I got "saved" in 1974. Am I really? Have I been deceived/deceiving myself the whole time?
Yes. God loves us. Jesus loves us. But God will not allow the rebellious or unrepentant person into Heaven.
I've come to the realization that I am nothing more than a poser. I am a blasphemer. I have repeatedly questioned God, "Why, why, why do you allow evil to run over us?" I have accused God of making mistakes, and being an absentee father.
When I see how the good things of God/Jesus have been perverted and destroyed, I shake my fist at the sky and say, "DO SOMETHING!" Is that faith or blasphemy?
A while back I went through a peculiar supernatural event: every day I felt as if I was standing on the edge of the Lake of Fire.
It really creeped me out. Then, every morning when I'm waking up, I have the most horrible/shameful/terrifying/wicked thoughts. I'm pretty sure the Lord is trying to tell me something but I don't know what. Am I doomed or is this just a warning?
Jesus said that blasphemy against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven in this world or the next. Is there a difference between willful blasphemy and blasphemy done out of ignorance? Or is blasphemy just blasphemy, period.
Rest assured that if you believe the gospel of Jesus Christ and have entrusted your life and salvation to Him and His salvic work, that you will NOT be kicked into the lake of fire. Our God loves all of us, especially those who believe His testimony in the Word.
I am sorry that you are facing s much hardship. I pray that God will send someone into you life to help you and to be a dear, caring, authentic friend. I am 65, so we are just 5 years apart. We remember our younger years and what the world was like then compared to now. It is disturbing. I just desire for heaven more and more with each passing year. God knows exactly how many days He has given me in this life and I will live every one of them. So, this being so, I pray to have a grateful attitude about my lot in life and to have a willingness to share my hope in Christ with others, especially those in our age category.
I pray that your faith will be strengthened and your daily needs will be supplied by our heavenly Father. Please know I do not take your situation lightly. I wish I could be more helpful to you. For today, be joyful in the Lord despite the hardships. This is a daily practice that is healthy. I try to do this for myself, especially when I have a bout of chronic back pain. Blessing to you today. I hope to hear from you soon.
The reason I asked if you feel you have faith is because Romans 5:1 says being justified by faith we have peace with God. Your description of your life doesn't come across as peaceful. A complete belief and trust in God sets the mind at one with God to believe the things spoken in his word. Some modern thoughts limit faith to just faith in the shed blood for the forgiveness of sins, without taking to mind 2 Thess. 2:13 "....because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:" It is hard for me to relate to the statement that you are always questioning God. Where are you coming from to think yourself or any person would be wiser than God. A key element to faith is patience and waiting. If we become impatient we can't see God's work fulfilled in us or others. If we were at Jesus trial we would have thought that was an injustice (after all he was perfect), but Jesus told them that this your hour and the power of darkness, but by waiting we can see God's plan better on Easter morning. This was God's hour and the power of light!!! The guards fell down as dead men when the angels descended and rolled the sealed stone away and sat on it!! They thought they had made the tomb "as sure as the could". Please take the time and just absorb Hebrews 11.
You: "The reason I asked if you feel you have faith is because Romans 5:1 says being justified by faith we have peace with God. Your description of your life doesn't come across as peaceful. A complete belief and trust in God sets the mind at one with God to believe the things spoken in his word."
My life has never been peaceful. It's always something. Every day was/is a struggle. I'm still waiting for my dreams to come true and I'm pushing 70 yrs old.
I do believe in the things spoken in His Word.
Matthew 24:4-51 (describes what goes on in the end days, which we are in now.)
You: " It is hard for me to relate to the statement that you are always questioning God. Where are you coming from to think yourself or any person would be wiser than God. A key element to faith is patience and waiting. If we become impatient we can't see God's work fulfilled in us or others.
2 Peter 3:8
"But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing,
that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day."
A pastor once said that the end days started the day God raised Jesus from the dead and He appeared to over 500 and then they watched Him ascend into heaven and then on the day of Pentecost the Holy Spirit came down to earth.
