Are we light in the Lord or just sinners saved by grace?

[Alive]

I think that if we point to Christ and look to Christ rather than to our own and to other's 'shortcomings'--that this is better for us all.

[Gideon]

6 hours ago, DustyRoad said:

I was lost in my sins, an unbeliever who denied the Lord when Jesus Christ spared me. Yes, I was a sinner who is saved by the grace of Christ Jesus and nothing else. I was rejected by men and women many times during my life... starting with my own mother... but the same cannot be said of our Father in heaven. 

Your question imposes a false dichotomy as its premise, @Gideon. I've picked up on your disdain for weakness in your posts my friend. What does the scripture say? I've shared this more than once and it bears sharing again:

Because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me—to keep me from exalting myself! Concerning this I implored the Lord three times that it might leave me. And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. (2 Corinthians 12: 7-9)

You miss the point of my posts, brother.  In fact, I have said many times that weakness is a blessing, because it makes us look away from our insufficiency to our sll sufficient God and His promises of what His salvation actually offers us.. 

My issue is not that Christians are weak and cannot overcome sins. It is the contentment with staying in that state, thinking grace makes hardened hearts a non-issue, that worries me. We are told that godliness with contentment is great gain. But make no mistake, contentment without godliness will be great loss to millions unless there is massive repentance.

God sent His Son into the world to deliver us from evil, from the power of darkness. It starts with forgiveness, but by no means ends there. God promises to sanctify us wholly, body, soul and spirit and set us FREE INDEED, but what do we see?  His people, content to be forgiven alone, with no desire to truly see sin and self-love overcome in their walks, and that, dear brother, cannot continue. Change is coming, HUGE change.

We can either willingly admit our error, our contentment without godliness, our stance that because of grace, we have need of nothing, or we will have it shaken out of us. We are given this mandate, and it is best we no longer ignore it. 

"Let all who name the name of the Lord depart from iniquity." 

Yet how many there are who have reasoned that since this is impossible with our efforts, why sweat it ? We have grace! But this is not grace at all that we have but deep deception.  This is turning the grace of God into lasciviousness, a belief that because of God, God now winks at our sins, but will send others to hell for doing the very same things. 

No, friends. Grace, real Biblical grace, teaches us to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts and to live soberly, righteously and justly in this present life. But this is not what we see, is it? We see millions not sweating that they commit sins every day, many of them willful ones, with no resistance at all inside their hearts. 

I hear men again and again use Romans 7 as their justification,  but it is clear this is Paul under the law. And do you know what? Even then, a battle raged within him. He hated.... HATED.... the sin that ruled over Him ,and he cried out with all that was within him fro God to do what God has promised to do for each one of us. And what was that? Deliver us  from evil. 

But that has not been the mindset of most in the church at all. We have accepted that victory is impossible this side of Heaven, and because of that, our continuance in sin has hardened our hearts. How few there are who are truly trying to obey their God in all things. How rare those blessed saints are who, despite their weaknesses, still long to be freed and refuse to accept that this is the best God can do. Multitudes across all denominational lines have been lulled into a deep sleep, with no guilt, no shame, while the enemy laighs with glee. God is waiting for His own to seek Him to deliver them from self and sin, and instead, they are too busy living their lives as if they were their own, with no real hunger to truly obey their God. 

Jesus said that unless we hate our life, we cannot be His disciples. But our modern take on Christianity knows nothing of that. Why is this hatred required? Because until we do, we cannot look away from us, and believe for  the miracle of His righteousness within in us. We must lose our lives to find His in us. Look, we may not know HOW this can happen, HOW Jesus can bring us to the point where He causes us to obey Him, but Ixpray we listen well. 

We will NEVER see the answer of HOW to walk as obedience children with new natures....until we cannot live without it. 

What i have seen and heard in many of these answers is simply a plowing under of Paul's question to us. He asked... 

"Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?"

  Our answer has been..... up till now..... "Sure, yeah, grace!" But may we all be warned that havecaccepted this as Christianity.  If that remains our take on things, we will be swept away with what is coming on the horizon.  

