Bible Study God's Salvation

[for_his_glory]

SALVATION – delivered from sin, promise of our welfare

Salvation means to be whole mind, body and soul as we surrender our will to God and allow his will to work in our lives by applying Gods word to every aspect of our lives. This allows us to know the mind of Christ and all the promises of God for our own well being so we can face anything that tries to come against us while here on this earth so we can triumph and be victorious through the grace and mercy of our Lord and Savior Christ Jesus. Grace pardons us and mercy loves us unconditionally. Let’s start with the conversation of Jesus and Nicodemus to get a better understanding of what it is to be born again and how to shed this old sin nature through repentance and then we will move on to learn how grace and mercy works in our lives.
John 3:1-7

Jesus was teaching Nicodemus that it was a Spiritual rebirth or renewal of our spirit that through Gods spoken word we can reconcile our past sins through repentance to be made sinless again before God. We are all born with a sin nature because of sin being introduced into the world through Satan’s deceit when he told Eve it was alright to eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil even though God forbid them to eat of it. Our flesh will always sin because that is our nature and God can not see our flesh because of our sins nor can he hear the prayers of a sinner.
John 9:31; Romans 8:6-8

Sin separates us from God because God is a spirit and can only recognize his own children by what spirit is living in their hearts. We have to renew, rebirth - born again, Gods Spirit within us in order to be called a child of God and see the kingdom of heaven. We now put off the old man (flesh) and put on the new man (Spirit). We are renewed by the word of God and through the Holy Spirit teaching us of all things.
John 14:26; Colossians 3:1-17

We now have an intercessor (Jesus) who sits at the right hand of the Father and hears our confession that we are sinners and need his salvation as we believe in our heart that he was truly sent from God as the living word that we can indeed become righteous again not of our own righteousness, but that righteousness that is God whom through his Spirit is promised to dwell in us. All we have to do is believe and confess that we are sinners and allow Gods righteousness to cleanse us and renew our spirit man. Jesus wants us to come as we are and allow him to make the changes that need made in our hearts. People want to clean the fish before they catch them, but Jesus says come as you are I will clean you from the inside out.
John 10:9-10; John 1:14; John 14:6, Romans

It is not by our works or good deeds that save us for if that was all it would take then Gods word would be made void in our lives and Jesus would have died in vain, but because we are all sinners, it is by Gods grace and mercy that forgives our sins and washes us clean by the atoning blood of the Lamb (Jesus) so we can be made renewed again and free from our old sin nature.
Ephesians 2:8-9; Titus 3:5-7

 

[miamited]

Hey for_his_glory

I rather find that salvation is pretty well defined in the word, as being 'saved from the due penalty of our sin'. For me, your post seems to deal more with how we work out our salvation. Just my thoughts on the matter.

Our salvation comes through faith in the work of Jesus, God's perfect, sinless Son. But as Paul, and others, have written concerning our lives after we have put our faith in the work of Jesus, we strive to live as he lived. Love as he loved. But I know that I cannot love as righteously and everlasting as Jesus does. So I have to trust in his finished work.

God bless,
Ted

 

[Tenchi]

SALVATION – delivered from sin, promise of our welfare

So, this is the effect of salvation. What do you think is the source of this effect? What is salvation itself?

Salvation means to be whole mind, body and soul as we surrender our will to God and allow his will to work in our lives by applying Gods word to every aspect of our lives.

Well, this is what results from being saved, but not what salvation is itself. The saved do as you describe because they are saved, right? So, what, then is salvation, what is the source of these results?

Also, if I'm allowing God's will to work in my life but I'm doing so by my effort, can I say that it is "God who works in me both to will, and to do, of His good pleasure" (Philippians 2:13)? If so, how so? Can my self-effort really obtain a truly godly effect? Not according to God's word (Galatians 5:17; Romans 8:5-8; Galatians 6:7-8; Romans 7:18).

This allows us to know the mind of Christ and all the promises of God for our own well being so we can face anything that tries to come against us while here on this earth so we can triumph and be victorious through the grace and mercy of our Lord and Savior Christ Jesus.

Doesn't every believer have the "mind of Christ" in the Person of the indwelling Holy Spirit?

1 Corinthians 2:11-16
11 For who knows a person’s thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.
12 Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God.
13 And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual.
14 The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.
15 The spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one.
16 “For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.

How does a knowledge of Christ's mind and the promises of God cause the Christian to "triumph and be victorious"?

