Coliseum Posted December 5, 2019 Group: Diamond Member Followers: 14 Topic Count: 133 Topics Per Day: 0.08 Content Count: 1,123 Content Per Day: 0.67 Reputation: 2,055 Days Won: 0 Joined: 09/07/2019 Status: Offline Share Posted December 5, 2019 On 12/3/2019 at 2:16 PM, Chris0699 said: Whatever it is, I am not in a good place. Everyone says concern over sin and a desire to turn to God are signs you have not committed that sin, but I cannot honestly say I am there. When my crisis first hit, I was terrified - not eating, trying to avoid sin like mad, reading sermons like crazy, spending lots of work time researching, etc. But much of that has faded away, largely, probably due to hopelessness. I am probably closer to @Blood Bought 1953's suggestion of getting my pleasure in while I can, but I can't be content with that because I would be going to hell and possibly taking my family with me. So, whatever the nature of the sin, I am either on the brink of it, am currently commiting it, or have committed it and I am wasting my time being here when I should be living it up. Scaring yourself into working out your own salvation puts Jesus in a position of someone incapable. If you saw Jesus pop up out of a mountaintop, your first reaction would be to say, "Oh, no. He's real. I'd better download those papers from the Internet before it's too late. Where are they? Where do I sign"? The idea that you better hurry and do something to get yourself saved is a failed idea. If you think and believe God is your Judge, He will be; if you regard Him as your Savior, He will be. It is a choice in what you decide to believe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blood Bought 1953 Posted December 5, 2019 Group: Royal Member Followers: 13 Topic Count: 48 Topics Per Day: 0.02 Content Count: 6,726 Content Per Day: 2.89 Reputation: 6,258 Days Won: 5 Joined: 12/03/2017 Status: Offline Share Posted December 5, 2019 On 12/3/2019 at 2:56 PM, Chris0699 said: And the cure, belief and repentance, seems unclear and impossible to obtain. There is “ good news” for people like you that have crossed the first “ hurdle” of Salvation......That first hurdle is seeing that you are a sinner that needs a Savior......That conviction of your state of sin and the hopelessness of trying to “ Turn over a New Leaf” to earn you Salvation. That ain't the typical thinking of the Natural Unsaved Man .The Natural man thinks he ain’t perfect, but he is “ good enough” to merit Salvation.The Awakening to the Truth That you are a helpless, hopeless sinner, headed for a Hell you richly deserve like a speeding bullet , is an insight and conviction that only the HOLY SPIRIT can enlighten one to. ( Nobody comes to the Father, lest the Spirit draw him) Once a person has been convicted of sin and understands from his new Contrite Heart That He MUST have a Savior or he is doomed, the next hurdle is to TURN TO Jesus Christ ( this is repentance - the only type that plays a part in Salvation.....there are two other types of Repentance and neither are Relevant to getting Saved or staying saved) On this side of the Cross, in this Age Of Grace the proper way to Turn To Christ is to believe His Gospel Of 1Cor15:1-4——— Jesus died for your sins and rose from the dead.Believe that ALONE and prove that you are only Trusting in that Good News ALONE by RESTING in it.That REST eliminates trusting in yourself or anything else— ESPECIALLY “ LUCKY” REPENTANCE OF SIN to maintain your forever saved status.This type of “repentance” that is a sorrow and regret that propels the Saved Man to try to do a better job of following after the Spirit as opposed to giving in to his old,sinful, Adamic Nature is an instrument that God uses in His Plan to TRANSFORM a man steeped in sin.It happens automatically in the life of the Believer—- AFTER one is saved.When you sin as Believer you will repent from most sins, but if we actually had to repent from EVERY sin , we would be driven insane. It is not possible to repent from ALL sins.....too many are forgotten , too many we are unaware of ( shameful , lustful ,envious thoughts ) and the list of Sins Of Omission That the Law-Keepers NEVER WANT TO DISCUSS ( have they taken any strangers into their homes to feed and clothe lately) Finally, if those that desire to set up “Lucky Repentance” as an Idol to stay saved, they need to listen to James......He said if you break ONE LAW, you have broken them ALL! When you say your nightly prayers of Repentance , remember that there are 613 Laws. You need to allow time to account for ALL of them. What a way to exist .God’s Way is the Way Of Grace......all sins paid for by the FINISHED WORK of Jesus on the Cross .Grace is what gets you saved. Grace is the ONLY THING that keeps you saved. Thank Jesus for it and go live a life of True Sabbathing......Resting in what Christ did FOR you at the Cross.......RESTING in the Gospel Of Grace is God’s Key for everything......Trusting or Resting in the Grace That you are totally forgiven now and forever because of your Faith.Living in the Peace Of mind that True Sabbathing will bring is the only thing that will allow you to truly Love God.....That Love will lead to obedience and the works we were created for.....Dead Works become Faith Works......all else is dung.God is not as interested in what you do as much as He is interested in what He can do THROUGH you........Let go and let God......THAT is Faith! God bless... 