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Desire to be a vessel of honor unto the Lord Jesus Christ?
Join For His Glory for a discussion on how
https://christianforums.net/threads/a-vessel-of-honor.110278/
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Taking the time to pray? Christ is the answer in times of need
https://christianforums.net/threads/psalm-70-1-save-me-o-god-lord-help-me-now.108509/
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Depending upon the Holy Spirit for all you do?
Read through the following study by Tenchi for more on this topic
https://christianforums.net/threads/without-the-holy-spirit-we-can-do-nothing.109419/
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How are famous preachers sometimes effected by sin?
Join Sola Scriptura for a discussion on the subject
https://christianforums.net/threads/anointed-preaching-teaching.109331/#post-1912042
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Belief and Faith
- Thread starter GodsGrace
- Start date
Razeontherock
Member
See, the heart has to be receptive to the word. It's not a matter of choosing to understand and believe. It's a matter of the spirit in a man. It's the spirit in a man that makes him understand.
Job 32:8
But it is the spirit in a man, the breath of the Almighty, that makes him understand. RSV
I don't believe you can chose to believe something you don't believe. That would be illogical.
The Bible doesn't say we are free to serve the devil. If anything we have been taught to resist him. And God has given us his own Spirit to help us.
Psalm 146:5
Happy is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord his God,
Are you going to say to God, 'I chose to believe you and I can choose to disbelieve you.'? This is the spirit of rebellion.
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The whole world is called to repentance.
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. John 3:16
JLB
Razeontherock
Member
The Bible is filled with those who chose to serve God and those who chose to rebel against Him.
If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.” Genesis 4:7
God did not force Cain to murder Able.
He told him that “if” he did well, he would be accepted.
The Lord tells us the same thing today.
Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth—those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation. John 5:28-29
those who have done good, to the resurrection of life
those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation.
Those who practice righteousness are righteous. Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous.
1 John 3:7
Do you agree that it is those who practice righteousness, that are righteous?
We who have His Spirit within us, have the power to practice righteousness, rather than obey the sinful desires of our flesh.
JLB
Yes sir!
For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. Romans 1:16
JLB
He didn't have to force Cain to kill Abel.
Cain was of his father the devil.
1 John 3:12
and not be like Cain who was of the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own deeds were evil and his brother’s righteous.
Cain did his father's will. Which means he was a devil.
I believe Cain was made for his purpose just as Judas was made for his purpose to betray Jesus.
The LORD knew what was in Cain's heart. He warned Cain so that Cain had no excuse.
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You seem to be mixing together two concepts, whereby your study concludes that we do nothing, for if we do, it's just filthy rags.
When in reality those who do nothing are fruitless branches that are removed from the vine.
Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. John 15:2
The born again Christian who is filled with the Spirit, is to express the righteous life of Jesus Christ who dwells within us.
They profess to know God, but in works they deny Him, being abominable, disobedient, and disqualified for every good work. Titus 1:16
If He abides in us, and we abide in Him, we are to produce the fruit of love.
And let our people also learn to maintain good works, to meet urgent needs, that they may not be unfruitful.
Titus 3:14
I would ask you to please consider these verses, as well as apply the principle of righteousness, that John teaches us, in your study of this doctrine.
Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous.
1 John 3:7
We are to be led by the Spirit of God, who dwells within us, and leads us in the path of righteousness.
We who are Christ's are called to love God by loving His children, in deeds, not just words.
My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. 1 John 3:18
JLB
ezra
Member
no it seems to be you that are mixing things up the Bible says our righteousness is as filthy rags.. our true righteousness comes from Christ and Christ alone .. you took what i posted and put it into YOUR own words .the doing part James said be a doer of the word not a hearer only ... the price has been paid our job is to live it as peter wrote he has given us all things ..why is it jump to conclusions about me being wrong ? you dont even know what my study is... did you take time to ask what my study was..what i meant by my statement ? you lean heavy on works do you feel you have to work to stay saved ? my works is trying to live the life of Christ in me... not some name it claim it speak it into existences.
