Its easy to offend people today without even trying, even Christians. Here's how, just quote scripture and watch what comes out.
Wednesday, February 20, 2019
Its all about Christ, Every Bit of It!
For others who are struggling with the assurance of their salvation but have trusted Christ, I would like to share this answer I sent t someone who needed encouragement.
When I was first born again I too struggled with whether or not I was saved. When I began to realize that Christ paid the price for my sin through the shedding of His own blood and that it was paid in full, the light bulb sort of went on for me.
When we trust Christ and "believe" in Him, then is when He sends His Holy Spirit to live in us. We are not perfect at that time but our spirit has been changed into a new creation.
2 Corinthians 5:16-18 "…16 So from now on we regard no one according to the flesh. Although we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. 17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away. Behold, the new has come! 18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation:…"
Over our lifetime God is continually cleansing us as we confess particular sins. The Holy Spirit brings to mind things we were not aware of. When we confess them God will cleanse us, this is called growing in holiness.
1 John 1:9 was written to born again believers.
"9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
Our salvation is not based on anything we do or not do, it is based on Christ having paid the penalty for our sinfulness. Sin is no longer accounted to us, when God looks at us who are born again He does not see our sinfulness He sees Jesus Christ in us.
Romans 4:23-25 "23 Now the words “it was credited to him” were written not only for Abraham, 24 but also for us, to whom righteousness will be credited— for us who believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. 25 He was delivered over to death for our trespasses and was raised to life for our justification."
Our "feelings" have nothing to do with our salvation. The devil wants to make us feel unworthy of Gods forgiveness. We are worthy only because of Christ, He is our righteousness we have none of our own. When we realize that then feelings of unworthiness should be counted as nothing!
The more we confess our sins as they are brought to mind the more we grow in holiness. If our focus is on Jesus Christ then it will not be on whether we think we are good enough, we are not, but praise to Him, He is good enough and we have Him living in us as our strength, helper, teacher and everything else.
The more we trust what He did on our behalf the less we worry about "did I do this right", it then becomes about "Christ did it all and I can do anything He desires of me because He is our strength.
If you meet those who say you must be sinless to come to Christ know this, they do not understand salvation. We come to Christ believing on Him, knowing that we have nothing to offer and that He is everything. After we are born again we still have nothing to offer and He is everything. The more we lean on Him in prayer and obey what He tells us the more we grow in holiness and the less we look like the world.
Ephesians 2:10
"10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them."
So many people try so hard to walk upright, they need to stop trying so hard, throw away their self striving and trust in Christ. He will work in us as needed. When we fail the Holy Spirit will let us know. We hear the voice of God, not in sounds in our head but in promptings as we are compelled to obey. When we fail to obey He will discipline us, but He will never throw us away for failing.
If you have trusted Christ it would be good to back away from those who will try to convince you that you must measure up to keep your salvation. We cannot measure up only Christ can. Yes, when we become born again we have a changed nature. We hate the sinful things we used to love and we love the things of God that used to make us uncomfortable. This is another way to determine if we were ever changed into a new creation. Has our view of life changed? Do we have a hunger to know God and to learn His Word?
When I became born again I could not get enough of God's Word. I wanted to know all about Him. And, as I matured in my walk I wanted to know His heart, as much as I could soak up.
These are indicators that we have been born again.
Also, there will be self righteous people who will not like the new you. They will want to remember you the way you were instead of acknowledge the new you. It is good to witness Christ to them, but if they persist in attempting to pretend you have never changed, then they must be avoided.
Anyone who is speaking works based salvation, that is that you must do certain things to be saved, these also must be avoided.
The problem with works based salvation is that it places the onus on the person to make themselves saved, diminishing the work of Christ on the cross. When we have faith we know Christ is going to work in us, it will be only His work in us that matters.
Sin will fall off in the beginning and more will fall off over time as a toddler moved from crawling to walking. The more we confess and obey the more we walk and then when we are mature we will be running!!!!!
When I was first born again I too struggled with whether or not I was saved. When I began to realize that Christ paid the price for my sin through the shedding of His own blood and that it was paid in full, the light bulb sort of went on for me.
When we trust Christ and "believe" in Him, then is when He sends His Holy Spirit to live in us. We are not perfect at that time but our spirit has been changed into a new creation.
