What does it mean to be real?

[ReneeIW]

52 minutes ago, Blood Bought 1953 said:

99.9% of College Professors are totally ignorant about Christianity.....they think it’s a religion.....as does most of the World and many people who think they are “ Christians”.They actually belong to the church of “Repenta-Juda-Anity” Where Law is mixed with Grace, which cancels Grace, and you must remember all of your sins and be sorry about them before you die, lest one be Cast into Hell.......

I still have my paper from that class. I did it on “Grace alone”  and he loved it. He was very anti-theology and anti-Christian books. He said don’t read books about the Bible, just read the Bible. I didn’t listen to him about that. Maybe I should have(long story).

The strangest thing happened in that class. I had spent an entire  weekend driving all around to many different stores looking for a pair of designer jeans that were sold out everywhere (not proud of that and felt guilty about it because my husband needed me that weekend).

On Monday, we were in class, and he said the word he wants us to remember for the rest of our lives is “seek.”

He said to seek after God fervently, and then  he gave examples from the NT of Christ talking about the woman searching for her lost coin and Christ seeking after the one lost sheep.

He then ended the lesson encouraging us to seek after God the way we would seek out a pair of designer jeans. I don’t know if that was a coincidence or not, but I will never forget that. Who would use an example like that for the word “seek”? 

Edited October 26, 2019 by ReneeIW

[missmuffet]

1 hour ago, Neighbor said:

 I suspect that all  a human court  might do is confirm trappings of behavior that  Christianity endorses is  common with many  moral codes of conduct.  The doer of them may  or may not be Christian.

One cannot see the faith of Jesus, one cannot see the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

Perhaps best evidence  to be found in the Christian is in the Christian not knowing that which he does; as the Christian does not let even his left  hand know what the right hand is doing. Much of what the born again saint does is done in a manner that does not telegraph any glory to himself at all for anyone to see. It is literally done  in an eleemosynary manner, with all Glory to God alone.

Real humility is quite invisible,  the works produced of it perhaps known only to God the Holy Spirit. So no I don't think outward appearances much distinguish any born again saint from any other doer of any moral code; and therefore there will be no suficient evidence confirming the  specific calling of the Holy Spirit  for an individual to turn about from their sin against God and to  submission to Jesus as Lord God and savior. One can declare it to themself, and others, and that is done at many a water baptism, but none can prove it.

Seems also many that think they are saved will find Jesus rejecting their impression, to their eternal loss. Just as no person saves another, none that are saved  by God alone are known by sight either.

If you observe what a person says and what they do long enough you can determine a true Christian.

[missmuffet]

4 minutes ago, Abby-Joy said:

This actually happened to me in a court case. They (the other party, their lawyer, and the judge) didn't like that I am a Christian. 

*No, I wasn't on trial for anything.* 

Most of the world does not like the Christian.

John 15: 18-19

If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.

[Figure of eighty]

21 hours ago, Who me said:

Great question/challenge.

That people who know you see that it means something to you, that you have to work at avoiding/resisting temptation, that you do care for people and that what you say is matched by your life, despite your equal vissible failures.

This sums it up. Yes we fail and fall bur we shouls always strive to be what God set us out to be. Basically no willful sinning.

[Blood Bought 1953]

1 hour ago, missmuffet said:

Most of the world does not like the Christian.

John 15: 18-19

If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.

 

I think it’s hard to dislike a true Christian......people confuse Religionists with Christians.....that is where the problem lies....

[Rancher]

By practicing what you preach. 
Allow your actions to reflect your words. 

[Neighbor]

6 hours ago, missmuffet said:

If you observe what a person says and what they do long enough you can determine a true Christian.

Hi,  While James claims that faith is dead without works and that by his work  he can show his faith, I think a jury of humans of this world could not distingush the work to be any different than the work of  say any noble charity most of which may encompass participants from many different religions or even no faith in a god of any kind.

Plus all but a vey few of the notable persons of the Bible ended up not behaving all that well at some point. They failed the standard of God, perfection. in their walk". They were in need of the shed blood of Jesus. All could be accused of not being perfect, no different from what we call the unsaved world. The very nature of salvation is evidence to the world that none are Christian. why even amongst asociation of Christians on a Christian messageboard there is strife and enial of the Christian-like work of about every wel known worker for Jesus  and denial and refutings of their efforts. If Christians cannot accept each other a Christian how will the world's jury?

It is sport for the world and much of the world's population of Christians to mock the servants of our Lord and by doing so mock the master of each born again saint  of our Lord and our savior Jesus.

Further, can there be  deathbed awakenings to the call of the Holy Spirit, followed by repentance and a turning about to Christ, all without any history of Christian "works"? I think it is so.

There are indeed individuals that will somewhat bewilderly say, "You are Christian aren't you?" They do so upon witnessing an oddity of personal behavior, and I think a beginning testimony by the Holy Spirit upon them individually, so as for them to be especially attuned to it. But even then they are asking a question aren't they?  Raise a jury and have them in a trial  make declaration of one's Christian salvation- I don't think so.

Those that go about declaring she's Christian, he's not, are kidding themselves for no one knows the book of life, no one knows who has been given to Jesus by His Father.

