I'm about to fall apart...

[Always in His Presence]

I would love to accept a free gift of salvation, but from what I read in the Bible it is not a free gift. You gotta bring something to the table and that is repentance.

Did you read the verses I quoted, or are you just stuck on that?

 

[Jefell]

Shake yourself. GOD is a concious being. We are among Him. Your sins seperate you from GOD. Jesus lived a sinless life and died so that Your sins may be forgiven. You accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior, repent of your sins.. YOU ARE SAVED. The rest of your life is to be enjoyed.. PRAISE THE LORD!

Jn 10:10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they mayhavelife, and have it to the full

Thank you Jesus for being the gate! Thank you father for this Glorious & Gracious Gift of Life.


Take your focus off the world and enjoy what is around you.. make what is around you better... make it beautiful.. make it glorious and enjoy every moment of it. God Blesses You Abundantly!


With Love,
- Jefell


getshook .com

 

[LilLamb219]

I've been taught that if you willfully sin, but don't repent, you will be judged. It says it in the Bible.

It's true ...and it's Law talk.

Hasn't anyone ever given you the Good News????

Did you know that repentance is a gift from God?

From reading your postings, it seems as if you haven't really heard about what happened at the cross! We're reconciled to God! Jesus died in our place at the cross and our sins are forgiven.

You're adding repentance as a demand for salvation, instead of seeing it through a biblical lens of which God uses His Law which is holy and good to show us our sin and see our need for a savior. The Law brings us to contrition...but we shouldn't be left there! Thank God we have the Gospel which transforms us, gives us faith to believe and this faith is the second part of repentance.

You're so overburdened by the Law that you need to really talk with someone in person about what the Gospel truly is. It will bring you the comfort you're seeking.

 

[FaithfulWife]

I would love to accept a free gift of salvation, but from what I read in the Bible it is not a free gift. You gotta bring something to the table and that is repentance.

Spidey~

I've read through your thread and it seems to me two things: 1) people are not answering your root question, and 2) there are some terms that are being used that are being confused and intermingled together that may be SIMILAR but are not the same. If you don't mind let's start with the second issue--is that okay?

First, you say that you've read the bible and it appears or seems to you that God does not accept you and only wants

...good people who keep his commandments and repent for their sins.

That it seems to you that God

...turns from you because you sin too much, a God who somehow wants you to love him even with the ridiculous requirements put on you in order to not eternally suffer.

Further,that you don't see a loving and forgiving God in the bible but rather

...The God that says if you sin and don't repent you will be judged. The God who can't hear me because of my sins. The God who only considers me a son if I just completely live for him.

Here's where some of those "terms" are being confused and mixed together--used as if they are synonyms when they are similar but not the same.

The whole ENTIRE Bible taken all together is the whole history of the salvation story. It is not meant to be Old Testament without New, nor New Testament without Old. If you focus so hard on the New Testament and don't understand the Old, it won't make sense to you and vice versa because you're only looking at half the story! Soooo...let's start with defining a few terms and proceed.

The first term I would define is "Justice" and here's why. Our God, YHWH-Jehovah-the Father, is a JUST God. He requires justice. So what does that mean? Justice is the administering of deserved punishment or reward. In our instance, when we were first created we (human beings) were in perfect harmony with God. Then they disobeyed and that harmony was broken--sin was introduced to the world. Once that occurred, our God is a JUST God so He had to administer the deserved punishment or reward.

Another term I would define is "Sin" and here's why. People talk about sin as if it were "not following the rules correctly." Sin is transgression of the divine law--so if God says something is a sin, it just IS. Now, I think back in the Garden of Eden days they knew God or knew of God well enough to know what He considered sin. Eventually as people moved further from Him, the need arose to write it down and say out loud that THIS was the way God wanted us to behave, and THAT was not! So it was defined a bit more. But even then, when people had it written right down for them, the problem was not "Hey if you guys do this stuff you'll be alright and get to heaven". NOPE!

Here's the thing. Once sin was introduced, we deserved hell. Period. End of sentence. There was no "good deeds" or right living or anything that could make any of us ever "earn" our way to God's presence. The JUST penalty/reward for our choice to SIN was eternal separation from God!! If we were perfect for our whole life and only did one teeny, tiny sin....we're done! So you know how people think adultery is a "big" sin and worse than say lying or swearing? Nope. Sin is sin is sin--we all do it--and each and every single one of us rightly deserves the justice of eternal separation from God.