Which means we've already been in the "last days" for the past 2000+ years, and it could go on for another 1000.
I know I'm not wiser than God. I'm dumb as a box of rocks. I get to look outside and see the world swirling down the toilet. People have gone mad. Pardon me if I'm a little nervous, wondering if today will be my last day alive. Then what? Have I messed up so badly I'll be kicked into the Lake of Fire or will I get to enter Heaven???
I'm responding to your reply without reading any of the responses, so my thoughts will stay focused. Just incase there's repeating._..
Being you're still alive, it's not final judgement: Matthew 4:17, Acts 17:30, 2Peter 3:9, in context read whole chapter. Psalms 48:14, Proverbs 10:12, Proverbs 13:14, Ezekiel 33:11, Ezekiel 18:32,
it could be warning from GOD: Psalms 118:18,
or attack not from GOD,: Ephesians 6:12,
Psalms 90,
Jeremiah 18:8,
Psalms 37,
You are angry because of injustice it seems: Exodus 21, Exodus 22, Leviticus 20, Numbers 35, Proverbs 8:36, Genesis 18:19, Proverbs 21:3,
Psalms 73, Jeremiah 27:7-18, Isaiah 58, Isaiah 59, Matthew 25:31-46, James 2,
@T. Levis: Some verses were helpful, some weren't. Like Exodus 21. What's that about?
Those were laws for the O.T. Jews to follow. Looking at the track record of the Jews, they were a nasty, rebellious bunch who, even though God made himself known to them, still rebelled against God and He punished them many times.
The Jews even rejected Jesus and had him put to death.
Can we still learn from the O.T.? Yes. There's a lot of wisdom in the O.T., but some rules, (regulations, laws, statues, ordinances)
Jesus did away with. Jesus died to free us from such laws. No one will ever get to heaven by following O.T. Mosaic laws.
Remember when Peter asked Jesus how many times does he have to forgive a brother who sins to him? Jesus told him 70X7 times a day. If God demands this from us, then Him Himself how many times does He forgives us? The answer is infinite times.
Finally, complaints to God are NOT blasphemy against the Holly Spirit. It is good to understand that we must avoid complaining and questioning God's decisions about us, but still He is willing to forgive us. All of us do complain sometime. My friend do not see God as a procecutor all the time, He is not, He is a helprer. If God put us under a microscope and see all our least faults then who could be saved? Nobody. Thanks God He is not like this. He is there to get us to the end. GOD IS LOVE.
Blasphemy against the HS is when one attributes works done by the Spirit to satan like Pharisees did, intentionally. Please read carefully Matthew 12:25-36. Nothing else. One that does that never repends. When one repends and worries so much it is a clear sign that he never did that.
In our lives we all do many mistakes like you did. But God is there to raise us up and start a new begining. So get up.
Who is chosen? The answer is the one that believes in Jesus and accepts that His sacrifice has deleted/ing his sins when repenting. You have done that, haven't you back in 1974, and keep repending for the sins you commit? So you are chosen. You must understand that God doesn't choose us for some reason and then saves us. But He chooses us because He knows, even before He created the world, that sometime we are going to believe in Jesus' Word.
Secondly, all christians must understand that we are sand/dust, we have a vulnerable nature to sin That is why we are given the Blood of Jesus for. All people, not only you, make the same faults. You are not, and I am not, any different from other people. God knows that and does not expect more than we can do. If He did this it wouldn't be fair for us. We have a fight in this life. We have a way to walk. We have a faith to maintain. We will eventually sin sometime, bad or less bad. This doesn't mean that God rejects us. On the contrary He is there to help us to get up and keep going. This goes on for all our lives. God will not take in Heaven perfect people, almost nodody would have been saved in such a case. He will take people that repent and fight. You do that, don't you? Your fear in your post makes this obvious.
Now about your dreams. If someone feels guilt for what he does BUT can not accept/believe that God forgives him and still carries that guilt all the time, eventually this is what he is going to feel all the time, he even sees dreams about that. Please DO understand that when you repend God FORGIVES you. Period. Don't question it in your mind. You may say that you have done the same fault many times. So what? Does that change the power of the Christ's Bloob. No it doesn't.
