New Christian

[Robert Sanders]

Thank you all for your replies.

 

[Robert Sanders]

Saying you should decide implies that you know what's best. This is not a humble position to work from.

How about this: Are you willing to let God define who He is and what His plan is for you for Himself? Real, authentic Christianity is revelatory. That means Father God Himself will reveal His truth into your heart if you humbly present an open mind to Him.

It's good that you're reading the Bible, as that is the standard which will anchor us intellectually, because God won't reveal things that are contrary to what's in the Bible. The more we spend time in His Word, the more He can reveal truth clearly to your heart. This must be coupled with prayer time with Him, though, as it is the Spirit of truth that brings understanding.

Seek His face, and He will teach you and reveal truth straight into your heart. Isn't that neat? There is no middle-man, perse, between you and God but Jesus Christ. And He made it so you can straight to Father God's throne for everything you need including wisdom and understanding.

How do you feel about Philippians 2:12 regarding
this you have said to me? I would like to know what you think?

 

[Robert Sanders]

I am here to defend a Reformed Baptist view of the faith.

What is the difference between a Reformed Baptist and a Baptist?

 

[All Souls]

What is the difference between a Reformed Baptist and a Baptist?

Baptist denotes a position on baptism, namely the baptism of professing believers only. Within this group there is a wide spectrum of theological beliefs, including those who hold to Reformed theology. These are so-called, Reformed Baptists and would subscribe to a Reformed Baptist Confession.

 

[Emmy]

Dear Robert Sanders. You had some good replies, and here is another one.
While you are looking around, you can at the same time, follow the good advice which Jesus gave the enquiring Lawyer. " The first and great Commandment is: Love God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. The second is like it: Love thy neighbour as thyself." Jesus pointed
out this great fact: On these two Commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets. Matthew 22: 35-40: God wants our Love, freely given, and NO conditions tagged on.
We start by treating all we know and all we meet, treat them as we would love to be treated, with kindness and always friendly words. We will find that other people will treat us the same as we treat people. God will see our loving efforts, and God will approve and Bless us.
Matthew 7: 7-10: we are told: " ask and ye shall receive," we ask God for Love and Joy and thank God, then we share al Love and Joy with our neighbour: all we know and all we meet, friends and not friends. We keep asking God and thanking God, then we share all Love and Joy with all around us. We might stumble and forget, but then we ask God to forgive us, and
Carry On Loving and Caring. Love is a Christian`s great weapon, with love we
can overcome all anger and wrong behaviour. It might take a bit longer to get
people interested, but Love will always be the Victor. We will also find that Love is changing us slowly and surly, into the men and women which God our Heavenly Father wants us to become.
The Bible also tells us to "Repent," and to be " Born Again." Give up our selfishness and unloving, and become loving and caring, we will become different people. Jesus our Saviour, will help and guide us, JESUS IS THE WAY. Why not follow Christ`s advice and be a help in changing this imperfect World? I say this with love, Robert. Greetings from Emmy, you sister in Christ. P.S. I forgot to mention that Love is very catching.

 

[hedrick]

The most basic distinction among Christians is the primary source of authority.

For Catholics, Jesus founded the Church and passed it to the Apostles. We know God through the Church, and God guides it and prevents it from making fatal errors. Thus we can be confident in what the Church teaches.

For conservative Protestants, God speaks to us through his Word. From a practical point of view that is identical with the Scripture. Thus every part of Scripture is equally his word to us, and what it means to be a Christian comes from Scripture.

For liberal Protestants, God speaks to us through Jesus. Scripture is still an authority, because that’s how we know Jesus’ life and teaching, but Scripture is understood as a human record of God’s revelation, with different writers having different perspectives.

Liberal Protestants tend to look for the core lessons of Scripture, and to emphasize following the spirit of Jesus’ teachings, not the letter of every passage in Scripture.

Conservative Protestants tend to depend more upon parts of Scripture that liberals consider later Christian reactions to Jesus, because later books are often more explicit on questions that Jesus didn’t really deal with. They may also reject portions of science and scholarship, while liberals normally embrace every way in which we can know God’s world, understanding that this may not always agree with the opinions of the ancient writers.