This is some of the stuff you see in the Old Testament--where God is acting JUSTLY...giving people what they righteously deserve because of their sin. Sometimes it seems pretty cruel back then, and some things that occur now seem pretty cruel, but the main focus and point and thing to remember is that what we DESERVE is the punishment.

Also in the Old Testament you see a lot of instances where God will directly lay out for people "this kind of behavior pleases me" and "that pleases me"--and they sort of look like rules. Those rules are not given to us to actually attain perfection and somehow "earn" our way to God. They were given to us to point out just how HOPELESSLY SINFUL we really are! No one can live by all those rules, perfectly, for their whole life! Even me!! I have lied, cheated, stole, been sexually impure, been angry and abusive, been selfish, wanted to win and beat the other guy--and because of those things I personally JUSTLY DESERVE to go to hell.

But you know what is also in the Old Testament? A weird, old concept called propitiation. Propitiation is an atonement that renders something favorable. Propitiation is the act of appeasing the wrath; specifically it is the effects of the shedding of blood to appease the divine justice and conciliate divine favor. Another way to think of this word is like "covering." In the Old Testament the folks were sinful and had no way to get to God's presence (unlike we do now) so God gave them the imagery, illustration, analagy of sacrificing a lamb and the high priest would carry the blood of that sacrifice and sprinkle on the mercy seat (which is where the presence of God was). The idea, even way back then, was for the people to realize that on their own, they just could not be reconciled to God--that reconciliation required some BLOOD to be spilled.

I say that you can think of the word as "covering" because our JUST God required a sacrifice, and Christ became our substitute and assumed our obligations--he covered our sins by the punishment and death that he endured on our behalf. So when God looks at us, He does not see the sins that rightly separate us from Him for eternity. Our sins are "covered" by the sacrificial death of Christ. God looks at us and we are covered in the cloak of Christ's atonement and we are pardoned. And the beauty is that since God is a JUST God, He see that payment and it becomes consistent with His JUST character to pardon and bless the sinner. It doesn't procure His love or make Him loving--it renders it consistent for Him to exercise His love toward sinners.

The things you are confusing are the times when God said "these are the types of behaviors that please me" and that somehow we can do those things to "earn" our salvation. Or that if we don't do them, we "earn" salvation by being sorry at least! Nope. There is NOTHING we can do to participate in this. We don't come to God "sorry" or "perfect." HE COMES TO US. HE DID ALL THE WORK. IT IS ALL HIM. He is consistently JUST. In order to be in His presence eternally, there has to be NO SIN. We (human beings) chose to sin and we live sinfully. We deserve the JUST punishment for our choice. ~BUT~ God gave us the image/illustration that in order to be reconciled with Him, blood had to be spilled. Christ came to earth to live sinlessly. He actually deserved to be in God's eternal presence because He had no sin! And in that perfect, sinless state He willingly took on our obligation and paid the debt! See how that all works together? The mortgage of our sin was eternal bankruptcy, and instead Christ came along and paid the debt for us...and now God looks at our bank account and sees Christ's payment! WE did not do anything to deserve that payment or make any payments on our own. It was all 100% Christ.

Now Spidey, in your specific instance you say that you know you are sinful. You want to beat the guy in grappling and don't feel repentance for wanting to win. You lied and sometimes you apologized but other times you didn't and you aren't repentant. That's fine!! God is not saying "Hey you guys do THIS and I'll do THAT, and you'll get your way here." Nope! He says, "You guys can't be here, but I love you and I'm willing to do ALL THE WORK TO GET YOU HERE." And He did. The work is done and you have a way to God's presence--through the saving death of Christ.

