False Intimacy with God

[Christsfreeservant]

1 John 5:1-5 ESV

“Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?”​

Belief in Jesus Christ

Not everyone who says he believes in Jesus honestly believes in Jesus with God-given and with God-persuaded faith in Jesus Christ. For belief in Jesus Christ is not mere words we say after someone else in a prayer, nor is it a mere acknowledgment of who Jesus is and of what he did for us on that cross, nor is it a mere acceptance of his love, grace, and forgiveness of sins.

Genuine faith in Jesus first of all comes from God, it is gifted to us by God, it is persuaded by God, and it is authored and perfected by Jesus Christ. We can’t even come to faith in Jesus Christ unless God the Father first draws us to Christ. So, this faith is not of ourselves, not of our own doing, nor of our own making. We obtain this faith from God, a faith which is of equal standing with the faith of the New Testament apostles, by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ and by no other way.

But since this faith comes from God and it is authored and perfected by Jesus Christ and it is divinely persuaded, it is going to be consistent with who God is and with his will for our lives. And since in God there is no darkness it is not going to give way to sin, for Jesus died to deliver us from our slavery to sin so we would now be slaves of God and of his righteousness. He died so that we would die with him to sin and live to him and to his righteousness, by God’s grace, and in his strength and power.

Thus, when we believe in Jesus with this God-given faith, we are crucified with Christ in death to sin and we are raised with Christ to walk in newness of life in him, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. Our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. Thus, sin is to no longer reign (be in power) in our mortal bodies to make us obey its passions. We died to sin. How can we live in it any longer?

[Jn 6:44; Eph 2:8-10; Heb 12:1-2; 2 Pet 1:1; Lu 9:23-26; Jn 6:35-58; Jn 15:1-11; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-17; Eph 4:17-24; 1 Pet 2:24; 1 Co 6:19-20; 2 Co 5:15; Tit 2:11-14; Jas 1:22-25; 1 Jn 1:5-9; Rom 12:1-2]

Love of the Father

If we love God we will obey his commandments. If we don’t love him, we do not keep (obey) his words. If we do keep his commandments, we abide in his love. If we love the world, the love of the Father is not in us. If sin is what we practice, and if righteousness is not what we practice, then we are not of God. If we say we love God but we hate our fellow Christians, we are liars. And if we say we know the Lord but we do not keep his commandments, we are liars. Love for God is to obey him.

[Jn 14:15-24; Jn 15:10; 1 Jn 2:3-6, 15; 1 Jn 3:4-10; 1 Jn 4:19-20]

So, to be born of God we must first of all be crucified with him in death to sin and we must have been raised with him to walk in newness of life in him. The old self must have been put to death so that we are no longer slaves of sin but slaves of righteousness. Sin should no longer have dominion over us. And we must love God, and to love God is to obey him, to walk in obedience to his commands (under the New Covenant). For we are not bound by the Old Covenant liturgical, sacrificial, purification, and ceremonial laws.

Overcoming the World

So, we have died with Christ to sin, and we have been raised with Christ to walk in newness of life in him, no longer under the control of sin, but now as slaves of his righteousness. And now we are walking in obedience to his commands because we love him. Our old sinful lifestyles were put to death so that we can now walk by the Spirit in righteousness and holiness free from sin’s control over our lives. This is what it means to be saved from our sins and to have the hope of eternal life with God.

But many people today who are professing faith in Jesus Christ are not following these teachings. They are not teaching death to sin and living to God and to his righteousness and following our Lord in obedience to his will and to his commands. Instead they are pushing and promoting a false faith which is not of God but of the flesh of humans. And sin is running rampant within the gatherings of the church because they are being given permission to keep on in deliberate and habitual sin under the guise of God’s grace.

Therefore, what the Scriptures say we are to put away from our lives they are being given carte blanche to keep on doing. And so many people are professing faith in Jesus who have not died with him to sin and who are not living to him and to his righteousness and who are not walking in obedience to his commands but who are still living in deliberate and habitual sin while they are claiming Jesus as their Savior and heaven as their eternal destiny.

