, 2007

So you can be all that you are intended to be.

So you can take your place in the New Creation following the resurrection, and so that you can take your place in bringing that to fulfillment now.

(Note that I think the "saved" terminology is much overused compared with the many other ways of talking about God's intention in Jesus.

Reformationist · Oct 28, 2007

I would love it if God saved you. Do you want to be His child?

Not sure why you speak of "life after death in Heaven" as is it's something you are rather ambivilent about but, not suffering the wrath of God sounds like a pretty good reason, as does everlasting felicity.

God bless

Adstar · Oct 28, 2007

I would like you to be saved. Yes indeed.

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From a personal perspective.

Absolute confidence and peace of mind that no matter what happens in this life all will be well. I simply cannot compare the state of mind i have now to the state of mind i had before i came to believe Jesus.

I value these benefits but i know they do not compare with the benefit of eternity with God. :clap:

All Praise The Ancient Of Days[/FONT]

kj7gs · Oct 28, 2007

From theWestminster Shorter Catechism:
Q. 1. What is the chief end of man?
A. Mans chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.

That's your benefit.

theVirginian · Oct 28, 2007

Our relationship with the God begins the moment we are born again, not after we die. Most of the NT is about the benefits and responsibilities of the New Covenant and how to live in it. The Covenant is the basis of the relationship between Christians and God.

Reformationist · Oct 28, 2007

Don't we so often forget to enjoy God? :bow:

Great post kj.

ephraimanesti · Oct 29, 2007

MY FRIEND,

From my point of view, the major "benefit" to becoming a Christian is gaining the ability--through the gift of the in-dwelling Holy Spirit--to start living like a true human being created in the image and likeness of God, rather than as an evolved animal (as atheists would have us believe) in bondage to the need to satisfy the various drives of the flesh. Heaven, to me, is just frosting on the cake.

i am 64 years old.

i have been a human being for about 8 years.

i really like it a LOT!

A BOND-SLAVE OF CHRIST,
ephraim

tapero · Oct 29, 2007

Per your title; If you desire so. God wants all men to know him. We want all men to know him, but it's all up to you of course.

As to the rest of your post; I can only share about me. When I came to Christ, my whole world changed. I was new in instant, a new man so to speak. I walked out the door and saw the trees and clouds and earth in a way I'd never seen before, and I knew immediately that I had always known the truth about God but had supressed it.

Without anyone telling me anything, and without having read the bible yet as was a new Christian, I was convicted for the things that I was participating in, and stopped doing those things.

For a year it felt like I was in a washer, as I was relearning all I knew all my life basically in a differnet way. My mind was being renewed.

I had an insatiable appetite for the bible, which lasted 3 years, where I could not put it down and read all the time. I was in a great church where women reached out to me, and I had so many questions and they helped, and I went to a small bible study and it was all awesome. The pastor was humble and Christ was the center of all he taught, whether ot or nt, he would relate things to Christ, (unless inapplicable) but for most sermons every one was.

Christ was with me every second, I was keenly aware of His presence.

Then I moved out of state and got married and now it's some 20 years later. I could not see every living without being known by God, I could not see me living without believing in God. I don't know how I made it without God before, and as I look back I see he protected me prior to me coming to Christ and saved my life in many different very dangerous situations.

I couldn't get thru a day without Christ. We have the truths from the word, which help us through each moment, depending on our walk with God, which goes thru valleys and hills.

So, how would your life change today? You'd see once you came to Christ; it's a personal relationship so I couldn't tell you what it would be like for you, but you would surely know it's the best thing in the world that one can ever go thru is coming to Christ, and being in Christ.

Though we all suffer in this world and have struggles, without if one is without Christ to go through them it is like walking alone, even with support from friends and families. There's an emptiness not always seen prior to coming to Christ, and that is filled once one comes to Christ.

It doesn't mean every need is met, it means that God is always with us, always working things to our good, and as we lean on Him and trust in Him we are so blessed by it. We are blessed by knowing God, when we serve God we are blessed, we are just blessed to be known by God and to serve Him.

We serve him in many ways, one person may be a person who prays and that's what they do, no matter what we do, working, recreation or helping another, no matter what we are blessed as we come home and ponder on our day, see where we've failed or grown, and it's okay, and we grow through each day. There is so much to learn in the bible, it is ever revealing and ah, I could go on. Not all people come home and consider they're day, but just an example, as many people do so, and is awesome to see Gods truths in actions (his word) and Him in our lives bringing scripture to mind and being with us, for He is in us.

The 2 or 3 close friends I've met as a Christian, lifetime friends, are just wonderful support to me, we all fail, but we encourage each other and help each other.

So, it's living a life with God. He is awesome to ponder on, and learn about in the word, and while for me personally can't wait to go to heaven am very thankful as I said that knowing God make it thru each day with Him.

Before I came to Christ, I recall I went to a graveyard, thinking I'd find the answers to life there. I must've been searching for something, but wow, what a dead end that was and how empty and meaningless.

Prior to coming to Christ, never thought of God, nor was taught of God, nor thought of eternity, until just before I came to Christ.

