Is God going to "spit me out?"

[rachelizabeth]

I'm 20 and have always considered myself a Christian but only recently started actually reading the Bible and going to church, but now instead of feeling more certain and peaceful about my faith, I find myself feeling more worried that God will send me to hell for not being a good enough Christian. I wanted to ask for advice--does God really love me and want me? I just read Revelations 3:15-3:17, and in addition to other verses I've been reading, it seems like He is always ready to spit me out? Also how will I know if I am going to be saved, and if not, how can I become saved and remain that way? Sorry this is so long and probably sounds very ignorant, but I would really appreciate any advice and insight

[watchman]

rachel, thank you for this question that many other Christians deal with as well.

First of all, there is no Christian that is really "good enough" to deserve salvation; this is where God's grace in applied to make that possible. (Eph 2:8  For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,
Eph 2:9  not a result of works, so that no one may boast.)

23 minutes ago, rachelizabeth said:

does God really love me and want me?

Indeed He did, He does and continues to love you.  It is quite the cliche' in Christian circles but still the truth that God loved you to the point of sacrificing His life so that you would have the opportunity to experience eternal life!

If you are familiar with the story of the Prodigal Son, starting in Luke chapter 15, you see that a man had two sons and one wanted all the inheritance he had coming and went to a far country where he squandered it all. His father could have disowned him for what he did but instead, he looked and waited for him each day.  There was something broken between them but it was not relationship but fellowship. See, he was still his father's son, a disobedient son, but still a son with his father's DNA. Our God is the God of second and third chances based on repentance.

The Lukewarm church in Laodicea has an interesting history.

"That you are neither cold nor hot:  I would you were cold or hot." This had a background and a local meaning for the people in that day.  Being down in the valley, they had difficulty getting water in Laodicea.  The Laodiceans built aqueducts to transport water down from the snow covered mountains to the city below.  Of course it was ice cold as it started down, but by the time it reached it's destination, it was lukewarm. 

Down in the valley where the Lycus River joins the Maeander River, there are hot springs.  They are so hot that steam is produced.  The Turkish government has capped it and is using it today, and there are plans to develop it even more since it is in such abundance.  It is the hottest water you can imagine, but by the time it was transported to Laodicea it was just luke warm water.

This is a picture of many churches today in the great denominations that have departed from the faith.  Many churches- both in and out of these denominations - attempt to maintain a middle of the road position.  They don't want to come out directly for the Word of God and for the doctrines of the Christian faith.  And at the same time, they don't want to be known as a liberal church.  So they walk the fence with both groups.

Do you love Christ? Do you love His Word and enjoy gaining insight from reading and studying it?  If this is true, that is a very good indicator that you are on the Narrow Road and getting Godly wisdom to guide you along the path He has chosen for you.

have a blessed week,

watchman

[Riverwalker]

The reason God spoke to the Laodiceans that way is because he wanted them to come back. He was calling them back. Just as he called you back when you read it.

God is not standing over us with a hammer waiting for us to fail. He is trying to help us over come the world, He gave his son to die for us, and He will do everything he can to make sure we get to heaven.  IF we let Him. If we were all perfect we wouldn't need Jesus. As long as we have our eyes on Him and stand back up when we fall, He will never leave you nor forsake you.

[BK1110]

Welcome Rachel!

True saving faith realizes your sinfulness, prays for forgiveness, and dedicates itself to a life lived for God's glory. You certainly do not know everything you need right now, and probably feel confused, but if your heart is being moved and you feel a desire to be cleansed and to follow God, then you need only reach out to Jesus in prayer. Tell him you know that you are a sinner and that you cannot save yourself, you cannot ever be good enough to meet God's perfect standard, and therefore you need Jesus to save you. Cry out to him honestly, and he will answer.

From Jesus' sermon on the mount:

"Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will recognize them by their fruits. Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?' And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.' Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it." -- Matthew 7:15-27

Ask yourself if you have a relationship with Jesus. What does a relationship look like? Notice that many people will claim to be Christians, and cite things they did or said, but Jesus will reject them. Ask yourself if you have really given your life to Jesus.

As for me, it was 4.5 years ago that I realized that 30 years of going to church every Sunday and claiming to be a Christian and knowing many verses etc. did not mean anything. There was no change in my heart, no real love or desire for God, no living for him. I wept and prayed a simple prayer, asking him to make it real in me. It was a slow growing process which continues to this day, and will continue until the day I am called to heaven. But I never could have imagined what it would feel like to have it made real in my life and heart, to see desires and changed and rough edges smoothed out.

