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Also Internet please don't spoil Supergirl season 3 for me before I get it on Netflix.
Kara's the best, jus sayin.
Well John 3:16 and all throughout scripture say those who believe in Jesus have eternal life. I realize that means many things to many different people, I however believe that belief means exactly as it sounds. I don't believe someone can believe Jesus is the Son of God and not be saved. I don't believe someone can believe Jesus died for our sins and was resurrected and not be saved. There's this whole movement in the Evangelical world that says that you need to "repent of your sins," make Jesus your Lord," "Commit your life to him,", etc. and in my eyes that's taking away from the simplicity of the gospel. Google how to be saved in Google and you'll have 10 different answers in front of your eyes of what it means to believe in Jesus, all of which contradict each other and add different things or take away others.I actually generally agree with that statement, but saying someone never truly believed in Jesus probably isn't the right wording. I would say more that there wasn't ever really a true repentance there. People can have emotional moments of sincerity for sure, but whether or not that actually translates into repentance is another thing entirely.
Hey James.
But no Katy no longer follows Christ, she's said so in interviews and such.
Also I'd like to say I'm in no way judging, just simply curious asto whether she is saved or not, whether I was saved when I was apostate, etc. - it all is sort of grouped into one thought.
I think in similar ways. Good post.I understand that this is not judgment but just wondering to understand.
I did not know that she had stated that she no longer believes.
With that being known I would say she is still saved and that in His time God will turn her around because He knows she is just mixed up.
I have learned that we are not saved when we think we are saved but we are saved when God has decided that we belong to Him and at that point we are written into the book of life and after that moment we can no longer be plucked from His hands.
The question could be was she ever written into the book of life and if she was then she can not be plucked from His hands no matter what happens next because the devil can tempt her but the devil can not take away her God given gift of being in the book of life or that would mean the devil determines if we are saved or not and he does not have that power.
You guys ever get the feeling that maybe empathy and compassion are overrated? Especially since you are the one giving it but don't get any in return?
That's not really how empathy and compassion work... You don't give it to receive it. It's something natural that just sort of comes to you.
In fact, you shouldn't ever really give things with the hope of receiving. It significantly blunts the credibility of what you're doing and misses the point.
Whatever happened to 'Treat others how you want to be treated' and mutual respect? Surely it's not as one-sided as people want it to be...
The ones who reciprocate are the ones you keep close. They're your true friends.
I am actually starting to question if many Christians even believe in Jesus's teachings or if they just simply enjoy the status of being saved. Every religious person wants to have their god's approval but they don''t want to do what it takes to gain that approval.
This isn't so much directed at you Cody as it is the saying that "If you believe in Jesus" so please know this isn't AT you directly.The gospel is simple imo. We enter into Life as a child, not a theologian. If you believe in Jesus, you're saved.
This isn't so much directed at you Cody as it is the saying that "If you believe in Jesus" so please know this isn't AT you directly.
The devil believes in Jesus...... yet we all know he is still to be cast into torment.
I used to believe it was a simple prayer that saved someone as well and once saved always saved.
However, Jesus says things such as:
Matthew 7:13-14 : Talking about "the narrow gate" but the gate to destruction is wide. I used to believe when He said that it was in reference to Him being the only way.... and a belief other than Him was the wide gate.
Then, you have things said such as this:
Matthew 7:22: Jesus speaking about people coming to him saying "Lord Lord" why would they call Him Lord, unless they believed in Him? Even saying that they did great things in His name. Yet, still He says to them "Depart from me I never knew you."
Jesus also says:
John 15:4 speaking of abiding in him and He in you, and John 15:2 speaking of branches that do not bear fruit are cut away and tossed into the fire. Meaning, IF Christ is in us, we can't help but to bear fruit..... because bearing fruit and obedience is a byproduct of Christ IN us. NOT an act that WE do, lest we boast.
Romans 11:21 speaking of if God does not spare the natural branches (Jews) then he will not spare us if we do not bear spiritual fruit.
Its NOT about a prayer of salvation, its about bearing fruit. NOT because WE bear the fruit, but because WE pick up our cross and die to our flesh daily Matthew 16:24-26. Which in doing so allows Christ to dwell IN US and in doing HIS will, we bear the fruit of obedience.
Does that mean we will EVER be perfect and not sin? No, but it DOES mean we no longer allow that sin to remain in our life and WALK in it, excusing it as "Well no bodies perfect" and standing in rebellion calling it "okay" rather than repenting of it, taking it to the Father and asking Him to cleanse your heart in obedience to strengthen and purify the heart dealing with the issue that causes the sin in the first place.