Catholics, of course, depend upon Church tradition, as they see this as guided by God. The question is whether this tradition is always inspired, or whether it may include early Christian ideas that a direct look at Scritpure might not support as Jesus’ teaching. Catholic thought has one big advantage: Because of the hierarchical structure of the Church, they have ways of making definition decisions. Hence they don’t have the large range of competing voices that the Protestant traditions have.

I am a liberal Protestant, because I think that tradition most closely reflects Jesus’ actual intentions. Unfortunately we tend to suffer from the worst PR problem of any Christian group. We are portrayed as not having the courage to carry out what the Bible says. In fact the liberals I know are strongly committed to doing what Jesus wants. We think that the conservative Protestant tradition in key cases tends to give undeserved priority to the most extreme and atypical voices in the NT, and that Catholic tradition has slowly accumulated attitudes from the various cultures that developed it, which may not always reflect what Jesus would want.

 

[BornAgainBob]

I am in the process, of becoming a Christian.
I have been to several different churches and been
visiting Christian websites and forums on the Internet.
I have noticed that Christians believe many different things
among themselves. I myself are not completely clear just as
to how I believe on certain scriptures pertaining to the Bible.
I have come here to discuss with you the way you believe
and why you believe the way you do. I want to compare
your belief of the scriptures and the Bible, to the other
Christian denominations. Then I can decide for myself
which way I ought to believe.

Robert Sanders

I hear you!

 

[BornAgainBob]

Baptist denotes a position on baptism, namely the baptism of professing believers only. Within this group there is a wide spectrum of theological beliefs, including those who hold to Reformed theology.

How come the others don't want to be baptized??

 

[catholichomeschooler]

The most basic distinction among Christians is the primary source of authority.

For Catholics, Jesus founded the Church and passed it to the Apostles. We know God through the Church, and God guides it and prevents it from making fatal errors. Thus we can be confident in what the Church teaches.

For conservative Protestants, God speaks to us through his Word. From a practical point of view that is identical with the Scripture. Thus every part of Scripture is equally his word to us, and what it means to be a Christian comes from Scripture.

For liberal Protestants, God speaks to us through Jesus. Scripture is still an authority, because that’s how we know Jesus’ life and teaching, but Scripture is understood as a human record of God’s revelation, with different writers having different perspectives.

Liberal Protestants tend to look for the core lessons of Scripture, and to emphasize following the spirit of Jesus’ teachings, not the letter of every passage in Scripture.

Conservative Protestants tend to depend more upon parts of Scripture that liberals consider later Christian reactions to Jesus, because later books are often more explicit on questions that Jesus didn’t really deal with. They may also reject portions of science and scholarship, while liberals normally embrace every way in which we can know God’s world, understanding that this may not always agree with the opinions of the ancient writers.

Catholics, of course, depend upon Church tradition, as they see this as guided by God. The question is whether this tradition is always inspired, or whether it may include early Christian ideas that a direct look at Scritpure might not support as Jesus’ teaching. Catholic thought has one big advantage: Because of the hierarchical structure of the Church, they have ways of making definition decisions. Hence they don’t have the large range of competing voices that the Protestant traditions have.

I am a liberal Protestant, because I think that tradition most closely reflects Jesus’ actual intentions. Unfortunately we tend to suffer from the worst PR problem of any Christian group. We are portrayed as not having the courage to carry out what the Bible says. In fact the liberals I know are strongly committed to doing what Jesus wants. We think that the conservative Protestant tradition in key cases tends to give undeserved priority to the most extreme and atypical voices in the NT, and that Catholic tradition has slowly accumulated attitudes from the various cultures that developed it, which may not always reflect what Jesus would want.

I think this is a good summary. I would make one minor alteration. I believe Catholic culture is the sum of accumulated cultures, but Catholic Tradition(Big T tradition) is unchanging. Catholic doctrine comes from Jesus and the apostles and cannot be changed. Catholic disciplines and practices(small t traditions) can and do change over time and are influenced by the culture.

