Life is a Spiritual Battle:
hello guys im lance lim from manila, its nice to be in rapture ready for this forum and the site itself not only talks about salvation but also the hottest news around the globe. im very honored to discuss my spiritual life from the time i was a young child till now a semi mature believer. in the philippines, i was born in a chinese family who are nominal buddhists. normally we do go in buddhist temples around my town. in fact the tiniest step towards my eventual salvation came from my late father, in fact i do not know whether he is in heaven or hell because although he is a nominal buddhist, he is the first one to introduce me john 3:16 to ease my fear of dying, i do hope i might see him when i die. since i studied in a evangelical school, the way i worship the statues are in a christian way in fact, i thought that they are similar to the trinitarian God of the bible. during my childhood i was a cross between a buddhist and a christian until one time during my second grade that my chinese bible teacher gave me insights that statues in temples are in fact means of empowering demons who wanted to manipulate the worshippers. when i came home i told my mom that the statues are demonic but i ended up ridiculed. it seemed my spiritual thirst is silenced or over but not for long.
during the last years of my elementary years, my tutor always scares me that im going to hell because im naughty and also a sinner. of course that time i was confused and wanted to find the solution for it. one of the crucial years of my transformation as a christian during my sixth grade that the time i was supposed to study in the US and be adopted by my relatives but God has a different plan for me. he used my homesickness to send me back home that will eventually be a crucial event in my young life. one day my filipino chinese teacher has nothing more to teach eventually she discussed the class all about the end times like the tribulation and the second coming also neutralizing some of my catholic stock beliefs that prayer for the dead is wrong so as making others pray for me as my main prayer source. in the end, she told the class to accept jesus christ as personal savior which i believed many did. but for me, i really accept christ as my personal savior but still overcame with my conscience that we had to do some more 1 percent good works to be saved. anyway im a partial born again person seemed spiritually stable until the death of my father really collapsed my pampered world. that time clearly not really 100 percent saved, i subscribe to egyptian afterlife as my sense of comfort but God's providence eventually shown when some of the consolers sent verses from ecclesiates wherein there is a time to born and time to die until everybody is resurrected in judgment day. that time, i was slowly drifting away from buddhism that clearly it worships false gods. false hopes and too complex tradition. despite this my christianity still a bit catholic like good works 1 percent and death of jesus 99 percent.
the bulk of my spiritual life during my secondary education is haunted by temptations of worshipping bodhisattvas and still uncertain salvation. pastor manny did lecture me about nature of God and more bible doctrines still i treated them as mere reminders. uncertainity even heightened within me that not going to church will face hell so as baptism, the bondage of buddhism in my life drifted even more seeing the TRUE doctrine of buddhism opposing what my relatives are practicing severing my ties with the false religion. the last year of my high school is fraught with failures and frustrations. due to being an introvert i almost never included to the spiritual retreat but God made a way for me to finally decide by using my elderly chem teacher Mrs. Quilala that once i didnt go to the retreat i will miss more than half of my life. i once thought it is being with high school friends until the dusk in the second day of the retreat that one pastor, me and my friends have a religious discussion with me partially provoking unto it. i told them that it is good to accept christ but still needed some work to be in heaven. my friends and the pastor rounded me up like a interrogated one until they explained to me that salvation is purely a grace of God and it is by faith alone no good works. at first i was ridiculing them that it is an insult to God without doing something for him. one pastor forced the issue asking me that if i accepted christ as savior eventually one the brink of starvation and stole something will i get to heaven or hell? i said hell, this forceful pastor mr joel pedro told me that christ paid everything on the cross and it is by faith alone. i ask my friend what about good works? he replied that it is the result of a born again life. the pastor told me it is purely by faith. eventually i accepted christ's offer of salvation and got saved a little before sunset. after entrusting my life to the all good Lord, i never felt so much joy waiting to be unleashed a joy only came after pillars of failure indeed despite my sins and shortcomings, i also asked my pastor whether salvation can be lose and what amazes me into the depths of heaven is that God will not allow me to be snatch under his wings, absolutely and superlatively God loves the sinners for eternity!
after being saved, i dont understand my appetite to christian books despite not too much reading the bible, i cannot explain why i was craving for christian books pertaining to false religions, salvation and the end times and still craving for more especially these days. now i know what God will not call it a gospel when we need some good works to make it to heaven. now i understand the bravery of christian in the storms of life, never afraid to face death staring him into the face and not to mention we are already victorious because we are standing on solid foundation known as Christ Jesus, the creator and the most eternal God of all time. Amen! during the course of my christian life, i took every evil being thrown to me like evolution, buddhism, humanism, false philosophies, iglesia ni cristo, ADD, new age movement, hinduism and the alleged bible contradictions but rest assured that God is providence and he made me victorious by providing me ways, great pastors, books and means even insights with both of us victorious everytime. indeed, life is not simply all about accumulating resources, cash, career, wealth and power but it is absolutely a spiritual warfare to be engaged until the end of my earthly sojourn. thank you very much!
so guys always remember that no good works will save you only grace of God and by accepting the free payment of our sins guarantees us to heaven and the only way to live forever.
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Originally Posted by IamHis
“My Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.” (John 6:40) 
