That's what I think too- that's why we aren't given an age.Originally Posted by Butterflykisses
Yes
No
That's what I think too- that's why we aren't given an age.
Regular Member
A person who was not sure of his position as an eternally saved person could not honestly thank God for his salvation. It would be false gratitude to thank God for something you were not sure of possessing.
You could thank God for the opportunity of salvation, but that would be as far as your honest gratitude could go if you were not sure of your salvation.
Am I a Christian?
God came to me two years ago, and i chose to accept Jesus as my saviour. although i have completely fallen away from the church and almost never pray anymore and sin when i know it angers God. needless to say i am miserable. So is it true my faith is dead if i no longer have a christian lifestyle? but I still believe in Jesus, I just am having trouble giving my life to him...would he leave me here when the Lord returns for his church?
Last edited by kathryn; January 27th, 2008 at 12:15 AM. Reason: confusion, wrong wording
Kathryn, the good news is you are miserable! That means the Lord is working in your life to bring you to Him as Lord! Below are 2 videos I "borrowed" from Amy Elisabeth's signature. Go there and watch them, and if you have questions, please PM me!
***Made a profession of faith in Christ but your walk not quite right? Click on link below and then watch the two videos too***
http://www.whatifimpretending.com
Hi Kathryn! Welcome to RR.
While I cannot judge another's heart, I do believe in eternal salvation. That once you have asked Jesus into your heart as your Savior. You are then saved, for always.
I'd say that the fact that you feel miserable about sinning is a good sign that you are probably saved. If you weren't saved you probably wouldn't care. And.. if saved, you won't be left behind. But it does sound that you are out of fellowship with God. When we sin, we loose our fellowship and closeness with Him. We all sin, but need to confess and repent of them when we do, to remain in Fellowship. It sounds as if you have drifted away from Him. He is faithful and just to fogive us our sins though.
I would urge you to search your heart for the reasons that you are drifting away. Ask God to forgive you and get back in Fellowship with him by confessing sins, reading His word, and getting into a good bible teaching church where you will get good teaching and fellowship with other believers to lift you up and help you grow in your faith.
Go to this link and read about "Eternal Security". This fellow, "Jack Kelley" is highly regarded here at RR. He writes in and easy to understand manner and backs up everything with scripture, and I know these articles will be of help to you.
http://www.gracethrufaith.com/search...=14&Submit.y=6
Also, stick around here!We'd love to fellowship with you, and you will certainly grow in your walk here. Lots of great info.
Looking forward to seeing you around these boards.
Last edited by Galoutofdixie; January 10th, 2008 at 01:33 AM.
Back again,
I wanted to start you off with a couple of good articles that may address your immediate concerns. I think that you will be blessed by them. They're not very long.
The first one is called, OSAS, The whole story. (once saves always saved) http://www.gracethrufaith.com/selah/...he-whole-story
The next is called "Union or Fellowship" and talks about the difference of being saved or out of fellowship, and how that affects your walk with God. http://www.gracethrufaith.com/ask-a-...-or-fellowship
Happy reading!
Regular Member
I wouldn't know if you are a Christian? Only you know why you prayed that prayer. I have heard of lots of people praying the sinners prayer but not with a real heart of repentance. They had to keep seeking God for salvation later. When you prayed did you see your life as offending a Holy God, did you see your life as reflecting slavery to sin, did you see yourself as more like a child of darkness?
The gospel is summed up in Acts 20 v 21 "repentance towards God and faith in Jesus Christ". You never spoke about repentance or how you viewed yourself when you "received Jesus"?
I would be concerned if you felt "forced to" pray a prayer. God doesn't force himself on people as far as I know. Were you emotionally manipulated into saying a prayer by a preacher? Were you adding Jesus to your life?
If you are saved and are stubbornly running your own life you would be grieving the Holy Spirit. Read Romans chapter 6. And God would use circumstances to discipline or correct you.