Grace pardons us and mercy loves us unconditionally

Does God actually love unconditionally? Is His mercy extended without any conditions? What will happen to those who die unrepentant in their sin, spurning the Savior? Isn't it a condition God has that those who will be part of His kingdom must trust in Christ as their Savior and yield to him as their Lord, repenting of and confessing their sin (Romans 10:9-10, Acts 3:19, 1 John 1:9)? Doesn't God hate sin (Psalms 5:4-5; Proverbs 6:16-19)?

Jesus was teaching Nicodemus that it was a Spiritual rebirth or renewal of our spirit that through Gods spoken word we can reconcile our past sins through repentance to be made sinless again before God.

Is it our repentance that makes us sinless before God? Or is it something, or Someone else, who does this for us? (2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Corinthians 1:30)

Our flesh will always sin because that is our nature and God can not see our flesh because of our sins nor can he hear the prayers of a sinner.

Is it our flesh, our physical bodies, that "always sin," or we ourselves, the immaterial person, the soul that is us, that possesses an incorrigible inclination toward sin? Without you, could your body do anything? Certainly, it could not sin, or even want to, right?

Sin separates us from God because God is a spirit and can only recognize his own children by what spirit is living in their hearts.

Oh? Doesn't sin separate us from God because He is holy and will not allow sin to dwell in His presence?

Psalm 5:4-6
4 For you are not a God who delights in wickedness; evil may not dwell with you.
5 The boastful shall not stand before your eyes; you hate all evildoers.
6 You destroy those who speak lies; the LORD abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man.

Isaiah 59:2
2 but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.

We are renewed by the word of God and through the Holy Spirit teaching us of all things.

Um, doesn't the Holy Spirit spiritually renew us?

Titus 3:5-6
5 he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit,

Romans 8:9-11
9 You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.
10 But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
11 If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.

Isn't it that the Bible renews our minds, our thinking, but the Holy Spirit renews our entire being (2 Corinthians 5:17)?

Jesus wants us to come as we are and allow him to make the changes that need made in our hearts. People want to clean the fish before they catch them, but Jesus says come as you are I will clean you from the inside out.

Amen!

It is not by our works or good deeds that save us for if that was all it would take then Gods word would be made void in our lives and Jesus would have died in vain, but because we are all sinners, it is by Gods grace and mercy that forgives our sins and washes us clean by the atoning blood of the Lamb (Jesus) so we can be made renewed again and free from our old sin nature.
Ephesians 2:8-9; Titus 3:5-7

Right on!

 

[for_his_glory]

Hey for_his_glory

I rather find that salvation is pretty well defined in the word, as being 'saved from the due penalty of our sin'. For me, your post seems to deal more with how we work out our salvation. Just my thoughts on the matter.

Our salvation comes through faith in the work of Jesus, God's perfect, sinless Son. But as Paul, and others, have written concerning our lives after we have put our faith in the work of Jesus, we strive to live as he lived. Love as he loved. But I know that I cannot love as righteously and everlasting as Jesus does. So I have to trust in his finished work.

God bless,
Ted

It is about working out our salvation and also teaching what God's salvation is for everyone through scriptural definitions of what is salvation, repentance. grace and mercy.

 

[for_his_glory]

Tenchi There is way to much to respond to in your post so hopefully this will answer all those questions as I give it in two parts.


REPENT - change, transform, transfigure, reconsider

Repentance gives us that opportunity to receive a new beginning in our life as God wipes away all our past sins and remembers them no more. Repentance allows the door to be opened for Christ to come into our lives so we may receive his Holy Spirit to help guide us in our walk with the Lord and to show us a life that is pleasing to the Father. It’s through the Holy Spirit that we come into a better understanding of Gods word by allowing His Spirit to teach us all things we need to know for the purpose and time of ministry to ourselves and to others.

There is only one way for God to recognize who are his and that is by us opening our heart and confessing we are sinners and knowing that we need to make a change in our lives in order for us to have eternal life with the Father. It’s not our will anymore to make decisions in our lives, but is now we allowing Gods will to make a betterment in our lives. As we follow in the footsteps of Christ we are now dead to self and alive now through the grace of God who wants nothing more than to shower us with his blessings as we surrender all to him through the transfiguration of our heart through repentance of our sins.

