Success as a Christian

[Carl Emerson]

The Bible made it clear the "reward" is going to be the same for everyone as long as you're saved.

Verse please.

 

[anetazo]

Read Isaiah chapter 5. Israel is God's vineyard. Christian nation. God expects Christian people to produce fruit for Him. Its studying the bible and sharing Gods truth with lost souls headed for hell. The good grapes are those produce fruit and teach sound doctrine. Those who teach tradition of men and false doctrine are going to Hell. Lazy Christian people wont have fine linen and will not be trusted during millennium with any position or office. Get the picture. Jesus parable on talents will help cover this. Are you saved won't cut it !!. James chapter 1, Be doers of the word, not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. It's those who do will of God, are doers of the Word. Theirs plenty of fake Christian people who claim to carry their cross. Thier playing church.
The poison grapes of Isaiah chapter 5 are false brethren. This group has spot in hell. Jesus hates false teachings.

Lazy servant who repent sins to God, and has dead works, will not be trusted to be priest during millennium.

It's the false brethren that are poison grapes.

Good grapes produce fruit for God. On judgement day, Jesus is confronted with having to send some of His children into lake of fire. That's why Christian people are supposed to study the bible and plant seeds for God. Try to help pull as many out of the fire as possible, documentation, Jude. Being saved won't cut being good grapes.

Lazy Christian people will not be trusted as priests during millennium. No rewards. I told the truth.

 

[Strong in Him]

On judgement day, Jesus is confronted with having to send some of His children into lake of fire.

No.
Whoever accepts Jesus is a child of God, John 1:12, Romans 8:16-17.
Whoever has been born again has entered the Kingdom, John 3:3.
Whoever has eternal life will never perish, John 3:16, John 3:36, John 6:40, John 10:28.
Whoever has the Spirit has a deposit which guarantees their inheritance, 2 Corinthians 1:22, 2 Corinthians 5:5.

You think Jesus will go back on his word and send some of his children to eternal death?

 

[anetazo]

If they wont repent sins to God and do God's will. Mark chapter 3. Jesus says, My brethren are those who do will of God. Read Corinthians chapter 2, You need holy spirit to guide you to kingdom of God. Many people have spirit of slumber, Isaiah chapter 6 to document. You need holy spirit to convict you of sin and understand mystery of God. I told the truth and documented it. I'm not going to argue and strife with you. First Corinthians chapter 11:32. But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world. Those who won't give up their false religion, won't repent, will follow satan into lake of fire. The millennium is last chance for the spirtualty dead to get their acts together. The exception is false preachers, they will indefinitely follow satan into lake of fire. Ezekiel chapter 15:6. Therefore thus says the Lord God, As the vine tree among the trees of the forest, which I have given fuel for fire, so will the inhabitants of Jerusalem. The vine tree is useless, these are false preachers going into lake of fire. Philippians chapter 1:28. And in nothing terrified by your adversaries: which is to them token of Perdition, but to you of salvation and that of God. Those who refuse to repent and conform to God's standard, will go into lake of fire. Those love and serve God have eternal life


Lazy Christian who did repent and has no works, will not be priests during the millennium. But will obtain salvation. Make a distinction between these 3 groups.
I documented this. Some people are going into lake of fire. God knows His children and some won't make it.
God will not force anyone to love Him. The truth is. Some people are going to follow satan at the end of millennium, into lake of fire. This isn't difficult to understand.

If you can't understand the variables, I feel sorry for you. We can't have troublemakers and problems during the eternity. Jesus will use satan to test spirtualty dead at end of millennium, read revelation chapter 20. Jesus will get rid of bad eggs.

 

[anetazo]

No.
Whoever accepts Jesus is a child of God, John 1:12, Romans 8:16-17.
Whoever has been born again has entered the Kingdom, John 3:3.
Whoever has eternal life will never perish, John 3:16, John 3:36, John 6:40, John 10:28.
Whoever has the Spirit has a deposit which guarantees their inheritance, 2 Corinthians 1:22, 2 Corinthians 5:5.