If you desire it to be real in your heart, just ask Jesus to make it so. You don't have to know everything. God will begin the work in your heart and begin to change you. Read and study his word, and pray daily. Ask him for guidance. Ask him to change and shape you according to his perfect will.

I would suggest the book of Romans would be a great place to start, but the entire New Testament is just packed and is all so important. Also, a very helpful resource is the website desiringgod.org and it's related Youtube channel.

God bless you richly Elizabeth. I will be praying for you, that you would hear God leading you and that you will commit yourself to him and receive eternal salvation! Please do feel free to stick around these forums with all of us, we're all thrilled to meet you!

Jesus said to them, 'I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.'" -- John 6:35-40

[Justin Adams]

5 hours ago, rachelizabeth said:

Sorry this is so long and probably sounds very ignorant, but I would really appreciate any advice and insight

Read about Naaman and the Widow. Yeshua visited his home town and they were full of unbelief. So He told them that Naaman and the Widow were acceptable to the Lord High God. Why? They were not Israelites, they were pagans. They would never read the Tanakh or go to the Israeli festivals.

He said they had BELIEVING LOYALTY to the one true God. That is what He is looking for.

 We know that Jesus was not able to perform many miracles in his hometown of Nazareth. Mark tells us, "And [Jesus] could do no miracle there except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them. And He wondered at their unbelief" (6:5,6).

When Jesus finished his remarks about a prophet's not being without honor except in his hometown and among his own relatives, and then launched into a little history lesson that took his audience back to the days of Elijah and Elisha, He knew His words would "hit home," which indeed they did! After hearing Jesus mention two Gentiles who were recipients of miracles in the days of the prophets, we read, "And all the people in the synagogue were filled with rage as they heard these things" (v.28).

They would have cast Jesus off a cliff and then rained down stones upon His body until He was dead, had He let them. It was not "his time," however, and He simply "passed through their midst" (v.30).

Edited February 1, 2021 by Justin Adams

[other one]

9 hours ago, rachelizabeth said:

I'm 20 and have always considered myself a Christian but only recently started actually reading the Bible and going to church, but now instead of feeling more certain and peaceful about my faith, I find myself feeling more worried that God will send me to hell for not being a good enough Christian. I wanted to ask for advice--does God really love me and want me? I just read Revelations 3:15-3:17, and in addition to other verses I've been reading, it seems like He is always ready to spit me out? Also how will I know if I am going to be saved, and if not, how can I become saved and remain that way? Sorry this is so long and probably sounds very ignorant, but I would really appreciate any advice and insight

I have been there.   I can't speak for you, for we don't know each other that well so I will just tell you about me.

I was basically raised in church, and I considered myself a Christian also for many years.   I believed Jesus was who he is, but I really never turned myself over to him.    Had a serious falling out when my Church about some of the things I had learned in Sunday School that were really not in scripture.   So I just trashed everything I had ever been taught and went directly to the Bible to see what Jesus really said.

That's kind of where you are now.  Just learning what Jesus said and I understand your feelings exactly for I discovered I really had never been a real Christian, just knew what a Christian was.    It wasn't until I understood what Romans tells us when it says that "If you confess Jesus as Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead"...   it wasn't until I realized I had really never made Jesus Lord that I realized what was wrong.

Oh I knew who he was, but I was relying on myself and my own wisdom to try and get to heaven...   and for many years I was a failure.   I studied the Bible and I even studied the devil so I would be wise enough to fight with him...  It wasn't until the Holy Spirit snatched me out of the Devil's hand that I realized we as humans are no match for the devil and Jesus didn't want me fighting the old dark one myself that I really realized that what Jesus was saying was that I was to put my entire existence in his hands..

That night my fear of eternity vanished.

So I would simply ask.....    have you placed Jesus as your Lord and savior?...  have you decided to follow him no matter what?   I can't speak for you, but for me, that's when all doubt and fear of eternity simply vanished.

[Billiards Ball]

10 hours ago, rachelizabeth said:

I'm 20 and have always considered myself a Christian but only recently started actually reading the Bible and going to church, but now instead of feeling more certain and peaceful about my faith, I find myself feeling more worried that God will send me to hell for not being a good enough Christian. I wanted to ask for advice--does God really love me and want me? I just read Revelations 3:15-3:17, and in addition to other verses I've been reading, it seems like He is always ready to spit me out? Also how will I know if I am going to be saved, and if not, how can I become saved and remain that way? Sorry this is so long and probably sounds very ignorant, but I would really appreciate any advice and insight

You need both Bible knowledge and experience of the love and peace of God:

 

Knowledge - The Bible says whoever has placed their trust in Jesus is LOVED by God and will NOT be spit out--the "spit out" reference is to a church's standing in the ancient world, not an individual who trusted Jesus for salvation

 

Peace of God - You need to pray to God, not ask us on a forum, for God to help you FEEL love and peace, and to fill you inside with His Spirit. We are to continually ask for the Spirit to fill us, per the Bible!

