Do you consider yourself to be a good person?

[Believers Battlecry]

Almost everyone thinks they are a good person......

But the question you should be asking is, "Am I good enough to go to Heaven?"

How would you know?

Edited February 13, 2007 by Believers Battlecry

[anne~]

you can't know that you are going to heaven. you might hope, but until you cash in, it's only a hope. nobody has come back with a tally of what percentage of self-assured christians actually got in. maybe it's 100%, but that seems unlikely.

it's much easier to know that you aren't going. in my case, i'm a well-known scumbag so i know exactly where i'm going. the problem is, there's not a thing i can do about it. all the well-meaning christians will wring their hands and tell me how god loves me blah, blah, blah, but at the end of the day, that just doesn't cut it. knowing that, i'm automatically exluded from heaven.

so here's the bottom line: you CAN be assured that you're right when you think you're going off to eternal torture, but it's not at all clear whether any person is good enough to be ASSURED they are going to heaven. but, if you can convince yourself of that, it must be very comforting.

Now, to answer the question about whether i consider myself to be a good person.... that should be obvious from the above

[mrs]

you can't know that you are going to heaven. you might hope, but until you cash in, it's only a hope. nobody has come back with a tally of what percentage of self-assured christians actually got in. maybe it's 100%, but that seems unlikely.

it's much easier to know that you aren't going. in my case, i'm a well-known scumbag so i know exactly where i'm going. the problem is, there's not a thing i can do about it. all the well-meaning christians will wring their hands and tell me how god loves me blah, blah, blah, but at the end of the day, that just doesn't cut it. knowing that, i'm automatically exluded from heaven.

so here's the bottom line: you CAN be assured that you're right when you think you're going off to eternal torture, but it's not at all clear whether any person is good enough to be ASSURED they are going to heaven. but, if you can convince yourself of that, it must be very comforting.

Now, to answer the question about whether i consider myself to be a good person.... that should be obvious from the above

In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, 12 that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory.

13 In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.

[Believers Battlecry]

Anne~, we can know that we are going to Heaven. We are not predestined to go one way or the other. First of all what is the definition of good? It is moral perfection. We cannot achieve this, only God can, He alone is good. Since only God is good, He gave us a standard of goodness to view ourselves by, which is God's Law(Ten Commandments). With a tender conscience, ask yourself if you have obeyed the following:

1. You shall have no other gods before Me. (Have you always loved God above all else?)

2. You shall not make yourself an idol. (Have you made a god in your mind that you're more comfortable with, a god to suit yourself?)

3. You shall not take God's name in vain. (Have you ever used God's holy Name as a cuss word?)

4. Remember the Sabbath Day, to keep it holy.

5. Honor your father and mother.

6. You shall not murder. (God considers hatred to be as murder).

7. You shall not commit adultery. ("Whoever looks upon a woman to lust after her has committed adultery with her already in his heart" � Matthew 5:27-28; this also includes sex before marriage).

8. You shall not steal. (Have you ever stolen anything? � the value of the item is irrelevant).

9. You shall not lie. (Have you lied even once? Including answering these questions).

10. You shall not covet. (Have you ever jealously desired what belongs to others?)

The Bible says that God will punish all murderers, rapists, thieves, liars, adulterers, etc. He will even judge our words and thoughts. On Judgment Day, will you be found to be guilty or innocent of breaking His commandments?

Excerpts used from Living Waters.com

Edited February 13, 2007 by Believers Battlecry

[sheya joie]

Joh 20:31 But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.

1Jo 5:13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.

[Believers Battlecry]

God will judge us based on these commandments.

Edited February 13, 2007 by Believers Battlecry

[Guest]

Almost everyone thinks they are a good person......

But the question you should be asking is, "Am I good enough to go to Heaven?"

How would you know?

Oh Oh! Look at all of us including all those who think they're keeping The Law!

"But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away." (Isaiah 64:6)

" The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?" (Jeremiah 17:9)

"As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:" (Romans 3:10)

Ah! Jesus! Jesus! Jesus!

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

"For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved."

"He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." (John 3:16-18)

The Commandment

"Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me." (John 15:4)

"Jesus Christ and Him Crucified" period!

Welcome to Worthy!