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris0699 Posted December 9, 2019 Group: Junior Member Followers: 3 Topic Count: 7 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 112 Content Per Day: 0.07 Reputation: 35 Days Won: 0 Joined: 11/20/2019 Status: Offline Author Share Posted December 9, 2019 On 12/3/2019 at 3:15 PM, Still Alive said: If you think being good will help, you're doing it wrong. You are no better or worse than any man alive or dead. That is not what Christianity is about. You are trying to be a brain surgeon without even acknowledging that you need to go to medical school. That's why it's so hard. The first step is to ask yourself why do you even want to be a brain surgeon. The rest follows. And if you want to be a Christian because hell terrifies you, then you are REALLY doing it wrong. I have great news. If you believe, you enjoy eternity with your creator. If you don't, well, as Ecclesiastes says, you eat and drink and enjoy the fruits of your labor, and then you die. You are just a human animal given the gift of life, like all the other life on the planet. This is it. Make the most of it. But Jesus offers a better way for those that hear him knocking. If you hear, let him in. The rest will take care of itself. And yes, you will have bad days. Think of this life as a form of boot camp. Nobody said it would be easy. And nobody said you would successfully handle every obstacle. The goal is to seek perfection. You will not reach it. And even if you did, you would still not be "better" than anyone else on the planet. It is clear that God sees all our works as filthy rags. And to be clear, when you read about dead works, it is not referring to sins. It's referring to works you do to ensure that you really are saved. Because it's not at all about works. It is ALL about belief. I can't hear His voice or detect knocking. The signs do not paint a pretty picture. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael37 Posted December 9, 2019 Group: Servant Followers: 21 Topic Count: 241 Topics Per Day: 0.11 Content Count: 6,900 Content Per Day: 3.26 Reputation: 4,831 Days Won: 2 Joined: 07/05/2018 Status: Offline Birthday: 09/23/1954 Share Posted December 9, 2019 1 hour ago, Chris0699 said: I can't hear His voice or detect knocking. The signs do not paint a pretty picture. What version of the Bible are you reading from? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris0699 Posted December 9, 2019 Group: Junior Member Followers: 3 Topic Count: 7 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 112 Content Per Day: 0.07 Reputation: 35 Days Won: 0 Joined: 11/20/2019 Status: Offline Author Share Posted December 9, 2019 23 minutes ago, Michael37 said: What version of the Bible are you reading from? Depends. Sometimes NIV, sometimes NLT, sometimes NASB. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Still Alive Posted December 10, 2019 Group: Royal Member Followers: 4 Topic Count: 13 Topics Per Day: 0.01 Content Count: 3,024 Content Per Day: 1.34 Reputation: 1,224 Days Won: 3 Joined: 02/05/2018 Status: Offline Share Posted December 10, 2019 18 hours ago, Chris0699 said: I can't hear His voice or detect knocking. The signs do not paint a pretty picture. I've heard no voice or detect knocking. Question: What compels you to follow Him? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris0699 Posted December 10, 2019 Group: Junior Member Followers: 3 Topic Count: 7 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 112 Content Per Day: 0.07 Reputation: 35 Days Won: 0 Joined: 11/20/2019 Status: Offline Author Share Posted December 10, 2019 1 hour ago, Still Alive said: I've heard no voice or detect knocking. Question: What compels you to follow Him? The wrong reasons as you previously specified. