THE EXHORTATION THREAD (For Christians Who Love Jesus)

[LightShinesInTheDarkness]

Is Your Joy The Joy Of The Lord?

 

The joy of the Lord is delight in the knowledge of Him, fellowship with Him, and doing what pleases Him. It is not the carnal joy of having and doing what you want in life and living for worldly pleasure (even if you are doing this in Jesus' name and thanking Him for it all the way). The true and pure joy of the Lord comes from the Spirit of the Lord, not from the world; and He gives it to those who love Him. 

 

Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world---the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions---is not from the Father but is from the world. (1 John 2:15,16)

 

You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, "He yearns jealously over the spirit that He has made to dwell in us"?

...Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. (James 4:3-5, 8,9)

 

Be sure that your joy is really in the Lord and from Him. You can find out whether it is or not by keeping His New Testament commandments: If your "joy" dries up on account of them, you'll know that your joy was not from or in the Lord but in what you have and in doing what you want to do, because God gives His joy to the one who is doing what pleases Him, and not to the one who is not.

We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia, for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own free will, begging us earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints---and this, not as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will of God to us. (2 Corinthians 8:1-5)

There is a difference between rejoicing over and being thankful for what God gives us to enjoy and loving and living for those things (which you won't do if you keep His commandments and follow His leading in your life in whatever you do.) I'm thankful for everything the Lord provides me and gives me to enjoy, but He is my life and my treasure, and I would much rather be away from the body and at home with Him. (Can you honestly say the same?)

Jesus delighted in the Father and in doing His will. That was His joy. The joy of the one in whom the Spirit of Jesus lives should be the same as Jesus'.

 

"I desire to do Your will, O my God; Your law is within my heart." (Psalm 40:8)

 

And the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon Him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD. And His delight shall be in the fear of the LORD. (Isaiah 11:2,3)

 

"If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full." (John 15:10,11)

 

 

 

 

[Christine]

Quote: LightShinesInTheDarkness

Just to restate my position on the matter of salvation simply:

A person is saved (born-again) by repenting of his or her sins, putting his or her faith in Jesus Christ for salvation, and receiving His Spirit. Salvation is by grace (the power of God) through God-given faith. No one can come to Jesus unless the Father draws him or her, which is by His grace.

We are not saved by doing good works, or by keeping the commands of the New Testament, which no unsaved person can do in truth, and which would not justify him if he tried: There are many unsaved people who follow the teachings of the New Testament and are nice people, doing various good works, and are on their way to hell. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ is none of His, and no one can see the kingdom of God unless he or she has been born again.

Once a person has been spiritually converted (born-again) he or she HAS eternal life; he or she IS saved, and is a Christian. If he or she died the moment after the Holy Spirit came to reside in him or her, he or she would go to heaven.

Having been saved---sealed with the Holy Spirit, who is our Guarantee of eternal life, and who bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God---a Christian has the choice whether to remain in Christ or not, and it is possible for him or her to forfeit or lose his or her salvation by what he or she does or does not do after being born-again. Our eternal security is not unconditional, even though our salvation is the free gift of God. There are no works we can do to receive this gift, but there is work that God requires of us to keep it once He has given it to us. Free to receive does not equal free to keep no matter what you do.

This is what the New Testament teaches, whether people understand it or accept it or not. I'm just stating a fact. If you're confused about it, I suggest re-reading the New Testament again, sincerely and without bias, and with a good conscience toward God and man, and asking the Lord to show you the truth about it, so that you will know it for certain and no longer be confused.

I know that it is humanly impossible to make Scriptural truth plain to someone unless God Himself gives them the understanding. No amount of Scripture will do it; people can interpret the Scriptures in all kinds of ways, as they do. But in the case of doctrine, there is only one correct interpretation; and we would all do well---for the sake of holiness, fruitfulness, and our spiritual safety---to be very sure that we have the complete and correct one, about all things, as God is able to help us to know.

I've said all that I believe is necessary to say about this subject on this thread already. Anyone who cares to do so can read my previous posts on this thread to see my explanation and responses to other posters about this. I have no more to say about it, so please do not respond to this post to debate it with me. I'm not the one you need to talk to about it, but the Lord.

-------------------------------------------------

Hello @LightShinesInTheDarkness,

You have stated clearly your position 'on the matter of salvation'. It is now for your readers to do what the Berean's were commended for doing in Acts 17:11:- 

'And these were more noble than those of Thessalonica, 
in that they received the Word with all readiness of mind 
and searched the Scriptures daily 
to see if those things were so.’

* For, with respect, your 'position' regarding this matter, may not be in perfect accord with what the Bible has to say on the subject. Only by searching the Scriptures for ourselves can we be truly sure.

In Christ Jesus

Chris 

 

Edited March 20, 2018 by Christine

[LightShinesInTheDarkness]

17 minutes ago, Christine said:

Hello @LightShinesInTheDarkness

I am sorry that you thought it necessary to add this corrective.  For 'The Unity of The spirit', is that contained within the verses I quoted from Ephesians 4:1-7. It is not necessary to add or take away from what is said there.  It is a seven-fold unity, each emphasised by the use of the word, ONE.  :-

'I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beseech you
that you walk worthy 
of the calling with which you are called,
with all lowliness and meekness, 
with long-suffering, 
forbearing one another in love,
endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
There is -
one body and 
one Spirit, even as you are called in 
one hope of your calling,
one Lord, 
one faith, 
one baptism,
one God and Father of all, 
Who is above all and through all and in you all.
But to every one of us is given grace 
according to the measure of the gift of Christ.’