When we ask for our sins to be forgiven they are not only forgiven, but they are also forgotten. Our hearts become renewed again and we are given the Holy Spirit, which is the that Spirit of God made flesh in Jesus and given to us for comfort and learning. We receive the Holy Spirit at the time of repentance by asking Jesus into our hearts. Some like to be baptized in actual water, which there is nothing wrong with that as it is an outward appearance to others that you have accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior.
Acts 2:38-39; Acts 3:19; John 14:26

Now that we have been transformed from the old man to the spiritual man of God we now become as a newborn baby and our spirit needs nourishment from the word of God and the only way to get the nourishment we need is to get into the word and study it by allowing the Holy Spirit teach it to us for truth and understanding. The way I study is to take a verse at a time and allow the Holy Spirit to give me understanding of that verse before I move on to the next one. This helps me to understand the whole of whatever chapter I am studying.

Through repentance which brings transformation and renewal of mind, body and soul through Gods Spirit we now have to learn that we also have Gods power and authority to be able to stand against Satan who wants nothing more than to destroy our relationship with Jesus who is our mediator to God. That power and authority comes by Gods grace that has brought salvation to our renewed spirit man.

GRACE - undeserved, unmerited favor, Gods willingness to give us His power and ability even though we do not deserve it

Jesus came to show us how to overcome the sin nature of the world by teaching us how to live a moral life compatible with the word of God. Jesus gave of himself for all of us and redeemed us from the curse of sin by taking all our sin upon him becoming the final blood sacrifice for his love towards everyone who will believe on his name. When we come to Jesus it is Gods grace that forgives our sins and remembers them no more. Sin will always be present with us because the flesh will always sin for that is its nature, but when we ask Jesus into our hearts we also receive at that same moment the gift of the Holy Spirit which teaches us how to separate ourselves from the ungodliness and lusts of this world. We may have to live in this world, but as a child of God we are not part of this world because our inner man, or heart, has now become renewed in the Spirit of God and is sinless through the grace of God.
Titus 2:11-15

Gods strength through his grace is what helps us to face the challenges of the works we are to continue in no matter where his calling leads us or who he puts in our path and whatever tries to come against us. I hear so many say they can not talk to others about Jesus because they do not have enough knowledge of his word and are uncomfortable sharing with others because of this. None of us have full knowledge of Gods word nor will we ever exhaust the word of God, but only can give from our heart for what we do know or have learned. Each of us has a testimony to share and is this not what Jesus did in his travels. It was Jesus testimony of a loving God filled with grace and mercy followed with signs and wonders that drew others to him. We also carry with us those same signs and wonders when we give a starving child a glass of milk or someone on the street a blanket to keep them warm at night. We in all reality are sharing Gods word through these type of works that brings help to others as we see the smiles on their faces when they receive a physical gift from God that for us we would take for granite. No more excuses now.

Our works are that of a humanitarian following in the footsteps of Jesus to know the mind of Christ is to help those who are less fortunate then ourselves by giving them back some dignity to their lives as God supplies their needs through us by the grace he has bestowed upon us through his blessings. When we are out of our comfort zones we need to use that power and authority through grace to go to places we would otherwise be to uncomfortable to travel to or to fearful of our own lives to even think of taking on certain challenges. We need to feed the hungry, clothe the naked and visit those who are in their own prisons as Jesus said we are doing this unto his glory and honor and not of ourselves.
Philippians 4:13; Matthew 25:34-40

The basics of what we are to do as a child of God is to know that the calling from God is to take his word out into the world and to take His word out with love and compassion in our hearts and the works of the Lord are helping those who need our help. Grace is what saves us and the works we do are done unto the glory of the kingdom of God.
Matthew 28:18-20

 

[for_his_glory]

Mercy - Moves with compassion, Gods unconditional love towards us

Mercy and grace go hand in hand as it is all Gods willingness to love us unconditionally. God loves all his creation as we are all created in his image of love, but have chosen to reject that love through freewill. There are many horrendous things people have done in their lives that society has deemed these type of people unlovable and sinners unworthy of Gods mercy. Thieves, murderers, adulterers, prostitutes, etc. etc. are all loved by God and made in his image of love, but have fallen from grace through their own freewill as we all have many times in our lives as we know Gods word has said we have all sinned and fell short of his glory. Remember there is no such thing as a little sin as sin is sin. Even these type of people that society has already condemned can return to Gods grace as mercy already loves them and God will forgive anything we have done in life, thus God saying he is not willing that any should perish, but that all would come to repentance.

