I’m having trouble trusting Jesus with my life.
First, how much is our life, compared with the life Jesus will share with us?
"'He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.'" (John 12:25)
So, here is a loophole to help you not to make a big deal out of the life you can get for your own self
What you try to do only or mainly for your own self will be ruined by . . . you!! Haven't you already gotten a sample of this?
See, I started out okay but ever since I started reading the Bible I’ve noticed that it says not everyone who says Lord, Lord will go to Heaven. It also says that Jesus will say to many, I never knew you. And these are people who genuinely tried and did preach and everything.
Jesus does not say those people were doing their best for Him. They themselves say, they have done so much. But people of Satan are liars. And Jesus says He never knew them, doesn't He? That should answer about if they ever really did anything for Him, versus being liars.
With God, we don't try, we succeed. His grace is almighty in us to have us succeeding in whatsoever He in us has us doing. So we trust Him and submit to Him. This is part of what it means to deny our own selves > we do not trust and depend on our own ability and will power. And we do not judge by how we are now or have been; but now keep trusting God to succeed >
"for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure." (Philippians 2:13)
it says that unless our righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and the Pharisees we will not go to Heaven.
This means the righteousness of Jesus, as has already been said.
And I offer that there are two basic meanings of righteousness which is in our salvation. There is imputed righteousness, meaning we are declared right with God simply because we have trusted and joined with Jesus. It is like becoming a champion automatically because you have joined the team which has won the Super Bowl . . . even if you did not play in that game.
But then comes God's correction > Hebrews 12:4-11 < so we "become partakers of His holiness" in His love's "peaceable fruit of righteousness". This comes not with doing copy-cat and self-willed things, but with growing in Jesus who is in us as our new inner Person > Galatians 4:19. Jesus in us shares His own love and holiness and righteousness with us . . . in our character, more and more as we grow in the character of His love > 1 John 4:17-18. And this includes developing in how we submit to our Father in His peace > Colossians 3:15 while relating in God's love with one another > Ephesians 4:1-3.
So, it is senseless and foolish to give up on this, which means we have real love with God and the ability to relate well with other people in God's love and guiding.
God's grace in us changes us so we succeed in this. We fail in our own ways of trying. So we need to trust the LORD to succeed.
So, how do I know when I’ve done enough. How many good works do I need to get to Heaven.
It is not about doing enough, but getting to where you have had enough of your own trying! And then trust God to do all He is able, in you and all of us > care about the rest of us, while you are at it ! ! ! Do not let yourself stay isolated in your own self-seeking stuff.
Also, I just can’t trust God. He has so many loopholes in the Bible that I can never be sure of my salvation.
The real loopholes we need to see are the scriptures which show us that we do not have to keep depending on ourselves and keep failing. And we don't have to keep believing that God is not personally interested in us; instead, see how the Bible means that our Heavenly Father does desire to share with us His children, all the time, including to correct us, of course (Hebrews 12:4-11), and personally rule every one of us in His own peace > Colossians 3:15, and have us "forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you." (please see Ephesians 4:31-32) So, forget that idea that "only God forgives" > our Father wants us to join Him in His love so we are forgiving "even as" God has forgiven us ! ! ! This means in His own goodness of love and peace and joy, in personal sharing with Him so His grace has us lovingly forgiving like this.
So, how ever could you want to accept what is so inferior?? and so dangerous >
I only have one life and if I’m going to hell anyway I want to know ahead of time so that I don’t wast time on trying to be perfect like Jesus commands. I know it sounds terrible but if I’m go8ng to hell, I want to have fun before it.
What is totally dangerous about this is your life without Jesus would get worse and worse >
"But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived." (2 Timothy 3:13)
Galatians 6:7-8 > We will reap so much more than the little seeds we sow. With a handful of seeds you can get a field of food; or you can grow a bunch of thorns which more and more tangle and mangle you. And in the weakness of your pleasure seeking you will become more and more weak so you are guaranteed to also be weak enough to deeply suffer. And then the way you die is the way you will fry. The same fire will have some people smelling very nice to God, while others of self-seeking in their character will smell like burning rubber, after how they have been wheeling and dealing and screeching for their pleasures selfish.
So, we need to invest in how God is able to have us become gentle and humble and quiet like Jesus, and how He in us shares with us how He submits to God and loves any and all people.
Otherwise, one misses out on knowing love; no pleasures can make it worthwhile to not have real love. And we are not loving, by using people who give us what we want. So, Jesus is the only choice
I really want a relationship with God.
Jesus is the way
And Jesus suffered and died like He did on the cross, with hope for any and all people. So, Jesus is not at all conceited; He left Heaven itself, with hope for you. So, if Jesus is not going to give up on you, this is all we need to know
