How Important Is It To Be Saved?

[Cshuffle777]

(Note: See updated area.)

I want to be saved. I want the pain and suffering to be over for everyone. And I want to see Jesus. But how much can a person want to be saved until they are (update)--->crossing over into selfish territory? Moses offered up his own soul for God to spare the children of Israel, foreshadowing Christ.<---(update) Paul was singing when he was in prison with his feet in stocks. Many scholars say this would most likely have him lying face up on his back on a muddy floor. He said he had learned to be content with nothing or everything. I think the abiding presence of Jesus was all he needed to be happy. Heaven and eternal life had already begun for him as far as he was concerned. He was sitting with Christ in heavenly places while others complained about things he wouldn't give any thought to. This is how I prefer to live. I want to really know Him Whom to know is life eternal beginning now. I don't always do it, but when I let go of my cares and cast them all pon Christ as Peter tells me, I really do some living.

I was hoping to avoid debate by posting this in the "Spiritual Growth" forum.

Can I get a witness?

(Please note: This thread is not about assurance or method of salvation. It was meant to be about devotion/commitment)

 

[Radagast]

I want to be saved.

You say that you are a Protestant Christian.

How are you not saved?

 

[Sabertooth]

But how much can a person want to be saved until they are over-wanting?

Jesus said that the first, greatest command was to love the Lord, your God, with all of your mind, strength, heart and soul.* Since that is what He expects from us, I don't see any way that we can "over" love Him. He wants everything.

The only way that that might happen is if someone is enamored with the IDEA of God, without ever personally surrendering themselves to Him. It is a little like a man who crushes on a woman, but never actually talks to her.

*Jesus said that we need to be Born-Again before that can happen.
See Know God

 

[Cshuffle777]

You say that you are a Protestant Christian.

How are you not saved?

Only in the sense that I'm still here.

I believe in the three Ps:

1. I have been saved from the penalty of sin.
2. I am being saved from the power of sin, and
3. I will finally be saved from the presence of sin.

Not that I would consider this a part of any binding creed, mind you. Just a helpful, simple little guide to keep my faith in perspective.

I hope this doesn't turn into a debate thread. I thought I might avoid that by starting a discussion in the "Spiritual Growth" forum.

Thanks for replying.

 

[eleos1954]

(Note: See updated area.)

I want to be saved. I want the pain and suffering to be over for everyone. And I want to see Jesus. But how much can a person want to be saved until they are (update)--->crossing over into selfish territory?<---(update) Paul was singing when he was in prison with his feet in stocks. Many scholars say this would most likely have him lying face up on his back on a muddy floor. He said he had learned to be content with nothing or everything. I think the abiding presence of Jesus was all he needed to be happy. Heaven and eternal life had already begun for him as far as he was concerned. He was sitting with Christ in heavenly places while others complained about things he wouldn't give any thought to. This is how I prefer to live. I want to really know Him Whom to know is life eternal beginning now. I don't always do it, but when I let go of my cares and cast them all pon Christ as Peter tells me, I really do some living.

I was hoping to avoid debate by posting this in the "Spiritual Growth" forum.

Can I get a witness?

These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God,” he wrote, “that you may know that you have eternal life” (1 John 5:13). Please notice John didn’t say that you can hope you have eternal life or wish you might find eternal life, or dream of perhaps inheriting eternal life. He said that you can know that you have eternal life. You can count on it.

 

[Cshuffle777]

These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God,” he wrote, “that you may know that you have eternal life” (1 John 5:13). Please notice John didn’t say that you can hope you have eternal life or wish you might find eternal life, or dream of perhaps inheriting eternal life. He said that you can know that you have eternal life. You can count on it.

Thank you for replying.

 

[Cshuffle777]

Jesus said that the first, greatest command was to love the Lord, your God, with all of your mind, strength, heart and soul.* Since that is what He expects from us, I don't see any way that we can "over" love Him. He wants everything.

The only way that that might happen is if someone is enamored with the IDEA of God, without ever personally surrendering themselves to Him. It is a little like a man who crushes on a woman, but never actually talks to her.

*Jesus said that we need to be Born-Again before that can happen.
See Know God

Thank you for replying.

 

[HARK!]

When I was a little boy, my dad was outside raking leaves while my sister and I were playing. One of my sister's friends showed up, just as my dad asked us if we would like to help him rake leaves. My sister immediately asked "do we have to?" My dad said, "no, it's just that I'm out here doing this by myself; and I would like help." My sister said, "well then I'm going of to go play with my friends." I immediately said, "Ill help you dad." My sister was still standing there when my dad said, "thank you; here's a quarter." (That was quite a bit of money back then; and we didn't have much.) My sister's eyes lit up. She was driven by money. She said, " I didn't know that there was money involved; I'll help!" He handed her a rake. She asked, "aren't you going to give me a quarter?" My dad said, "No, I didn't give your brother a quarter for raking leaves. I gave him a quarter because he loves me; and he wants to help me."

