I'm sorry. But we still have hope for them while they are alive. I will include your wife in my prayers and ask the Lord to take the heart of stone out and replace it with a heart of flesh.
Grace and peace to you.
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Are you 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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Wearing the right shoes, and properly clothed spiritually?
Join Elected By Him for a devotional on Ephesians 6:14-15
https://christianforums.net/threads/devotional-selecting-the-proper-shoes.109094/
CAN A REFORMED BELIEVER FALL AWAY FROM FAITH?
- Thread starter GodsGrace
- Start date
Grace and peace to you.
iam not the judge Christians are told to repent confess our sins. a true blue Child of God will come back
TRUTH
That resonates as I can relate .
They will return to the security of the fold when they get tired of this world's empty promises.
.
much like the prodigal son. he had hit rock bottom then he came to his senses
I hope I am a disciple of Christ, but it is the Christ of the Bible alone and in its entirety OT AND NT.
It is impossible, wondering, to truly perceive or understand Christ, apart from the full context in which He was revealed. He cannot be found by focusing on or elevating the parts of your choosing. Please show where in the Bible you find that method of yours set-forth or permitted, or is it solely from/by your own human reasoning. Approaching the Bible from that standpoint is a violation of biblical admonitions to not do exactly that and which leads to incorrect interpretations. You see, by it being a fully and truly self-contained book, the Bible also provides rules and guidance for its own interpretation which rules must be adhered to. They are not open for discussion nor modification.
Therefore, you shouldn't separate Christ from it since it was written and intended by God as one single integrated whole: one part setting the stage, providing foundation, and as the requirements to gain understanding of its other parts.
[2Pe 1:20 KJV]
20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.
[2Ti 3:16-17 KJV]
16 All scripture [is] given by inspiration of God, and [is] profitable for
17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.
[1Co 2:13 KJV]
13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
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you hope ?
2It is a nice way of saying "I think" - a positive not a negative assessment.you hope ?
Jethro Bodine
Member
Faith is indeed a supernatural gift from God. But the trusting that we do through that faith is ours. And Paul says that is not something to boast about.
Which verses do you have in mind?
Jethro Bodine
Member
Humans are unable to continue to trust in the gospel without God's encouragement. He does not leave us to our own when it comes to the necessity to keep believing.
you think? if all i had was think or i hoped i couldn't do it. i may not be the best or prefect example one thing i do know is that i know that i know
Huh? Your reply sounds like gobbledygook to me but if you're commenting on the "I think" and out of my whole post you chose to focus on that part of it? Really? You do realize, don't you, that the post was about the Bible and not the "I hope" or "I think"? Once again, you've entirely missed the point and missed it badly. Talk about a plank being in someone's eye. But that seems to be a trait of yours.
Jethro Bodine
Member
Well, you probably know 'faith' is defined for us right in scripture.
Hebrews 11:1
1Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Faith is a noun. It's a thing. It's the supernatural power given to a person by which they are able to see the evidence and proof of what they can not see on their own. People who choose to believe and trust in the proof of what they could not see before are saved. Those who reject the proof of what they could not see before are lost.
This proof, this revealing of things unseen, this evidence, this conviction comes by way of the testimony of the Holy Spirit speaking to a person's heart, enlightening them to the spiritual truths of the gospel. This enlightenment is necessary for a person to have the evidence upon which to then choose, or reject the gospel.
Abraham was credited righteousness for his believing, not for just knowing the promise of God is for real.
Romans 4:4
“Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”
Believing is a verb. It's something you do. And it's what you do through the faith, the thing, that God gave you to know what he says is for real. Abraham didn't just know the promise of God was real. He believed it. And so he was justified (counted as righteous) through his believing.
What you said originally and, in this post, unless I'm misunderstanding your point, doesn't seem to fit Heb 11:1. If, as you say, that faith is supernatural, and given to everyone, then would it really be supernatural on that basis? I think it would only be considered supernatural if it were not given to everyone but only to a select subset of people. If not given to everyone, then what differentiates between those who receive it and those who don't? That notwithstanding, the faith demonstrated, was of a faith given by Christ to those of Heb 11(and to all who become saved) and was not of their making nor choice. Again, I submit that we need to consider other verses to obtain the full picture:
[Gal 2:16 KJV] 16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.
In the above verse, we can see that those who receive faith (it being supernatural as you said), must first have already been justified by Christ's faith in order to received faith: "but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ". IOW, our belief is by the faith of Christ first being imputed to us. The distinction of trusting, as opposed to believing, I do not find being made in Heb 11. I would be interested to see where you've found it in the Bible.
Before becoming saved, everyone has a "carnal mind". Therefore, a person must first be
saved to not have one and to be able to comprehend evidence, because, as the verses below tell us, the carnal mind is unable comprehend the spiritual. So, therefore, any spiritual evidence to an unsaved person will be meaningless.
[Luk 1:77 KJV] 77
To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins,
[Rom 8:7 KJV]
7 Because the carnal mind [is] enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
In my opinion, Romans 4:4 is a very interesting verse. As usual, we should compare it to other like verses.
If we look at 4:9, in addition to 4:4, we can see that FAITH was reckoned to Abraham. Whose faith? Christ's faith. Why? because only His faith brings righteousness with it, which faith, brought faith to Abraham.
[Rom 4:9 KJV]
9 [Cometh] this blessedness then upon the circumcision [only], or upon the uncircumcision also? for we say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness.
[2Pe 1:1 KJV]
1 Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ:
[Phl 3:9 KJV]
9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:
i know the feeling btw i did read the post it was you who posted i hope
nothing in scripture says that you seem to have a attitude . as in you know it all
Hebrews 11:1 Faith springs out of hope for which there is no evidence.
We cannot 'DO' believing, but our actions are the outward evidence of our inner faith.
.
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The prodigal son parable in the Gospel, is before everybody was commanded to repent by God, as the rising of Jesus Christ was accomplished and preached to the whole world..
Then we know that Christ died and rose again, and we like that prodigal son are to return to God from being sheep going astray..
Acts 17:30 And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:
31 Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.
1 Peter 2:25 For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.
Then there is no more falling away into sin, as sin means you are damned, as sin is unbelief in the rising of Jesus Christ in righteousness to life.
Romans 10:9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
Romans 14:23 And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.
Then we know that Christ died and rose again, and we like that prodigal son are to return to God from being sheep going astray..
Acts 17:30 And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:
31 Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.
1 Peter 2:25 For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.
Then there is no more falling away into sin, as sin means you are damned, as sin is unbelief in the rising of Jesus Christ in righteousness to life.
Romans 10:9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
Romans 14:23 And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.