Matthew 5:7; Exodus 33:19; 2Peter 3:9

When our hearts are right with the Lord then he has compassion on all his children and whatever you ask for in his name he will give you the desires of your heart as long as those desires line up with his word as only God knows better for us then we do for what or why we are asking. Gods timing is perfect in all things and we need to learn patience and trust in his mercy.

Just because we are born again or a child of God does not mean that we are exempt from anything bad happening to us because we do still have to live in this fleshly body, but now when sickness, finances, or whatever Satan can throw at you, you now have power and authority through the mercy of God to speak to those problems no matter what they are and cast them out of your lives as a witness and testimony to God, but also you must have forgiveness in your heart towards any one no matter what they have done.
Mark 11:22-26

Gods' word does come with conditions to follow to live a happy life. Deuteronomy chapters 27 and 28 (please read these two chapters) teach us about blessings and cursing as God will always give us choices to make because he is a God of freewill. We have to live by faith and trust in the Lord so we will remain in his will and receive the greater blessings of God. The book of James is a wonderful book that teaches us how to keep the blessings flowing in our lives when we live by faith that produces much in us. Faith obeys Gods word and removes discrimination. Faith proves itself by works and helps us control our tongue. Faith produces wisdom, humility and dependence on God. Faith prays for the afflicted and confronts the erring brother. From moving mountains to receiving Gods' blessings it is all up to us on how we receive from God.
James 1:2-3; James 2:8; James 3:10, James 4:6; James 5:15; James 5:19-20

Jesus came to call the sinner to repentance, not the righteous. Before the cross we were all sinners and according to the laws given to Moses there always had to be a blood sacrifice for the atonement of sin, which was always an unblemished lamb. Jesus was the word of God made flesh and blood to come down to our level to walk among us, to sit and eat with the worst of the worst, to show signs and wonders of the word of God and we rejected him and nailed him to a tree because his teachings came against those of the Pharisees and scribes who loved their high positions, to be above all else in adornment and vanities. Please read Matthew 23:1-39 to understand the chastisement of Jesus towards the Pharisees and scribes. You will read how Jesus characterizes and then condemns the Pharisees.
John 1:1-5; Matthew 9:13; Romans 3:23

Jesus was the final sacrificial lamb for the atonement of all men and gathered all our sins and put them upon himself and died to set us free from sin and God rose him again on the third day so we could take part in his life, death and resurrection, which means when we accept Jesus we die to our old fleshly ways and are renewed by Gods Spirit as we will be resurrected to be with Jesus on that glorious day of his return for his Bride.

Only believe on the name of Jesus and he will change whatever needs changing in your heart. So many of us come from many different backgrounds like different religions and cultures. Many come from broken homes that live on the streets or are sucked into a world
of drugs, pornography, cults or whatever, but we all have a common factor and that is God created each and every one of us in his image and loves us all unconditionally. It's a love that says it doesn't matter who you are or where you came from I love you anyway and I will make the changes within you that need changing.

Man cannot save us or change us because man cannot see our hearts. We have got to get to that place where we say enough is enough I need help and when we cry out from the despairs of our hearts is where Jesus will meet us and come down to our level and speak to our hearts. When you do cry out to him be still and let him speak to you for Jesus will make himself known to all who ask with a sincere heart. Keep yourselves in the love of God always looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternity.
Jude 1:17-25

 

[miamited]

It is about working out our salvation and also teaching what God's salvation is for everyone through scriptural definitions of what is salvation, repentance. grace and mercy.

Hi for_his_glory

Yes, I understand and this is really probably just semantics. But when I define salvation, God's salvation, in my mind as I read the word, I define it as there being a day coming when God will save me from the due penalty of my sin. It's what we read in the Revelation. That all people of all the ages and all the nations will be resurrected and stand before the throne of God and His judgment. Either blessed or cursed. We are then told that one of the books is the Book of Life and that the names found in it would not bear the penalty of their judgment. They had already pled guilty and their punishment had already been paid. All the others shall be cursed and thrown into the pit.

That's when we will be saved. So for me, I'm looking forward, with the assurance of God's promise, for the day of my salvation. When the books are closed and God says before the uncountable number of those who trusted God's plan: "Behold!!! I make everything new." I will then have been saved. Praise God and His Son and His Spirit.!!!!!

God bless,
Ted

 

[for_his_glory]

Hi for_his_glory

Yes, I understand and this is really probably just semantics. But when I define salvation, God's salvation, in my mind as I read the word, I define it as there being a day coming when God will save me from the due penalty of my sin. It's what we read in the Revelation. That all people of all the ages and all the nations will be resurrected and stand before the throne of God and His judgment. Either blessed or cursed. We are then told that one of the books is the Book of Life and that the names found in it would not bear the penalty of their judgment. They had already pled guilty and their punishment had already been paid. All the others shall be cursed and thrown into the pit.