But praise God, to the one who recognizes his weakness, yet who cannot shut off the desire of his heart to truly walk pleasing to God, God is about to remove the blinders of unbelief and deliver every single soul that cries our to Him for the victory He has so clearly promised. A new day is dawning. The church is about to be awakened to righteousness and sin not. Not by "working" for our salvation, but rather by God working in us both to will, And to do of His good pleasure. 

Welcome to the book of Acts, part two. ?

blessings,

Gideon

[Gideon]

Just now, Gideon said:

You miss the point of my posts, brother.  In fact, I have said many times that weakness is a blessing, because it makes us look away from our insufficiency to our sll sufficient God and His promises of what His salvation actually offers us.. 

My issue is not that Christians are weak and cannot overcome sins. It is the contentment with staying in that state, thinking grace makes continuing in sin a non-issue, that worries me. We are told that godliness with contentment is great gain. But make no mistake, contentment without godliness will be great loss to millions unless there is massive repentance.

God sent His Son into the world to deliver us from evil, from the power of darkness. It starts with forgiveness, but by no means ends there. God promises to sanctify us wholly, body, soul and spirit and set us FREE INDEED, but what do we see?  His people, content to be forgiven alone, with no desire to truly see sin and self-love overcome in their walks, and that, dear brother, cannot continue. Change is coming, HUGE change.

We can either willingly admit our error, our contentment without godliness, our stance that because of grace, we have need of nothing, or we will have it shaken out of us. We are given this mandate, and it is best we no longer ignore it. 

"Let all who name the name of the Lord depart from iniquity." 

Yet how many there are who have reasoned that since this is impossible with our efforts, why sweat it ? We have grace! But this is not grace at all that we have but deep deception.  This is turning the grace of God into lasciviousness, a belief that because of God, God now winks at our sins, but will send others to hell for doing the very same things. 

No, friends. Grace, real Biblical grace, teaches us to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts and to live soberly, righteously and justly in this present life. But this is not what we see, is it? We see millions not sweating that they commit sins every day, many of them willful ones, with no resistance at all inside their hearts. 

I hear men again and again use Romans 7 as their justification,  but it is clear this is Paul under the law. And do you know what? Even then, a battle raged within him. He hated.... HATED.... the sin that ruled over Him ,and he cried out with all that was within him fro God to do what God has promised to do for each one of us. And what was that? Deliver us  from evil. 

But that has not been the mindset of most in the church at all. We have accepted that victory is impossible this side of Heaven, and because of that, our continuance in sin has hardened our hearts. How few there are who are truly trying to obey their God in all things. How rare those blessed saints are who, despite their weaknesses, still long to be freed and refuse to accept that this is the best God can do. Multitudes across all denominational lines have been lulled into a deep sleep, with no guilt, no shame, while the enemy laighs with glee. God is waiting for His own to seek Him to deliver them from self and sin, and instead, they are too busy living their lives as if they were their own, with no real hunger to truly obey their God. 

Jesus said that unless we hate our life, we cannot be His disciples. But our modern take on Christianity knows nothing of that. Why is this hatred required? Because until we do, we cannot look away from us, and believe for  the miracle of His righteousness within in us. We must lose our lives to find His in us. Look, we may not know HOW this can happen, HOW Jesus can bring us to the point where He causes us to obey Him, but Ixpray we listen well. 

We will NEVER see the answer of HOW to walk as obedience children with new natures....until we cannot live without it. 

What i have seen and heard in many of these answers is simply a plowing under of Paul's question to us. He asked... 

"Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?"

  Our answer has been..... up till now..... "Sure, yeah, grace!" But may we all be warned that havecaccepted this as Christianity.  If that remains our take on things, we will be swept away with what is coming on the horizon.  

But praise God, to the one who recognizes his weakness, yet who cannot shut off the desire of his heart to truly walk pleasing to God, God is about to remove the blinders of unbelief and deliver every single soul that cries our to Him for the victory He has so clearly promised. A new day is dawning. The church is about to be awakened to righteousness and sin not. Not by "working" for our salvation, but rather by God working in us both to will, And to do of His good pleasure. 

Welcome to the book of Acts, part two. ?

blessings,

Gideon

 

[R. Hartono]

We are only garbage drums who try to invade the kingdom of heaven.