But again only you can know if you are saved or not. If you still love this world, love to sin and do what you want to do then you likely not saved.
Not meaning to judge you or anything but just to encourage you to examine yourself until you know in your heart that you have truly repented and trusted Christ.
Allan
Regular Member
Kathryn,
You sound like I have been many a time. I'll admit I have been angry and wanted to turn away but I never felt satisfied and eventually turned back. I would encourage you to follow the advice from others above and just pray for Christ to lead you.
I have two verses of encouragement to you my sister.
Romans 15:13
13May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
2 Corinthians 1:21 & 22
21Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, 22set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.
I also want to let you know that he will take you right now, just as you are. You do NOT need to put anything aside before you can run to him.
Pray to him to help you to want to stop sinning. Ask him to do the work for you. All you need to do is let him in.
NOTHING you can do will EVER change his love for you!!
IF you are his child he will always be your Father!!!
As his children we may disappoint him, but his love NEVER changes for us.
I have to get to workso I have to be to-the-point:
You always have CHOICE. That is what the cross is all about! God CHOSE to send His son. Jesus CHOSE to take that terrible "cup" and suffer and die... that WE might then have a CHOICE to escape our terrible destiny caused when Adam and Eve fell. God doesn't want puppets or little programmed robots. If we were as such, then our CHOICE to follow Him and our prayers and words of praise would be hollow and without value.
As others mention, your MISERY is key. That is the conviction of the Holy Spirit. You are feeling Spiritual Discernment - that is, you KNOW in your heart what is right and what you should be doing. Once saved, you realize that only a relationship with God can fill those jigsaw-puzzle places in your spirit!
Miserable? Sounds strange, but in this case that's a good thing.
Just pray a little - alone and away from the noise of the day. You are not alone! The Holy Spirit is our comforter and a part of us - we ARE new creations. Sometimes we try to look at things one-sided and we immediately become miserable as "we" are never enough on our own. Claim that power and companionship of the Holy Spirit!
Finally, remember that things like baptism, giving money, being in a church... those are things that as obedient sons and daughter of the King we SHOULD do. They are NOT requirements or conditions to salvation!
If you add anything to what Jesus did on the cross, then you diminish the power of His blood and His name!
There is one name under Heaven by which we are saved - not one name AND doing this or that! Call upon Jesus and you will be saved.
Nothing is left wanting, either, as Jesus himself said "It is finished." Your bill - past, present and future was paid in full for all eternity! That is just so wonderful!
Some of what you're going through is expected and natural. We are "newborns" spiritually when first we are saved. We have to feed upon the word of God, the Bible. In those pages are power and nourishment for your troubled soul! Dig in - eat up - grow strong!
In closing, realize that you just might not get this big trumpet-blast CALL to service. That's not what you need to worry over, believe me.
When the Holy Spirit DOES speak, you will understand how LOUD a silent whisper can be!
Meanwhile, READ and ADHERE to Matthew 6:33. Doing this will result in you growing and becoming strong spiritually - THEN you can serve! Would you expect a toddler to go mow the front lawn? Of course not!
Pray, read God's word and make yourself AT THE READY, as a trained soldier is - EQUIPPED for the job and ready for the call to battle! We are even told in the Bible to put on the whole armor of God! Ephesians 6:10-12
We are all bringing wisdom to you, and backed-up by the Bible. Now get to work!
Dreams of Rising,I have to get to work
You always have CHOICE. That is what the cross is all about! God CHOSE to send His son. Jesus CHOSE to take that terrible "cup" and suffer and die... that WE might then have a CHOICE to escape our terrible destiny caused when Adam and Eve fell. God doesn't want puppets or little programmed robots. If we were as such, then our CHOICE to follow Him and our prayers and words of praise would be hollow and without value.
As others mention, your MISERY is key. That is the conviction of the Holy Spirit. You are feeling Spiritual Discernment - that is, you KNOW in your heart what is right and what you should be doing. Once saved, you realize that only a relationship with God can fill those jigsaw-puzzle places in your spirit!
