Not sinning against God and Good works; does that mean the same thing?

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Permalink Reply by ribbon on April 10, 2014 at 4:10pm

I hope I never come across as someone who could care less whether or not I obey God

I don't think you care less at all. That isn't what I am trying to say. Im not sure anymore what I was trying to say. I will have to reread what I wrote... all of what I wrote and what others wrote here to try to remember why I say what I did.  If it isn't written all over in my house and isn't written down on my hands and arms... I may forget. I m sorry. It seems I always hurt you and I never want to.  <3

Permalink Reply by ribbon on April 10, 2014 at 2:51pm

I haven't heard anyone here say that they know they are saved because of pleasing the Lord by being obedient. I myself will say and believe that if someone has no change in them and could care less if they are obedient or not ... may not be really saved in the first place. My belief isn't that they are saved by obedience but by the grace of God. I appoligize if I have made you or any one think I thought that way.  <-----That Christians are saved by being obedient.

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Permalink Reply by ribbon on April 10, 2014 at 2:53pm

I also believe that you will know them by their fruits.

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Permalink Reply by Amanda on April 9, 2014 at 8:54pm

Janie,
Are you asking if living a life of self-denial and dying to sin is the same thing as doing good works?

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Permalink Reply by thewatchman on April 9, 2014 at 9:08pm

I get that way too. I understand, Confused.  At this juncture, I would just ask that you read the Bible and see the Words of God building you up in your faith.  They are Word's that will never ever die.  Listen to no one but God, He speaks throughout His Word to you.  

There is no sinners prayer, there is a life that rises up out of the sin, and that is God lifting you up, teaching you, loving you, caring for you, as long as you love Him.  It's the power of God that releases us from a life of sin.

You are a new creation.  In Luke 5:36 I love this parable:  “No one tears a piece out of a new garment to patch an old one. Otherwise, they will have torn the new garment, and the patch from the new will not match the old. 37And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the new wine will burst the skins; the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. 38No, new wine must be poured into new wineskins. 39And no one after drinking old wine wants the new, for they say, ‘The old is better.’ ”

It's not the old lives that we are living that we turn to Jesus for, it's the new one, the one filled with Christ, started with Christ, living with Christ, and ending with Christ.  I can't imagine a different life from the one I've been given. My life before was horrid, it was the ugliest life you ever did see, filled with nothing but shame and things I cannot even verbally say to others, but except to the Lord.  I had committed every sin there was under heaven.  But Christ Jesus brought me through and kept me alive.  I can't imagine what I did to Him at the cross, but I am thankful every single moment and often feel like that woman that washed His feet with her tears and dried them with her hair....except I'm still washing His feet, my tears are still flowing, His forgiveness is more than I could ever ever ever imagine.  I'm so completely thankful.  

I'm sorry, I know I probably was part of that discussion that was confusing for you...it is for me too.  I found myself doubting the very Word of God and just saying why can't you just get along nicely, but something rose up in me, like Jeremiah 20:9 says:  Then I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name. But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay.

This is long and getting longer.  I'll stop here.  I'm very sorry if I've gone on too long.

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Permalink Reply by Amanda on April 11, 2014 at 8:13pm

You are so very blessed. It's beautiful to see. Those who have new lives are very blessed. They are able to do all things through Christ, that God wants, through the strength of Christ.

Jack Frost, in Spiritual Slavery to Spiritual Sonship, said, “We all were born with an orphan heart that seeks to independently do everything our own way. We never feel at home, we’re afraid to trust, afraid of rejection, and afraid to open up our hearts to receive love.” He goes on to say that, “this orphan heart must be displaced by being introduced and submitted to a loving Father.”

Those without orphan hearts anymore are very blessed.