 

[Emmy]

Dear Robert Sanders. Jesus tells a Lawyer in Matthew 22: 35-40: " The first
and great Commandment is: Love God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. The second is like it: Love thy neighbour as thyself."
Jesus also tells us: " On these two Commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets." God wants our Love, freely given and NO conditions tagged on.
We start by treating all we know and all we meet, treat them as we would love to be treated, always kindly and with friendly words.
The Bible tells us: " Repent," and also: " Be Born Again." We have to change our selfishness into Love for God and for our neighbour. Matthew 7: 7-10:
tells us to " ask and ye shall receive," then we thank God and share all Love and Joy with our neighbour: all around us, and a friendly smile goes a long way. We keep asking God for Love and Joy, then thank God and share all Love and Joy with our neighbour. We might stumble and forget at times, but then we ask God to forgive us, and carry on loving and caring.
Love is a Christian`s strong weapon, with love we can overcome all enmity and wrong behaviour. Love is also very catching, and we could be sign-posts
to God. God is Love, and God wants loving sons and daughters.
Jesus our Saviour will help and guide us, JESUS IS THE WAY.
Remember: " Ask and ye shall receive," this promise from Jesus will help us whenever we need it. In 1) Corinthians 13-13: Faith, Hope, and Love, these three; but the greatest of these is Love. I say this with love, Robert.
Greetings from Emmy, your sister in Christ.

 

[BornAgainBob]

Dear Robert Sanders. Jesus tells a Lawyer in Matthew 22: 35-40: " The first
and great Commandment is: Love God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. The second is like it: Love thy neighbour as thyself."
Jesus also tells us: " On these two Commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets." God wants our Love, freely given and NO conditions tagged on.
We start by treating all we know and all we meet, treat them as we would love to be treated, always kindly and with friendly words.
The Bible tells us: " Repent," and also: " Be Born Again." We have to change our selfishness into Love for God and for our neighbour. Matthew 7: 7-10:
tells us to " ask and ye shall receive," then we thank God and share all Love and Joy with our neighbour: all around us, and a friendly smile goes a long way. We keep asking God for Love and Joy, then thank God and share all Love and Joy with our neighbour. We might stumble and forget at times, but then we ask God to forgive us, and carry on loving and caring.
Love is a Christian`s strong weapon, with love we can overcome all enmity and wrong behaviour. Love is also very catching, and we could be sign-posts
to God. God is Love, and God wants loving sons and daughters.
Jesus our Saviour will help and guide us, JESUS IS THE WAY.
Remember: " Ask and ye shall receive," this promise from Jesus will help us whenever we need it. In 1) Corinthians 13-13: Faith, Hope, and Love, these three; but the greatest of these is Love. I say this with love, Robert.
Greetings from Emmy, your sister in Christ.

Did you get baptized?

 

[faroukfarouk]

Hi, Sir! John chapter 3, especially verse 16, contains such a lot of vital, Gospel truth.

 

[Bible2]

BornAgainBob asked in post 31:

Did you get baptized?

Good question. For in order to be saved ultimately, believers must get water-immersion (burial) baptized into Jesus' death for our sins (Mark 16:16; 1 Peter 3:21, Romans 6:3-11, Colossians 2:12, Galatians 3:27, Acts 2:38, Acts 22:16). If people believe with all their heart that Jesus Christ is the human/divine Son of God (Acts 8:37), they can get baptized anywhere there's water (Acts 8:36) into which they can be fully-immersed (buried) (Romans 6:3-11, Colossians 2:12). They need to make sure to be baptized in the name of God the Father, and of the Son, Jesus Christ, and of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19, Acts 2:38). Believers can get water-immersion baptized at, for example, a Baptist-type congregation.

Besides getting water baptized, believers can get Holy Spirit baptized (Acts 11:15-16, Acts 10:44-46). They usually have to ask to receive the Holy Spirit (Luke 11:13b) baptism, for it's usually not given to them automatically at the moment that they become believers. That's why Paul the apostle asked some believers: "Have ye received the Holy Spirit since ye believed?" (Acts 19:2).

