Jump to content
IGNORED

A Holy Life

th1bill

By th1bill
in General Discussion

 Share

  

10 members have voted

  1. 1. Do you listen to the Holy Spirit?

    • I'm not sure I can.
      0
    • I don't know how.
      1
    • I don't understand the concept.
      0
    • Yes.
      9

Recommended Posts

th1bill

th1bill

Posted
  • Group:  Advanced Member
  • Followers:  1
  • Topic Count:  116
  • Topics Per Day:  0.02
  • Content Count:  342
  • Content Per Day:  0.05
  • Reputation:   17
  • Days Won:  3
  • Joined:  06/12/2004
  • Status:  Offline
  • Birthday:  01/25/1945
Posted

The first thing that I noticed as a new Christian was that the Christian Community, in any church, can be divided into a great number of categories depending, greatly, on your point of view. Now, here I am, better than twenty years later and all of these divisions are still present, inside the church. The really disturbing part of the problem, after all of this time, is that there are two major categories that just will not seem to merge.

On the one hand there are the people like myself, wife and daughter that have understood what Jesus (Matt. 5:48) and Paul (Eph. 4:23-24) taught. It is our desire to help people by teaching them that they might live a Holy Life, separated to the service of our LORD. (1 Thes. 4:7) On the other hand there are the perpetually hopeless and the only reason they can be labeled thus is because they have decided not to try. More than once I have been told that, the person speaking, can't be holy like me.

As a recruit I knew nothing of what I had enlisted myself into when I enlisted into military service but I buckled down and I learned what was expected of me and I did well. Living the Holy Life that God wants from us is an impossible thing for us to accomplish but the answer to the problem is so simple that folks just reject it without even considering it. God has promised us that He will never give us more than we can endure and the problem here is that people want to apply this to their trials and tribulations but not to their daily lives.

If a man or a woman has it in their heart, not their mind, to follow God and they pray a Salvation Prayer they are, right then, indwelt with the Holy Spirit. (Eph. 1:13) It is at this point that, for understanding, we should read the parable of the Wedding Feast found in Matthew 22. Verse two explains to us that this parable is a picture of Heaven, given to us in terms we can relate to.

Any Christian knows that there will be no unsaved person in Heaven so we'll leave that right there. However the parable gives us a picture of the Bride of Christ and then there are the guests. The Spirit has taught me that not every man in Heaven is a member of the Bride. Now we need to understand that everyone of us was indwelt by the Holy Spirit but not all fully submit to His leading.

When I was a new soldier I paid close attention to my Drill Instructor that I might learn the lessons I needed to survive the deadly business I had freely opted to engage in. On the other side of that coin, my life, I was led by the Spirit of God to begin a Bible study that has never ended. Others, saved or not, I do not know, do not listen to the urgings of the Holy Spirit and because they harden their hearts and then they find the communication with God to be a mystery.

To live this life that God has called us to live we must do exactly what every soldier learns in his Basic Training, we must listen to and obey our Leader. Just as I promised, the answer is simple.

God bless.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Matthitjah

Matthitjah

Posted
  • Group:  Royal Member
  • Followers:  4
  • Topic Count:  1,285
  • Topics Per Day:  0.16
  • Content Count:  17,917
  • Content Per Day:  2.27
  • Reputation:   355
  • Days Won:  19
  • Joined:  10/01/2002
  • Status:  Offline
Posted

Grace to you,

The Spirit has taught me that not every man in Heaven is a member of the Bride

Please explain this thought. :thumbsup:

peace,

Dave

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Hunterpoet

Hunterpoet

Posted
  • Group:  Removed from Forums for Breaking Terms of Service
  • Followers:  0
  • Topic Count:  128
  • Topics Per Day:  0.02
  • Content Count:  2,704
  • Content Per Day:  0.44
  • Reputation:   25
  • Days Won:  1
  • Joined:  05/29/2007
  • Status:  Offline
  • Birthday:  10/08/1950
Posted

I voted yes, but understand that this is a qualified yes.

We are cautioned to test the Spirits, so that we will know it is of God and not our own desire or that of the adversary.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
th1bill

th1bill

Posted
  • Group:  Advanced Member
  • Followers:  1
  • Topic Count:  116
  • Topics Per Day:  0.02
  • Content Count:  342
  • Content Per Day:  0.05
  • Reputation:   17
  • Days Won:  3
  • Joined:  06/12/2004
  • Status:  Offline
  • Birthday:  01/25/1945
  • Author
Posted

Grace to you,

The Spirit has taught me that not every man in Heaven is a member of the Bride

Please explain this thought. :thumbsup:

peace,

Dave

Hello Dave.