That's when we will be saved. So for me, I'm looking forward, with the assurance of God's promise, for the day of my salvation. When the books are closed and God says before the uncountable number of those who trusted God's plan: "Behold!!! I make everything new." I will then have been saved. Praise God and His Son and His Spirit.!!!!!

God bless,
Ted

At the moment we have been Spiritually born again, John 3:5-7, we also have the promise of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit that seals us unto the day of redemption in Christ when He returns on the last day, Ephesians 1:1-23, as long as we endure all things that must come first before Christ returns then we will be saved from the judgement of the lake of fire as our names are found written in the Lamb's book of life, Matthew 24:13; Rev 20:11-15.

 

[Tenchi]

Repentance gives us that opportunity to receive a new beginning in our life as God wipes away all our past sins and remembers them no more. Repentance allows the door to be opened for Christ to come into our lives so we may receive his Holy Spirit to help guide us in our walk with the Lord and to show us a life that is pleasing to the Father. It’s through the Holy Spirit that we come into a better understanding of Gods word by allowing His Spirit to teach us all things we need to know for the purpose and time of ministry to ourselves and to others.

These are all the effects of repentance, as far as I can see. But what do you think is repentance itself? You've offered some words - change, transform, transfigure, reconsider - as a sort of summary of what you mean by "repentance" but what is changed, transformed, transfigured, reconsidered and how? Can a person repent as God requires that they do entirely on their own? See: 2 Timothy 2:25; John 16:8.

There is only one way for God to recognize who are his and that is by us opening our heart and confessing we are sinners and knowing that we need to make a change in our lives in order for us to have eternal life with the Father.

I'm not sure what you mean by "recognize." God knows everything, right? He's omniscient and so He always knows exactly who is and isn't His child. Do you mean, maybe, that God acknowledges we are His as we "open our heart and confess our sinfulness"?

Isn't the Gospel about how we are unable to make of ourselves what God wants us to be and so He has made a way to compensate for this through Jesus? See Romans 5:6-8. Isn't salvation about God coming to dwell within us and making the changes in us He wants to make? See Philippians 1:6, Philippians 2:13, 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24, Jude 1:24-25, etc.

It’s not our will anymore to make decisions in our lives, but is now we allowing Gods will to make a betterment in our lives.

Amen.

As we follow in the footsteps of Christ we are now dead to self and alive now through the grace of God who wants nothing more than to shower us with his blessings as we surrender all to him through the transfiguration of our heart through repentance of our sins.

You've packed A LOT of spiritual truth into this sentence!

When we ask for our sins to be forgiven they are not only forgiven, but they are also forgotten.

But God, being omniscient, doesn't actually forget anything, right? He wouldn't be God if there was some knowledge He ceased to know. Do you think that by "forgotten" what is meant, then, is that God never again brings up our past forgiven sins?

Now that we have been transformed from the old man to the spiritual man of God we now become as a newborn baby and our spirit needs nourishment from the word of God and the only way to get the nourishment we need is to get into the word and study it by allowing the Holy Spirit teach it to us for truth and understanding.

Very true! 1 Peter 2:2, Psalm 1, Psalm 119, Proverbs 3:1-6, Matthew 4:4, 2 Timothy 3:16-17, Philippians 4:8.

The way I study is to take a verse at a time and allow the Holy Spirit to give me understanding of that verse before I move on to the next one. This helps me to understand the whole of whatever chapter I am studying.

Interesting. For myself, I use a couple of Bible Lexicons, a number of Bible commentaries, an interlinear Greek-English New Testament, several online Bible study resources, a clear, commonly-accepted, interpretive hermeneutic and the rules of logic and principles of sound reason in tandem with prayer and a mind and heart submitted to the Spirit's control. Of course, God is not content that I should merely know about His Truth. He is very determined that I should live in it. So my study of His word never remains academic, ideas and facts written on the pages of my Bible, but is understood most fully in, and through, practical living. Is this your experience, too?

Through repentance which brings transformation and renewal of mind, body and soul through Gods Spirit we now have to learn that we also have Gods power and authority to be able to stand against Satan who wants nothing more than to destroy our relationship with Jesus who is our mediator to God. That power and authority comes by Gods grace that has brought salvation to our renewed spirit man.