Believers usually receive Holy Spirit baptism through prayer accompanied by the laying on of hands, subsequent to water baptism (Acts 8:15-17, Acts 19:5-6). Holy Spirit baptism won't result in speaking in tongues for everyone (1 Corinthians 12:30), but for almost everyone, as tongues are one of the Spirit's lesser gifts (1 Corinthians 12:8,9,10,11,28; 1 Corinthians 14:5). Many believers haven't yet experienced Holy Spirit baptism simply because they haven't yet asked for it, under the principle of "ye have not, because ye ask not" (James 4:2b). Many believers haven't yet asked for it because they have come under the influence of mistaken teachings which say that it's no longer in effect. Believers can get hands laid on them to receive Holy Spirit baptism at any Pentecostal-type congregation, or at any charismatic-type congregation, which can be of almost any denomination.

 

[Emmy]

Dear New Christian. You had many helpful suggestions, may I join?
In Luke 10: 25-28: Jesus is asked: " Master, what must I do to inherit Eternal Life?" Jesus answered: " You know the two Commandments to
Love God with heart, soul, and mind, also: love your neighbour as yourself?"
DO THIS AND YOU SHALL LIVE. Jesus also told us in Matthew: " On these two Commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets." God is Love, and love is very important. In Matthew 7: 7-10: we are told: " ask and ye shall receive,"
then we thank God and share all Love and Joy with our neighbour: all we know and all we meet, friends and not friends, Keep asking for Love and Joy,
then thank God, and share all Love and Joy. Love is a Christian`s strong weapon,, with love we will overcome all enmity and wrong behaviour.
The Bible tells us: " Repent," and be " Born Again," let us leave all selfish wants and wishes, and change into the loving and joyful sons and daughters,
which God wants us to be. God will see, and God will Bless you, Love is very catching, and we will find that the people around us, will treat us the same as we treat people. We might stumble and forget at times, but then we ask God
to forgive us, and carry on loving and caring.
Jesus our Saviour will help and guide us: JESUS IS THE WAY. Let us show this imperfect world what Love can, and will do.
I say this with love, New Christian. Greetings from Emmy, your sister in Christ.

 

[Emmy]

Dear Born Again Bob. I have lost the Message where you asked:
Were you baptised? Yes, I was baptised once as a Baby, and twice
baptised with the Holy Spirit: once in Church, and once in the
Salvation-Army. I am a Salvationist, and live in retirement.
Perhaps a kind Mod? will find your question, and give my answer.
I say this with love, and send greetings. Emmy, your sister in Christ.

 

[Harry3142]

Robert-

I personally accept that our salvation is only attainable through our accepting it exactly as God offers it, namely, as a free gift, totally unearned and undeserved, yet available to all through God's compassion toward us:

Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin.

But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished - he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus. (Romans 3:19-26,NIV)

The logical result of our accepting this salvation would be our obeying every law of God. But mankind is far from logical. St. Paul himself described the insurmountable obstacle he encountered when he tried to keep the law:

We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do, I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do - this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.

So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God's law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God - through Jesus Christ our Lord! (Romans 7:14-25a,NIV)

2,000 years after St. Paul wrote this passage psychologists came to the realization that he had described a flaw that exists in the psyche of every human being. They then gave it a name: it's called 'paradoxical intention'. What it 'boils down to' is our total inability to succeed in doing anything that we try to do. Either we perform the actions naturally, or we fail to perform them at all. There's even a saying which describes this paradoxical intention: "The harder you try, the faster you fail."

However, God is the ultimate realist, and as such knows about this quirk in our psyche. So he not only made our salvation totally dependent on his own actions, but also made our proper behavior as Christians totally dependent on his own actions. Rather than giving us a long list of laws that he already knew we could never obey fully, he gives us an entirely new nature. This new nature contains the motivations which lie at the heart of the law, so that by having our actions dictated by them we are living our lives in accordance with God's will:

So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. they are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law.

The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other. (Galatians 5:16-26,NIV)

The motivations listed as 'the acts of the sinful nature' can be identified as the root cause of all sinful acts. They are also at the heart of our original nature, so we need for God himself, through his Spirit, to subdue them. But not only does he 'rein them in', but he also implants within us the motivations listed as 'the fruit of the Spirit'. And just as the motivations listed as 'the acts of the sinful nature' are the root cause of all sinful acts, the motivations listed as 'the fruit of the Spirit' are the root cause of all truly righteous acts. That's why the words which immediately follow their listing are, "Against such things there is no law."