2 Corinthians 5:16-18 "…16 So from now on we regard no one according to the flesh. Although we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. 17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away. Behold, the new has come! 18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation:…"
Over our lifetime God is continually cleansing us as we confess particular sins. The Holy Spirit brings to mind things we were not aware of. When we confess them God will cleanse us, this is called growing in holiness.
1 John 1:9 was written to born again believers.
"9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
Our salvation is not based on anything we do or not do, it is based on Christ having paid the penalty for our sinfulness. Sin is no longer accounted to us, when God looks at us who are born again He does not see our sinfulness He sees Jesus Christ in us.
Romans 4:23-25 "23 Now the words “it was credited to him” were written not only for Abraham, 24 but also for us, to whom righteousness will be credited— for us who believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. 25 He was delivered over to death for our trespasses and was raised to life for our justification."
Our "feelings" have nothing to do with our salvation. The devil wants to make us feel unworthy of Gods forgiveness. We are worthy only because of Christ, He is our righteousness we have none of our own. When we realize that then feelings of unworthiness should be counted as nothing!
The more we confess our sins as they are brought to mind the more we grow in holiness. If our focus is on Jesus Christ then it will not be on whether we think we are good enough, we are not, but praise to Him, He is good enough and we have Him living in us as our strength, helper, teacher and everything else.
The more we trust what He did on our behalf the less we worry about "did I do this right", it then becomes about "Christ did it all and I can do anything He desires of me because He is our strength.
If you meet those who say you must be sinless to come to Christ know this, they do not understand salvation. We come to Christ believing on Him, knowing that we have nothing to offer and that He is everything. After we are born again we still have nothing to offer and He is everything. The more we lean on Him in prayer and obey what He tells us the more we grow in holiness and the less we look like the world.
Ephesians 2:10
"10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them."
So many people try so hard to walk upright, they need to stop trying so hard, throw away their self striving and trust in Christ. He will work in us as needed. When we fail the Holy Spirit will let us know. We hear the voice of God, not in sounds in our head but in promptings as we are compelled to obey. When we fail to obey He will discipline us, but He will never throw us away for failing.
If you have trusted Christ it would be good to back away from those who will try to convince you that you must measure up to keep your salvation. We cannot measure up only Christ can. Yes, when we become born again we have a changed nature. We hate the sinful things we used to love and we love the things of God that used to make us uncomfortable. This is another way to determine if we were ever changed into a new creation. Has our view of life changed? Do we have a hunger to know God and to learn His Word?
When I became born again I could not get enough of God's Word. I wanted to know all about Him. And, as I matured in my walk I wanted to know His heart, as much as I could soak up.
These are indicators that we have been born again.
Also, there will be self righteous people who will not like the new you. They will want to remember you the way you were instead of acknowledge the new you. It is good to witness Christ to them, but if they persist in attempting to pretend you have never changed, then they must be avoided.
Anyone who is speaking works based salvation, that is that you must do certain things to be saved, these also must be avoided.
The problem with works based salvation is that it places the onus on the person to make themselves saved, diminishing the work of Christ on the cross. When we have faith we know Christ is going to work in us, it will be only His work in us that matters.
Sin will fall off in the beginning and more will fall off over time as a toddler moved from crawling to walking. The more we confess and obey the more we walk and then when we are mature we will be running!!!!!
The Second Timothy Three Generation
The most difficult things to deal with in this generation of narcissism: The Second Timothy Three Generation!
Know-it-alls
Ultra Sensitive to correction, criticism or instruction
Lack of Manners and even embarrassment at displays of
manners
Lack of Natural Affection
Its hard work to resist becoming like the narcissist because our inner man is fleshly, reacting to things that come against us. It takes prayer and resolve to refuse to respond in kind to those who wish to cause the worst in you to emerge.
The more time we spend with someone or something (television and movies) or (unsaved family), the more we begin to see their actions and attitudes as normal.
It validates the rage in the narcissist when they can get us to respond to their attacks. This is why God said to return good for evil. This does not mean that we seek out the narcissists to do good to them, it means that when we encounter them we refuse to respond and return a nasty comment with a kind response or none at all. We know that any response to a full blown narcissist is food for them, even a kind one. This is why in most cases its best to completely ignore their attacks and remove ourselves without emotion.
The more we are with nastiness the more it begins to seem normal. Its sort of like taking that first spoonful of something we don't like but over time its not so bad anymore, we may even begin to like it proud of ourselves that we mastered it.