Does God give us His power to use as we see fit? Or is God strong for us, His Spirit moving us, illuminating us, defending us, and so on? What I'm asking is if we get power from God to use, or does He employ His power on our behalf? See Romans 8:13, Ephesians 3:16, 2 Corinthians 3:18, 1 Peter 5:10, etc.

Jesus came to show us how to overcome the sin nature of the world by teaching us how to live a moral life compatible with the word of God.

Is a moral life the chief aim of our relationship with God? Or is it the means to something greater, something higher? See 2 Corinthians 13:14, Hebrews 12:14b, 1 John 1:3, Revelation 3:20.

Sin will always be present with us because the flesh will always sin for that is its nature

You said this in your last post, but is it the flesh, our physical bodies, that have a sin-nature or us, the immaterial, eternal souls that are the essence of who we are? If we are focused on our flesh, not allowing the Spirit to control and occupy our focus, we will migrate inevitably into sin, right? But it's we who do this, the immaterial soul that we are, not our physical bodies, yes? See Romans 8:1-13.

We may have to live in this world, but as a child of God we are not part of this world because our inner man, or heart, has now become renewed in the Spirit of God and is sinless through the grace of God.
Titus 2:11-15

Amen.

None of us have full knowledge of Gods word nor will we ever exhaust the word of God, but only can give from our heart for what we do know or have learned.

Evangelism rests upon our own personal experience with Jesus, right? We have only to understand the Gospel and to have come into personal relationship with God, to speak to others of what our experience of God has been as a result, right? A big part of evangelism is just sharing what it is to be a child of God, isn't it? Even if I don't know the whole of Scripture, I certainly know what God has been doing in my life and how good His work is! More than anything, this is what folks really want to hear about, don't you think?

Our works are that of a humanitarian following in the footsteps of Jesus to know the mind of Christ is to help those who are less fortunate then ourselves by giving them back some dignity to their lives as God supplies their needs through us by the grace he has bestowed upon us through his blessings.

Far more important, more vital, is the spiritual well-being of the lost, right? It does no eternal, spiritual good to see to the material needs of a person going to hell. More than clothing, shelter, knowledge and medicine, what they need is salvation, isn't it? See Matthew 16:24-26. You think, I'm sure, that the works of a Christian ought always to reflect this eternal, spiritual reality. Right?

This is all I have time for right now. It's been interesting to read your posts! Thanks for your reply!

 

[for_his_glory]

These are all the effects of repentance, as far as I can see. But what do you think is repentance itself? You've offered some words - change, transform, transfigure, reconsider - as a sort of summary of what you mean by "repentance" but what is changed, transformed, transfigured, reconsidered and how? Can a person repent as God requires that they do entirely on their own? See: 2 Timothy 2:25; John 16:8.



I'm not sure what you mean by "recognize." God knows everything, right? He's omniscient and so He always knows exactly who is and isn't His child. Do you mean, maybe, that God acknowledges we are His as we "open our heart and confess our sinfulness"?

Isn't the Gospel about how we are unable to make of ourselves what God wants us to be and so He has made a way to compensate for this through Jesus? See Romans 5:6-8. Isn't salvation about God coming to dwell within us and making the changes in us He wants to make? See Philippians 1:6, Philippians 2:13, 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24, Jude 1:24-25, etc.



Amen.



You've packed A LOT of spiritual truth into this sentence!



But God, being omniscient, doesn't actually forget anything, right? He wouldn't be God if there was some knowledge He ceased to know. Do you think that by "forgotten" what is meant, then, is that God never again brings up our past forgiven sins?



Very true! 1 Peter 2:2, Psalm 1, Psalm 119, Proverbs 3:1-6, Matthew 4:4, 2 Timothy 3:16-17, Philippians 4:8.



Interesting. For myself, I use a couple of Bible Lexicons, a number of Bible commentaries, an interlinear Greek-English New Testament, several online Bible study resources, a clear, commonly-accepted, interpretive hermeneutic and the rules of logic and principles of sound reason in tandem with prayer and a mind and heart submitted to the Spirit's control. Of course, God is not content that I should merely know about His Truth. He is very determined that I should live in it. So my study of His word never remains academic, ideas and facts written on the pages of my Bible, but is understood most fully in, and through, practical living. Is this your experience, too?



