Poll: What Causes Someone to Become a Child of God?

[Vine Abider]

2 hours ago, Cyoder said:

You have to try.  You can't just pray and think everything will be taken care of.  If you don't believe that, quit working, quit trying and just pray for everything and see what happens.  Trying is works.  It's the same when people say they leave everything up to God.  You can't.  Leaving everything up to God would look something like walking out into the woods naked, sitting on a stump and just praying for food, shelter and water.  You would be dead within a few days.  We have to contribute.  I'm an alcoholic.  God saved me from alcohol, but I still have to try not to drink. We have free will.  I do understand that salvation cannot be somehow earned.  We don't earn salvation by works but we are expected to do the best that we can with our own free will.  It's for God to judge.

Yes, it is a mutual undertaking, isn't it!?  "Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God Who operates in you." (Phil 2:13) is a verse that always comes to mind in thinking about this working relationship.  He set us up with a free will, and we must choose to let Him operate in and through us.  But make no mistake, the overcoming power is all "Christ in you, the hope of glory."  All we do is choose to throw the proverbial switch, which turns on all the ability of the metaphorical nuclear power station.  Otherwise, His power just sits there, waiting for us . . .

[AnOrangeCat]

5 hours ago, Cyoder said:

You have to try.  You can't just pray and think everything will be taken care of.  If you don't believe that, quit working, quit trying and just pray for everything and see what happens.  Trying is works.  It's the same when people say they leave everything up to God.  You can't.  Leaving everything up to God would look something like walking out into the woods naked, sitting on a stump and just praying for food, shelter and water.  You would be dead within a few days.  We have to contribute.  I'm an alcoholic.  God saved me from alcohol, but I still have to try not to drink. We have free will.  I do understand that salvation cannot be somehow earned.  We don't earn salvation by works but we are expected to do the best that we can with our own free will.  It's for God to judge.

Big amen.

Something that stands out to me in this is Matthew 10:32-33: "“Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven.
But everyone who denies me here on earth, I will also deny before my Father in heaven."

The way I see it our actions are a way we can affirm or deny Christ. Can we mess up? Sure. So did Peter. But in the big picture he served Christ despite his mistakes and moments of weakness. God sees the big picture, which includes what's in our hearts. Even if we fail and stumble, if we care enough to try it tells a story of someone who loves God enough to struggle with whatever addictions and facets of human nature are getting in the way. And in return when we see progress we see God loving us enough to help us through our weakness.

[Cyoder]

Something that always sticks with me is that God never gives us more than we can handle.  I quit drinking a few times in my life.  The last time I knew I was done for good.  I wasn't close to God then, but he helped me anyway.  The urge to drink was almost completely gone.  It was relatively easy.  I guess that's what I could handle. 

Other things in my life are still a struggle. Reflecting on it now, maybe I'm just not ready to be done with those things yet.  Like swearing for example.  Man do I struggle with that.  I'm constantly apologizing to God.  I think you have to want it really bad, and God will help.   I'm thinking I don't want it bad enough and I'm not doing as much as I can handle to stop.  I never swear at Church, why do I do it at work?  I'm choosing to.  I need to do better.  

[Vine Abider]

18 minutes ago, Cyoder said:

Something that always sticks with me is that God never gives us more than we can handle.  I quit drinking a few times in my life.  The last time I knew I was done for good.  I wasn't close to God then, but he helped me anyway.  The urge to drink was almost completely gone.  It was relatively easy.  I guess that's what I could handle. 

Other things in my life are still a struggle. Reflecting on it now, maybe I'm just not ready to be done with those things yet.  Like swearing for example.  Man do I struggle with that.  I'm constantly apologizing to God.  I think you have to want it really bad, and God will help.   I'm thinking I don't want it bad enough and I'm not doing as much as I can handle to stop.  I never swear at Church, why do I do it at work?  I'm choosing to.  I need to do better.  

Praise God that He took away the pleasure of drinking - even when you weren't following Him!  He loves us!

Regarding swearing - yeah, I can see where that would be bothersome.  And I think you are right that often He's waiting for us to become a little desperate and call out to Him in our weakness.  But His life in you is well able to overcome it, if you give it to Him. A suggestion if I may? You might just tell Him something like, "Lord, I don't think this swearing at work is a good thing, but I don't really know how to handle it.  So I just give it to You.  Thanks You that You live in me and are well able to do it through me!"  (And if you swear after that just remember, there is no condemnation to you since you are in Christ.  Be of good cheer and ask Him again to deal with it, then forget about it and move on.)