And why has God made not only our salvation, but also our proper behavior as Christians, totally dependent on his own actions? By doing it this way, God has 'slammed the door' on the most dangerous sin of all, namely, Pride. We cannot boast concerning our salvation, because it's a free gift, totally unearned and undeserved. We also cannot boast of our actions as Christians, because if they're proper actions their impetus is another gift, namely, 'the fruit of the Spirit'. So God has effectively eliminated anyone's pride, since all the credit must be seen as his, and his alone.

I hope this helps. God bless-

 

[Bible2]

Harry3142 said in post 36:

I personally accept that our salvation is only attainable through our accepting it exactly as God offers it, namely, as a free gift, totally unearned and undeserved, yet available to all through God's compassion toward us:

Amen.

Initial salvation is by grace through faith without any works at all on our part (Romans 4:1-5, Ephesians 2:8-9, Titus 3:5). But other passages show that initially saved people must have both faith and continued works of faith (1 Thessalonians 1:3, Galatians 5:6b, Titus 3:8) (not works of the letter of the Old Covenant Mosaic law) if they are to obtain ultimate salvation (Romans 2:6-8, James 2:24, Matthew 7:21, Matthew 25:26,30, Philippians 2:12b, Philippians 3:11-14; 2 Corinthians 5:9, Hebrews 5:9, Hebrews 6:10-12; 2 Peter 1:10-11, John 15:2a; 1 John 2:17b). For believers must actually continue to do righteous deeds if they are to continue to be righteous (1 John 3:7, James 2:24,26). And there is no assurance that believers will choose to do that, instead of wrongly employing their free will to become utterly lazy without repentance, to the ultimate loss of their salvation (Matthew 25:26,30, John 15:2a).

With regard to baptism, some people feel that it can't be required for salvation, because baptism is a work, and salvation isn't based on works, but on faith alone (Ephesians 2:8-9). But baptism is a kind of circumcision (Colossians 2:11-13, Philippians 3:3, Romans 2:29). Just as Abraham, who is a model for Christians, was initially saved by faith alone, prior to his circumcision (Romans 4), so Christians are initially saved by faith alone (Ephesians 2:8-9, Titus 3:5, Romans 4:2-5), prior to their baptism (Acts 8:36-38, John 20:31). But just as Abraham was ultimately saved by his works (James 2:21-24), so Christians will be ultimately saved by their works (Romans 2:6-8, James 2:24, Matthew 7:21, Matthew 25:26,30, Philippians 2:12b, Philippians 3:11-14; 2 Corinthians 5:9, Hebrews 5:9, Hebrews 6:10-12; 2 Peter 1:10-11, John 15:2a; 1 John 2:17b), which must include getting water-immersion (burial) baptized (Mark 16:16; 1 Peter 3:21, Romans 6:3-11, Colossians 2:12, Galatians 3:27, Acts 2:38, Acts 22:16).

Harry3142 said in post 36:

So he not only made our salvation totally dependent on his own actions, but also made our proper behavior as Christians totally dependent on his own actions.

Note that 2 Corinthians 5:9, 1 Corinthians 3:9, Colossians 1:29, and Philippians 2:12b show that Christians themselves must actually labor, along with God. Ultimate salvation is synergistic because Christians can end up losing their salvation if they wrongly employ their free will to stop their laboring, without repentance (Matthew 25:26,30, John 15:2a, Romans 2:6-8).

 

[Harry3142]

Laws can be 'danced around', and even manipulated so as to appear to support agendas which are actually a direct violation of Christianity ( I personally knew a minister in the 1960's who used laws in order to 'prove' that the Ku Klux Klan was an organization ordained of God). However, motivations cannot be 'danced around', nor can they be manipulated. Rather, they stand as evidence of either the genuineness of our faith, or as evidence that we are using the cross of Christ as a smokescreen to hide our own agenda.