In Matthew 22 you'll find the Verbal Illustration used by Jesus to demonstrate what Heaven is like. Of course the Bride is the Christians that have actually believed and done their very best to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit. The guests on the other hand, it would seem, have fallen short of the measure but will still be saved. Jesus said that none will enter but they go through Him. (John 10:9) We also know that salvation is eternal. (Heb. 5:9 & 1 John 5:13) With this we also know from the teaching of Jesus that no liars, thieves or other sinners will enter into Heaven and the Guests have, obviously to me, the forgiveness of their sins but somehow have falolen short of being in the Bride... different levels of reward just as there are different levels of punishment in Hell.

Here's hopping that I have helped.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
th1bill

th1bill

Posted
  • Group:  Advanced Member
  • Followers:  1
  • Topic Count:  116
  • Topics Per Day:  0.02
  • Content Count:  342
  • Content Per Day:  0.05
  • Reputation:   17
  • Days Won:  3
  • Joined:  06/12/2004
  • Status:  Offline
  • Birthday:  01/25/1945
  • Author
Posted

I voted yes, but understand that this is a qualified yes.

We are cautioned to test the Spirits, so that we will know it is of God and not our own desire or that of the adversary.

Very Excellent point. (emphasis by me intended.) If it does not align with or is opposed to what is in scripture, it is not of God. For this reason I am still learning, almost, 21 years into my study of the Bible.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
wyguy

wyguy

Posted
  • Group:  Royal Member
  • Followers:  1
  • Topic Count:  373
  • Topics Per Day:  0.07
  • Content Count:  3,331
  • Content Per Day:  0.59
  • Reputation:   71
  • Days Won:  10
  • Joined:  10/15/2008
  • Status:  Offline
  • Birthday:  12/24/1965
Posted
A Holy Life - Can you do it?

If today is any indication - no.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
th1bill

th1bill

Posted
  • Group:  Advanced Member
  • Followers:  1
  • Topic Count:  116
  • Topics Per Day:  0.02
  • Content Count:  342
  • Content Per Day:  0.05
  • Reputation:   17
  • Days Won:  3
  • Joined:  06/12/2004
  • Status:  Offline
  • Birthday:  01/25/1945
  • Author
Posted

A Holy Life - Can you do it?

If today is any indication - no.

Without the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, no one can, but with the indwelling of the Spirit all you mare required to do is to submit and obey. Anyone, and I emphasize that anyone can do it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
wyguy

wyguy

Posted
  • Group:  Royal Member
  • Followers:  1
  • Topic Count:  373
  • Topics Per Day:  0.07
  • Content Count:  3,331
  • Content Per Day:  0.59
  • Reputation:   71
  • Days Won:  10
  • Joined:  10/15/2008
  • Status:  Offline
  • Birthday:  12/24/1965
Posted

A Holy Life - Can you do it?

If today is any indication - no.

Without the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, no one can, but with the indwelling of the Spirit all you mare required to do is to submit and obey. Anyone, and I emphasize that anyone can do it.

Are you saying one can live a life without sinning?

Link to comment
Share on other sites
OneLight

OneLight

Posted
  • Group:  Royal Member
  • Followers:  22
  • Topic Count:  1,294
  • Topics Per Day:  0.21
  • Content Count:  31,762
  • Content Per Day:  5.23
  • Reputation:   9,763
  • Days Won:  115
  • Joined:  09/14/2007
  • Status:  Offline
Posted

In Matthew 22 you'll find the Verbal Illustration used by Jesus to demonstrate what Heaven is like. Of course the Bride is the Christians that have actually believed and done their very best to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit. The guests on the other hand, it would seem, have fallen short of the measure but will still be saved.

Can you quote the full scripture that talks about this in Matthew 22 so we can discuss?

Link to comment
Share on other sites
sunnier

sunnier

Posted
  • Group:  Advanced Member
  • Followers:  1
  • Topic Count:  22
  • Topics Per Day:  0.00
  • Content Count:  247
  • Content Per Day:  0.05
  • Reputation:   18
  • Days Won:  2
  • Joined:  10/25/2009
  • Status:  Offline
Posted

Grace to you,

The Spirit has taught me that not every man in Heaven is a member of the Bride

Please explain this thought. :thumbsup:

peace,

Dave

Hello Dave.

In Matthew 22 you'll find the Verbal Illustration used by Jesus to demonstrate what Heaven is like. Of course the Bride is the Christians that have actually believed and done their very best to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit. The guests on the other hand, it would seem, have fallen short of the measure but will still be saved. Jesus said that none will enter but they go through Him. (John 10:9) We also know that salvation is eternal. (Heb. 5:9 & 1 John 5:13) With this we also know from the teaching of Jesus that no liars, thieves or other sinners will enter into Heaven and the Guests have, obviously to me, the forgiveness of their sins but somehow have falolen short of being in the Bride... different levels of reward just as there are different levels of punishment in Hell.

Here's hopping that I have helped.

What verse in the Bible says there are different levels of punishment in Hell?

Link to comment
Share on other sites
 Share
Go to topic listing

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...