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Discussion Forum : Welcome & Intro : apology for my arrogance

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Eli_Barnabas
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Joined: 2005/2/16
Posts: 621
Cache Valley, Utah

 Re:

Quote:
wow, good question. I almost cried when I couldn't answer that.

I guess what I was getting at is that the faith that I read about in the bible sounded like so much more than the faith that people have encouraged me to have. Scratch that- It sounded like something completely different - like from another world. But the only "faith" I've felt able to have in God accepting me has been so pathetic in contrast. It's seemed more like just postive thinking and mind games rather than spirit and knowledge and power and and a new creation. Could I have had the holy spirit without knowing? Should someone get baptised if they think their faith is unstable? I don't even know what's wrong with me. Am I making up excuses or am I confused by the false teachings that were foretold? How can I stop being double minded? How do i "believe"? Does it mean just fighting doubts? Is that what everyone does? because that seems so fake and powerless. Don't I need the power of God and not some contrived epiphany? How can I even genuinely seek God when my heart is so wretched?
It's like anything I do, including "believing" is just fake. I can do this or think that but how do I know that thinking believing thoughts is real faith?

Thanks Andy. It's nice to be able to share this stuff with people. Nobody I know ever wonders these things or seems like they ever wondered about them.

I don't want to claim that I believe and know that God accepts me only to wake up ten years from now and realize that I didn't understand true faith and was just playing mind games the whole time. "Lord, Lord, I cast out demons and I kept fighting my doubts!"



Ben, you aren't the only one that has thought like this. It's incredibly important that you are tripping and stumbling over this phenomenon of faith. Christ is the stumbling-stone that God has chosen: God has concluded the whole world in unbelief (Romans 11:32). No man believes God. No man seeks God. No man understands. [i]"But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned."[/i] (1 Corinthians 2:14) The whole issue is revelation by the Spirit of God. The gospel is a mystery that cannot be discerned by mere education. Blindness requires supernatural grace. Revelation is the key to faith (Romans 10:17).

This is what you need. You must have it, but you cannot have it through the power of your own flesh because your sinful heart will not submit to God. You will perish without it, but only God can give it. You need is grace. The revelation of Jesus Christ and the cross. It's foolishness to them who perish, but to us who are saved it is Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. Salvation is by grace through faith and not of works, lest any man should boast, and the world despises that message, and Satan resists it with all his might, but nothing can stop God.

God commands you to believe, Ben, and your flesh will not. There is no excuse for your unbelieving. May the Lord be gracious unto you.


_________________
Eli Brayley

 2008/7/8 20:20Profile





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