Paster to Athiest

[gray wolf]

Never say never.   Thanks though, for your... thoughts

[gray wolf]

Thanks Gray Wolf and Lady Kay for your answers. I just wanted to know what you thought. God blessings to both of you.

My pleasure

[gray wolf]

Back to my question of how does one know it is genuine? I mean you do what you think that God expects; truly repent and accept jJesus as your Savior. But what if there comes no consistent walk of faith? What if Jesis seems remote?

That is why you have the Bible and the indwelling Holy Spirit. It is a relationship that has to be cultivated and nurtured. You have to make Jesus a priority in your life. The Christian life is a life of constant surrender. You are always weeding the garden. Satan is ready to supply someone with all of the excuses they need to doubt the promises of God. The problem is that we fail to appropriate the blessings and we fail to nurture the relationship.

You feel you're letting God down, that you just don't have it? You pray and pray and still Christ does not seem present. What do you do? The sinner's prayer again? It can go on for decades like this. I suppose one consolation is that you're still seeking and all is not lost yet.

That's it. You don't have it and you never will. Prayer comes in many forms and there are right and wrong ways to pray. That's the problem with having a religion instead of a relationship. No one has to tell you that your marriage is genuine. You don't get every morning and have to recite the wedding vows over and over again to make sure your marriage is genuine.

The problem is a lack of trust in the promises of God. If you trust God you can rest in His promises. If you don't trust Him then you will be forever caught in that endless rat race you describe.

I've given what you wrote some serious thought. I can grasp the idea of not trusting God's promises, although I don't know this is the root of it. But your statement "never had it never will' has me confused. Do you mean something along Calvinistic lines? Do you mean that salvation was never attained and is not possible?

[Guest shiloh357]

 

 

Back to my question of how does one know it is genuine? I mean you do what you think that God expects; truly repent and accept jJesus as your Savior. But what if there comes no consistent walk of faith? What if Jesis seems remote?

That is why you have the Bible and the indwelling Holy Spirit. It is a relationship that has to be cultivated and nurtured. You have to make Jesus a priority in your life. The Christian life is a life of constant surrender. You are always weeding the garden. Satan is ready to supply someone with all of the excuses they need to doubt the promises of God. The problem is that we fail to appropriate the blessings and we fail to nurture the relationship.

You feel you're letting God down, that you just don't have it? You pray and pray and still Christ does not seem present. What do you do? The sinner's prayer again? It can go on for decades like this. I suppose one consolation is that you're still seeking and all is not lost yet.

That's it. You don't have it and you never will. Prayer comes in many forms and there are right and wrong ways to pray. That's the problem with having a religion instead of a relationship. No one has to tell you that your marriage is genuine. You don't get every morning and have to recite the wedding vows over and over again to make sure your marriage is genuine.

The problem is a lack of trust in the promises of God. If you trust God you can rest in His promises. If you don't trust Him then you will be forever caught in that endless rat race you describe.

I've given what you wrote some serious thought. I can grasp the idea of not trusting God's promises, although I don't know this is the root of it. But your statement "never had it never will' has me confused. Do you mean something along Calvinistic lines? Do you mean that salvation was never attained and is not possible?

 

No, what I meant was that you don't have it in you.  None of us do.  None of us have the power to live in the Christian life.  We don't have it and we never will.  That is why we have the Holy Spirit within us to do what we don't have in us to do. 

 

The problem is that if you are striving, all you have is a religion and religion can't save anyone, only Jesus can. What you need is salvation, to become a new creation in Christ where it is not you trying to live out the Christian life, but it is Him in you, in the person of the Holy Spirit empowering you do what you should do.

 

Religion is all about trusting enough, doing enough, being good enough, striving enough, etc.   The problem is that religion can't tell you when you have done enough.  it can't tell you when you have worked hard enough or taken enough sacraments or prayed long enough, or read enough Scripture. 

 

Religion is a rat race and it always leaves you feeling frustrated, tired and confused and feeling inadequate and never really sure where you stand with God.  What you need is a real relationship with God through Jesus Christ and Him alone.  In Jesus you can leave religion behind.  The good things you become a natural outgrowth of who you are in Christ rather than a slavish attempt to appease God.

 

God isn't interested in us performing well enough for Him.  We couldn't possibly do that anyway.  It's all about restoring the relationship that was broken in the Garden of Eden.

 

The Gospel is not about doing, it is about what Christ did for us on the cross.  It is about repenting of our sin, turning to Jesus for salvation and accepting Him into our hearts as our personal Lord and Savior.  It is about a transformation of our heart and having Christ in us and us being in Christ.   That's what you want, isn't it?

[gray wolf]

Thank you for your ideas.  One further clarification:  how does one attain this state of relationship/indwelling?  I see that it is not the result of efforts, but surely you must avail yourself of something.  I can pray that this will come about and I have (I am no stranger to what you described).  But how do you surrender?   Are you talking about a mindset?

[tigger398]

Thank you for your ideas.  One further clarification:  how does one attain this state of relationship/indwelling?  I see that it is not the result of efforts, but surely you must avail yourself of something.  I can pray that this will come about and I have (I am no stranger to what you described).  But how do you surrender?   Are you talking about a mindset?

 

Surrender is letting go of your life, and letting God take control of it.

[Guest]

....how does one attain this state of relationship/indwelling.... 

 

....how do you surrender....

 

....Are you talking about a mindset....

 

 

 

As In Any

 

For the Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me, and have believed that I came out from God. John 16:27

 

Epic Love Affair

 

As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.

 

If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.

 

These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.

 

This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. John 15:9-12

 

It Is A Matter Of

 

Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: 1 Peter 1:18-19

 

One's Heart Set

 

As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. Psalms 42:1

 

Praying~!

[Guest shiloh357]

Thank you for your ideas.  One further clarification:  how does one attain this state of relationship/indwelling? 

You attain it by first by repenting of your sin, accepting Jesus as your Lord and Savior.   Secondly, you need to cultivate and nurture a prayer life.  Here, like any relationship it is about quality not quantity.   You don't have to pray for long periods of time, but to have cultivate a prayerful life.   We like to have devotional moments where do get away to be along with the Lord for a few moments of quiet personal prayer and fellowship, but prayer should be something that we can interject into our lives all day long.  Thirdly, stay tuned into the Scriptures and read them prayerfully and thoughtfully.  Again, quality, not quantity.   Use a translation that suits you, but read it and let it marinate in your mind. Meditate on what you read whenever you have a mental break during the day at work or wherever.

 

Cultivate your friendship with Jesus like you would any other relationship that is important to you.  And also, this is really important, find a good church that preaches the Word of God.   Get plugged into a real brick and mortar congregation where you can grow spiritually because we can't really grow spiritually by ourselves.