[johnthebaptist]

11 hours ago, rachelizabeth said:

I'm 20 and have always considered myself a Christian but only recently started actually reading the Bible and going to church, but now instead of feeling more certain and peaceful about my faith, I find myself feeling more worried that God will send me to hell for not being a good enough Christian. I wanted to ask for advice--does God really love me and want me? I just read Revelations 3:15-3:17, and in addition to other verses I've been reading, it seems like He is always ready to spit me out? Also how will I know if I am going to be saved, and if not, how can I become saved and remain that way? Sorry this is so long and probably sounds very ignorant, but I would really appreciate any advice and insight

The Bible says this: 

For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16 RSV

[Who me]

11 hours ago, rachelizabeth said:

how can I become saved and remain that way?

May I ask you a question?

                                What is it that makes you think you are a Christian?

 

Note no where does the Bible endorse belonging to a church, having followed a series of rite or rituals, or being born into a nation or a family make one a Christian.

 

John 3:16-18 is worth reading as is Romans Ch 5. Yes all of it.

It is Jesus's death and resurrection that saves us, not being baptized or belonging to a church etc . If you church does teach this may I suggest searching the christianityexplored web site for a church that is biblically based and if they are running this course sign up for it.

Otherwise talk to your minister for personal councelling.

[missmuffet]

15 hours ago, rachelizabeth said:

I'm 20 and have always considered myself a Christian but only recently started actually reading the Bible and going to church, but now instead of feeling more certain and peaceful about my faith, I find myself feeling more worried that God will send me to hell for not being a good enough Christian. I wanted to ask for advice--does God really love me and want me? I just read Revelations 3:15-3:17, and in addition to other verses I've been reading, it seems like He is always ready to spit me out? Also how will I know if I am going to be saved, and if not, how can I become saved and remain that way? Sorry this is so long and probably sounds very ignorant, but I would really appreciate any advice and insight

Hi and welcome to Worthy 

Question: "How can I be saved?"

Answer: This simple, yet profound, question is the most important question that can be asked. "How can I be saved?" deals with where we will spend eternity after our lives in this world are over. There is no more important issue than our eternal destiny. Thankfully, the Bible is abundantly clear on how a person can be saved. The Philippian jailer asked Paul and Silas, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” (Acts 16:30). Paul and Silas responded, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31).
 

How can I be saved? Why do I need to be saved?
We are all infected with sin (Romans 3:23). We are born with sin (Psalm 51:5), and we all personally choose to sin (Ecclesiastes 7:20; 1 John 1:8). Sin is what makes us unsaved. Sin is what separates us from God. Sin is what has us on the path to eternal destruction.

How can I be saved? Saved from what?
Because of our sin, we all deserve death (Romans 6:23). While the physical consequence of sin is physical death, that is not the only kind of death that results from sin. All sin is ultimately committed against an eternal and infinite God (Psalm 51:4). Because of that, the just penalty for our sin is also eternal and infinite. What we need to be saved from is eternal destruction (Matthew 25:46; Revelation 20:15).

How can I be saved? How did God provide salvation?
Because the just penalty for sin is infinite and eternal, only God could pay the penalty, because only He is infinite and eternal. But God, in His divine nature, could not die. So God became a human being in the person of Jesus Christ. God took on human flesh, lived among us, and taught us. When the people rejected Him and His message, and sought to kill Him, He willingly sacrificed Himself for us, allowing Himself to be crucified (John 10:15). Because Jesus Christ was human, He could die; and because Jesus Christ was God, His death had an eternal and infinite value. Jesus’ death on the cross was the perfect and complete payment for our sin (1 John 2:2). He took the consequences we deserved. Jesus’ resurrection from the dead demonstrated that His death was indeed the perfectly sufficient sacrifice for sin.

How can I be saved? What do I need to do?
“Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31). God has already done all of the work. All you must do is receive, in faith, the salvation God offers (Ephesians 2:8-9). Fully trust in Jesus alone as the payment for your sins. Believe in Him, and you will not perish (John 3:16). God is offering you salvation as a gift. All you have to do is accept it. Jesus is the way of salvation (John 14:6).

https://www.gotquestions.org/how-can-I-be-saved.html

 

Edited February 1, 2021 by missmuffet