I think that's it's a normal human thing to some times question God , I think most of us have at some time thought to ourselves "why ? " . Maybe you haven't been feeding your relationship with Him as much as you should have been ? Maybe you have forgotten that all the good things in your life have come from Him , everything from your clothes , your home , food , family friends etc . All these things are blessings from God to you . Maybe your eyes haven't been noticing all the beauty of His creation of late ? Maybe you have forgotten all the times in the past where you were aware of His presence in your life , how things just seemed to work out the way you hoped they would ? Spend some time contemplating all those ways in which you know He has helped you through your life , remember to thank Him every day and keep reading your Bible . I think you are just feeling insecure for some reason ? If you think hard you can probably figure out what it is that's shaking you up , He's not going to leave you , ever . He is your God , your peace , your strength , your sanity and your Heavenly Father , your sustainer . That's ever going to change .
Read Mark 3:29-30. If an individual does this with the knowledge than that individual is eternally damned forever. I can not see how any person would not know that blaspheming against the Holy Spirit is wrong, since Yahweh has written His law upon the heart of every man.
Romans 2:14-16, "For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves: Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;) In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel."
God has revealed Himself to every man, so that every man is without excuse at His appearing. In the Book of Romans 1:18-23, "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, And changed the glory of the uncorruptible
God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things."
God will reveal if an individual has blasphemed, a clear indication is when
God takes His Holy Spirit away from that person's heart, and that individual can no longer feel the very presence of God anymore, as a sign that individual is no longer walking with Him. God will never fill a human temple with His Holy Spirit ever again once the unpardonable sin happens.
Read Mark 3:29-30. If an individual does this with the knowledge than that individual is eternally damned forever. I can not see how any person would not know that blaspheming against the Holy Spirit is wrong, since Yahweh has written His law upon the heart of every man.
Romans 2:14-16, "For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves: Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;) In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel."
God has revealed Himself to every man, so that every man is without excuse at His appearing. In the Book of Romans 1:18-23, "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things."
Only God and that individual knows how far they have gone, a clear indication is when God takes His Holy Spirit away from that person's heart, and that individual can no longer feel the very presence of God anymore, as a sign that individual is no longer walking with Him. God will never fill a human temple with His Holy Spirit ever again once the unpardonable sin happens.
I got "saved" in 1974. Am I really? Have I been deceived/deceiving myself the whole time?
Yes. God loves us. Jesus loves us. But God will not allow the rebellious or unrepentant person into Heaven.
I've come to the realization that I am nothing more than a poser. I am a blasphemer. I have repeatedly questioned God, "Why, why, why do you allow evil to run over us?" I have accused God of making mistakes, and being an absentee father.
When I see how the good things of God/Jesus have been perverted and destroyed, I shake my fist at the sky and say, "DO SOMETHING!" Is that faith or blasphemy?
A while back I went through a peculiar supernatural event: every day I felt as if I was standing on the edge of the Lake of Fire.
It really creeped me out. Then, every morning when I'm waking up, I have the most horrible/shameful/terrifying/wicked thoughts. I'm pretty sure the Lord is trying to tell me something but I don't know what. Am I doomed or is this just a warning?
Jesus said that blasphemy against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven in this world or the next. Is there a difference between willful blasphemy and blasphemy done out of ignorance? Or is blasphemy just blasphemy, period.
Rest assured that if you believe the gospel of Jesus Christ and have entrusted your life and salvation to Him and His salvic work, that you will NOT be kicked into the lake of fire. Our God loves all of us, especially those who believe His testimony in the Word.
I am sorry that you are facing s much hardship. I pray that God will send someone into you life to help you and to be a dear, caring, authentic friend. I am 65, so we are just 5 years apart. We remember our younger years and what the world was like then compared to now. It is disturbing. I just desire for heaven more and more with each passing year. God knows exactly how many days He has given me in this life and I will live every one of them. So, this being so, I pray to have a grateful attitude about my lot in life and to have a willingness to share my hope in Christ with others, especially those in our age category.