If I stub my toe in them middle of the night and curse, that is stumbling into sin.... being something came out of my mouth that is NOT fitting the character of Christ. Willingly cursing someone out just cause its Monday, that is living in sin.
The issue comes down to simply, dying to our flesh and getting to know Christ, NOT some religious prayer, not some religious tradition or simply knowing the Bible. The devil knows thew Bible and even uses it to try to temp Jesus.... yet again, we all know the devil will be tossed into the fire.
Yet so many believe that they pray the simple prayer and are saved even though they continue to live the same life they had before. But Jesus says, you do not pour new wine into old wine skins. Mark 2:22 Matthew 9:17
So if Christ's Spirit is poured into our old skin....... it will only destroy us (The lie that we are saved simply because we prayed a prayer....... which IS important, but there IS more to it than JUST that. Yes, we are absolutely saved by His grace, His mercy and His love, but NOT because of the prayer. That prayer we pray is like picking up the phone, we still have to talk to the Father, we still have to communicate to Him and take interest in Him...... that prayer is not ALL we dtherwise its like calling someone only to breathe awkwardly on the phone, saying and doing nothing.)
So the prayer is important, but its just a means of connecting to the Father, because ANY prayer we speak before that will NOT be heard. John 9:31 As before we connect to the Father in willingness to serve Him rather than the things of the world. We are wicked, no matter how "good" we think we are our hearts, as all hearts of men..... are wicked.
Im not saying this to say "You're wrong" brother. Simply putting this out there so if your heart if open and the Lord gives you the eyes to see and the ears to hear you will take this and at least think on it.
I too once believed the prayer was it as nobody told me what being a Christian entailed. So all I could do is believe the talk of the masses from people that spent "countless hours learning the Bible"
Yet the truth is, to TRULY be a follower of Christ is, to die to your flesh DAILY, die to the world DAILY, and allowing Christ to live through you. IF we remain mastered by our sins..... then Christ is not our master...... ( Matthew 6:24 Luke 16:13 ) We can not serve two masters. We either love our sin and remain IN our sin, excusing it as "Nobody is perfect" or we get down on our knees, pray in our weakness for the strength of Christ to help us CLAIM victory over that sin so that we are FREE to serve the only master a servant of Christ should have.
It might seem extreme to most people, but how extreme is it to allow your only son to be ridiculed/mocked, tempted, beaten bloody, hung on a cross...... simply to give people a chance at salvation? How extreme is revelation?
look at those that WALKED with Christ, both physical AND in the Spirit. Why is it that now we believe that Jesus is all about convenience and our comfort now? With all that the first followers of Christ endured why would WE be different?
That doesn't mean that there wont be good times and good things, but Jesus said in the parable Matthew 7:24-27 speaking of the builders. Count the cost and make sure you are okay with what it costs being a follower of Christ, if you dont then you will not be able to complete it and will only look a fool (Being told depart from me I never knew you).
Its not to say that we are saved because we obey, or that anything we do will ever be good enough to earn our salvation, its simply that our obedience, our willingness to do the will of our Father above that of our own..... these such things are examples of the spiritual fruit we bear when Christ resides in us...... NOT because we say a prayer and just move on free in our sin.
This isn't so much directed at you Cody as it is the saying that "If you believe in Jesus" so please know this isn't AT you directly.
The devil believes in Jesus...... yet we all know he is still to be cast into torment.
I used to believe it was a simple prayer that saved someone as well and once saved always saved.
However, Jesus says things such as:
Matthew 7:13-14 : Talking about "the narrow gate" but the gate to destruction is wide. I used to believe when He said that it was in reference to Him being the only way.... and a belief other than Him was the wide gate.
Then, you have things said such as this:
Matthew 7:22: Jesus speaking about people coming to him saying "Lord Lord" why would they call Him Lord, unless they believed in Him? Even saying that they did great things in His name. Yet, still He says to them "Depart from me I never knew you."
Jesus also says:
John 15:4 speaking of abiding in him and He in you, and John 15:2 speaking of branches that do not bear fruit are cut away and tossed into the fire. Meaning, IF Christ is in us, we can't help but to bear fruit..... because bearing fruit and obedience is a byproduct of Christ IN us. NOT an act that WE do, lest we boast.
Romans 11:21 speaking of if God does not spare the natural branches (Jews) then he will not spare us if we do not bear spiritual fruit.
Its NOT about a prayer of salvation, its about bearing fruit. NOT because WE bear the fruit, but because WE pick up our cross and die to our flesh daily Matthew 16:24-26. Which in doing so allows Christ to dwell IN US and in doing HIS will, we bear the fruit of obedience.