So, many professing Christians are living no differently from those who make no profession of faith in Jesus Christ. Many of them are liars, deceivers, adulterers, active homosexuals, the sexually immoral, greedy, prideful, self-indulgent, self-gratifying, slanderers, haters, users, abusers, and perjurers, who for the most part hide their sins in secret hoping that no one will know the evil that lurks behind closed doors when they think no one else can see what they are up to.

So, they have not overcome the world for they are still succumbing to the world. But we who are of the true faith are to be those who have overcome the world and who are walking (in conduct, in practice) in righteousness and holiness and not in deliberate and habitual sin. So, if we are truly born of God then we are not those who are making sin our practice, but righteousness is what we practice. For if we keep on making sin our practice, then we don’t love God, we don’t know him, and we are not born again.

[Rom 2:6-8; Gal 6:7-8; 2 Co 5:10; 1 Co 6:9-10; 1 Pet 1:17-21; Gal 5:16-21; Eph 5:3-6; Rom 6:16; Rom 8:1-17; Jn 15:1-11; 1 Jn 2:3-6; 1 Jn 3:4-10; Rev. 2-3; Rev 21:8, 27; Rev 22:14-15; Matt 7:21-23; Heb 10:26-27]

Breath Of Heaven (Mary's Song)

Songwriters: Amy Lee Grant / Chris Eaton

I have traveled many moonless nights
Cold and weary with a babe inside
And I wonder what I've done
Holy father you have come
And chosen me now to carry your son

I am waiting in a silent prayer
I am frightened by the load I bear
In a world as cold as stone
Must I walk this path alone?
Be with me now
Be with me now

Breath of heaven
Hold me together
Be forever near me
Breath of heaven
Breath of heaven
Lighten my darkness
Pour over me your holiness
For you are holy
Breath of heaven

Caution: This link may contain ads

 

[Trusting in Him]

This is sadly so true in this day and age, where not all churches teach what the bible teaches. There is no such thing as cheap salvation, or getting saved and continuing to live as nothing has changed in your life. How many people are being led to believe that they are saved, when they have never learned even the basics of what is required in order to be saved?

Church pews are full of people who are not encouraged to read their bibles, or understand the requirements of God at all. I don't think that it used to be like this in earlier times. How did we get in to this mess?

 

[Vesper_Jaye✝️]

…I’m in deliberate and habitual sin… Less than I was but I still sin way to much. Do I have false intimacy with God?

 

[Christsfreeservant]

…I’m in deliberate and habitual sin… Less than I was but I still sin way to much. Do I have false intimacy with God?

The Scriptures teach that if sin is what you practice and if righteousness and obedience are not what you practice that you don't know God and therefore if you claim to be in fellowship with God and to know God that you lie and do not live by the truth and that you will not inherit eternal life with God unless you forsake your sins and walk in obedience to the Lord and to his commands.

 

[Christsfreeservant]

This is sadly so true in this day and age, where not all churches teach what the bible teaches. There is no such thing as cheap salvation, or getting saved and continuing to live as nothing has changed in your life. How many people are being led to believe that they are saved, when they have never learned even the basics of what is required in order to be saved?

Church pews are full of people who are not encouraged to read their bibles, or understand the requirements of God at all. I don't think that it used to be like this in earlier times. How did we get in to this mess?

Sad, for sure. The church deciding to compromise with the world and to alter the gospel to make it more acceptable to the world is how we got here and this has been in the works for a long time now, at least since the 1950s. A.W. Tower saw it in the 1940s.

 

[OldWiseGuy]

…I’m in deliberate and habitual sin… Less than I was but I still sin way to much. Do I have false intimacy with God?

Young people are especially vulnerable to the pull of Satan's world and the materialism of the world. Many feel that becoming a Christian will cause them to 'miss out' on the fun that others seem to be having.

Conversion is a life-long process. God is patient and forgiving with us. We must also be patient and forgiving of ourselves. And if we do fall off the horse, and we all do, we must get back on. God bless.

 

[thewayforme]

Young people are especially vulnerable to the pull of Satan's world and the materialism of the world. Many feel that becoming a Christian will cause them to 'miss out' on the fun that others seem to be having.