I pray that your faith will be strengthened and your daily needs will be supplied by our heavenly Father. Please know I do not take your situation lightly. I wish I could be more helpful to you. For today, be joyful in the Lord despite the hardships. This is a daily practice that is healthy. I try to do this for myself, especially when I have a bout of chronic back pain. Blessing to you today. I hope to hear from you soon.
You: "The reason I asked if you feel you have faith is because Romans 5:1 says being justified by faith we have peace with God. Your description of your life doesn't come across as peaceful. A complete belief and trust in God sets the mind at one with God to believe the things spoken in his word."
My life has never been peaceful. It's always something. Every day was/is a struggle. I'm still waiting for my dreams to come true and I'm pushing 70 yrs old.
I do believe in the things spoken in His Word.
Matthew 24:4-51 (describes what goes on in the end days, which we are in now.)
You: " It is hard for me to relate to the statement that you are always questioning God. Where are you coming from to think yourself or any person would be wiser than God. A key element to faith is patience and waiting. If we become impatient we can't see God's work fulfilled in us or others.
2 Peter 3:8
"But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing,
that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day."
A pastor once said that the end days started the day God raised Jesus from the dead and He appeared to over 500 and then they watched Him ascend into heaven and then on the day of Pentecost the Holy Spirit came down to earth.
Which means we've already been in the "last days" for the past 2000+ years, and it could go on for another 1000.
I know I'm not wiser than God. I'm dumb as a box of rocks. I get to look outside and see the world swirling down the toilet. People have gone mad. Pardon me if I'm a little nervous, wondering if today will be my last day alive. Then what? Have I messed up so badly I'll be kicked into the Lake of Fire or will I get to enter Heaven???
Do I have faith? That's what I'm wondering too. If I do, it's misplaced. If I don't, where do I find it?
I'm responding to your reply without reading any of the responses, so my thoughts will stay focused. Just incase there's repeating._..
Being you're still alive, it's not final judgement: Matthew 4:17, Acts 17:30, 2Peter 3:9, in context read whole chapter. Psalms 48:14, Proverbs 10:12, Proverbs 13:14, Ezekiel 33:11, Ezekiel 18:32,
it could be warning from GOD: Psalms 118:18,
or attack not from GOD,: Ephesians 6:12,
Psalms 90,
Jeremiah 18:8,
Psalms 37,
You are angry because of injustice it seems: Exodus 21, Exodus 22, Leviticus 20, Numbers 35, Proverbs 8:36, Genesis 18:19, Proverbs 21:3,
Psalms 73, Jeremiah 27:7-18, Isaiah 58, Isaiah 59, Matthew 25:31-46, James 2,
Ephesians 6:10-18, Ephesian 4:26, Psalms 82:3, Ecclesiastes 5:8,
Hopefully these are helpful
Those were laws for the O.T. Jews to follow. Looking at the track record of the Jews, they were a nasty, rebellious bunch who, even though God made himself known to them, still rebelled against God and He punished them many times.
The Jews even rejected Jesus and had him put to death.
Can we still learn from the O.T.? Yes. There's a lot of wisdom in the O.T., but some rules, (regulations, laws, statues, ordinances)
Jesus did away with. Jesus died to free us from such laws. No one will ever get to heaven by following O.T. Mosaic laws.
Remember when Peter asked Jesus how many times does he have to forgive a brother who sins to him? Jesus told him 70X7 times a day. If God demands this from us, then Him Himself how many times does He forgives us? The answer is infinite times.
Finally, complaints to God are NOT blasphemy against the Holly Spirit. It is good to understand that we must avoid complaining and questioning God's decisions about us, but still He is willing to forgive us. All of us do complain sometime. My friend do not see God as a procecutor all the time, He is not, He is a helprer. If God put us under a microscope and see all our least faults then who could be saved? Nobody. Thanks God He is not like this. He is there to get us to the end. GOD IS LOVE.