My dad was an Atheist; and he wasn't even my blood father. He was my stepdad; but he still understood how a father wants to be loved. This is how I love people who I see stranded on the side of the road. I don't help them for a reward. I help them because my heart tells me to.

I'm obedient to YHWH's perfect law, not for what I think I might get out of him. That seems like a burden to me. It also seems insincere. I'm obedient out of love for him. It's easy.

Let his will be done regarding any reward he might have for me. His will is out of my control; and his will, will be done. Worrying about it will change nothing. If I lay down my life in love for him, with no care of what he will give me in return; then there is nothing to fear. He has already given me everything I have. Anything more is already more than I deserve.

 

[Cshuffle777]

When I was a little boy, my dad was outside raking leaves while my sister and I were playing. One of my sister's friends showed up, just as my dad asked us if we would like to help him rake leaves. My sister immediately asked "do we have to?" My dad said, "no, it's just that I'm out here doing this by myself; and I would like help." My sister said, "well then I'm going of to go play with my friends." I immediately said, "Ill help you dad." My sister was still standing there when my dad said, "thank you; here's a quarter." (That was quite a bit of money back then; and we didn't have much.) My sister's eyes lit up. She was driven by money. She said, " I didn't know that there was money involved; I'll help!" He handed her a rake. She asked, "aren't you going to give me a quarter?" My dad said, "No, I didn't give your brother a quarter for raking leaves. I gave him a quarter because he loves me; and he wants to help me."

My dad was an Atheist; and he wasn't even my blood father. He was my stepdad; but he still understood how a father wants to be loved. This is how I love people who I see stranded on the side of the road. I don't help them for a reward. I help them because my heart tells me to.

I'm obedient to YHWH's perfect law, not for what I think I might get out of him. That seems like a burden to me. It also seems insincere. I'm obedient out of love for him. It's easy.

Let his will be done regarding any reward he might have for me. His will is out of my control; and his will, will be done. Worrying about it will change nothing. If I lay down my life in love for him, with no care of what he will give me in return; then there is nothing to fear. He has already given me everything I have. Anything more is already more than I deserve.

Thank you so much for one of the most beautiful testimonies I've ever heard. Really. No tear-jerking drama--just a wonderful experience and object lesson.

This is a little crude but I once heard a sermon on this subject by Pastor Shawn Boonstra. It was quite some time ago and I've never reviewed it, so the only line that stuck in my head was this one:

"Why does it always have to be about squeezing our own filthy carcass through some crack in the pearly gate?"

 

[mlepfitjw]

Deleted

 

[Dovid / עבד ישוע ...דוד]

The christian seeks salvation through jesus & thats as far as they (usually) go.
jesus, jesus, we are saved by jesus

The Jew seeks salvation through Yeshua & once he accepts, the logical question is "whats next"

He is introduced to the 3x basic levels

The salvation
The salvation living in His land
The salvation living in His land with Him

Church dogma stops at the salvation,
Synagogue halacha never stops climbing higher

 

[Cshuffle777]

The christian seeks salvation through jesus & thats as far as they (usually) go.
jesus, jesus, we are saved by jesus

The Jew seeks salvation through Yeshua & once he accepts, the logical question is "whats next"

He is introduced to the 3x basic levels

The salvation
The salvation living in His land
The salvation living in His land with Him

Church dogma stops at the salvation,
Synagogue halacha never stops climbing higher

Thank you for participating.

 

[2nd_Birth]

I know for myself. It was when I came to that place of being broken, empty and not seeing any point in my life, no purpose. I was a broken vessel. Then I asked God "let me know who you are". I wasn't religious, I'm still not. I was ready to make that change. To stop living for myself and start living for God. I asked God for forgiveness and for Him to me my Lord and Saviour. Then I received the Holy Spirit baptism in my bedroom. I hadn't even been near a church and still don't attend a local church building as they all teach false doctrine and are not the true church. The true church are the called out ones, it's the people, rather than a building.

Like the apostle Paul said:
1Co 2:1 And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God.
1Co 2:2 For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.
1Co 2:3 And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling.
1Co 2:4 And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:
1Co 2:5 That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.