[steve morrow]

WARNING

EZEKIEL 3:18  when I say unto the wicked thou shalt surely die and thou givest him not --WARNING-- nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way ---TO  SAVE  HIS  LIFE--- the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity but his blood will --I  REQUIRE-- at thine hand  --3:19-- yet  --IF-- thou warn the wicked and he turn not from his wickedness nor from his wicked way he shall die in his iniquity ---BUT  THOU  HAST  DELIVERED  THY  SOUL---

 

ACTS 20:26  wherefore I take you to record this day that I am pure from the blood of all men --20:27-- for  --I  HAVE  NOT  SHUNNED-- to declare unto you all the counsel of  GOD  

 

ACTS 3:22  for moses truly said unto the fathers ---A  PROPHET  SHALL  THE  LORD  YOUR  GOD  RAISE  UP  UNTO  YOU  OF  YOUR  BRETHREN  LIKE  UNTO  ME  HIM  SHALL YOU  HEAR  IN  ALL THINGS  WHATSOEVER  HE  SHALL SAY  UNTO  YOU 

--3:23--  AND  IT  SHALL  COME  TO  PASS  THAT  EVERY  SOUL  WHICH  WILL  NOT  HEAR  THAT  PROPHET  SHALL --BE  DESTROYED-- FROM  AMONG  THE  PEOPLE

 

ROMANS  2:11  FOR  THERE  IS  NO  RESPECT  OF  PERSONS  WITH  GOD

PSALM 119:155  SALVATION  IS  FAR  FROM  THE  WICKED  FOR  THEY  SEEK  NOT  MY  STATUTES

MATTHEW 12:35  a good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth good things and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things --12:36-- but I say unto you that every idle word that men shall speak they shall give account thereof --IN  THE  DAY  OF  JUDGEMENT  12:37-- FOR  BY  THY  WORDS  THOU  SHALT be  justified  and  by  thy words  thou  shalt  be  condemned  

 

LOVING  THE  LORD  JESUS  CHRIST 

[Behold]

Jesus is the LIGHT of the World.

The Born Again are the Children of the LIGHT.

The Born Again, have been Translated from Darkness TO Light.

God lives, exists in, and AS a Spirit of  HOLY LIGHT.

The Kingdom of God is a Spiritual Kingdom of Holy LIGHT

Holiness and Righteousness,  Purity and Wisdom, Truth and Love, are The LIGHT.

As Hot is to Cold, so is Holiness to Spiritual Darkness

We the born again, are One with Jesus the Light of the World, and God the LIGHT of Holiness.

=  Children of the Light. (Born Again).

 

[Gideon]

12 minutes ago, R. Hartono said:

We are only garbage drums who try to invade the kingdom of heaven.

That sounds so very lowly and humble. But it smply does not line up with what God says. What does He say?

"For you were once darkness but now are you light in the Lord. Therefore walk as children of light."

Ephesians 5:8

Satan has had us believing a lie for centuries. But we are even now awakening with a holy boldness to believe what Christ has actually done for us, made us new creatures. Until we do this, we will simply be playing at religion and the world remains unimpressed. But those days are coming to an end. 
 

We are told to yield ourselves to God, but not as sinful worms. We are commanded to yield ourselves to God as those who are alive from the dead. Satan whisssspers "This will make you proud", when the truth is, it takes total brokenness and humility to come to God with such faith, the faith to believe God's promises because we admit that without new natures. we will continue to blaspheme His holy name wherever we have gone.  

Up til now, our lives forcthe most part testify to the world that Jesus may be able to forgive us,  but to actually change us, do away with our selfish, sin loving natures? No way. We do not see it as unbelief. But God is looking for faith in these last days, men and women willing to declare "I do not deserve to be made victorious, but nevertheless, that is what my Jesus purchased for me, and I will honor Him by believing..... and receiving.... the new nature He bought for me with His blood. 

We are finally arriving at the valley of decision. Who will rule over us? Us.... or Him in us. We will all have to finally make the choice. Will we believe IN Him..... which the devils do..... or will we believe ON Him, and walk as overcomers, victorious over the world, the flesh and the devil?

blessings,

Gids 

[Jostler]

The spirit of prophecy is the testimony of Jesus.  Is our testimony the same as His?  Are we "dirty nasty sinners" or is that what we WERE, before He saved us?  Am I in agreement with the testimony of Jesus when I say "i'm a sinner" when He says He gave us a completely new nature?

