Some thoughts here that seem good for those needing peace, assurance, and blessings. It begins with finding God.
Based on what the Holy Bible shows us about the Creator-God and His Word given for mankind, the essential need for souls seeking peace and blessings now and for eternity, is to A) Know of the Creator, His purposes, His ways, His love, and His salvation; B) Believe on Him and receive Him; C) Trust Him and obey Him; D) Be settled in Him and faithful. A good place to start is in the Bible at John 1, John 3, and John 14. One needs to read these chapters and ask God for teaching and leading.
Underlying every thought about coming to God and enjoying His blessings, is the essential need to be sincere, honest, and in readiness to yield completely to our Creator-God. This speaks of abandoning our religious ideas and reasoning, and to feel a real need to be rescued from much uncertainty in this life, and eternal condemnation in a hell that awaits all unsaved ones. Let us look at these four issues:
1. Often, the many questions people raise about God is a challenge against God to prove Himself. That is gross foolishness, and will profit nothing. He does not need to prove Himself, and will not yield to challenges. It is a wrong spirit. He can be found in and through His immutable Word by faith and obedience, which He gave us, and His ways are set forth therein (please see the messages in Jer. 29:11-13, Matt. 6:6, John 14, Rom. 3, and Acts 17:24-27). Our ways and ideas and religions are not God's ways (note Jer. 55:7-9). It is foolish for simple and sinful man to presume to be greater than the Creator, and expect Him to reveal things that are too far beyond our finite ability to know; so if that is not appreciated, one is thus choosing to go forth in spiritual darkness with their own reasoning and various religious ideas, which is rebellion and fatal.
2. Believing about God is not the same as believing on Him; and also knowing the teachings of God through His beloved Son, the Lord Jesus, is not the same as receiving the Son into one's heart as the Savior of our eternal soul. Knowledge and reasoning will not save a soul, but faith in God's promises will (John 3:16 & 35-36). The simple truth of eternal hope is that one must receive and be devoted to the Savior --the Lord Jesus, for salvation and blessings. God will then make that one alive unto Him, and sealed by the indwelling of His Holy Spirit forever as a "child of God"; and open up understandings to many spiritual truths. This is the essence of eternal life and blessings.
3. One might think they have a relationship with God because they go to church meetings, or know some verses of the Bible, etc.; but one does not have a relationship with anyone by reading something about them. Now: a) If one knows of the Lord Jesus and the truth of salvation, then they need to repent of their sin (all acts and thoughts contrary to our holy God), act on the truth in a personal way by faith and trust to establish a relationship, and to enjoy communion --"no man cometh to the Father, but by Me", the Lord Jesus said; b) Then they need to obey the truth of God and keep His Word (“all the counsel of God”
. The Gospels present the Lord Jesus Christ as the Son of God, and show His expectations of man, His pathway as ordained and given to His Apostles, and His sacrifice for our sins to pay our debt on the cross; c) The Epistles explain the gospel, show God's work to establish His church --the living body of Christ which is all true believers, and the life in the church as we walk through this world. If the true believer does not value the Word of God and does not obey the Word, but follows his/her own ideas or religious preferences, they will stand in judgment for that before God one day (“…and suffer loss”, forfeiting rewards).
4. The essence of this all, is simply that one who wants blessings and is not eternally saved needs eternal life in receiving the Savior, to escape judgment for sins; and one who is saved –“born again” by faith in Christ and the sealing of the Holy Spirit, needs to read the Word of God daily, to be instructed in how to obey and please God, and embrace His truth for blessings ---now and for eternity. Saints today are not like the saints of olden times and Israel with their religion. Israelites are a separate earthly people, and Christians are of the Church –the heavenly bride of Christ; and today we all need to worship as God showed us, and read the Word of God daily and keep it to be in the Church; and a faithful one will be settled and happy as they wait for the Lord’s home call. –RLD: from biblecounsel.homestead.com.