The question now is this. Do you accept that this is true? If you do accept it and believe it, then you ARE saved even if you don't particularly "feel" some emotional or spiritual high. The fact is, the payment has been made! If you accept this, then God sees YOU as covered even when you come exactly as you are. The next step is to start learning about God and what pleases him. And now do you see how this comes full circle? In both the Old and New Testaments God has given us pretty specific details about what does and does not please Him. He has told us a WHOLE LOT about himself and what he likes and doesn't like and how he'd like to have his people live. I know we can't live that life perfectly, but the resulting response to learning that Christ has paid the price for us is to personally get to know God--intimately. This is why oftentimes people will "become a christian" and start to attend church, read their bible, and pray because the idea is that you would get to know God better by doing these things. In real life, we are humans and very fallible and sometimes churches are gossip-mills--reading the Bible is misinterpreted--and praying is by "ritual" rather than really talking to Him.

Sooooo...is any of this making more sense? Got any questions?

 

[gabrielListens]

I used to train in the martial arts. I understand your drive to be competitive. You must understand that it is actually a spirit of jealousy that is making you crazy. You want your skills to be better than those who can beat you, or at least those who you feel you canbeat with some training but that is not the way of Christ. Jealousy is one of the seven deadly sins. Its alright to want to be better than those who have more skill but you must not let that desire take control over you. You must learn to be patient and humble. Patient with yourself and humble to the fact that there are others who can beat you even if you don't like it. The most important thing is to not let your desire control you. The only thing controlling you should be YOU and the Holy Spirit that dwells inside you. Christ's ways (in the gospels) should also be what is guiding your life.

The bible itself says not to compare ourselves with others but instead to work on ourselves and make ourselves better without comparing ourselves with others. I know you can adopt that attitude in martial arts as well. It will take patience and humility but it is whats right if you want to please God. Please read the following scripture. I think it explains better what I am talking about...



Galatians 6:4-8 (New Living Translation)

Be sure to do what you should, for then you will enjoy the personal satisfaction of having done your work well, and you won't need to compare yourself to anyone else. For we are each responsible for our own conduct.
Those who are taught the word of God should help their teachers by paying them.
Don't be misled. Remember that you can't ignore God and get away with it. You will always reap what you sow!
Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful desires will harvest the consequences of decay and death. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit.

 

[Elijah2]

I don't know if I've been born again. I thought that was something only God could grant you.

Peter, to be born-again, is to give your life to our Lord Jesus Christ, and renew your mind through the Gift of Salvation.

It's impossible to renew your mind if you are involved in martial arts. The Holy Spirit is struggling to lead and guide you because the deities that are involved with martial arts are not of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Now, I don't intend to get into a debate about whether martial arts is okay just because you attach Christian onto it. But, your problem is spiritual, no more, no less.

If you want to dabble in another relgion's religious practices, such as martial arts, then you will be confused and in doubt all the time.

There is much written on the falacies that some Christians push in regards to martial arts, and particularly those Christians who teach it.

Now you know as well as I do that martial art techniques are based on the concepts of Ch'i, which is one's life force of breath. There are many philosophies that comes from the East. I can assure you that you are not breathing in the Holy Spirit.

Now you know as well as I know that you are taught through breathing techniqus so you can project this "force" out side of your body in order to INJURE your assialants, it's not an art of defence.

You then become deceived that you are in control of a "special power". Well Pete, you special power isn't the HOLY SPIRIT, but another relgion's deity.

Now remember that our Lord Jesus Christ didn't use psychic powers to perform HIS miracles, it was the power of GOD, His Heavenly Father, working with and through HIM by faith.

The power feats that you experience, to a discerning Bible student, is none other than Satan and his forces of "unclean/unholy spirits" from the kingdom of darkness.

Be blessed in Jesus' Name.

 

[JEBofChristTheLord]

It sounds to me that you bring quite a substantial repentance to the table!

Peter, there is only one item I could see possibly missing in your guidance so far; so far, I could not see that you have been urged to talk directly to God, person to Person, and ask Him to give you the sense of acceptance that you need. If you do this, He will give it to you, and will lead you to next steps.

J.E.B.

 

[peterparker]

Peter, to be born-again, is to give your life to our Lord Jesus Christ, and renew your mind through the Gift of Salvation.

It's impossible to renew your mind if you are involved in martial arts. The Holy Spirit is struggling to lead and guide you because the deities that are involved with martial arts are not of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Now, I don't intend to get into a debate about whether martial arts is okay just because you attach Christian onto it. But, your problem is spiritual, no more, no less.

If you want to dabble in another relgion's religious practices, such as martial arts, then you will be confused and in doubt all the time.