You think Jesus will go back on his word and send some of his children to eternal death?

I made my reply below. I won't further strife or argue about this. Peace.

 

[Strong in Him]

I made my reply below. I won't further strife or argue about this. Peace.

I don't want any strife; I want to discuss your claim that Jesus will be faced with sending some of his children to the lake of fire. Especially in light of his words that they will never perish.
It should be possible to discuss this without argument. As you made that claim, presumably you have some reason for making it, or Scripture to back it up?

Of course, you don't have to respond. But it's strange, and unfair, that you make a statement like this and then, when given Scripture to the contrary, say "well I'm not going to discuss it."

 

[Bob Crowley]

I think there will be several criteria when we face the judgement seat.

Obviously there will be our faith - John 20:29 NIV

Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

​

This begs the question as to whether we can believe unseen purely of our own volition and I don't think we can. Yet if God gives us the grace to believe without seeing then He must think it worth His while to do so.

There will be the issue of how we served God and others. Basically that is one and the same thing as we can only serve God through others, apart from giving up our assets, and in an extreme case our lives as martyrs.

The first commandment is about loving God. The second commandment is to "love your neighbour" which could be summarised as "how you treated other people".

So what have we done for others ranging from just simple courtesy to sacrificial giving or charitable work? Or have we been absolute mongrels to some other people?

There is the question of forgiveness - have we forgiven others or are we still holding a grudge? Christ told us God will not forgive us if we do not forgive others.

There is the question of sin, or what the Catholic church might call "mortal sins". Have we repented and confessed? Do we repent of our sin and then keep indulging in it? I know I do sometimes - what I might call my pet sins. I find that when I turn up for what is now called "reconciliation" I pretty much have the same laundry list I did last time.

There is the business of judging others - we will be judged as we have judged others.

There are several things and we need to keep a short leash on all of them - not just think that faith alone is going to get us there. We'll be judged on all of them, or if you like "What did we do with our life?"

I think (I'm quite sure actually due to something that happened the night my father died) that at our judgement we're going to see our lives played out in front of us complete with our thoughts, words, actions and things we should have done but didn't do. I don't know about you but I'm quite certain I'm not going to enjoy some of it.

St Paul wasn't talking about "faith alone" but about keeping the Mosaic Law with all its manifold demands. It's my understanding that Luther put the additional word "alone" in his translation, instead of just leaving it at "faith".

 

[timewerx]

Verse please.

Mark 10:29-31
“Truly I tell you,” Jesus replied, “no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel 30 will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age: homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—along with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life. 31But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.”

John 14:2-3
In My Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? 3And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and welcome you into My presence, so that you also may be where I am.

Matthew 20:12-16
‘These who were hired last worked only one hour,’ they said, ‘and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day.’

13 “But he answered one of them, ‘I am not being unfair to you, friend. Didn’t you agree to work for a denarius? 14 Take your pay and go. I want to give the one who was hired last the same as I gave you. 15 Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?’

16 “So the last will be first, and the first will be last.”


The reward is essentially the same for everyone. So even if God would actually find you more successful than other Christians, your reward would still be the same as the least successful Christian.

I really don't think we'll have the same worldly reward system in the Father's Kingdom. Because our reward system corrupts people. It makes people look at the reward (like how high your income) to assure themselves they are better/more important than somebody else or better/more important than most people. It them makes them conceited, vain, and entitled. Qualities that are despicable to the Lord.

Now I know that getting rewarded equally as everybody else no matter if you are more productive than others may seem problematic. But to someone who really loves the Lord as much as their own child or even more, then being in the Lord's presence is more than a reward in itself, it wouldn't matter if they only get 1 mansion in the Lord's Kingdom or even none EVEN if they worked harder than everybody else because they did the work out of love, not for the reward.

 

[Yarddog]

Just wondering how folks feel about being successful as a believer.

Big picture in mind is it to leave an inheritance - if so what kind of inheritance?

Is it being faithful in your 'small corner' ??