Miserable? Sounds strange, but in this case that's a good thing.
Just pray a little - alone and away from the noise of the day. You are not alone! The Holy Spirit is our comforter and a part of us - we ARE new creations. Sometimes we try to look at things one-sided and we immediately become miserable as "we" are never enough on our own. Claim that power and companionship of the Holy Spirit!
Finally, remember that things like baptism, giving money, being in a church... those are things that as obedient sons and daughter of the King we SHOULD do. They are NOT requirements or conditions to salvation!
If you add anything to what Jesus did on the cross, then you diminish the power of His blood and His name!
There is one name under Heaven by which we are saved - not one name AND doing this or that! Call upon Jesus and you will be saved.
Nothing is left wanting, either, as Jesus himself said "It is finished." Your bill - past, present and future was paid in full for all eternity! That is just so wonderful!
Some of what you're going through is expected and natural. We are "newborns" spiritually when first we are saved. We have to feed upon the word of God, the Bible. In those pages are power and nourishment for your troubled soul! Dig in - eat up - grow strong!
In closing, realize that you just might not get this big trumpet-blast CALL to service. That's not what you need to worry over, believe me.
When the Holy Spirit DOES speak, you will understand how LOUD a silent whisper can be!
Meanwhile, READ and ADHERE to Matthew 6:33. Doing this will result in you growing and becoming strong spiritually - THEN you can serve! Would you expect a toddler to go mow the front lawn? Of course not!
Pray, read God's word and make yourself AT THE READY, as a trained soldier is - EQUIPPED for the job and ready for the call to battle! We are even told in the Bible to put on the whole armor of God! Ephesians 6:10-12
We are all bringing wisdom to you, and backed-up by the Bible. Now get to work!
For someone who had to get to work and had to be "to-the-point" that was certainly a long post. Bravo! Always good to see people helping people in need.
True Colours
My advice is, ask the Lord to restore you.
Always ask for His help in this because the only way back is to be touched by Him, otherwise you will find yourself just laboring to do so. Doesn't work very well, IMO.
I know of no other way to be restored than to seek Him because it's all about His touch on your life.
He may impress you to do something specific. If He does, then follow His directive. Until then, always implore Him to help you get back on track.
Sometimes it requires pressing in.
PreTrib Rapture Czar
So what is your choice now?
Revelation 22:17a The Spirit and Bride are now saying, "Come!" The ones who hear are now saying, "Come!" The ones who thirst are now saying, "Come!" Come LORD Jesus !
Buzzardhut.net |The Watch Parables | The Rapture | Romans | The Virgin Mary
Never Heard of Jesus? | The Evidence Bible | Tent Meeting
Regular Member
If you are miserable and you have 'fallen away, never pray and sin freely', then I guess you need to do the opposite of what you are doing - to get a different outcome other than misery, huh.
Definition of insanity is doing the same things over & over and expecting a different outcome.
Thing is, IF you are saved, then you can never be happy by trying to ignore God. That's experience speaking. If I were you, I would drop to my knees & cry out to God to change you, change your whole life! And then start truly getting to know him through his word and through prayer, fellowship & church.
Because whether you are saved or not, God does love you and he doesn't want you to be miserable. He can fill any holes in your heart of you let him. And he sure doesn't want you left behind at the rapture. You know he's there. So hit your knees and truly repent of your sins, fully give your heart to the one who died for YOU and then let God love you like he wants to.
Regular Member
I pray that God will draw you to him.
Be joyful always; Pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)
Regular Member
There are two audios that I've learned from you might find helpful.
http://www.wayofthemasterradio.com/
On the right side half way down is an audio called "Are you really a Christian," which gives the ten signs Paul gave that you would know if your saved.
The other is the True and False audio found at living waters.
http://www.livingwaters.com/listenwatch2.shtml
(video can also be found somewhere on the net and abit better)
Both provided me with things I needed to know, and are easy to listen too. They might be of some use to you.