There is much written on the falacies that some Christians push in regards to martial arts, and particularly those Christians who teach it.

Now you know as well as I do that martial art techniques are based on the concepts of Ch'i, which is one's life force of breath. There are many philosophies that comes from the East. I can assure you that you are not breathing in the Holy Spirit.

Now you know as well as I know that you are taught through breathing techniqus so you can project this "force" out side of your body in order to INJURE your assialants, it's not an art of defence.

You then become deceived that you are in control of a "special power". Well Pete, you special power isn't the HOLY SPIRIT, but another relgion's deity.

Now remember that our Lord Jesus Christ didn't use psychic powers to perform HIS miracles, it was the power of GOD, His Heavenly Father, working with and through HIM by faith.

The power feats that you experience, to a discerning Bible student, is none other than Satan and his forces of "unclean/unholy spirits" from the kingdom of darkness.

Be blessed in Jesus' Name.

Ummm... you might be seriously misinformed about the "martial arts" I practice. There are no spirits, or Ch'i, or supernatural forces involved. Just push ups, sit ups, and technique. Let me just ask you this, do you consider football or soccer to be sinful?

 

[peterparker]

Spidey~

I've read through your thread and it seems to me two things: 1) people are not answering your root question, and 2) there are some terms that are being used that are being confused and intermingled together that may be SIMILAR but are not the same. If you don't mind let's start with the second issue--is that okay?

First, you say that you've read the bible and it appears or seems to you that God does not accept you and only wants That it seems to you that God Further,that you don't see a loving and forgiving God in the bible but rather Here's where some of those "terms" are being confused and mixed together--used as if they are synonyms when they are similar but not the same.

The whole ENTIRE Bible taken all together is the whole history of the salvation story. It is not meant to be Old Testament without New, nor New Testament without Old. If you focus so hard on the New Testament and don't understand the Old, it won't make sense to you and vice versa because you're only looking at half the story! Soooo...let's start with defining a few terms and proceed.

The first term I would define is "Justice" and here's why. Our God, YHWH-Jehovah-the Father, is a JUST God. He requires justice. So what does that mean? Justice is the administering of deserved punishment or reward. In our instance, when we were first created we (human beings) were in perfect harmony with God. Then they disobeyed and that harmony was broken--sin was introduced to the world. Once that occurred, our God is a JUST God so He had to administer the deserved punishment or reward.

Another term I would define is "Sin" and here's why. People talk about sin as if it were "not following the rules correctly." Sin is transgression of the divine law--so if God says something is a sin, it just IS. Now, I think back in the Garden of Eden days they knew God or knew of God well enough to know what He considered sin. Eventually as people moved further from Him, the need arose to write it down and say out loud that THIS was the way God wanted us to behave, and THAT was not! So it was defined a bit more. But even then, when people had it written right down for them, the problem was not "Hey if you guys do this stuff you'll be alright and get to heaven". NOPE!

Here's the thing. Once sin was introduced, we deserved hell. Period. End of sentence. There was no "good deeds" or right living or anything that could make any of us ever "earn" our way to God's presence. The JUST penalty/reward for our choice to SIN was eternal separation from God!! If we were perfect for our whole life and only did one teeny, tiny sin....we're done! So you know how people think adultery is a "big" sin and worse than say lying or swearing? Nope. Sin is sin is sin--we all do it--and each and every single one of us rightly deserves the justice of eternal separation from God.

This is some of the stuff you see in the Old Testament--where God is acting JUSTLY...giving people what they righteously deserve because of their sin. Sometimes it seems pretty cruel back then, and some things that occur now seem pretty cruel, but the main focus and point and thing to remember is that what we DESERVE is the punishment.

Also in the Old Testament you see a lot of instances where God will directly lay out for people "this kind of behavior pleases me" and "that pleases me"--and they sort of look like rules. Those rules are not given to us to actually attain perfection and somehow "earn" our way to God. They were given to us to point out just how HOPELESSLY SINFUL we really are! No one can live by all those rules, perfectly, for their whole life! Even me!! I have lied, cheated, stole, been sexually impure, been angry and abusive, been selfish, wanted to win and beat the other guy--and because of those things I personally JUSTLY DESERVE to go to hell.

