KEEPING THE FAITH

[Dorothy Mae]

And Moses had doubts too . We are human after all .

11 And Moses said unto God, Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?

12 And he said, Certainly I will be with thee; and this shall be a token unto thee, that I have sent thee: When thou hast brought forth the people out of Egypt, ye shall serve God upon this mountain.

If God comes to us with a mission that alone should let us know that with God's help we can accomplish the mission .

I don’t think Moses had any doubts. I think he just didn’t want to do the job.

 

[Riven]

I don’t think Moses had any doubts. I think he just didn’t want to do the job.

Well, yeah. Aside from maybe doubting his own sanity. Wouldn't you if God appeared as a burning bush and started talking to you?

 

[Dorothy Mae]

Well, yeah. Aside from maybe doubting his own sanity. Wouldn't you if God appeared as a burning bush and started talking to you?

No, no one who encountered a rep of the Living God thought that. It is too real. They thought others won’t believe the truth. That’s a very unpleasant consideration.

 

[Highway54]

After the Kingdom comes, we won't NEED redemption!

I agree wondering. Jesus' death covers what Adam lost, we are redeemed from our sins, however we are not saved at that point. Born again Christians who die faithful receive immortality, as did Jesus. Those other citizens of the Kingdom do not gain life, until the thousand years are ended Rev 20:5; 1 Cor 15:24-28. Perhaps you see the Kingdom was not given for redemption, Jesus was, God's government is given to bring all back into harmony with God.

 

[GodsGrace]

I agree wondering. Jesus' death covers what Adam lost, we are redeemed from our sins, however we are not saved at that point. Born again Christians who die faithful receive immortality, as did Jesus. Those other citizens of the Kingdom do not gain life, until the thousand years are ended Rev 20:5; 1 Cor 15:24-28. Perhaps you see the Kingdom was not given for redemption, Jesus was, God's government is given to bring all back into harmony with God.

Whoa!
You wandered off into eschatology.
I don't know much about it...or maybe nothing.

Jesus taught about how the Kingdom of God is here, now.

Do you agree?

The future earthly kingdom is called the New Jerusalem. After the end of the world...

 

[Jethro Bodine]

I agree wondering. Jesus' death covers what Adam lost, we are redeemed from our sins, however we are not saved at that point. Born again Christians who die faithful receive immortality, as did Jesus. Those other citizens of the Kingdom do not gain life, until the thousand years are ended Rev 20:5; 1 Cor 15:24-28. Perhaps you see the Kingdom was not given for redemption, Jesus was, God's government is given to bring all back into harmony with God.

The Bible clearly says we are.

John 5:24

 

[JaneH]

Back to the original question about keeping faith..... I once heard Terry Waite speak at a W.I. conference. He had been kept chained to a radiator (or other various restrictions) in Beirut for about five years before suddenly being set free. Someone in the audience asked him if his ordeal had affected his faith. He said something to the effect that faith is a decision, not a feeling. I've thought about that ever since and I believe it. Feelings come and go, but you can decide to put your faith in Christ no matter what happens. Yes, it would be difficult in such terrible circumstances, but each time I feel my faith is challenged, I make a decision to keep steady. I believe that's what most of the men and women in the Bible believed also.

 

[Highway54]

Whoa!
You wandered off into eschatology.
I don't know much about it...or maybe nothing.

Jesus taught about how the Kingdom of God is here, now.

Do you agree?

The future earthly kingdom is called the New Jerusalem. After the end of the world...

No maam the Kingdom is not here now, it's coming is yet future. We do believe we are getting very close to it's coming, and that it's citizens are being gathered in these last days Isa 2:2-4

 

[Highway54]

The Bible clearly says we are.

John 5:24

And of course it is not wrong Jethro. But since the Bible does not contradict itself, it needs to be taken as a whole, for proper understanding. Take for example this verse which says: Believe on the Lord Jesus, and thou shalt be saved Acts 16:31. Of course that is not wrong Jethro, but we learn from other verses that some who believed in him, so much in fact that they did many powerful works in his name, yet they were not saved. So understanding is a big key sir.

I attended a funeral Saturday and the minister said, If you ask Jesus to forgive your sins, he will and you will go to heaven. How nice that would be, but not really a Bible teaching. But I will say, I hope he is right, don't you? I hope it is me that is misunderstanding it.

 

[Jethro Bodine]

And of course it is not wrong Jethro. But since the Bible does not contradict itself, it needs to be taken as a whole, for proper understanding. Take for example this verse which says: Believe on the Lord Jesus, and thou shalt be saved Acts 16:31. Of course that is not wrong Jethro, but we learn from other verses that some who believed in him, so much in fact that they did many powerful works in his name, yet they were not saved. So understanding is a big key sir.

I attended a funeral Saturday and the minister said, If you ask Jesus to forgive your sins, he will and you will go to heaven. How nice that would be, but not really a Bible teaching. But I will say, I hope he is right, don't you? I hope it is me that is misunderstanding it.

Everybody who believes in and receives the gospel of God's forgiveness in Christ, and continues to believe in it, is saved, now, and will remain saved.