Does God give us His power to use as we see fit? Or is God strong for us, His Spirit moving us, illuminating us, defending us, and so on? What I'm asking is if we get power from God to use, or does He employ His power on our behalf? See Romans 8:13, Ephesians 3:16, 2 Corinthians 3:18, 1 Peter 5:10, etc.



Is a moral life the chief aim of our relationship with God? Or is it the means to something greater, something higher? See 2 Corinthians 13:14, Hebrews 12:14b, 1 John 1:3, Revelation 3:20.



You said this in your last post, but is it the flesh, our physical bodies, that have a sin-nature or us, the immaterial, eternal souls that are the essence of who we are? If we are focused on our flesh, not allowing the Spirit to control and occupy our focus, we will migrate inevitably into sin, right? But it's we who do this, the immaterial soul that we are, not our physical bodies, yes? See Romans 8:1-13.



Amen.



Evangelism rests upon our own personal experience with Jesus, right? We have only to understand the Gospel and to have come into personal relationship with God, to speak to others of what our experience of God has been as a result, right? A big part of evangelism is just sharing what it is to be a child of God, isn't it? Even if I don't know the whole of Scripture, I certainly know what God has been doing in my life and how good His work is! More than anything, this is what folks really want to hear about, don't you think?



Far more important, more vital, is the spiritual well-being of the lost, right? It does no eternal, spiritual good to see to the material needs of a person going to hell. More than clothing, shelter, knowledge and medicine, what they need is salvation, isn't it? See Matthew 16:24-26. You think, I'm sure, that the works of a Christian ought always to reflect this eternal, spiritual reality. Right?

This is all I have time for right now. It's been interesting to read your posts! Thanks for your reply!

To sum up all your lengthy questions, I have already given you the answers if you would just take all the scriptures I have given and study them for yourself. As advanced as you think you are in understanding the simplistic of God's salvation you should need not ask such simple questions as you should know them already.

 

[WalterandDebbie]

Salvation means to be whole mind, body and soul as we surrender our will to God and allow his will to work in our lives by applying Gods word to every aspect of our lives. This allows us to know the mind of Christ and all the promises of God for our own well being so we can face anything that tries to come against us while here on this earth so we can triumph and be victorious through the grace and mercy of our Lord and Savior Christ Jesus. Grace pardons us and mercy loves us unconditionally. Let’s start with the conversation of Jesus and Nicodemus to get a better understanding of what it is to be born again and how to shed this old sin nature through repentance and then we will move on to learn how grace and mercy works in our lives.
John 3:1-7

Good morning for_his_glory and how are you all? Great post, While on this subject my wife and I were thinking about the conversation that Jesus was having with Nicodemus is very important, as you mentioned.

But I was looking at another view also in searching such as https://christianforums.net/threads/what-do-you-mean-born-again.90801/ and was wondering have any of you read it? Thank you.

Love, Walter

 

[Tenchi]

To sum up all your lengthy questions, I have already given you the answers if you would just take all the scriptures I have given and study them for yourself. As advanced as you think you are in understanding the simplistic of God's salvation you should need not ask such simple questions as you should know them already.

Well, I do know the answers, of course. I was using my questions to help you to refine your thinking on, and phrasing of, God's truth. It seemed...less contentious to do so by way of questions rather than contradictory assertions. My questions actually aren't explained much at all by what you've offered, however, which is why I've asked them. Anywhoo, if you're unwilling to discuss things further, that's fine. There was some good stuff in what you wrote.

 

[Hopeful 2]

SALVATION – delivered from sin, promise of our welfare

Salvation means to be whole mind, body and soul as we surrender our will to God and allow his will to work in our lives by applying Gods word to every aspect of our lives. This allows us to know the mind of Christ and all the promises of God for our own well being so we can face anything that tries to come against us while here on this earth so we can triumph and be victorious through the grace and mercy of our Lord and Savior Christ Jesus. Grace pardons us and mercy loves us unconditionally. Let’s start with the conversation of Jesus and Nicodemus to get a better understanding of what it is to be born again and how to shed this old sin nature through repentance and then we will move on to learn how grace and mercy works in our lives.
John 3:1-7

Jesus was teaching Nicodemus that it was a Spiritual rebirth or renewal of our spirit that through Gods spoken word we can reconcile our past sins through repentance to be made sinless again before God. We are all born with a sin nature because of sin being introduced into the world through Satan’s deceit when he told Eve it was alright to eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil even though God forbid them to eat of it. Our flesh will always sin because that is our nature and God can not see our flesh because of our sins nor can he hear the prayers of a sinner.
John 9:31; Romans 8:6-8