But you know what is also in the Old Testament? A weird, old concept called propitiation. Propitiation is an atonement that renders something favorable. Propitiation is the act of appeasing the wrath; specifically it is the effects of the shedding of blood to appease the divine justice and conciliate divine favor. Another way to think of this word is like "covering." In the Old Testament the folks were sinful and had no way to get to God's presence (unlike we do now) so God gave them the imagery, illustration, analagy of sacrificing a lamb and the high priest would carry the blood of that sacrifice and sprinkle on the mercy seat (which is where the presence of God was). The idea, even way back then, was for the people to realize that on their own, they just could not be reconciled to God--that reconciliation required some BLOOD to be spilled.

I say that you can think of the word as "covering" because our JUST God required a sacrifice, and Christ became our substitute and assumed our obligations--he covered our sins by the punishment and death that he endured on our behalf. So when God looks at us, He does not see the sins that rightly separate us from Him for eternity. Our sins are "covered" by the sacrificial death of Christ. God looks at us and we are covered in the cloak of Christ's atonement and we are pardoned. And the beauty is that since God is a JUST God, He see that payment and it becomes consistent with His JUST character to pardon and bless the sinner. It doesn't procure His love or make Him loving--it renders it consistent for Him to exercise His love toward sinners.

The things you are confusing are the times when God said "these are the types of behaviors that please me" and that somehow we can do those things to "earn" our salvation. Or that if we don't do them, we "earn" salvation by being sorry at least! Nope. There is NOTHING we can do to participate in this. We don't come to God "sorry" or "perfect." HE COMES TO US. HE DID ALL THE WORK. IT IS ALL HIM. He is consistently JUST. In order to be in His presence eternally, there has to be NO SIN. We (human beings) chose to sin and we live sinfully. We deserve the JUST punishment for our choice. ~BUT~ God gave us the image/illustration that in order to be reconciled with Him, blood had to be spilled. Christ came to earth to live sinlessly. He actually deserved to be in God's eternal presence because He had no sin! And in that perfect, sinless state He willingly took on our obligation and paid the debt! See how that all works together? The mortgage of our sin was eternal bankruptcy, and instead Christ came along and paid the debt for us...and now God looks at our bank account and sees Christ's payment! WE did not do anything to deserve that payment or make any payments on our own. It was all 100% Christ.

Now Spidey, in your specific instance you say that you know you are sinful. You want to beat the guy in grappling and don't feel repentance for wanting to win. You lied and sometimes you apologized but other times you didn't and you aren't repentant. That's fine!! God is not saying "Hey you guys do THIS and I'll do THAT, and you'll get your way here." Nope! He says, "You guys can't be here, but I love you and I'm willing to do ALL THE WORK TO GET YOU HERE." And He did. The work is done and you have a way to God's presence--through the saving death of Christ.

The question now is this. Do you accept that this is true? If you do accept it and believe it, then you ARE saved even if you don't particularly "feel" some emotional or spiritual high. The fact is, the payment has been made! If you accept this, then God sees YOU as covered even when you come exactly as you are. The next step is to start learning about God and what pleases him. And now do you see how this comes full circle? In both the Old and New Testaments God has given us pretty specific details about what does and does not please Him. He has told us a WHOLE LOT about himself and what he likes and doesn't like and how he'd like to have his people live. I know we can't live that life perfectly, but the resulting response to learning that Christ has paid the price for us is to personally get to know God--intimately. This is why oftentimes people will "become a christian" and start to attend church, read their bible, and pray because the idea is that you would get to know God better by doing these things. In real life, we are humans and very fallible and sometimes churches are gossip-mills--reading the Bible is misinterpreted--and praying is by "ritual" rather than really talking to Him.

Sooooo...is any of this making more sense? Got any questions?

Somewhat. What if I accept Christ, but don't want to go to church or read the Bible, did I still get the free gift of salvation? In all honesty if God said "look you've accepted Christ, you're saved. Now just do me a favor and try your best to learn about me, and make some progress in your life". Well, I'd soil my pants from happiness. What kills me is thinking I have to reach this insane bar where I'm repenting from every sin I willfully commit, in order to get salvation. And it does say that in the Bible. The passage doesn't say to repent for some sins you commit willfully, or repent for most sins you commit willfully, it says repent for sins you willfully commit. Period. As in all.....