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Permalink Reply by Leonard T on April 10, 2014 at 12:08pm

Janie,

In my opinion the key is our motives. The Bible tells us clearly that we are not saved by good works, but that a salvation void of good works (a life that seeks to live for Jesus) is not in alignment with Him. We are called to be holy and there is no way of getting around that call as it is not a simple suggestion, but a command. There are two aspects to holiness. There is positional and experiential. Positional is what takes place when we are born again (regenerated and given the new heart). We receive the Holy Spirit to live in us and He brings the life of Christ to dwell with us. Thus we positionally are holy as He is holy. Experiential deals with a life lived out after salvation (note below). Because we have been changed, are now indwelt by the Holy Spirit, and are positionally holy we are capable of choosing to follow Jesus and live for Him in a manner that pleases Him. All sin stands in opposition to holiness and all obedience aligns with God and His holiness. The problem we tend to face is that we too often hear people expound on and excuse failure as inevitable and understandable. Regardless if it is inevitable ot not never makes it excusable ... sin is sin and sin never pleases God.

Thus, we are not saved by good works, but we are saved for them ... saved to live a life that pleases God. Our life in Christ requires us engaging and Him enabling as we walk forth in the presence and power of God.

Note: Salvation is described in Scripture in the three tenses ... past, present and future. Past refers to being born again at which time we are judicially cleared of all sin on account of Jesus paying our penalty for us and us being regenerated. Present deal with the sanctification process. This is a lifelong journey of growing in Christ and calls us to surrender to the Holy Spirit as He works in us and through us. The goal here is a holy life that pleases God. Future deals with glorification at which time we will receive the resurrected bodies and be freed of the sinful flesh.

Lord Bless,

LT

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Permalink Reply by ribbon on April 10, 2014 at 2:26pm

Thank you LT, This makes more sense to me. I know I need to live a life more pleasing to God. I know I need to pick up my bible and read it. Please pray if you don't mind that I will someday soon believe that when the Word says He wishes none should parish that he may be including me too. I haven't quite grasped that yet. I have been in contact with the lady who used to always sat in the back of the church with me. She is the one who stood close by when I was babtised and waited to walk with me through the church to go dry off. I was that much of a coward when it came to walking in front of people. Anyway... she told me that she believed without any doubt that I was saved, She said she remembers the glory of God was all over me. She said other things but I cant remember now. Well she did say that if I believed I wasn't saved then I should go to God about it. She says I shouldn't waste time. She said there is a spiritual battle going on and she said that the brothers and sisters needed all of the saved praying and interseeding for the lost....and our lost loved ones. She said all this more educated than I am .. but when she said this about not wasteing time and joining in with others in fighting ... I felt guilty that I wasn't doing this.  I know that is off topic LT but I felt I needed to share that with you. Thanks again

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Permalink Reply by Leonard T on April 10, 2014 at 5:50pm

I will be praying. One of the most, if not the most important, question to seek the answer for and assurance of is our salvation. We can look from the outside and examine another's life, including their fruit, but in the end of the day it really is a personal situation that only God and the individual can be sure regarding where they stand. Thus, I encourage you to continue on the journey and do not settle for "we believe you are saved" (for I believe you are saved, but that is not good enough), you need to know you are saved and be assured by the Holy Spirit. Praying for that enlightenment for you.

Lord Bless,
LT

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Permalink Reply by thewatchman on April 10, 2014 at 7:15pm

Me too, Confused, am praying.  And...I love you and care for you.

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Permalink Reply by ribbon on April 10, 2014 at 9:59pm

Thank you LT for praying , I don't believe I am saved because she told me she believed I was and why.  I remember when she told me that , she said quote wooooo hooo , I can feel the spirit of the Lord and then she quoted a scripture and said that verse is fr you. Unquote. I remember thinking .. if that verse is for me... then why disnt I feel the spirit when she did.  Anyway... when I said I wanted to grasp that... I mean I hope to grasp that He doesn't want me to perish either. Thank you much for praying this for me.

Thank you Watchman too for your prayers as well. And for your kind words.  Some times words like that can be rare for some. <3

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Permalink Reply by Seek on August 30, 2014 at 9:44am

Sorry I'm late to this. I haven't had much time to post anything for quite some time.

We are told to run the race. We may at times see obstacles in the way and we're overwhelmed and give up. But we can pick ourselves up with renewed determination. If we drop out too often, the other runners will be so far ahead of us. But the point of the race isn't to win, but to finish.

You saw yourself doing well in the race, but then stumbling blocks came and you started questioning if you could ever make it through the course, if you were even good enough to compete, or if you were ever truly a runner to start with. But if you dust off the manual you will see the course mapped out and find better ways to navigate them, enabling you to reach the finish line.

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