Blasphemy against the HS is when one attributes works done by the Spirit to satan like Pharisees did, intentionally. Please read carefully Matthew 12:25-36. Nothing else. One that does that never repends. When one repends and worries so much it is a clear sign that he never did that.
In our lives we all do many mistakes like you did. But God is there to raise us up and start a new begining. So get up.
God Bless You.
OK dear Dgjot, lets take it from the beggining.
Who is chosen? The answer is the one that believes in Jesus and accepts that His sacrifice has deleted/ing his sins when repenting. You have done that, haven't you back in 1974, and keep repending for the sins you commit? So you are chosen. You must understand that God doesn't choose us for some reason and then saves us. But He chooses us because He knows, even before He created the world, that sometime we are going to believe in Jesus' Word.
Secondly, all christians must understand that we are sand/dust, we have a vulnerable nature to sin That is why we are given the Blood of Jesus for. All people, not only you, make the same faults. You are not, and I am not, any different from other people. God knows that and does not expect more than we can do. If He did this it wouldn't be fair for us. We have a fight in this life. We have a way to walk. We have a faith to maintain. We will eventually sin sometime, bad or less bad. This doesn't mean that God rejects us. On the contrary He is there to help us to get up and keep going. This goes on for all our lives. God will not take in Heaven perfect people, almost nodody would have been saved in such a case. He will take people that repent and fight. You do that, don't you? Your fear in your post makes this obvious.
Now about your dreams. If someone feels guilt for what he does BUT can not accept/believe that God forgives him and still carries that guilt all the time, eventually this is what he is going to feel all the time, he even sees dreams about that. Please DO understand that when you repend God FORGIVES you. Period. Don't question it in your mind. You may say that you have done the same fault many times. So what? Does that change the power of the Christ's Bloob. No it doesn't.
Romans 2:14-16, "For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves: Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;) In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel."
God has revealed Himself to every man, so that every man is without excuse at His appearing. In the Book of Romans 1:18-23, "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, And changed the glory of the uncorruptible
God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things."
God will reveal if an individual has blasphemed, a clear indication is when
God takes His Holy Spirit away from that person's heart, and that individual can no longer feel the very presence of God anymore, as a sign that individual is no longer walking with Him. God will never fill a human temple with His Holy Spirit ever again once the unpardonable sin happens.
Romans 2:14-16, "For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves: Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;) In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel."
God has revealed Himself to every man, so that every man is without excuse at His appearing. In the Book of Romans 1:18-23, "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things."
Only God and that individual knows how far they have gone, a clear indication is when God takes His Holy Spirit away from that person's heart, and that individual can no longer feel the very presence of God anymore, as a sign that individual is no longer walking with Him. God will never fill a human temple with His Holy Spirit ever again once the unpardonable sin happens.
You came to God because GOD CAUSED you to come to him.
John 12:32 If I be lifted up, I WILL draw ALL MEN to me.
You BELIEVE because God CAUSES you to BELIEVE.
Philippians 1:29 For unto you IT IS GIVEN in the behalf of Christ, not ONLY TO BELIEVE on him, but also to SUFFER for his sake.
Everything that has happen in you life has been for A PURPOSE, That we come to TRUTH that ALL WORKS are of GOD, we are just the vessel.
Philippians 2:13 For it is GOD (his life) that worketh in you (the body) both TO WILL and TO DO his good pleasure.
John 14:6 ....I am the LIFE ......
Rejoice in the past, it's CAUSING you to be conformed to the IMAGE OF GOD (the Divine Nature).
Ezekiel 36:27 And I WILL put MY SPIRIT (LIFE) in you and CAUSE you to walk in my statutes, and to keep my judgements and DO THEM.
Matthew 6:10 Thy will be done .....
Everything in your past (as well as the future) is God's will, you are just now coming TO KNOWLEDGE, that GOD KNOW whats best for HIS BODY.
2 Peter 1:4 Whereby are GIVEN TO US exceedingly great and precious PROMISES: that by these you might be PARTAKERS of the DIVINE NATURE ......
God Bless You!
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