And if repentance is a gift from God... well, I guess I'm afraid God won't give me that gift, or I won't do enough to earn that gift.

 

[peterparker]

It sounds to me that you bring quite a substantial repentance to the table!

Peter, there is only one item I could see possibly missing in your guidance so far; so far, I could not see that you have been urged to talk directly to God, person to Person, and ask Him to give you the sense of acceptance that you need. If you do this, He will give it to you, and will lead you to next steps.

J.E.B.

Yes Jonathan, I talk to god, and ask for mercy all the time. I'm always asking for signs to answer my questions too.

 

[FaithfulWife]

Somewhat. What if I accept Christ, but don't want to go to church or read the Bible, did I still get the free gift of salvation?

Spidey~ The good news of God's salvation is not based on what you can or can not do, how you do or do not act, or any kind of outside thing that you do. For example, I personally know many people who attend church every Sunday, say the rituals in the right order, wear no makeup and skirts at or below the knee, who never swear, etc. and live by all these external "rules" but who I'm fairly confident never understood the free gift of God's salvation. Their external behavior may seem or appear to be "christian" but internally they are rotten to the core, self-important, self-righteous, and hypocrites just like the Pharisees of Christ's day. The free gift of God's salvation is not in any way, shape or form based on anything we do--this is why I specifically choose the word "GIFT"--because we don't deserve it and it is just given to us. In Matthew 7:21-23 it says:
21"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' 23Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'

In all honesty if God said "look you've accepted Christ, you're saved. Now just do me a favor and try your best to learn about me, and make some progress in your life". Well, I'd soil my pants from happiness.

Just to be clear, I am not saying that all you have to do is say, "Okay cool--I accept the free gift of salvation! Thanks!" and then you are completely free to do any sin you want cuz you have the "get out of jail free" card. Nope! Actually the Apostle Paul addressed this in the book of Romans 6:15-18:
15What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! 16Don't you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? 17But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted. 18You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.

What kills me is thinking I have to reach this insane bar where I'm repenting from every sin I willfully commit, in order to get salvation. And it does say that in the Bible. The passage doesn't say to repent for some sins you commit willfully, or repent for most sins you commit willfully, it says repent for sins you willfully commit. Period. As in all.....

Now Spidey, let me give you an analogy that I think might help you envision this a little differently. It sounds to me as if you are not fighting the idea that people are sinful, and that because of that sin, we justly deserve eternal separation from God. Look at Romans 5:18-21. That part makes some sense to you it sounds like. It sounds like the part that's confusing you is how salvation works and then where "good works" and "the law" come into the picture. Here's the analogy.

Before salvation, you are wandering around spiritually dead. Because you are a sinful being you are separated from God and at enmity with God--like hostile. You do what your nature desires, do not submit to God's will, and can not do God's will...plus you have no desire to do so! Once the gift of salvation is offered to you and the spirit of God works in you...you accept it, you are spiritually alive! You are no longer separated from God and no longer a dead guy but ALIVE. This is why some people call it being "born again" because on my birthday I was physically born, and the day that I accepted the free gift of salvation, I was spiritually born (see? "born again"...). At that point you are alive in spirit, and that spirit craves food. It is from being spiritually born that you begin to do what God desires, submit to God's will, and gradually learn to do God's will. You want to! You want to do the things that please Him and avoid the things that don't, and so THAT is when you start to want to do the "good works" and live by the laws that God has laid out as pleasing Him.

Does that make sense?

And if repentance is a gift from God... well, I guess I'm afraid God won't give me that gift, or I won't do enough to earn that gift.

Ah~ See, there's that "earn" thing again. You can't earn it and neither can I. We are hopeless. Our sin had made us DEAD to God and there is no way we can "earn" asking Him for the gift. It is completely out of our hands and up to Him to do all the work and hand it to us if He wants to. And thankfully He DOES want to! Thankfully, He did all the work in our place where we were helpless.

Soooooo....anymore questions?

 

[peterparker]

I got it. You really explained it nicely, and I guess it was in part what I was afraid of. While salvation is a free gift, not everyone is given this gift. I don't think I have been given this then. I want to do some of God's will because I've seen the consequences of going against it, but in many things I want to be a normal guy. I really don't have a desire for the spiritual food. The only thing I have is a desire to not go to Hell, which is not repentance. I live Christianity by fear, and if God said I never had to attend church or read the Bible and I'd still be saved I'd be happy.