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biblican Posted December 10, 2019 Group: Senior Member Followers: 3 Topic Count: 17 Topics Per Day: 0.01 Content Count: 673 Content Per Day: 0.42 Reputation: 143 Days Won: 0 Joined: 11/30/2019 Status: Offline Share Posted December 10, 2019 On 11/20/2019 at 6:46 PM, Chris0699 said: I have read a vast amount of material on the unpardonable sin. The common answer seems to be "as long as our are worried about it" or "you still have desire to repent and be reconciled to God", then you can feel reasonably confident you haven't committed it. I can't say I have either. I had a couple emotional experiences throughout my life and I was baptized at a young age, but I lived like the world and fell away. My heart is incredibly hard against God. I don't even know if I really want it softened. I'm worried about hell and I think I have hardened myself so much that I don't really want God. Like I want to retain control of my life but also don't want to go to hell. I know that is wrong, but I can't do anything about it anymore. I can think about the cross and not weep. I try to imagine my sin being put on Him but I can more understand the emotions of the soldiers and the Jews more than His and the disciples. I also know I have said "I" a lot and I need to get my eyes on Jesus, but in my hardened state I feel that is impossible. Even though I use the language I do, I should be treated as the hardest Christ rejector because that's really what I think I am. I think it would take a miracle to believe at this point. I have been around church, the gospel, and the Bible for most of my life yet I remain unchanged. Rebukes and exhortations don't do anything to me. I am probably wasting my time and yours by posting here, but might as well exhaust every avenue before giving up and accepting my fate because also my children will learn from my example and may also be led astray. I've already posted on two other forums. I need God to change me against my will, so to speak. Some may say He will not do that, but some do. I have to hope that He can and will because that's the only hope I have left. I can't honestly pray because I know I am not sincere. Not sure what to do. The Bible is no comfort. Chris, do you know if you have any witchcraft in your lineage? I don't think you have committed the unpardonable sin or you wouldn't be here at all. It sounds like your will wants God, but you are experiencing a blockage which can be caused by demonic interference. Do you ever experience a pressure around your head? Don't give up, and don't rely on your emotions to determine your relationship with God. You need to recognize that the devil is your enemy and that he does not want you saved. Read the scriptures where Jesus casts demons out of people. Believe that He can do that for you. Let's try to eliminate any blockage caused by demonic influence. I would try to find a church that knows how to pray for people who are under demonic bondage, like a Pentecostal church that has not quenched the Holy Spirit in this area. Get prayer specifically to remove any demonic attachments and see if it makes a difference. Keep me posted. Much love to you, Biblican. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris0699 Posted December 10, 2019 Group: Junior Member Followers: 3 Topic Count: 7 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 112 Content Per Day: 0.07 Reputation: 35 Days Won: 0 Joined: 11/20/2019 Status: Offline Author Share Posted December 10, 2019 1 hour ago, Biblican said: Chris, do you know if you have any witchcraft in your lineage? I don't think you have committed the unpardonable sin or you wouldn't be here at all. It sounds like your will wants God, but you are experiencing a blockage which can be caused by demonic interference. Do you ever experience a pressure around your head? Don't give up, and don't rely on your emotions to determine your relationship with God. You need to recognize that the devil is your enemy and that he does not want you saved. Read the scriptures where Jesus casts demons out of people. Believe that He can do that for you. Let's try to eliminate any blockage caused by demonic influence. I would try to find a church that knows how to pray for people who are under demonic bondage, like a Pentecostal church that has not quenched the Holy Spirit in this area. Get prayer specifically to remove any demonic attachments and see if it makes a difference. Keep me posted. Much love to you, Biblican. No, it's not demonic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael37 Posted December 10, 2019 Group: Servant Followers: 21 Topic Count: 241 Topics Per Day: 0.11 Content Count: 6,900 Content Per Day: 3.26 Reputation: 4,831 Days Won: 2 Joined: 07/05/2018 Status: Offline Birthday: 09/23/1954 Share Posted December 10, 2019 23 hours ago, Chris0699 said: Depends. Sometimes NIV, sometimes NLT, sometimes NASB. Is there a particular passage of Scripture that you can give me? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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