Christ himself gave us a clear example of the work which he saw as the genuineness of our faith. This is that example:

"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'

"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'

"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'

"Then he will turn to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.'

"They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?'

"He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.'

"Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life." (The Gospel of St. Matthew 25:31-46,NIV)

What had the righteous permitted to dictate their actions which the cursed had not? It was love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. To have these as the impetus for our actions is to continually live in accordance with God's will, and their control of our lives is exhibited through the actions which Jesus Christ himself stated that he expects of us.

I consider the measurement of the genuineness of a Christian's faith to be the answer to this question: Are his neighbors better off, are their daily burdens alleviated, because he is among them? According to Jesus Christ's own words, the answer to that question needs to be, "Yes."

 

[com7fy8]

"The harder you try, the faster you fail."

"Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you." (James 4:7)

"Rest in the LORD" (in Psalm 37:7)

"And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful." (Colossians 3:15)

In obeying how God rules us with His peace, we have all that He knows His word means And what He has us doing is better than we may think up and try to do.

Instead of his insisting that we obey innumerable laws which he knows we will fail to successfully do, he implants within us an entirely new nature.

2 Peter 1:4 speaks of how we "may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust."

And this is in how God's love has us become > "Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world." (1 John 4:17)

And this new love nature comes with seeking our Father's correction > Hebrews 12:7-11. So, we can not correct our own selves; and only God can make us free from lusts which are dictatorial passions for pleasure and control and attention. Love does not have us using people.

So not only does our salvation depend on what God himself has been able to accomplish, but also our proper behavior as Christians depends on what God is still able to accomplish, namely, the implanting within us of a new nature (the fruit of the Spirit).

Proverbs 3:5-6 >

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart,
.And lean not on your own understanding;
.In all your ways acknowledge Him,
.And He shall direct your paths."
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (Proverbs 3:5-6)

"That verse is a good reminder not to try to do anything by yourself."

 

[com7fy8]

Saying you should decide implies that you know what's best. This is not a humble position to work from.

How about this: Are you willing to let God define who He is and what His plan is for you for Himself? Real, authentic Christianity is revelatory. That means Father God Himself will reveal His truth into your heart if you humbly present an open mind to Him.

It's good that you're reading the Bible, as that is the standard which will anchor us intellectually, because God won't reveal things that are contrary to what's in the Bible. The more we spend time in His Word, the more He can reveal truth clearly to your heart. This must be coupled with prayer time with Him, though, as it is the Spirit of truth that brings understanding.

Seek His face, and He will teach you and reveal truth straight into your heart. Isn't that neat? There is no middle-man, perse, between you and God but Jesus Christ. And He made it so you can straight to Father God's throne for everything you need including wisdom and understanding.

I would say this is a good comment, Robert. And to this you say >

How do you feel about Philippians 2:12 regarding
this you have said to me? I would like to know what you think?

Philippians 2:12 says,

Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling,"

So, yes, ATGT has said, I understand, how we need God Himself in us to get us right and have us get all that He wants for us. So, you bring in this scripture which says "work out your own salvation with fear and trembling". Possibly, you are examining how we can be depending only on God, yet working out our "own" salvation. Possibly you find the two ideas not to fit with each other.

The next verse can help to make this clear >

"for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure." (Philippians 2:13)

True working out our "own" salvation comes with how God works in us to will and to do this Paul means, I think, that the Philippians were more and more obedient because God in them was having them become more and more obedient, by His working in them. He means for us to work out our "own" salvation, yes, but how God in us has us doing this in oneness with Him > "But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him." (1 Corinthians 6:17)

It is like how Jesus told the raging wind and sea to be still, and then there was such a great calm . . . not because the wind and sea obeyed on its own

Commandments, then, are meant for how God has us do them, working in us the willing that is acceptable in the right spirit, plus the doing that succeeds.

But on our own we bleed, don't we?

And another scripture can help to confirm this > 1 Corinthians 3:6-7 testifies how "the increase" is given by God. So, this fits with Philippians 2:12 > they were more obedient in Paul's absence because it was God giving increase to their obedience, by working in their willing and doing.

It is good to see you God bless us Bill