Posted on 12/12/2013 12:59:05 PM PST by DouglasKC
How do you know you're saved?
Imagine you arrive at a most important banquet that's hosted by Christ Himself. After all--you're a Christian. Picture coming to His home and walking right up to the door. Perhaps you're a little surprised that the door is closed and you're shut outside. But not to be deterred, you knock and knock. No response, no reaction. So you call out, "Jesus open the door, Lord it's me." Still, no response, no reaction. At long last, you hear Jesus' voice and He says, "I never knew you!" What a devastating and shocking situation in which to find yourself.
(Excerpt) Read more at ucg.org ...
There's a special place reserved for those that attempt to confuse others regarding the simple truth of God's salvation.
Oops. You were responding to me and I hastily thought I’d accidentally said I smoked. Ignore my post previous to this one.
BTW, I agree with you. There are a lot of subjects that are taboo in church because too many people’s ox’s will be gored. The guy I bought my house from became the pastor at a local Babdis church that had very old lifetime members that attended “religiously”, yet could not tell you the difference between the old and new testaments.
He tried to actually preach what was in the bible. They fired him after about 11 months.
Well maybe because you start off with an insult! :-)
Before I place that scripture here when ever in the New Testament when it says Obey Christ is means to obey the Gospel, to believe on the Gospel... that is what is implied. Ohh yeah ? I heard it all, some will say " but, but, the demons believe also " really ? yes they believe that Jesus is the Christ, but they will and can never believe on the Gospel because they were never " ORDAINED " unto eternal life.... opps, that's another Scripture the Arminians can't seem to explain, and yes I do believe in election.
Okay....with you so far...though James himself makes the case that belief in God isn't enough by using the demon example:
Jam 2:18 But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.
Jam 2:19 You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble!
Matthew 5:20 (Authorized (King James) Version) 20. For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven. Try to get your brain and your self righteousness around this one. Most of the time the law preachers, teachers and Arminians don't answer that one and are strangely quit. Hey ? if Obeying God and keeping the law perfectly would get you in good stead with Christ ? then ? all the Pharisees and Scribes law preachers and all would be best of buddies with Christ right ? Isn't that what your advocating here ?
No not at all.
The problems with scribe and Pharisees is that they did NOT believe in Christ. At all. They had no faith. They thought that good works ALONE, without Christ, were good enough for salvation. That's not even close to being true.
I don’t smoke. Sorry about that...
You can’t earn heaven with good works, however, unrepentant bad works will keep you out.
I guess it is none of my business what you did to go to jail but how much time did you spend in there?
I got there and I was detained by a bunch of guys. Suddenly a young man who looked like a handsome Persian fellow wearing a leather jacket and beat up jeans and covered in dust and straw walked up to me. He was talking on a cellphone and he was being almost accosted by people who were all getting orders from him. I thought that he looked like the foreman on a building project or maybe some farm operation.
Then I realized he was Jesus Christ. He walks up to the guys who have me detained, says into the cellphone "hold on just a sec", looks at me up and down a few times and says "I never saw this man before in my life. Get him out of here." I was mortified. I fell down on the ground and grabbed his leg as he was trying to walk away. He started dragging me with one leg. He finally relented, smiled a little bit, and said "Ok, you can stay. But stay out of the way, we're all really busy here."
In general, in my dream Heaven was a terribly busy place. Everybody was working and hustling around. I remember a number of details, like a rather matronly looking woman in overalls who was yelling at Jesus about something. He shook his head and just said something like "okay, okay, get on it." Everybody was in a sort of awe of that lady. She was working on some large and important project.
I then got a tour of heaven. I flew around like a bird. It was strange. Beautiful, but very strange. Lots of different rooms. Different worlds, really. One of my sisters was there (she's still alive, btw) and she lived in a Victorian mansion and hosted a bridge group everyday. She told me something about how I was living wrong but now I can't remember what she said.
I know, it was strange like dreams can be. But it really left an impression on me. I sure don't want Jesus looking me up and down and telling St. Peter to give me the bum's rush. Dang, that was one of the worst moments of my life and it was only a dream!
Agreed brother...sister?
He tried to actually preach what was in the bible. They fired him after about 11 months.
But i know what you mean, i have an old buddy who does not know the difference between the Jewish and Christian belief.
:: Well, all mankind that actually accepts the free gift. ::
And, therein, is the “tricky” part.
It is the work of the Holy Spirit that works Faith in the heart. Again, Faith is a verb and “human acceptance” does not act. In fact, the only thing humans CAN accept is legalism...which pushes out (destroys) the Gospel in the heart.(Galations 1, 2, 3 and 4)
There’s a special place reserved for those that attempt to confuse others regarding the simple truth of God’s salvation.
In fact, I read a thread on it on a “christian discussion” site and its actually in their rules that you can’t argue for it or you will be banned. That is DU-like administration. And it’s on a “Christian” site.
I don’t want to discuss the subject of anihilation on this thread. My point was not anihilation. It was people’s response to even bringing it up.
Yah nice dream story...it's kind of a scary thing because it's so easy to get caught up in the world and fall away. If I had that dream I would think that Christ being busy on the phone and being too busy for me was a sign that I'm being too busy for Christ. Turn about is fair play. I'm sure guilty of that sometimes.
Yeah even law preachers would deride someone who says a cuss word in church rather then preaching on someone who passes by a poor begger on the street who is hungery, >>>>
You got that right, and helping people who needed it was the main thing Jesus preached on.
Yeah, when I was in school we moved around a lot. Every school I went to had “the fat kid”, and sometimes two or three.
It’s different now.
From where does such “love” emmanate? I profess the Love of the God worked in my heart by the Spirit. It is nothing I can do or agree to but that which is “infused” in me by the Spirit.
I cannot resist it when He (Spirit) places God’s desire before me (Ephesians 2:8-9) and shows me those Gospel works that were created for me before the creation of time.
By the way ? didn’t Jesus associate with sinners, publicans, harlets, cussing sailers more than the so called goodie two shoes religious leaders of his day ?
Well now, that speaks volumes in where God’s heart really is.
I’ll be dead serious here: the opportunities to share the gospel (during breaks, setup and teardown) are like picking the low hanging fruit.
God, of course.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.