Sin separates us from God because God is a spirit and can only recognize his own children by what spirit is living in their hearts. We have to renew, rebirth - born again, Gods Spirit within us in order to be called a child of God and see the kingdom of heaven. We now put off the old man (flesh) and put on the new man (Spirit). We are renewed by the word of God and through the Holy Spirit teaching us of all things.
John 14:26; Colossians 3:1-17

We now have an intercessor (Jesus) who sits at the right hand of the Father and hears our confession that we are sinners and need his salvation as we believe in our heart that he was truly sent from God as the living word that we can indeed become righteous again not of our own righteousness, but that righteousness that is God whom through his Spirit is promised to dwell in us. All we have to do is believe and confess that we are sinners and allow Gods righteousness to cleanse us and renew our spirit man. Jesus wants us to come as we are and allow him to make the changes that need made in our hearts. People want to clean the fish before they catch them, but Jesus says come as you are I will clean you from the inside out.
John 10:9-10; John 1:14; John 14:6, Romans

It is not by our works or good deeds that save us for if that was all it would take then Gods word would be made void in our lives and Jesus would have died in vain, but because we are all sinners, it is by Gods grace and mercy that forgives our sins and washes us clean by the atoning blood of the Lamb (Jesus) so we can be made renewed again and free from our old sin nature.
Ephesians 2:8-9; Titus 3:5-7

What was the last sin your "flesh"-skin and bones committed ?
My skin and bones have never made me do anything my mind didn't initiate.

 

[for_his_glory]

What was the last sin your "flesh"-skin and bones committed ?
My skin and bones have never made me do anything my mind didn't initiate.

Many of us have gone over this many many times with you and I am not willing to discuss this with you any longer as there is no such thing as sinless perfection that you believe in. You have a blessed day.

 

[for_his_glory]

Well, I do know the answers, of course. I was using my questions to help you to refine your thinking on, and phrasing of, God's truth. It seemed...less contentious to do so by way of questions rather than contradictory assertions. My questions actually aren't explained much at all by what you've offered, however, which is why I've asked them. Anywhoo, if you're unwilling to discuss things further, that's fine. There was some good stuff in what you wrote.

That's why this section is called Biblical Growth and Study as we give scriptures for others to take and study for themselves. It would help if you did not make such long postings with so many questions that would take pages in order to answer all of them. It's not so much asking questions, but ask one at a time instead of trying to discuss so many at a time and I will be willing to discuss with you. I believe what I wrote has been clearly explained with the scriptures and I am opened to try and answer questions.

 

[for_his_glory]

Good morning for_his_glory and how are you all? Great post, While on this subject my wife and I were thinking about the conversation that Jesus was having with Nicodemus is very important, as you mentioned.

But I was looking at another view also in searching such as https://christianforums.net/threads/what-do-you-mean-born-again.90801/ and was wondering have any of you read it? Thank you.

Love, Walter

Thank you for sharing this as I just read it. It goes into a greater detail about inheriting the Kingdom of God that I have never seen this view before and am very appreciative you sharing this.

 

[WalterandDebbie]

Thank you for sharing this as I just read it. It goes into a greater detail about inheriting the Kingdom of God that I have never seen this view before and am very appreciative you sharing this.

Good to hear my Dear, How have you all been? Thank you.

Love, Walter And Debbie

 

[Hopeful 2]

Many of us have gone over this many many times with you and I am not willing to discuss this with you any longer as there is no such thing as sinless perfection that you believe in. You have a blessed day.

That was a classic shift-the-focus trick, used by deniers all the time.
Fact is, your skin and bones can't do anything, much less commit sin.
To blame them for an inability to serve God is ludicrous.

"Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame." (1 Cor 15:34)

 

[for_his_glory]

That was a classic shift-the-focus trick, used by deniers all the time.
Fact is, your skin and bones can't do anything, much less commit sin.
To blame them for an inability to serve God is ludicrous.

"Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame." (1 Cor 15:34)

For the last time please go read Romans 8:1-11 as it speaks about the carnal mind in how we are condemned in the fleshly thoughts, not skin and bones, but that of the carnal mind. Your argument is always about how can skin (flesh) and bones sin. Those who are in the flesh can not please God.

 

[for_his_glory]

Good to hear my Dear, How have you all been? Thank you.

Love, Walter And Debbie

We are doing well and thank you for asking. Praying all is well with you and your family