We that  are Christian are here not to save other Christians alone. We save no one, not even ourself. We are to give testimony of Jesus to an unbeliving world. That is obedience to God on our part.  I obey not by my will, but by the Holy Spirit, perhaps even  in spite of my own will. But my testimony is not convicting nor convincing to anyone at all, except by the Holy Spirit turning about that individual to their own awakening their own  repentance and rebirth.

Finding a jury of humans to judge over a Christian that can state who has been given to Christ Jesus and who has not,-  don't think one can be found. Even though some  preachers and many an elder think they know of others, I think otherwise. I think no one knows what has been known to God the Father from before time itself. God is merciful to whom God is merciful. I judge not the creature but try to follow the creator, and let the creator judge. I have prayer and hope for all that will hear and heed the specific call to them by God the Holy Spirit. No "jury's" declaration will modify nor change that hope within me. Least I hope not fo rthen I will be so greatly puffed up in myself and my ability to make declaration of whom God saves that I will be unbearable to even myself. I live in hope for any and all that still have breath allowed to them by God for their physical body.

[Coliseum]

7 hours ago, Blood Bought 1953 said:

99.9% of College Professors are totally ignorant about Christianity.....they think it’s a religion.....as does most of the World and many people who think they are “ Christians”.They actually belong to the church of “Repenta-Juda-Anity” Where Law is mixed with Grace, which cancels Grace, and you must remember all of your sins and be sorry about them before you die, lest one be Cast into Hell.......

BB, many are new Christians, who have themselves escaped from the World, and many others who, like Nicodemus once, are still working that into their lives. Perhaps God is giving that ".1%" a knowledge to gently help them in their walk. I had a beautiful opportunity to sit down with a 2 1/2 year Seminary student the other night---a warm, caring, very astute student of the Word, but he was afraid that his view of Hell---being different than the traditional view---would by definition keep him from being saved. I reminded him of several places in the Word how we hinge ourselves on a point that causes us to lose peace and joy, how we put ourselves into a box that suffocates. He listened intently, and we had a wonderful conversation for over an hour. No condemnation---just a conversation about God's grace delivering him. I hoped it helped him---and I hope what I shared was from God, and not me. 

You have a lot to offer, and I listen to what you share. Thx BB.

[missmuffet]

5 hours ago, Neighbor said:

Hi,  While James claims that faith is dead without works and that by his work  he can show his faith, I think a jury of humans of this world could not distingush the work to be any different than the work of  say any noble charity most of which may encompass participants from many different religions or even no faith in a god of any kind.

Plus all but a vey few of the notable persons of the Bible ended up not behaving all that well at some point. They failed the standard of God, perfection. in their walk". They were in need of the shed blood of Jesus. All could be accused of not being perfect, no different from what we call the unsaved world. The very nature of salvation is evidence to the world that none are Christian. why even amongst asociation of Christians on a Christian messageboard there is strife and enial of the Christian-like work of about every wel known worker for Jesus  and denial and refutings of their efforts. If Christians cannot accept each other a Christian how will the world's jury?

It is sport for the world and much of the world's population of Christians to mock the servants of our Lord and by doing so mock the master of each born again saint  of our Lord and our savior Jesus.

Further, can there be  deathbed awakenings to the call of the Holy Spirit, followed by repentance and a turning about to Christ, all without any history of Christian "works"? I think it is so.

There are indeed individuals that will somewhat bewilderly say, "You are Christian aren't you?" They do so upon witnessing an oddity of personal behavior, and I think a beginning testimony by the Holy Spirit upon them individually, so as for them to be especially attuned to it. But even then they are asking a question aren't they?  Raise a jury and have them in a trial  make declaration of one's Christian salvation- I don't think so.

Those that go about declaring she's Christian, he's not, are kidding themselves for no one knows the book of life, no one knows who has been given to Jesus by His Father.

We that  are Christian are here not to save other Christians alone. We save no one, not even ourself. We are to give testimony of Jesus to an unbeliving world. That is obedience to God on our part.  I obey not by my will, but by the Holy Spirit, perhaps even  in spite of my own will. But my testimony is not convicting nor convincing to anyone at all, except by the Holy Spirit turning about that individual to their own awakening their own  repentance and rebirth.

Finding a jury of humans to judge over a Christian that can state who has been given to Christ Jesus and who has not,-  don't think one can be found. Even though some  preachers and many an elder think they know of others, I think otherwise. I think no one knows what has been known to God the Father from before time itself. God is merciful to whom God is merciful. I judge not the creature but try to follow the creator, and let the creator judge. I have prayer and hope for all that will hear and heed the specific call to them by God the Holy Spirit. No "jury's" declaration will modify nor change that hope within me. Least I hope not fo rthen I will be so greatly puffed up in myself and my ability to make declaration of whom God saves that I will be unbearable to even myself. I live in hope for any and all that still have breath allowed to them by God for their physical body.

It all depends on who is on the jury. 

[missmuffet]

9 hours ago, Blood Bought 1953 said:

 

I think it’s hard to dislike a true Christian......people confuse Religionists with Christians.....that is where the problem lies....

There are many in this world who truly dislike or even hate a Christian. That has not changed for thousands of years. Paul first hated Christians.