I need prayer for strong faith

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Permalink Reply by Carla on May 24, 2013 at 6:11pm

Lashana,

Asking for prayer is the right step in the right direction.  I just want to share a few things with you.

 

This is a spiritual battle.  We have a very real spiritual enemy who prowls and seeks to steal, kill and destroy.  We are told to put on our spiritual armour so that we will be able to stand firm.  See Ephesians chapter 6:10-18.  http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ephesians%206&versi...

 

John 10:9,10

⁹ I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. ¹⁰ The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and ^[a]have it abundantly.

 

1 Peter 5:8-10

⁸ Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. ^9 [d]But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your ^[e]brethren who are in the world. ¹⁰ After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you.

 

The battlefield of Christianity occurs in the mind.  We are to bring all thoughts captive to the obedience of Christ.

 

2 Corinthians 10:3-6

 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, ⁴ for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but ^[b]divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. ⁵ We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ, ⁶ and we are ready to punish all disobedience, whenever your obedience is complete.

You mentioned you wanted to keep your salvation and stop sinning.

We still have bad thoughts but we learn and grow stronger to rebuke them as we mature and surrender to Christ more and more, and as we learn to bring every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.  Bad thoughts can come from a few different places... it could be just our fallen nature coming up with it...but it could also be a thought given by the enemy of our souls.  Either way we are to take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.

 

We are made up of 3 parts...body/soul/spirit.  When we become 'born again' it's our spirits which are born again and made new, but our body still needs to catch up to the newness that Christ has put into us.  Basically we are 33.3% perfect (spirit)....with still lots of work to do in the body and soul---This is a life-long process and journey.  For us to be changed and transformed into the image of Christ, it is God's Work..not ours.  We can't save ourselves, and we can't stop sinning.. That's why we need a Saviour.  Rest in the truth that Jesus died to defeat sin and death.  He did this for us because we could not do it ourselves.  We are great sinners and we have a Great Saviour. 

 

There's a lot more to say about this....but I'll leave that for another time.

 

Please  visit http://www.stepuptolife.com/Pages/main_uncon.htm to see the steps for how to 'repent and believe' as scripture tells us to. Please take a few minutes to go through this presentation.  We're here to help and support you with encouragement and prayer.  Please don't hesitate to bring your questions, doubts, hesitations, frustrations etc...

 

We are saved by Grace through faith.  There is no amount of 'works' that can cause you to gain or lose your salvation.  Faith is a gift.  I also recommend that you read the book of John.  You can find it here:  http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+1&version=NASB

 

I hope this will be a good starting point.

 

Blessings, Carla

 

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Permalink Reply by Amanda on May 25, 2013 at 8:10am

Lashana, I know for me saving faith was a gift and not something I had to work my way up to or master. When I was born again, I was fully saved. I received a new heart and a new spirit and my new spirit started out as a babe in Christ and I began to grow spiritually. Also, I began the sanctification process. This process is lifelong and involves my mind, will, emotions, and intellect -- my soul. I am not becoming more and more holy and righteous, for my holiness and righteousness are found in Christ alone, not in any works I have done or will do. I am now in the process of living out that holiness and righteousness, and I fail in many ways but God will never abandon me and give up on me.

It is important, as children of light, for us to walk in the light and when we live in the spirit, for us to walk in the spirit. This involves seeking to do God's will and not our own will, which is simply submitting to the Lordship of Jesus, our Lord and Savior. We are in a battle. The battle is between our spirit and our flesh because our flesh is unregenerated and does not want the things that the regenerated spirit wants. We all need to grow in faith.

There are different areas of faith. We may trust God fully for salvation without any doubt and yet not trust God in another area, such as for provision for our needs, or protection, or to find a mate, etc ... But we are fully saved when we are born again. It is a work of God, and when God begins a good work, He will finish it. If you are able to see your sin and to see Who Jesus is, you are able to choose light over darkness and reach out and receive the gift of salvation from God who is waiting to give it to you. http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans+10%3A8-13&ve...

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