Is it discovering His purpose for you and walking in it ?

Is it being successful in relationships?

Is it none of the above?

Is there something to achieve?

How are you doing with this and are you happy with the outcome?

I feel being successful as a believer is surrendering to God's Spirit and letting God lead you to his will.

 

[Strong in Him]

Matthew 20:12-16
‘These who were hired last worked only one hour,’ they said, ‘and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day.’

My understanding of that is that people are saved when they come to Jesus. No matter whether they have known, and served, him all there lives, or come to faith a short time before they die - the result is the same; all are saved.

So even if God would actually find you more successful than other Christians, your reward would still be the same as the least successful Christian.

How are you defining "success"?

I really don't think we'll have the same worldly reward system in the Father's Kingdom.

If our Father is giving the rewards, it can't be a worldly rewards system.

Now I know that getting rewarded equally as everybody else no matter if you are more productive than others may seem problematic.

I'm not sure that it's Scriptural.
We are told to be faithful with what we have been given. If a person is, they will be given more and greater responsibility.
We are told to put God first, seek his Kingdom first.
We are told that we are to be salt and light, God's witnesses and God's ambassadors in the world.

We are not told that no matter how hard we work, how much we honour God, how many good deeds we do we will only get the same reward as someone who becomes a Christian and does virtually nothing.

But to someone who really loves the Lord as much as their own child or even more, then being in the Lord's presence is more than a reward in itself, it wouldn't matter if they only get 1 mansion in the Lord's Kingdom or even none EVEN if they worked harder than everybody else because they did the work out of love, not for the reward.

Yes, granted, we serve God out of love and gratitude and not for the reward. Serving God IS a reward, and privilege - correct.
But what did the lazy servant do in the parable? He hid the money he had been given, then gave it back to his master; he didn't even put it in the bank to get interest. Did he get the same reward as the man who had 10 coins and who had made 10 more? No, his coin was taken away, given to the man who had 10, and he was punished.

 

[timewerx]

How are you defining "success"?

Success is simply being saved.

But what did the lazy servant do in the parable? He hid the money he had been given, then gave it back to his master; he didn't even put it in the bank to get interest. Did he get the same reward as the man who had 10 coins and who had made 10 more? No, his coin was taken away, given to the man who had 10, and he was punished.

I actually think this is in the context of knowledge. Because knowing the truth on its own is very hard work already in this world of lies and most people looking for it would probably miss it.

What is the point of doing churchly work if the knowledge you possessed about the Lord is false.

Jesus rebuffed the Pharisees for this. They care more about the work, keeping in line, and not being called heretic than investigating their own religion so they end up deceiving many.

And if you didn't cared enough for the knowledge of the truth, what little truth you know will be taken away because without the knowledge of the truth, you are prone to accept false teachings because you have nothing to test it agains.

 

[Strong in Him]

Success is simply being saved.

In that case, all born again Christians are successful - by definition.

I actually think this is in the context of knowledge.

But it isn't.
Jesus told a parable about a man who was going away. He called 3 servants and gave them different amounts of money.
The one who had 5 bags of gold put it to work and made another 5; similarly the one with 2. The last man, who had the least amount of money, dug a hole and hid it. He did not make any money for his Master; he was criticised for not even putting it in the bank and getting interest on it. He didn't do anything with what he had been given.
It's got nothing to do with knowledge.

And if you didn't cared enough for the knowledge of the truth, what little truth you know will be taken away because without the knowledge of the truth, you are prone to accept false teachings because you have nothing to test it agains.

The parable talks about money, not knowledge.
You can't put knowledge in a bank and get interest on it.

 

[timothyu]

I have been successful in understanding and promoting the Gospel of the Kingdom, Jesus' only gospel. My success does not depend on the ability or inability of others to follow. A sower sows seeds, and is not responsible for if or how they grow. That is the job of a being on a higher scale than me.

 

[Carl Emerson]

Luke 22:30
that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, and you will sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

Is this not reward...

And how can they judge if all are equal ???