We can remain with a narcissistic friend and over time become like them, or we can choose to remove ourselves to protect our character. As believer we want to grow holier not superior. We want to become like Christ in His power, not pretending to be like Him in our own effort.
1 Corinthians 15:33
"33 Do not be deceived: “Bad company corrupts good character.”
Never feel guilty about withdrawing from someone who is continually pushing your buttons to cause an argument. They are wicked and deserve no attention at all. Of course they will attempt to accuse you of something bad, ignore it, its nothing more than manipulation to get you back under their power.
Remaining calm and repeating your boundary without explanation is often the best way to respond to those who would try to intimidate.
Know-it-alls
Ultra Sensitive to correction, criticism or instruction
Lack of Manners and even embarrassment at displays of
manners
Lack of Natural Affection
Its hard work to resist becoming like the narcissist because our inner man is fleshly, reacting to things that come against us. It takes prayer and resolve to refuse to respond in kind to those who wish to cause the worst in you to emerge.
The more time we spend with someone or something (television and movies) or (unsaved family), the more we begin to see their actions and attitudes as normal.
It validates the rage in the narcissist when they can get us to respond to their attacks. This is why God said to return good for evil. This does not mean that we seek out the narcissists to do good to them, it means that when we encounter them we refuse to respond and return a nasty comment with a kind response or none at all. We know that any response to a full blown narcissist is food for them, even a kind one. This is why in most cases its best to completely ignore their attacks and remove ourselves without emotion.
The more we are with nastiness the more it begins to seem normal. Its sort of like taking that first spoonful of something we don't like but over time its not so bad anymore, we may even begin to like it proud of ourselves that we mastered it.
We can remain with a narcissistic friend and over time become like them, or we can choose to remove ourselves to protect our character. As believer we want to grow holier not superior. We want to become like Christ in His power, not pretending to be like Him in our own effort.
1 Corinthians 15:33
"33 Do not be deceived: “Bad company corrupts good character.”
Never feel guilty about withdrawing from someone who is continually pushing your buttons to cause an argument. They are wicked and deserve no attention at all. Of course they will attempt to accuse you of something bad, ignore it, its nothing more than manipulation to get you back under their power.
Remaining calm and repeating your boundary without explanation is often the best way to respond to those who would try to intimidate.
Are You Working Your Way? Or Are You Trusting Christ?
No one can lose their salvation. When God makes us into a new creation we are no longer the old.
2 Corinthians 5:16-17 "…16 So from now on we regard no one according to the flesh. Although we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. 17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away. Behold, the new has come! 18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation:…"
No one wins or loses salvation based on works.
God disciplines those He loves, He does not toss them away for not being good enough, no one is good enough ever.
Hebrews 12:5-7 "…5 And you have forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons: “My son, do not take lightly the discipline of the Lord, and do not lose heart when He rebukes you. 6 For the Lord disciplines the one He loves, and He chastises everyone He receives as a son.” 7 Endure suffering as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father?…"
Hebrews 13:5 "Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, “I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you,”
Those who believe one's salvation is based on their performance do not understand that we are Christ's workmanship. When we trust Christ He does all the work in us.
Ephesians 2:10
"10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them."
We do not do works to become saved or to stay saved, we do them because the Holy Spirit in us compels us. We love to obey Him but sometimes we are weak children, that's why God told believers :
1 John 1:9 "9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
Romans 7 explains these principles very well. Our bodies do not go to heaven when we die because they are sinful, but our Spirit goes there. Sin cannot go into the presence of God, so at the resurrection our bodies will be changed from corruptible to incorruptible to be able to go into the presence of God.
There are no sinless people who are born again, but when we sin we will be disciplined to return to obedience. Those who will not obey will lose rewards in heaven.
1 Corinthians 3:14-16 "…14 If what he has built survives, he will receive a reward. 15 If it is burned up, he will suffer loss. He himself will be saved, but only as if through the flames. 16 Do you not know that you yourselves are God’s temple, and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?…"
Those who are interpreting the Bible to believe they can lose their salvation are observing horizontally rather than virtically, they are basing their beliefs on what they see around them rather than God's Word.
There are people who do walk away, but they were never born again.
1 John 2:19-23
19 They went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out, so that it would be shown that they all are not of us.