* This makes clear the spirit in which this UNITY is to be 'kept', and just exactly what it comprises.

One body - not many 'bodies' under different names and with differing creeds, 
One Spirit - The Holy Spirit 
One hope - of resurrection life, in Christ Jesus.
One Lord - Christ Jesus our risen and glorified Saviour, Lord and Head.
One faith - the faith of Christ which took Him to the cross to die in our place and secure us for eternity.
One baptism - which is the baptism 'of' and 'by' the Holy Spirit, 
One God and Father of all - the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Praise God!

In Christ Jesus
Chris
 

 

 

(If you continue reading the posts on this thread, you will see why I added why I added.)

I have only one correction to the seven points, with which I otherwise agree, and that is that the 'faith' mentioned here is the Christian faith, as in the doctrine of Christianity to which Christians adhere (whatever they may have practiced before they were saved): the teachings of the New Testament. This is the same faith Jude mentions in his letter, which Christians are to contend for.

[Heleadethme]

14 hours ago, Wayne222 said:

   Why are you confuse ? We I don't speak for all,believe we are to grow in grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ. How would you know who received the holy spirit ? You seem to believe you have to do good works to stay saved. That's false and not in the bible. We are called to do good works and called to be holy. It's part of the new birth. Growing in the lord. But doing so does not keep you saved. It's part of being saved. We are saved from our sins. Sin is bondage. Now as children we are free. So God wants us to walk in righteousness and not in bondage. 

Why do you think I'm confused because I am hoping that perhaps Davida was just misunderstanding something.  It happens a lot on forums.

We are warned clearly that trees not producing fruit will be cut down, and Jesus said the lukewarm will be spued out of His mouth, as well as that branches can be broken off, as has already been discussed.   Even those who have not received the Holy Spirit since they believed can read those black and white letters in the bible.....there is nothing to argue about with it, it is very plain.  Good grief, in case anyone can't read we even have what happened to Israel in life as an example and warning.....well actually that IS written about in the bible.  He who spared not the natural branches...........gave them a spirit of slumber, concluded then in unbelief, made them blind and deaf.  WAKE UP CHURCH!

[4LdKHVCzRDj2]

2 hours ago, LightShinesInTheDarkness said:

Having been saved---sealed with the Holy Spirit, who is our Guarantee of eternal life, and who bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God---a Christian has the choice whether to remain in Christ or not

Sorry, but a born again cannot lose salvation. There is a possibility they can walk in disobedience for some time?! Yes, and they are chastened if they do so.

"No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day." - John 6:44

 

But losing salvation for such is not possible. It is the Lord that keeps them.

"This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He
    has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day." - John 6:39

"My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.
    And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand." - John 10:27-28

 

We all know that born again believers love the Lord; and love does not fail.

"bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails." - 1 Corinthians 13:7-8

"He who does not love does not know God, for God is love." - 1 John 4:8

 

The problem today is that many people think they are born again, and they are not. They are deceived.

"Do not love the world or the things in the world.
    If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him." - 1 John 2:15

[brakelite]

10 hours ago, LightShinesInTheDarkness said:

If you're an SDA, and you're actually born-again, I am giving you an ultimatum, before I ignore your posts and leave you to the Lord for Him to deal with as He sees fit: Either stop trying to promote Sabbath-keeping or leave this thread, per the guidelines of the thread as outlined in the original post.

My posts on this thread follow precisely the criteria laid out as guidelines for this thread...upholding the righteousness of Christ by faith....and encouraging others to do the same. In rejecting that it is you who perhaps inadvertently has placed herself in the hands of the Lord. 

 

10 hours ago, LightShinesInTheDarkness said:

Your preoccupation with the Sabbath in particular out of all the other commandments of the law of Moses God makes no sense

Your preoccupation in rejecting the 4th commandment while upholding the other nine makes no sense, and is the reason God needs to remind everyone to remember it. However, as you wish. I will take my leave.

[4LdKHVCzRDj2]

1 minute ago, brakelite said:

Your preoccupation in rejecting the 4th commandment while upholding the other nine makes no sense, and is the reason God needs to remind everyone to remember it.

We keep the Sabbath by walking in the Spirit; following the Lord Jesus. Please, understand this.

"Of how much more value then is a man than a sheep?
    Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath." - Matthew 12:12

"For the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath." - Matthew 12:8

[Heleadethme]

15 hours ago, Wayne222 said:

What sin are you talking about. You are just using worthy to preach against the Catholic church. Why not get a study going based on bible scripture.  

You make the mistake just sounded off it's sin your going to perdition 

     but you dont explain by bible passages where this is true. 

                 Worthy is not your web page. 

WOW Davida........you are agreeing with this brother on his take about Catholicism....??????  I admit that surprises me.....though it really shouldn't.  It shows the precarious position many are in regarding this and softening more and more each day.........multitudes in the valley of decision.  There are more souls going over that cliff as each day goes by, it's so tragic.......BECAUSE THEY DON'T HEED THE WARNINGS OF SCRIPTURE.

[Heleadethme]

10 hours ago, Davida said:

Very disingenuous claiming a misunderstanding.  Because I stated that the Bible does not say we are SAVED by WORKs and the BIBLE does NOT SAY that people must produce WORKS or LOSE their salvation - you stated that I was following a false gospel. So much dishonesty.

I'm truly worried about you Davida.

If anyone is following a gospel that only preaches/teaches half the gospel and denies the rest of it, then yes it certainly is a false gospel.

[Heleadethme]

10 hours ago, Davida said:

Ya -deception about.

You are not in a good place, sister.