What we WERE is clear.  But what are we now after His grace gave birth to a new creation in us, a reborn spirit? 

Before we know Jesus, we are truly sinners by nature.  Due to the fall we were born sinners, literally "sons of satan" and partakers of satan's nature.  We could not stop sinning because it was our nature to sin.  We had no choice but to be sinners because that was what we were.  We couldn't stop sinning any more than a dog can stop being a dog.

 

But His love and grace changed that NATURE.  Do we believe it? 

Quote

Eph 4:20-24

But you did not learn about Christ like this,  if indeed you heard about him and were taught in him, just as the truth is in Jesus.

 

You were taught with reference to your former way of life to lay aside the old man who is being corrupted in accordance with deceitful desires,  to be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and to put on the new man who has been created in God's image - in righteousness and holiness that comes from truth.

 

A reborn son of God has a new nature and is no longer bound to sin.  Actually, has no excuse for sinning.  What He fixes, is fixed indeed.  When our testimony of who we are begins to agree with His testimony of who we are, we will experience life on a whole new plane.....one that is powered by God.   What we believe will determine what we can receive from Him.  

[Gideon]

49 minutes ago, Jostler said:

The spirit of prophecy is the testimony of Jesus.  Is our testimony the same as His?  Are we "dirty nasty sinners" or is that what we WERE, before He saved us?  Am I in agreement with the testimony of Jesus when I say "i'm a sinner" when He says He gave us a completely new nature?

What we WERE is clear.  But what are we now after His grace gave birth to a new creation in us, a reborn spirit? 

Before we know Jesus, we are truly sinners by nature.  Due to the fall we were born sinners, literally "sons of satan" and partakers of satan's nature.  We could not stop sinning because it was our nature to sin.  We had no choice but to be sinners because that was what we were.  We couldn't stop sinning any more than a dog can stop being a dog.

 

But His love and grace changed that NATURE.  Do we believe it? 

 

A reborn son of God has a new nature and is no longer bound to sin.  Actually, has no excuse for sinning.  What He fixes, is fixed indeed.  When our testimony of who we are begins to agree with His testimony of who we are, we will experience life on a whole new plane.....one that is powered by God.   What we believe will determine what we can receive from Him.  

The Lord asked in sincerity "When the Son of Man returns, will He find faith on the earth?"

Indeed He will. We are about to witness.... and be a part of.... an awakening the likes of which the world has never seen. The question before us is not "Do we believe a man can walk without sinning",  but rather, if it were possible, would we want it? 

blessings, my friend. Excellent post. 

 

Gids

Edited March 16, 2020 by Gideon

[Jostler]

2 minutes ago, Gideon said:

The Lord asked in sincerity "When the Son of Man returns, will He find faith on the earth?"

Indeed He will. We are about to witness.... and be a part of.... an awakening the likes of which the world has never seen. The question before us is not "Do we believe a man can walk without sinning",  but rather, if it were possible, would we want it? 

blessings, my friend. Excellent post. 

 

Gids

 

I might have left a wrong impression.  The question I meant to ask is "do we believe in what HE has said?"   It goes to a lot more than just the question of who we are in Him...the faith of God comes by hearing.  It just comes as His gift to us...it does not become OUR faith, until we invest the Word that carries His faith to us with our belief.

His Word carries within it all the faith necessary to bring His Word to pass in our lives in this realm.  Whatever it is that Word says to us, about ourselves, sin, or any other thing, is not appropriated to ourselves, until we believe it.

Quote

Jhn 5:38-40

“But you do not have His word abiding in you, because whom He sent, Him you do not believe.  You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me.

But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life."

His rebuke falls on us today, if we know the Book of the Lord (front, backwards and sideways) but have not come to know the Lord of the Book.

 

Quote

Jhn 6:29

Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.”

 

We are going to have to live supernaturally soon....or die.  I do believe it's that serious.  Some of His own who have failed to heed His exhortation to "come out of her" will fall with her and suffer her plagues.  And we can't be trusted with supernatural power until we have  gotten serious about believing what He has said about sin, and our relationship to it.

 

I really just meant to try to look at what you are trying to say from a slightly different perspective.....i suspect we're in pretty lock-step agreement in our understanding of the overall picture, and it's importance in our day.