[enoob57]

10 hours ago, Cyoder said:

You have to try.  You can't just pray and think everything will be taken care of.  If you don't believe that, quit working, quit trying and just pray for everything and see what happens.  Trying is works.

I am sure the Bible states life is not found here in this death!

Colossians 3:1-5 (KJV)

[1] If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.

[2] Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.

[3] For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.

[4] When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.

[5] Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:

 

10 hours ago, Cyoder said:

It's the same when people say they leave everything up to God.  You can't.  Leaving everything up to God would look something like walking out into the woods naked, sitting on a stump and just praying for food, shelter and water.

And yet the instruction set is pretty clear on this

Mark 8:35 (KJV)

[35] For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it.

[36] For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?

[37] Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

[38] Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.

 

10 hours ago, Cyoder said:

You would be dead within a few days.  We have to contribute.  I'm an alcoholic.  God saved me from alcohol, but I still have to try not to drink. We have free will.  I do understand that salvation cannot be somehow earned. 

Walking with God in s/Spirit is the life we are to lead here and that is the reason it is difficult to live in this place of darkness and death... Here, this present world, is the reverse of how we are to live

Matthew 6:24 (KJV)

[24] No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

[25] Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?

[26] Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?

[27] Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?

[28] And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:

[29] And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

[30] Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?

 

10 hours ago, Cyoder said:

We don't earn salvation by works but we are expected to do the best that we can with our own free will.  It's for God to judge.

Do you understand we are purchased by Christ? The problem with religion is it is trying to help us fit in here... which according to God we will not fit! If people look to the death for life shall they find it?
1 John 2:15 (KJV)

[15] Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

Luke 16:13 (KJV)

[13] No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

Most strive to live a good life here for the benefit of flesh well being.... Jesus asked what profit is that to us who are born from above?

[Vine Abider]

To summarize this poll thus far, which asks the question: "What Causes a Person to become a Child of God?"

Responses:

40% - "Being Regenerated with His Life Within"

30% - "None of these"

20% - "Keeping God's Commandments - Obey Him & His Word"

10% - "Loving God & Others"

I'm happy to see that 40% have chosen that we become children of God by being regenerated with His life within!  In the physical realm, children are produced by the parents' life, at least biological children.  (A child may be adopted, but they do not have the life of their parents.)  It is the same in the spiritual realm. 

[Marathoner]

Having read the responses here, many have stated "being regenerated with His life within" in so many words. "Born again" is shorthand for that statement.

[Vine Abider]

5 minutes ago, Marathoner said:

Having read the responses here, many have stated "being regenerated with His life within" in so many words. "Born again" is shorthand for that statement.

Agree.  It's good to see.

[steve morrow]

THE  WILL  OF  GOD 

 

ISAIAH 5:21  woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes and prudent in their own sight 

--5:23--  which justify the wicked for reward and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him

 

HEBREWS 10:36  for you have need of patience that after you have done the will of  GOD  you might receive the promise 

ACTS 5:20  go stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life 

LUKE 8:21  and  HE  answered and said unto them ---MY  MOTHER  AND  MY  BRETHREN--- are these which hear the word of  GOD  and do it

 

               *********************************

1 JOHN 3:10  in this the children of  GOD  are manifest and the children of the devil whosoever doeth not righteousness --- IS  NOT  OF  GOD ---  neither he that loveth not his brother 

1 JOHN 2:9  he that saith he is in the light and hateth his brother is in darkness even until now 

--2:10-- he that loveth his brother abideth in the light and there is --NONE  OCCASION  OF  STUMBLING  IN  HIM--

PSALM 119:130  the entrance of thy words giveth light it giveth understanding unto the simple 

PROVERBS 21:16  the man that wandereth out of the way of understanding shall remain in the congregation of the dead 

PROVERBS 8:8  all the words of  MY  mouth are in righteousness there is nothing froward or perverse in them 

 

1 CORINTHIANS 13:11  when I was a child I spake as a child I understood as a child I thought as a child but when I became a man I put away childish things 

 

JOHN 5:30  I can of mine own self do nothing as I hear I judge and  MY  judgment is just because I seek not mine own will but the will of  THE  FATHER  which hath sent  ME

               *********************************************

 

1 JOHN 2:13  I write unto you fathers because you have known  HIM  that is from the beginning I write unto you young men because you have overcome the wicked one I write unto you little children because you have known  THE  FATHER

--2:14--  I have written unto you fathers because you have known  HIM  that is from the beginning I have written unto you young men because you are strong and the word of  GOD  abideth in you and ---you have overcome the wicked one---

 

1 JOHN 2:6  he that saith he abideth in  HIM  ought himself also so to walk even as  HE  walked 

 

LOVING  THE  LORD  JESUS  CHRIST