Love, Joe

[Believers Battlecry]

To Anne,

Who of us can say we are not guilty of breaking these Commandments? All of us have sinned, and just as with civil law, you don't have to break ten laws to be a lawbreaker, so the Bible warns, "For whoever shall keep the whole Law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all."

Perhaps you think that God is good, and will therefore overlook your sins. But it is His goodness that will make sure that murderers, rapists, thieves, liars, etc. receive justice. He would be a corrupt Judge if He turned a blind eye to injustice. Have you kept the Commandments?

The Bible says that the Law is perfect. It commands you to be perfect (Matthew 5:48). Are you perfect (in thought, word, and deed)? Will you make it to Heaven? You may say that you are still good, but God says you're not (see Psalm 14:2-3). So one of you is lying, and the Scriptures tell us that it is impossible for God to lie. Remember that all liars will be cast into the Lake of Fire (Revelation 21:8). God's Law demands justice, and the penalty for sinning against Him is death and Hell.

God Himself made a way where His justice and His goodness could meet. We broke the Law, but He became a man to pay the fine. Jesus suffered and died on the cross to satisfy the Law. God can forgive us and grant us the gift of everlasting life!

To make clear what an incredible thing He has done for you in the Gospel, let's look again to civil law: You are standing in front of a judge, guilty of very serious crimes. All the evidence has been presented and there is no doubt about your guilt. The fine for your crime is $250,000 or imprisonment, but you haven't two pennies to rub together. The judge is about to pass sentence...he lifts his gavel, when someone you don't even know steps in and pays the fine for you. The moment you accept that payment, you are free to go. Justice has been served, the law has been satisfied, and what's more, the stranger who paid your fine showed how much he cares for you. His payment was evidence of his love.

That's what God did for you, in the person of Jesus Christ. you are guilty, He paid the fine 2,000 years ago. It is that simple. The Bible puts it this way: "he was bruised for our iniquities . . . Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the Law being made a curse for us...God commended His love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."

It was no small thing for Jesus to die for us. The only thing that would satisfy the demands of Eternal Law was the suffering death of the sinless Son of God. What love God must have for you! He suffered unspeakable agony, so that you wouldn't have to be punished for your sins. His sacrificial death and resurrection mean that you need no longer be in debt to the Law, and God can now grant you everlasting life if you obey Him -- death no longer has a legal hold upon those who belong to Jesus Christ.

Two men were offered a parachute while seated in a plane. The first man was told it would improve his flight, but the second man was informed he had to make a 25,000 foot jump. when the flight struck severe turbulence the first man took his parachute off because as far as he was concerned it didn't improve the flight. but during the same violent turbulence, the second man clung tighter to his parachute. Each man's motive for putting the parachute on determined whether or not they would keep it on. In the same way, the reason you should "put on the Lord Jesus Christ" shouldn't be to find peace, joy, true happiness, to have your marriage healed or your problems fixed, etc. (to have your flight improved), but it should be to escape the jump to come

Edited February 13, 2007 by Believers Battlecry

[Guest]

God Himself made a way where His justice and His goodness could meet. We broke the Law, but He became a man to pay the fine. Jesus suffered and died on the cross to satisfy the Law. God can forgive us and grant us the gift of everlasting life!

You Go Bro!

Psalms 51

"Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions."

"Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin."

"For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me."

"Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest."

"Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me."

"Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom."

"Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow."

"Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice."

"Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities."

"Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me."

"Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me."

"Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit."

"Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee."

"Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, thou God of my salvation: and my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness."

"O Lord, open thou my lips; and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise."

"For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering."

"The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise."

"Do good in thy good pleasure unto Zion: build thou the walls of Jerusalem."

"Then shalt thou be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness, with burnt offering and whole burnt offering: then shall they offer bullocks upon thine altar."

Amen! Amen! Amen!

[firehill]

Almost everyone thinks they are a good person......

But the question you should be asking is, "Am I good enough to go to Heaven?"

How would you know?

Oh Oh! Look at all of us including all those who think they're keeping The Law!

"But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away." (Isaiah 64:6)

" The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?" (Jeremiah 17:9)

"As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:" (Romans 3:10)

Ah! Jesus! Jesus! Jesus!

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

"For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved."

"He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." (John 3:16-18)

The Commandment

"Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me." (John 15:4)

"Jesus Christ and Him Crucified" period!

Welcome to Worthy!

Love, Joe

Welcome, BB!