It's all about Jesus and accepting His sacrifice and fully repenting. Changing from following our own will to God's will, which is an ongoing process of sanctification in the word.
Eph 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
Eph 5:26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,

Living a new transformed life in Christ. Someone can be a bible expert and not know Christ. He calls all men everywhere to repent and beleive in their hearts.
Rom 10:10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

 

[Rusty6113]

These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God,” he wrote, “that you may know that you have eternal life” (1 John 5:13). Please notice John didn’t say that you can hope you have eternal life or wish you might find eternal life, or dream of perhaps inheriting eternal life. He said that you can know that you have eternal life. You can count on it.

Just a mustard seed of faith. Believing that we deserve to die. Im talking in the afterlife. We are rotten sinners and its pretty easy to see how the world is exactly the same. Things are bad, Christ is closer to us that ever before. What hope to do we have? We have Jesus Christ who died so we do not have to if we have faith. He left us the blueprints on how to live a Christ-like life. BUT does that ,ean since we are saved that life will be easy? Certainly not. We will sin, we will fall, we will backslide, but the salvation through Christ has our back so to speak.

I dont know about you, but when i am not getting my fuel through the Word, giving selfish prayers, partying, I FEEL the conviction from Him. Ive fallen so many times bc this world is sin. The wages of sin is Death and our only hope is Jesus. When I start to ignore the Lord and try to male all these plans on my own, things dont work to well. But are Christians supposed to have a wonderful life on earth? I dont think so. Jesus surely didnt have the greatest time. I think most Christians realize that we have to live the pain Christ did to truly see things differently. Coming out a trial you never thought you could, while keeping the faith as best you could the whole time, is a feeling like DUH, I underestimated Christ and let satan whisper in ear while i was down. Once that trial is over, Glorify Him!

I think that most Christian can look back at their lives and see portions that made no sense. These are miracles. Being saved is the only Hope we have. I fall, I get depressed, people will always let you down, I feel 90% of the churches out there are backwards, but my personal relationship with Him is the key.

Christ is love and he wants us to be happy. Just keep the faith and remember who are we to know the thoughts of God?

 

[eleos1954]

Just a mustard seed of faith. Believing that we deserve to die. Im talking in the afterlife. We are rotten sinners and its pretty easy to see how the world is exactly the same. Things are bad, Christ is closer to us that ever before. What hope to do we have? We have Jesus Christ who died so we do not have to if we have faith. He left us the blueprints on how to live a Christ-like life. BUT does that ,ean since we are saved that life will be easy? Certainly not. We will sin, we will fall, we will backslide, but the salvation through Christ has our back so to speak.

I dont know about you, but when i am not getting my fuel through the Word, giving selfish prayers, partying, I FEEL the conviction from Him. Ive fallen so many times bc this world is sin. The wages of sin is Death and our only hope is Jesus. When I start to ignore the Lord and try to male all these plans on my own, things dont work to well. But are Christians supposed to have a wonderful life on earth? I dont think so. Jesus surely didnt have the greatest time. I think most Christians realize that we have to live the pain Christ did to truly see things differently. Coming out a trial you never thought you could, while keeping the faith as best you could the whole time, is a feeling like DUH, I underestimated Christ and let satan whisper in ear while i was down. Once that trial is over, Glorify Him!

I think that most Christian can look back at their lives and see portions that made no sense. These are miracles. Being saved is the only Hope we have. I fall, I get depressed, people will always let you down, I feel 90% of the churches out there are backwards, but my personal relationship with Him is the key.

Christ is love and he wants us to be happy. Just keep the faith and remember who are we to know the thoughts of God?

I die daily my friend ;o) Yes, each of us are individually accountable and it is about our individual relationship with Him ... and Amen ;o) Thank you Jesus!

 

[Rusty6113]

I die daily my friend ;o) Yes, each of us are individually accountable and it is about our individual relationship with Him ... and Amen ;o) Thank you Jesus!

Exactly.I think no matter how bad the world is getting, its obvious Christ has something BIG going down. But Amen, It does all come down to our personal relationship with HIm.

 

[Unqualified]

Amen brother @Cshuffle777 . I want to be redeemed to and go to heaven.

 

[Hospes]

(Note: See updated area.)
But how much can a person want to be saved until they are (update)--->crossing over into selfish territory?

I don't think you can desire salvation too much. And how can you desire to be saved at all and not be selfish? C. S. Lewis makes a great point in The Weight of Glory. Here is a bit from it:

Indeed, if we consider the unblushing promises of reward and the staggering nature of the
rewards promised in the Gospels, it would seem that Our Lord finds our desires, not too strong,
but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when
infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum
because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too
easily pleased.