So what do I do now? I've asked God for salvation. I've worked (somewhat), and suffered trying to get to God. I've prayed to Jesus and have asked him for mercy. But it's not in me. So what do I do now? Sit around and wait to see if God wants to save me? Keep trying to fulfill repentance through fear (on my own)? Why has God not chosen me?

One other thing, even though the holy spirit has not come into me, and I guess technically I'm not saved, does God still love me, and listen to me?

Man, this is going to be tough. Before I thought that through it all maybe, just maybe, it was all ok, God had me covered. Through all the pain and suffering it would all be ok. Even though God might not have me in his plans is there a possibility he could still grant me a death without Hell? Like to just die like an animal (just nothingness)?

 

[Johnnz]

God is not willing that any should perish, so why would he want to exclude you?

Salvation is about becoming more human, not less. It is not some mystical, ascetic pilgrimage. You really have been given some odd teaching.

John
NZ

 

[sesantek]

God does not hate you because of your sin . He only hates the sin. I want you to know something. He who is born of GOD has no sin. Please begin to live this TRUTH.
Stop condemning yourself when you get it wrong. Go to Him and be sincere. You should ask the Holyspirit to help you always. That is HIs role in your life.
sesan

 

[Jefell]

If you are being honest with GOD, worry not.. He knows your heart and He will not let you fall... He puts us ALL through things to become who we are supposed to be.. our troubles are used to shape us and prepare us for eternity.

Malachi 3:3 says: 'He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver.' This verse puzzled some people in a Bible study and they wondered what this statement meant about the character and nature of God. One of the women offered to find out the process of refining silver and get back to the group at their next Bible Study. That week, she called a silversmith and made an appointment to watch him at work. She didn't mention anything about the reason for her interest beyond our curiosity about the process of refining Silver. As she watched the silversmith, he held a piece of silver over the fire and let it heat up. He explained that in refining silver, one needed to hold the silver in the middle of the fire where the flames were hottest as to burn away all the impurities. The woman said she thought about God holding us in such a hot spot; then she thought again about the verse that says: 'He sits as a refiner and purifier of silver.' She asked the silversmith if it was true that he had to sit there in front of the fire the whole time. The man answered that yes, he not only had to sit there holding the silver, but he had to keep his eyes on the silver the entire time it was in the fire. If the silver was left a moment too long in the flames, it would be destroyed. The woman was silent for a moment. Then she asked the silversmith, 'How do you know when the silver is fully refined?' He smiled at her and answered, 'Oh, that's easy -- when I see my image in it.' If today you are feeling the heat of the fire , remember that God has his eye on you and will keep watching you until He sees His image in you. This very moment, someone needs to know that God is watching over them and, know whatever they're going through, they'll be better in the end. Let God work. "Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer." -Ro12:12 'Life is a coin. You can spend it anyway you wish, but you can only spend it once.'


God is Good, God is Love, God is Truth. - Jesus is the Gate.


His plan is perfect.. Trust, Love & Do Good.

With Love,
-Jefell

getshook .com

 

[JEBofChristTheLord]

I would suggest that instead of asking for signs for you to interpret, you should ask Him to change your very soul, towards Him.

And mercy He gives you: this is why both of us are suffering very little, because of His mercy. But have you asked Him to change you in such a way that you feel the mercy He has already been delivering to you in tremendous measure?

J.E.B.

 

[hsilgne]

While salvation is a free gift, not everyone is given this gift. I don't think I have been given this then.

Everyone is offered the gift of salvation. Not everyone accepts it however.

 

[peterparker]

Thanks alot guys. I guess I have much to think about.

 

[crossinfocus]

First, you are not alone. Many struggle with these things that you have been so honest about. Second, God can take your honesty (look at david in the psalms and how he pours his heart out to God). Third, you are in a spiritual war and there are two sides to the battle. The war will not end until e cross over .. it is the enemy that is filling you with thoughts of God not loving and accepting you.

The answer = Abide (cling) in Jesus and the love he has for you. It is real!!!!!