Bible Discussion Thread

 
  • Natashya Nicholson on Deuteronomy 31 - 2 years ago
    How many times will I be forgiving while trying to get myself together ? And what will happen if I'm trying and still don't get it right will I go to hell
  • David - In Reply on Deuteronomy 31 - 2 years ago
    Hi Natashya When your born again his relationship with you is solid by His will he God through Jesus Christ has

    passed tens forgiven us all trespassesor sins, when this thing hits you you will have no problem forgiving someone

    else. Also Psalm 103:12 as far as the east is from the west so far has he removed our transgressions sins from us.

    Here's the cool part east and west are directions they never meet, there not like the poles, if you go north eventually you'll go south and vise versa but when you go west you will never catch up and go east. Look at

    the point that's being made God through Jesus Christ forgave our sin past present and future because he knows as the Psalmist says in verse 14 for he knoweth our frame and we are dust, but to us who believe His mercy and love

    and forgiveness endureth forever.

    Read whole Psalm its dynamite. Last thought If you look at yourself you'll become

    doubtful if you look at the world you'll get depressed if you look at others you can become miserable but when you

    look at Christ you will see all Gods possibilities made available to you. We are the Righteousness of God in christ!

    What you look at and believe you become! Food for Thought

    GOD BLESS
  • Jesse - In Reply on Deuteronomy 31 - 2 years ago
    Natashya,

    The Lord will forgive you every time you come to Him and ask. If you have received Jesus Christ into your life, been born of His Spirit, you have already been justified (Declared not guilty) as far as your salvation goes. If you belong to Christ, you will never see Hell. Surrendering your life to Christ does not mean that you need to keep "trying to get yourself together." Surrender means just that. You are surrendering to Christ and relying on His Spirit in you to transform your life.

    Now, it doesn't mean that you will never slip up. None of us can go through life completely free from sin. That's why we are always dependent upon our Savior. The issue might be that you are trying in your own effort to get things right, when in reality, you should be approaching the Lord on a daily basis and confessing to Him "Lord, I can't do this without you. I need you to transform me into the person you would have me to be." It has to be that way. Personally for myself, if it wasn't for the Lord working in me, I would be a complete failure in life.

    Natashya, I would say to you to stop putting so much burden on yourself trying to get things right, and cast it upon the Lord and ask Him to change you because you can't do it. None of us can. I like to think of it this way, and this is the reason why I love sailboats. Whenever I see a sailboat, it ministers to my heart. What I see is that I'm like a motor boat with the motor always running. I'm non-stop in how I might please the Lord. But the Lord tells me that it's time for me to turn the motor off, hoist up the sail, and go wherever the wind (His Spirit) takes me.

    So again, stop trying so hard. Whatever it is, give it to the Lord and let Him work out in you His perfectness. It has to be Him doing the work, not you!!!
  • Rick - In Reply on Deuteronomy 31 - 2 years ago
    Jesse Good stuff When WE work so hard without spiritual help we accomplish so little, and our labor is

    in vain. Ecclesiastes 12:13 the whole duty of man.
  • Jesse - In Reply on Deuteronomy 31 - 2 years ago
    Thanks Rick,

    That's how I see it. Any labor on my part which is not under the persuasion (PEITHO/faith) of God's Spirit, that labor is in vain. I was just reading through Galatians Chapter 3, and Galatians 3:3 stood out to me which says "Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?

    So Paul is addressing these people (Celtics/Gauls), and he's basically reminding them that they received Christ by faith, but after being saved by faith, are you now made perfect by the flesh (Human works)? They were being told that they could receive the Messiah but they still needed to keep the law in order to be saved. But in Galatians, we are told grace/faith are not to be mixed with fleshly works.

    Today, people are being told that you are saved by faith alone, but once you're saved, then your salvation becomes works based. There's only one thing a person must do and that is to surrender their life to Christ.

    If we began in the Spirit by faith, are we now made complete, or mature, by the works of the flesh? I can't speak for anyone else, but personally for myself, there isn't anything that I can do in the human. In fact, the more I do in the human when it comes to the things of Christ, the more I take away from His finished work. I can't add to it. I can only receive and believe!

    Thanks again for your encouragement. God Bless!!!
  • Rick - In Reply on Deuteronomy 31 - 2 years ago
    Jesse In Philippians 2:12 second half work out your own salvation or wholeness with fear and trembling,

    Work or energize out with Gods help via the spirit your own salvation or soundness with fear[awe] and

    trembling [reverent respect to the one making you whole].
  • Jesse - In Reply on Deuteronomy 31 - 2 years ago
    Rick,

    Very well said. It is literally translated "Be continually working out your own salvation with fear and trembling."



    So this tells me that it's a process and I am involved in the process of continually working it out. And then the very next verse ( Philippians 2:13) tells me who's actually doing the work.

    It says "For it is God which works in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure."



    The word "works in you" is the word energizing and I see you used that word. For it is God who is continually energizing in you both to will, and to energize of His good pleasure whatever He thinks best!



    It's His energy, so it's whenever He wants to energize my spirit for His Spirit to work in me. It's all according to His good pleasure.



    So we're to be continually involved in the process of having our salvation worked out because it's God who is working it out. We're just the vessel. But it is God in us doing the work.

    Nice talking with you brother!
  • Earl Bowman - In Reply on Deuteronomy 31 - 2 years ago
    Amen and Amen Brother Jesse: God's Works!

    Revelation 2:26 .....and keepeth MY WORKS until the end: to him will I give power over the nations ......

    Psalms 92:4 For thou, LORD, hast made me glad through THY WORK: I will triumph in the WORKS of thy HANDS.

    Psalms 92:5 O LORD, how great are THY WORKS! and thy thoughts are very deep.

    Psalms 92:6 A brutish man knoweth not; neither doeth a fool understand this.

    God Bless You.
  • Adam - In Reply on Deuteronomy 31 - 2 years ago
    Hello Natashya,

    You might consider reading this: Matthew 18:21-22 Also the parable of the talents after that is also about forgiveness. The summary of this is: Matthew 6:14.

    As a Christian following in the footsteps of Jesus our sins are covered by grace as long as we are choosing to follow Jesus. 70x7 basically means a LOT and nearly unlimited. If we're genuinely following Jesus we can have assurance of salvation. But messing up is one thing, but deliberately sinning is another. Hebrews 10:26.

    Jesus throughout the Bible challenges everyone including believers to avoid sin. Over and over He said that. The problem is some assume that when they become a Christian you can stop what you're doing, because they believe they're already 'saved' and can commit unlimited sin and evil pleasure they desire and not worry about any consequences. Some even say its bad to do good, because you're putting in 'human effort'. Beware of lies aimed and distorting God's truth. I believe scriptures say the opposite: I believe when you become a Christian you START your journey towards Jesus and work towards developing your character to be more and more like Jesus and a key part of this is NOT SINNING! So, some believe they can and should put zero effort into this 0 of 10. But I believe we should put max effort into this: 10 of 10.

    John 14:15,

    2 Peter 1:5 says to be diligent. One translation says 'make every effort'

    Luke 13:24 says to 'strive to enter through the narrow door'

    2 Timothy 2:15 'do your best'

    Luke 6:46 - don't call Jesus Lord and fail to do what He says

    There are verses about entering God's rest, but I believe it means a spiritual rest and not physical where we're just sitting on the couch all day binge drinking and eating. The Bible says we'll be persecuted for our beliefs, that this is not our world, and we're to run the race as to receive the prize. All this suggests great effort in my opinion, but we're not saved from that effort, but by grace.

    God bless...



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