keeganblaik

years ago I was introduced to a saying that Augustine coined several hundred years ago: "First love God, then do as you please." After reading his thoughts on the statement I learned that what he meant was that we as God's people should always first endeavor to seek God personally and biblically. That is to say, we should want to do the things that please Him according to His word. Therefore, if whatever you want to do is not contrary to His word, and you wish to do it, then do it. God's will is not some mysterious, time-released revelation that we each get little by little--but rather, it is foremost His word. So, one need not worry, "should I go this college or that college?" Or, "should I take this job or that job?" Whatever aligns with His word (or that His word doesn't forbid it) then that is what we are creatively free to do. And He has pleasure in our Godly choices. That's how I roll.

I would like to let you know that you ask questions concerning one of 3 or 4 of the most profound and perplexing topics in all of the faith. Men have tangled with this for hundreds of years. The greatest Christian thinkers could not completely understand it--guys like Augustine, Luther and Calvin. Even Job more or less struggled with this too as did the writers of the Psalms. You form many questions in your post and essentially it is leading to one question--I think: The Problem of Evil. Some very wise scholars have come up simple statements to try and understand it better (Sproul, Piper, C.S. Lewis) but in the end no one can comprehensively understand it. I would be cautious of those who purport to have a complete answer. I would also overlook those who give silly, unintelligent answers that really don't address the issue.

I don't personally have the more modern and contemporary view of "cooperative" salvation like many Christians do today. I kinda see that presupposition in your questioning so I thought I'd say what I just did there firstly. Having said that, nor am I fatalistic and without a sincere faith in God. I guess the best summary I could give you (in trying not to ramble) would be... people get saved via the word of God. yes, Jesus saves and one who belongs to Christ starts to understand this more fully over time. His life and death is what actually saves His people. But God has always worked through people and through His word. Pursue God's word. Pursue His people. Seek His local church and listen to the teaching of His word. But in the end, God must save you. The power of salvation belongs to God alone. God must do it. To be saved, God isn't in heaven waiting for someone to say the right prayer or to have correct faith. God doesn't "try" to save people. Christ didn't die in hopes of saving as many people as He could. All those that belong to God will come to Christ. Seek the bible and God's people and church so that you might prove yourself to be His own.

always understand and interpret the bible with the rest of the bible. For example, God deliberately blessed and caused numerous people in the bible to become be wealthy.Abram, Job, David, Solomon--just to name a few. Often times these people would glorify God with their resources. So, just ponder on that a bit. Money is not evil. Food is not evil nor drink. Romance within marriage is not evil. Knowledge and talent are not evil. But... the love and pursuit of ANYTHING more than our love of God is evil. This is the essence of the 1st comm.

Jesus rules the earth. Begin to see in the pages of scripture that God is sovereign over all. The devil is God's devil.

the way you describe in your post is really unclear and ambiguous. What I would say is that if you really think that you are having spiritual encounters, and you you belong to the King, go to your local church and speak with your elders. Invite the elders of the church to your home to visit and pray for you. Not needing to know any detail, etc., this would be the solution every time I think. If you are not closely knitted with a local church, presuming you are a believer, then that is likely your greater concern.

Even though the NT word means "to change one's mind" I think the greater idea is "changing one's direction" or "going the other way". I think the idea is that before Christ one is going in a direction that is away from God (and somehow totally against God) and the repentant life is one headed directly toward Him. Consider all kinds of other passages in the bible too in order to get the point--not just studies on the word repentance. Although with much trial, stumbling and bumbling along the way, the repentant life, I would submit, is an overall pattern or track of going toward God and the things that please Him. The repentant life bears fruit over time.