Dan~~~>hopes it helps
God came to you 2 years ago, you had no choice but to accept Jesus as your savior?Am I a Christian?
God came to me two years ago, and i had no choice but to accept Jesus as my saviour. although i have completely fallen away from the church and almost never pray anymore and sin when i know it angers God. needless to say i am miserable. So is it true my faith is dead if i no longer have a christian lifestyle? but I still believe in Jesus, I just am having trouble giving my life to him...would he leave me here when the Lord returns for his church?
In order to shed more light on this subject, could you please elaborate as to why you had no choice? We all have choices, which is a God given ability. No matter what we do, which way we turn, we choose our path. No one or nothing can force what choice we decide to make.
On another forum a question/poll was posed. The poll was limited to two choices...if you had to vote who would you vote for? A or B? Then came the kicker....you could not answer by saying neither because if you did, you would be killed by a gun barrel stuck to the side of your head.
Obviously any common sense bearing person was now faced with a third option. Another Choice! Wow....we will always have choices to make and will be confronted with having to make choices, to make our choice.
There are only 2 people who know weather or not salvation is a part of your life...you and God.
Salvation involves the redemption of the whole man/woman, and is offered freely to all who accept Jesus
Christ as Lord and Saviour, who by His own blood obtained eternal redemption for the believer. In it's broadest sense salvation includes regeneration, justification, sanctification, and glorification. There is no salvation apart from personal faith in Jesus Christ as Lord. Simply believing in Jesus does not one save. This world is full of those who believe, but yet because they feel that they are a good person, they have nothing to worry about.
On the cross Christ took our place and paid the penalty for our sins. The crucial factor...Christians believe in Christ; we believe in what the Bible reveals about who He is, why He came, what He accomplished, and what this means for sinners.
Salvation comes only to those who accept Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. There is no other savoir, and there is no other gospel that saves.
Acts 4:12 (New International Version)
New International Version (NIV)
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society
[NIV at IBS] [International Bible Society] [NIV at Zondervan] [Zondervan]
Acts 4:12 Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved."
There are 7 main aspects of Salvation....1.Grace (God's grace), 2. Faith (belief...without doubt), and 3.Regeneration (Spiritual rebirth) a "new birth, as the work of God's grace, 4.Repentance ( a genuine turning away from what had once ensnared us.
Believers begin to hate the sin they had loved. Repentance...A change of heart and mind resulting in a turning from sin to God. 5.Justification...("God's gracious and full acquittal" of sinners who believe in Christ. 6. Sanctification...(the progressive work of the Holy Spirit by which, "the believer is set apart to God's purposes" and moves into Christian maturity. & 7.Glorification...(the culmination of salvation and the final blessed and abiding state of the redeemed.")
A paraphrase of James 2:19: "You say you believe in Jesus? Congratulations, you have reached the spiritual maturity level of a demon." My point is, it is possible to 'believe' in Jesus intellecually without believing Him by grace through faith, resulting in true salvation. So my challenge would be to truly search your heart to see if you are indeed of the faith. Talk to your pastor (if you don't have one, find one...a good one, not just some liberal nit wit). A lot of things in life we can get wrong, but not this. There are eternal consequences involved.
Are certain sins worse or less worse than others?
Are certain sins worse or less worse than others? This is a question that has been bothering me today. Does God think that all sins are equally as bad, or that some are just "the lesser evil?"
Thanks.
Camping Czar
As much as we want to group sins into different categories, God sees all sin the same. It makes no difference to Him, He hates it all.
-Todd @LoudRam (Twitter)
Desert Storm Vet-US Navy
America...Land of the free BECAUSE of the brave
We contribute nothing to our salvation except the sin from which we need to be redeemed. – William Temple (English diplomat & author)
In the next 4 years this is the only "change" I'm looking forward to...
1Cr 15:52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