20 But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you all know.
21 I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it, and because no lie is of the truth. 22 Who is the liar but the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, the one who denies the Father and the Son.
23 Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father; the one who confesses the Son has the Father also."
Many people will claim to be "Christians" but were never born again. They Lord says this about these people:
"Matthew 7:21-23
21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.
22 Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many [a]miracles?’
23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’"
I count this passage in Matthew as the most frightening verse in the Bible, those who are expecting to get into heaven will be turned away at the gate because they were pretenders, learning all the right words, acting all the right ways but never were born again. In their minds they were trusting their own goodness and works to get them in, Christ was a means to an end, not the love of their life.
Have you ever experienced a friendship in which the only reason the person was friendly to you was because they wanted something out of you. This is what works salvation entails. Those who do good things for self glory and the perks they think they can get out of God. They want safety, material wealth, praise from others, but they do not want Christ.
Matthew 15:7-9 …7 You hypocrites! Isaiah prophesied correctly about you: 8 ‘These people honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me. 9 They worship Me in vain; they teach as doctrine the precepts of men.’”…
We know from the Bible that there will be more pretenders in the last days than there will be authentically born again believers. The authentic believers are coming out of the modern churches, resistant to foolishness and hypocrisy, desiring the pure Word of God untainted by the world.
2 Corinthians 5:16-17 "…16 So from now on we regard no one according to the flesh. Although we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. 17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away. Behold, the new has come! 18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation:…"
No one wins or loses salvation based on works.
God disciplines those He loves, He does not toss them away for not being good enough, no one is good enough ever.
Hebrews 12:5-7 "…5 And you have forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons: “My son, do not take lightly the discipline of the Lord, and do not lose heart when He rebukes you. 6 For the Lord disciplines the one He loves, and He chastises everyone He receives as a son.” 7 Endure suffering as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father?…"
Hebrews 13:5 "Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, “I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you,”
Those who believe one's salvation is based on their performance do not understand that we are Christ's workmanship. When we trust Christ He does all the work in us.
Ephesians 2:10
"10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them."
We do not do works to become saved or to stay saved, we do them because the Holy Spirit in us compels us. We love to obey Him but sometimes we are weak children, that's why God told believers :
1 John 1:9 "9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
Romans 7 explains these principles very well. Our bodies do not go to heaven when we die because they are sinful, but our Spirit goes there. Sin cannot go into the presence of God, so at the resurrection our bodies will be changed from corruptible to incorruptible to be able to go into the presence of God.
There are no sinless people who are born again, but when we sin we will be disciplined to return to obedience. Those who will not obey will lose rewards in heaven.
1 Corinthians 3:14-16 "…14 If what he has built survives, he will receive a reward. 15 If it is burned up, he will suffer loss. He himself will be saved, but only as if through the flames. 16 Do you not know that you yourselves are God’s temple, and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?…"
Those who are interpreting the Bible to believe they can lose their salvation are observing horizontally rather than virtically, they are basing their beliefs on what they see around them rather than God's Word.
There are people who do walk away, but they were never born again.
1 John 2:19-23
19 They went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out, so that it would be shown that they all are not of us.
20 But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you all know.
21 I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it, and because no lie is of the truth. 22 Who is the liar but the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, the one who denies the Father and the Son.
23 Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father; the one who confesses the Son has the Father also."
Many people will claim to be "Christians" but were never born again. They Lord says this about these people:
"Matthew 7:21-23
21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.
22 Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many [a]miracles?’
23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’"
I count this passage in Matthew as the most frightening verse in the Bible, those who are expecting to get into heaven will be turned away at the gate because they were pretenders, learning all the right words, acting all the right ways but never were born again. In their minds they were trusting their own goodness and works to get them in, Christ was a means to an end, not the love of their life.
Have you ever experienced a friendship in which the only reason the person was friendly to you was because they wanted something out of you. This is what works salvation entails. Those who do good things for self glory and the perks they think they can get out of God. They want safety, material wealth, praise from others, but they do not want Christ.
Matthew 15:7-9 …7 You hypocrites! Isaiah prophesied correctly about you: 8 ‘These people honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me. 9 They worship Me in vain; they teach as doctrine the precepts of men.’”…
We know from the Bible that there will be more pretenders in the last days than there will be authentically born again believers. The authentic believers are coming out of the modern churches, resistant to foolishness and hypocrisy, desiring the pure Word of God untainted by the world.
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