1 Corinthians 15:1-2
1 John 2:24-25

Just because somebody stops believing does not mean they weren't saved while they believed. As the verses posted above show us, you must continue to believe in order to continue to be saved.

 

[GodsGrace]

And of course it is not wrong Jethro. But since the Bible does not contradict itself, it needs to be taken as a whole, for proper understanding. Take for example this verse which says: Believe on the Lord Jesus, and thou shalt be saved Acts 16:31. Of course that is not wrong Jethro, but we learn from other verses that some who believed in him, so much in fact that they did many powerful works in his name, yet they were not saved. So understanding is a big key sir.

I attended a funeral Saturday and the minister said, If you ask Jesus to forgive your sins, he will and you will go to heaven. How nice that would be, but not really a Bible teaching. But I will say, I hope he is right, don't you? I hope it is me that is misunderstanding it.

Two comments H

Jesus came to establish the Kingdom of God on earth. That what all the Kingdom parables were about and the sermon on the mount. And the Beatitudes.

In Matthew 3 Jesus said to repent for the kingdom is near.

Do you think He meant that the world was going to end imminently?

Christians are part of the Kingdom right now.
It's a spiritual Kingdom that has natural ramifications.

 

[Christ_empowered]

I don’t think I could choose to trust Christ without His work in my heart and life. I guess I admire other believers resolve and iron will but I’m not sure that’s rooted in scripture…?

 

[Riven]

Do you think He meant that the world was going to end imminently?

That's a good question. I've heard skeptics say that Jesus believed the world was going to end in his lifetime.

 

[GodsGrace]

I don’t think I could choose to trust Christ without His work in my heart and life. I guess I admire other believers resolve and iron will but I’m not sure that’s rooted in scripture…?

Resolve is rooted in our soul.
Iron, or determination, is rooted in our soul.

Our soul cannot change on its own.
We need the work of the Holy Spirit, our Helper, in our heart to make us be able to trust God.

But we do have to choose God.
He won't force us to love or serve Him.

 

[GodsGrace]

That's a good question. I've heard skeptics say that Jesus believed the world was going to end in his lifetime.

It wasn't Jesus that believed this.
Remember, He said the end would come like a thief in the night.

Some Christians thought it. Like the Thessalonians for instance. Paul had to reprimand them and tell them to live and work as usual.

Jesus spoke about the end but not in His lifetime.
What He did speak of was the fall of Jerusalem at the hands of the Romans in 70AD.
A reader of the bible might get confused, but scholars don't.
There's a definite difference.

 

[Dorothy Mae]

I don’t think I could choose to trust Christ without His work in my heart and life. I guess I admire other believers resolve and iron will but I’m not sure that’s rooted in scripture…?

This sounds humble and nice until we state the obvious counterpart which is others don’t believe because GOD chose not to do a work in their hearts. It’s God’s fault they don’t believe.

 

[Dorothy Mae]

That's a good question. I've heard skeptics say that Jesus believed the world was going to end in his lifetime.

wondering is right, he didn’t say anything close to that. He spoke of the end of the mosaic covenant age.

 

[Dorothy Mae]

No maam the Kingdom is not here now, it's coming is yet future. We do believe we are getting very close to it's coming, and that it's citizens are being gathered in these last days Isa 2:2-4

No sir, the Kingdom of God is here and now. The Kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord. The Jewish/mosaic age has ended.

 

[Dorothy Mae]

And of course it is not wrong Jethro. But since the Bible does not contradict itself, it needs to be taken as a whole, for proper understanding. Take for example this verse which says: Believe on the Lord Jesus, and thou shalt be saved Acts 16:31. Of course that is not wrong Jethro, but we learn from other verses that some who believed in him, so much in fact that they did many powerful works in his name, yet they were not saved. So understanding is a big key sir.

I attended a funeral Saturday and the minister said, If you ask Jesus to forgive your sins, he will and you will go to heaven. How nice that would be, but not really a Bible teaching. But I will say, I hope he is right, don't you? I hope it is me that is misunderstanding it.

That minister missed the requirement to repent. There is no forgiveness without repentance.

 

[Dorothy Mae]

I don’t think I could choose to trust Christ without His work in my heart and life. I guess I admire other believers resolve and iron will but I’m not sure that’s rooted in scripture…?

Consider this more complex but more accuracy view. We have a necessary but insufficient part in our salvation. I know a really good example. The salvation experience of a very powerful Holy Spirit filled man demonstrates this nicely. He was a teenager sitting with his buds in the back of the auditorium listening to powerful salvation preaching. He thought he was saved. But as the call to come forward came, he felt a powerful urge to go forward. But he was sitting with his friends and what would they think? So he struggled.

Until he moved his foot shifting in his seat to get up and suddenly he said he was filled with wherewithal to go forward. That movement was very small, totally insufficient but absolutely necessary for God to do His part.

Can you see how marvelous this is? God will not do it all and remains therefore just to all. But He will do the lion’s share so He remains loving and merciful.