Finding God
What Serious Seekers Need To Know
What Serious Seekers Need To Know
Based on what the Holy Bible shows us about the Creator-God and His Word given for mankind, the essential need for souls seeking peace and blessings now and for eternity, is to A) Know of the Creator, His purposes, His ways, His love, and His salvation; B) Believe on Him and receive Him; C) Trust Him and obey Him; D) Be settled in Him and faithful. A good place to start is in the Bible at John 1, John 3, and John 14. One needs to read these chapters and ask God for teaching and leading.
Underlying every thought about coming to God and enjoying His blessings, is the essential need to be sincere, honest, and in readiness to yield completely to our Creator-God. This speaks of abandoning our religious ideas and reasoning, and to feel a real need to be rescued from much uncertainty in this life, and eternal condemnation in a hell that awaits all unsaved ones. Let us look at these four issues:
1. Often, the many questions people raise about God is a challenge against God to prove Himself. That is gross foolishness, and will profit nothing. He does not need to prove Himself, and will not yield to challenges. It is a wrong spirit. He can be found in and through His immutable Word by faith and obedience, which He gave us, and His ways are set forth therein (please see the messages in Jer. 29:11-13, Matt. 6:6, John 14, Rom. 3, and Acts 17:24-27). Our ways and ideas and religions are not God's ways (note Jer. 55:7-9). It is foolish for simple and sinful man to presume to be greater than the Creator, and expect Him to reveal things that are too far beyond our finite ability to know; so if that is not appreciated, one is thus choosing to go forth in spiritual darkness with their own reasoning and various religious ideas, which is rebellion and fatal.
2. Believing about God is not the same as believing on Him; and also knowing the teachings of God through His beloved Son, the Lord Jesus, is not the same as receiving the Son into one's heart as the Savior of our eternal soul. Knowledge and reasoning will not save a soul, but faith in God's promises will (John 3:16 & 35-36). The simple truth of eternal hope is that one must receive and be devoted to the Savior --the Lord Jesus, for salvation and blessings. God will then make that one alive unto Him, and sealed by the indwelling of His Holy Spirit forever as a "child of God"; and open up understandings to many spiritual truths. This is the essence of eternal life and blessings.
3. One might think they have a relationship with God because they go to church meetings, or know some verses of the Bible, etc.; but one does not have a relationship with anyone by reading something about them. Now: a) If one knows of the Lord Jesus and the truth of salvation, then they need to repent of their sin (all acts and thoughts contrary to our holy God), act on the truth in a personal way by faith and trust to establish a relationship, and to enjoy communion --"no man cometh to the Father, but by Me", the Lord Jesus said; b) Then they need to obey the truth of God and keep His Word (“all the counsel of God”
. The Gospels present the Lord Jesus Christ as the Son of God, and show His expectations of man, His pathway as ordained and given to His Apostles, and His sacrifice for our sins to pay our debt on the cross; c) The Epistles explain the gospel, show God's work to establish His church --the living body of Christ which is all true believers, and the life in the church as we walk through this world. If the true believer does not value the Word of God and does not obey the Word, but follows his/her own ideas or religious preferences, they will stand in judgment for that before God one day (“…and suffer loss”, forfeiting rewards). 4. The essence of this all, is simply that one who wants blessings and is not eternally saved needs eternal life in receiving the Savior, to escape judgment for sins; and one who is saved –“born again” by faith in Christ and the sealing of the Holy Spirit, needs to read the Word of God daily, to be instructed in how to obey and please God, and embrace His truth for blessings ---now and for eternity. Saints today are not like the saints of olden times and Israel with their religion. Israelites are a separate earthly people, and Christians are of the Church –the heavenly bride of Christ; and today we all need to worship as God showed us, and read the Word of God daily and keep it to be in the Church; and a faithful one will be settled and happy as they wait for the Lord’s home call. –RLD: from biblecounsel.homestead.com.