Conversion is a life-long process. God is patient and forgiving with us. We must also be patient and forgiving of ourselves. And if we do fall off the horse, and we all do, we must get back on. God bless.

I especially loved what you had to say here OWG, as my life has been a series of failures, even after I was born again. I thought I would be perfect, but my human nature was something I continued to give into. I believe it is a life-long process, and looking back now, I have to say, it's taken what it's taken to get me to the place I am now which is basically on my knees again, but with more hunger for Christ in my life than ever before.

@Vesper_Jaye✝️ the one thing I can do is keep reading God's Word, keep praying for His help, and don't doubt that He will help you. I just prayed this a.m. again about something I hold onto, and don't want to let go of, atleast part of the time. I know He wants me to, and I know He "is" answering my prayer about it. I also believe with all my heart that He ALWAYS listens, and answers our prayers. It's in His timing, and I don't believe any of my life is unknown to God. He knew it all before I lived it, so I don't believe in mistakes, I believe in learning experiences, while He's waited patiently for me to realize my great need for Him, in every aspect of my life.

 

[Christsfreeservant]

I especially loved what you had to say here OWG, as my life has been a series of failures, even after I was born again. I thought I would be perfect, but my human nature was something I continued to give into. I believe it is a life-long process, and looking back now, I have to say, it's taken what it's taken to get me to the place I am now which is basically on my knees again, but with more hunger for Christ in my life than ever before.

@Vesper_Jaye✝️ the one thing I can do is keep reading God's Word, keep praying for His help, and don't doubt that He will help you. I just prayed this a.m. again about something I hold onto, and don't want to let go of, atleast part of the time. I know He wants me to, and I know He "is" answering my prayer about it. I also believe with all my heart that He ALWAYS listens, and answers our prayers. It's in His timing, and I don't believe any of my life is unknown to God. He knew it all before I lived it, so I don't believe in mistakes, I believe in learning experiences, while He's waited patiently for me to realize my great need for Him, in every aspect of my life.

Thewayforme, it is not about what we believe if what we believe is contrary to what the Scriptures teach. Yes, our salvation is a process, and yes, not one of us is perfect, and yes, there will be times when we fail and we need to repent and get back on the right track. But the Scriptures are very clear on the subject of deliberate and habitual sin, i.e. walking in sin according to the flesh and not according to the Spirit, in deliberate disobedience to the Lord. We will not inherit eternal life and God doesn't listen to and answer our prayers for he says we don't even know him. So, if someone is living in habitual and deliberate sin, as a matter of life course, he is not in relationship with the Lord Jesus. So he needs to turn away from his sin and walk in obedience to the Lord.

 

[thewayforme]

I won't debate you on this, or come up with any verses, but I feel good with God on what I said and will stand on it. I said it out of what I know about Vesper at this point. She has a contrite heart which is more than I can say for some, "christians".

 

[Christsfreeservant]

I won't debate you on this, or come up with any verses, but I feel good with God on what I said and will stand on it. I said it out of what I know about Vesper at this point. She has a contrite heart which is more than I can say for some, "christians".

Again, what you feel is not what matters here. What matters is what the Scriptures teach on this subject. Please read all these verses and let the Holy Spirit show you the truth:

Rom 2:6-8; Gal 6:7-8; 2 Co 5:10; 1 Co 6:9-10; 1 Pet 1:17-21; Gal 5:16-21; Eph 5:3-6; Rom 6:16; Rom 8:1-17; Jn 15:1-11; 1 Jn 2:3-6; 1 Jn 3:4-10; Rev. 2-3; Rev 21:8, 27; Rev 22:14-15; Matt 7:21-23; Heb 10:26-27

 

[thewayforme]

Like I said, I see a contrite heart, and didn't even know the verse but the phrase is in the bible where I had read it, and remembered when I read Vesper's statement:

Isaiah 66:2 ESV

2 All these things my hand has made,
and so all these things came to be,
declares the Lord.
But this is the one to whom I will look:
he who is humble and contrite in spirit
and trembles at my word.