God has given me meaning; i never mattered before, not all struggle with that, but some do, and I did, I know who I am in Christ, and I didn't used to value others like I do now. We all have different struggles and things we deal with those are just a couple I recall.

There's so much, but I'll end this here,
thanks for the question.

djsterf · Oct 29, 2007

A few thoughts/reasons to consider --

- Even though we've disobeyed God and were even "His enemies," Christ died for us to bring us back to God (see Romans 5:6-8).
- We all have sinned (missed the mark; disobeyed God in thought, intent, motive, or action) against the Lord, and in believing in Jesus and accepting Him, your slate would be wiped clean.
- Accepting Jesus as the sacrifice for your sins? Your guilt and shame were nailed to the Cross -- accept the gift!

- We (I personally definitely) would love to have you as a brother in Christ, sharing together in eternal salvation as well as freedom from eternity in hell.

God bless you.

AllworthThunder · Oct 29, 2007

I encourage you to continue if you can, great insight.

Catherineanne · Oct 29, 2007

AWT, you seem like a very nice person. :wave:

Your question contains lots of presuppositions. First of all, you assume I know that you are not saved, which I don't. Second, you assume I would want you to be saved through my agency, which is not the case. Third, you assume that I can choose the timing for such salvation, which I can't.

Only God can say which of us will enter eternity to be with him. None of us can say for sure of one another, although after getting to know God well over many years, we can be pretty sure of ourselves in relation to him, and him in relation to us.

The God that I know is one revealed through Christ, and he is characterised by love, mercy and compassion. He is not vindictive, cruel, sadistic, capricious or vengeful. You will probably find that other people on this forum portray God as other than this, but this is who I find in Christ, and Christ is, to me, the Alpha and the Omega of my faith. My God is incompatible with an eternity of hell for beliefs that one cannot help holding.

The next thing I would say is that our faith is not a destination, but a journey. We all start from a different place, and we all travel at different speeds and by different means. It is ludicrous for me, who have been travelling for several decades, to expect you to be in the same stage of your journey as I am, even though we may meet on the road. All I would ever expect is that you continue your own journey, and maybe if we walk beside one another for a while I can say where I have been and where I hope I am going, and you can say the same about yourself.

But none of us has arrived. Therefore, to talk of me wanting you to get saved is quite simply not part of who I am, or why I am here. :wave:

chrisblankcanvas · Oct 29, 2007

What more do you want? An eternity in paradise or nothing?

Its your choice. It makes you a lot happier as well, i would have killed myself by now if it werent for being 'saved' (i dont like that term it implies that we're better than you and are trying to help you overcome your failings). Anyway, its helpful to have someone to talk to even if theres noone around.

GreenMunchkin · Oct 29, 2007

Hi

Am so glad you started another thread. Your other one will be opened again, it just needs to be cleaned up some

To your questions:

Yes, we very much want for you to know God. For a thousand reasons. It goes so much deeper than spending an eternity in Heaven. I can only speak personally, so please forgive me if it's boring

The truth is, Christianity isn't easy. It really isn't. Because we're all so inherently, intrinsically and fundamentally flawed. We're brought up to believe "If it feels good, it's right..."

Christianity teaches us otherwise. There are standards we have to meet, and Christ's exhortations we have to follow. For example, we are commanded to love and forgive those who are cruel to us... it's one of the hardest things to do, and yet when you do it, the person we're helping the most is ourselves, because anger sits in the stomach like a lump of poison. Letting go of that anger frees us.

We are taught that God must come first in everything. That's not an easy thing to do sometimes, but as you get to know Him, and as you increasingly realise how amazing He is, it becomes a pleasure. Still not easy, don't get me wrong, but it's a joy.

Speaking personally now, I used to suffer terribly with self-esteem issues, both within myself and when it came to men. About 2 months ago something happened to make me realise that somehow God had completely rebuilt me, from the inside out. I wasn't even really aware of its happening, but realising it was like being hit by lightning, because it told me that He loved me enough to do that.

He created us all to be whole, but none of us are. Look how messed up society is, and how messed up people are. Addiction, depression, self-harm, sleeping around... all symptoms of how messed up we all are. But somehow, God reaches in and fixes it. I really don't know how to explain it, because I don't understand. All I know is I went from being someone with crippling self-loathing and so so much anger, to someone who is ok. I've been a Christian for a year and a half, and somehow He did that. He did that for me, as a gift, because He is so loving.

Now, people will tell you that God is purely accepting of everything. He isn't. He is holy beyond our comprehension, and sin is abhorrent to Him, but what He will do is always accept our apology, or our repentance, and He'll take us back. Always.

I can't put into words what it feels like when you're just spending time with Him, and you suddenly become aware of His presence. It's like the temperature of the room changes, and the air quality is altered. It's an astonishing experience. It reminds you beyond a shadow of a doubt, that we really aren't alone, and that we are loved.

I struggle with mean Christians a lot. It shakes my faith terribly, but then He reminds me that people who know Him, want to be better. And that's pretty cool. How many people are genuinely trying to be better? Kinder, more honest, more forgiving, more loving? Truly knwoing Jesus fills you with a sense of grace, and teaches you to walk with integrity. It makes so much of that inner loudness go away.