Does that mean we will EVER be perfect and not sin? No, but it DOES mean we no longer allow that sin to remain in our life and WALK in it, excusing it as "Well no bodies perfect" and standing in rebellion calling it "okay" rather than repenting of it, taking it to the Father and asking Him to cleanse your heart in obedience to strengthen and purify the heart dealing with the issue that causes the sin in the first place.
If I stub my toe in them middle of the night and curse, that is stumbling into sin.... being something came out of my mouth that is NOT fitting the character of Christ. Willingly cursing someone out just cause its Monday, that is living in sin.
The issue comes down to simply, dying to our flesh and getting to know Christ, NOT some religious prayer, not some religious tradition or simply knowing the Bible. The devil knows thew Bible and even uses it to try to temp Jesus.... yet again, we all know the devil will be tossed into the fire.
Yet so many believe that they pray the simple prayer and are saved even though they continue to live the same life they had before. But Jesus says, you do not pour new wine into old wine skins. Mark 2:22 Matthew 9:17
So if Christ's Spirit is poured into our old skin....... it will only destroy us (The lie that we are saved simply because we prayed a prayer....... which IS important, but there IS more to it than JUST that. Yes, we are absolutely saved by His grace, His mercy and His love, but NOT because of the prayer. That prayer we pray is like picking up the phone, we still have to talk to the Father, we still have to communicate to Him and take interest in Him...... that prayer is not ALL we dtherwise its like calling someone only to breathe awkwardly on the phone, saying and doing nothing.)
So the prayer is important, but its just a means of connecting to the Father, because ANY prayer we speak before that will NOT be heard. John 9:31 As before we connect to the Father in willingness to serve Him rather than the things of the world. We are wicked, no matter how "good" we think we are our hearts, as all hearts of men..... are wicked.
Im not saying this to say "You're wrong" brother. Simply putting this out there so if your heart if open and the Lord gives you the eyes to see and the ears to hear you will take this and at least think on it.
I too once believed the prayer was it as nobody told me what being a Christian entailed. So all I could do is believe the talk of the masses from people that spent "countless hours learning the Bible"
Yet the truth is, to TRULY be a follower of Christ is, to die to your flesh DAILY, die to the world DAILY, and allowing Christ to live through you. IF we remain mastered by our sins..... then Christ is not our master...... ( Matthew 6:24 Luke 16:13 ) We can not serve two masters. We either love our sin and remain IN our sin, excusing it as "Nobody is perfect" or we get down on our knees, pray in our weakness for the strength of Christ to help us CLAIM victory over that sin so that we are FREE to serve the only master a servant of Christ should have.
It might seem extreme to most people, but how extreme is it to allow your only son to be ridiculed/mocked, tempted, beaten bloody, hung on a cross...... simply to give people a chance at salvation? How extreme is revelation?
look at those that WALKED with Christ, both physical AND in the Spirit. Why is it that now we believe that Jesus is all about convenience and our comfort now? With all that the first followers of Christ endured why would WE be different?
That doesn't mean that there wont be good times and good things, but Jesus said in the parable Matthew 7:24-27 speaking of the builders. Count the cost and make sure you are okay with what it costs being a follower of Christ, if you dont then you will not be able to complete it and will only look a fool (Being told depart from me I never knew you).
Its not to say that we are saved because we obey, or that anything we do will ever be good enough to earn our salvation, its simply that our obedience, our willingness to do the will of our Father above that of our own..... these such things are examples of the spiritual fruit we bear when Christ resides in us...... NOT because we say a prayer and just move on free in our sin.
"Do not envy a man of violence and do not choose any of his ways," ~Proverbs 3:31
People do a lot of things to avoid to the reality that Jesus actually meant when he said when he commanded us to love our neighbors as ourselves. They make up all kinds of excuses like "that just means to be kind, it's one of many of God's laws", "The best I can love someone is to (only) care about their eternal fate". Then the more shocking and heretical ones "Paul's teaching are really what's important", and "Jesus' teachings don't actually apply until after He returns"
Apparently. If it weren't for Bible prophecy providing me evidence of God's existence, I probably would have given up on this religion years ago. Love others as I have loved you... unless they are an inconvenience to you. We are all members of the same body... But the eyes and hands are the most important.
Right now it seems that people here are more concerned with Katy Perry's salvation than how hypocrisy is rampant even in church so I guess I'll just leave it here.
...I picked a bad time to quit drinking.
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