Psalm 51:17 NKJV

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit,
A broken and a contrite heart—
These, O God, You will not despise.

And I'll say this time that maybe the word "feel" was wrong for what I gathered from what Vesper said, maybe I should have said discerned that God was "maybe" convicting her of something, and that to me is the work of Holy Spirit.

bottom line here is neither you nor I know her heart but God does, so either way, we both only have our opinions. I don't remember Jesus ever rubbing salt in someone's wounds, but I do remember Him saying "go and sin no more".

 

[Christsfreeservant]

Like I said, I see a contrite heart, and didn't even know the verse but the phrase is in the bible where I had read it, and remembered when I read Vesper's statement:

Isaiah 66:2 ESV

2 All these things my hand has made,
and so all these things came to be,
declares the Lord.
But this is the one to whom I will look:
he who is humble and contrite in spirit
and trembles at my word.

Psalm 51:17 NKJV

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit,
A broken and a contrite heart—
These, O God, You will not despise.

And I'll say this time that maybe the word "feel" was wrong for what I gathered from what Vesper said, maybe I should have said discerned that God was "maybe" convicting her of something, and that to me is the work of Holy Spirit.

bottom line here is neither you nor I know her heart but God does, so either way, we both only have our opinions. I don't remember Jesus ever rubbing salt in someone's wounds, but I do remember Him saying "go and sin no more".

I gave you Scriptures, not opinion. I stand on the Word of the Lord. The question was asked:

…I’m in deliberate and habitual sin… Less than I was but I still sin way to much. Do I have false intimacy with God?

I can't give my opinion, for my opinion doesn't matter. What matters is what the word of God teaches, so I gave her what the word of God teaches. My feelings on the matter don't matter. What matters is what God says, not what you or I say if we are speaking from our own opinions or feelings in the matter.

The truth is that if we walk in darkness (in habitual sin) but say we are in fellowship with God we lie and we do not live by the truth. If we say we know God but we don't do what he says, but we walk in sin, then we don't know God. If sin is what we practice and righteousness is not what we practice then we are not in relationship with God, and we will not inherit eternal life with God (See: 1 Jn 1:5-9; 1 Jn 2:3-6; 1 Jn 3:4-10 and all the other Scriptures I gave you to read). If I don't teach the truth of God's word then I am not loving you or anyone else and then I have no business being on here.

 

[thewayforme]

so then we should all "only" quote scripture to someone, with no input of our own that may or may not align with God's Word or His Will?

 

[Trusting in Him]

Many feel that becoming a Christian will cause them to 'miss out' on the fun that others seem to be having.

"Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went to meet the bridegroom. And five of them were wise, and five of them were foolish. They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them. But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps".
(Matthew 25: 1 to 4)

Looking at the these words of scripture, can you see that the foolish virgins ever had any oil to start with? It sure does not look like it! Are these those who don't what to "miss out on the fun" in these last days.

Is this light not also the "Joy of the Lord", if you ain't got it, you ain't got it!

I wonder how many foolish ones, were too busy not "missing out on the fun".

Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. (Rev 19:7)

The bridegroom cometh at an hour you think not. I think that we better be ready!

 

[Christsfreeservant]

so then we should all "only" quote scripture to someone, with no input of our own that may or may not align with God's Word or His Will?

If we are answering someone's question about biblical truth we need to answer with the word of God and not with opinion. We can explain what the Scriptures are saying if needed but we should not interject opinion especially in matters of life and death as this subject was. She asked a very specific question that could only be answered with the word of God. For the answer she receives, if she follows it, will determine where she will spend eternity. And I take that very seriously. If she is given the impression that God is ok with her living in habitual and deliberate sin and she follows that counsel then she could end up in hell for eternity. So she needed to hear the truth not something to make her feel good about where she was/is. Telling her the truth is the most loving thing to do.

Now if we are talking about subjects such as modes of baptism or things of that nature we can render opinion, but when the Scriptures are abundantly clear on what will send us to hell or to heaven then we need to be clear with people on what they teach so that they are not led astray and so that they don't end up in hell, instead.