But, again, it's hard. And it can be painful. But knowing Him feels like something has clicked into place. Like we're a jigsaw puzzle, and a integral piece is missing. God is that piece.

Sorry if I've rambled. It's not an easy thing to quantify, but it's very much real

Digit · Oct 29, 2007

Hi AllworthThunder,

If I was a non-Christian I think a great many of these answers would seem really odd to me. Unfortunately that is just one of our failings as Christians in that we often don't know how to relate to someone who has no idea (and I don't mean that in a bad way at all) what we are all about and who finds a great deal of what we talk about, the Christian catch-phrases, very odd. At least, for me when I was a non-Christian that is exactly how I found it. Weird.

But anyhow, no matter. Essentially from a selfish point of view, which is how I first approached it - ie 'What's in it for me?' I could list numerous things, but none of them are quite as nice or as rewarding as the peace and confidence you feel within. It wasn't something I notice immediately, it came a while later, when something happened that I normally would have freaked out over, and instead it held almost no importance to me. That was when I became aware of it. I've read a little about it, and people often call it the God-shaped hole in us, that we try to fill with everything in life, and that nothing can fill. Drink, drugs, sex, power, pleasure, greed whatever it is, it doesn't come anywhere near being able to fill the void. The subtle danger of it, is that we can often temporarily fill it, for a time, and then we need something new. I read a few interviews from people in the world who basically have everything, yet they often complained of a deep lonliness and emptyness. They have millions, everything they could ever want and still they feel unsatisfied. I think this is what I am most grateful for, as who knows what I would have turned to in due course, that could have had really bad effects on me.

I rarely think of life in terms of this life and the afterlife. Those terms are still strange to me. So I can't say that they are really ever on my mind in any seriousness. I do feel a certain self respect and sense of being that I never had before though, I dare say there are more changes to come too.

My advice would be to start small. If any of this makes any sense to you, then think about it and see where it leads you. I would genuinely want you to be saved, because I think another positive voice in this world is desperately needed.

Cheers,
Digit

ephraimanesti · Oct 29, 2007

MY FRIEND,

In answer to your "Do you guys really want me to get saved?" question--

Given that God wants you to "get saved" enough that He gave His beloved only begotten Son that this might be accomplished;

Given that many of the people who have read your post--myself included--are praying for you that you will open your heart and mind to this glorious Truth and accept the free gift of Salvation which God offers you;

Given that neither God nor other people can make the choice for you to accept what God offers to you;

The REAL QUESTION would seem to be--Do YOU really want to get saved?

It might help you in making this eternally all-important decision to approach it not so much in a "what's-in-it-for-me" attitude but with trust that God, who loves you so much as to offer His Son to demonstrate His Love for you in concrete terms, will provide all things necessary to assure and insure your eternal happiness.

To me the choice is a "no-brainer".

A BOND-SLAVE OF CHRIST,
ephraim

zeke37 · Oct 29, 2007

knowing that you are forgiven of all your past sins, is an incredible feeling...once you realize that you have these against you...and are liable for all your sins....it can load your donkey pretty hard...but the reality is that foreignness of ones sins is the most amazing feeling....it is total relief.....and a fresh start in life...

A belief in Christ builds strength, character, morality, makes one able to love more than they did before, guides us to victory in life while playing by the rules, not having to cheat or be hypocrites, and makes one an over all nice person to be around...most of the time anyway....but it does not make one a second class citizen, one to be walked on...no sir....there is real Power in being a child of the Living God...you have an opportunity that will make all the angels in heaven sing...and absolutely change your life....forever...

if you choose to take the first step...which is to simply acknowledge the fact that you are a sinner and you need forgiveness...realize that you cannot make it properly in this world with out the Lord...for He is your true Father...the One who loves you and wants you to be part of His fold...

ask God into your life....and ask to be forgiven of your sins...in Christ's name, AMEN!

in His service
c

Stinker · Oct 30, 2007

Do you guys really want me to get "saved"

I think there are just too many Christians and non-Christians that have either forgotten or just never experienced real (even if fleeting) joy before. Man, once you have experienced this (especially after nothing but negative experiences) it is just so phenomenal!

Saved= Joy

AllworthThunder · Oct 30, 2007

Ok, thanks for your responses

I guess where I am right now is if I become a Christian, I would be forced to drop some of my political beliefs. I consider myself a moderate, but I do have many liberal stances. I do not want to chance my stance on gay marriage, as I believe all people should have equal rights while married. I do not want to change my stance on if evolution or creationism should be taught in school. I don't want to change my stance of abortion.

GreenMunchkin · Oct 30, 2007

No, you wouldn't be forced to. None of that stuff is as important as you being in a relationship with Jesus. While all those issues are answered Biblically, they've been turned into political monsters, and Christianity isn't political. It really is about you being in a relationship with the Lord. The rest of that stuff... your convictions may change, or they may not; it'll be between you and God - He'll be the only person you answer to. But, you'll be saved, and you'll know how amazing God is. That's the most important thing :hug:

Do you guys really want me to get "saved"

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