As you can see from my quote, I believe our righteousness come from Christ.
JLB
I can only derive what you mean by what you say.
This statement that says ...
This is what I addressed.
Why would you say this if you didn’t mean it?
You are plainly referring to born again Christians, whose works of righteousness are as filthy rags.
The righteousness of faith, which is a person responding in obedience to God, is the righteousness that pleases God.
Born again Christian’s works of righteousness are not as filthy rags, brother.
I hope you can see that.
If you look at the phrase in the Old Testament, where Isaiah says
“all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags;”, you will see the contextual frame of reference that he said this, in which many have taken this out of its proper context and applied to all of humanity, including as you did, born again Christians.
JLB
stovebolts
Member
Hello brother ezra
I dont think that's what he means.
Ephesians 2:10-11 tells us that we are doing Gods work, and Gods work isnt considered filthy rags.
God needs a body to do His works, and we, the Body of Christ are doing our Lords work.
It takes faith to be obedient at times because things like fear can stop us cold in our tracks, and so it is that our strength comes from the Lord as we do His wonderful works.
I do hope you understand this premise.
God bless.
It can seem like work at times when others challenge us to remain in a posture of love.
For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome. 1 John 5:3
Those who steal from their brother are not loving their brother.
Those who commit adultery with their brother’s wife are not loving their brother.
- He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 1 John 2:4
If a brother murders his brother then he is not loving his brother.
If a brother lies to his brother then he is not loving his brother.
- Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. 1 John 3:15
If a brother covets his brother’s wife or things his brother has, he is not walking in love toward his brother.
If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also. 1 John 4:20-21
This is love, that we walk according to His commandments. This is the commandment, that as you have heard from the beginning, you should walk in it. 2 John 6
JLB
ezra
Member
i never said doing GOD work was filthy rags let me make this very clear our works the things we do of our own accord is as filthy rags..we us our-self have NO righteousness.but of what Christ done for us. this is what happens when someone fails to get clarification . maybe that should be a new tos rule . lets look at what baker evang dictionary says about righteousness
Righteousness [N] [T] [E]
God the Father is righteous (just); Jesus Christ his Son is the Righteous (Just) One; the Father through the Son and in the Spirit gives the gift of righteousness (justice) to repentant sinners for salvation; such believing sinners are declared righteous (just) by the Father through the Son, are made righteous (just) by the Holy Spirit working in them, and will be wholly righteous (just) in the age to come. They are and will be righteous because they are in a covenant relation with the living God, who is the God of all grace and mercy and who will bring to completion what he has begun in them by declaring them righteous for Christ's sake.
The noun righteousness/justice (Gk. dikaiosune [dikaiosuvnh]) bears meanings in the New Testament related to two sources. The major one is the Hebrew thought-world of the Old Testament and particularly the sdq [q;d'x] word group, which locates the meaning in the sphere of God's gracious, covenantal relation to his people and the appropriate behavior of the covenant partners (Yahweh and Israel) toward each other. The other is the regular use of the words in everyday Greek as spoken in New Testament times, which fixes the meaning in the sphere of a life in conformity to a known standard or lawthus honesty, legality, and so on. This latter meaning in terms of doing God's will is of course also found in the Old Testament.
When we translate the Greek words based on the stem dikai- into English we make use of two sets of words based on the stems, just and right. So we have just, justice, justify and right, righteous, righteousness, rightwise (old English). The use of two sets of English words for the one set of Greek words sometimes causes difficulties for students of the Bible. This is especially so when the verb "to justify, " describing God's word and action, is used with the noun "righteousness, " pointing to the result of that action.
so righteousness and works are two different things ..which is exactly what i said.. some do works/good/moral in thinking it makes them righteous ..which is wrong Christ makes us righteous--justified the moment we get saved .he also at the same time sanctify s us sets us a part positional in to be made holy .we become a w.i.p which makes it progressive .then at the end of our life .we are complete
1 Thessalonians 5:23
“And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”