| Poster | Thread | jmooney6
Member
Joined: 2009/9/2
Posts: 60
| | Am I truly saved? | | Brothers and Sisters,
Please bear with me for a moment. I wish I could post something to offer you all encouragement and love, but this isn't the case. I think I'm starting to backslide, and not because I want to, but because confusion and anxiety are plaguing me. I noticed that I'm starting to use bad language again and am more easily irritable, and this frightens me. I believe confusion to be a snare from the devil, but it doesn't make it any less difficult for me.
-The first question is, how do I know I'm saved? I thought I was saved, because I believe in the Gospel and Jesus' sacrifice for me. I was sharing the Gospel online and with my parents. I thought I had a good relationship with the Lord. Then, I remembered Matthew 7:21-23 . Why didn't they know Jesus? Can someone truly live a Christian life and still be spewed into the Lake of Fire?!
Second of all, I've been reading up on the costs of following Jesus because of some of the posts I've read here. Now, whether to serve Jesus or to serve mammon, the choice is obviously easy. Then I read that he who does not hate their own mother and father cannot be His disciple. How can I hate my mother and father and not be disrespectful towards them? Sure, we had our arguments over religion, but I never hated Mom once. What does it mean?
I'm sorry if I come across as selfish or am leaving Jesus out of the loop, but these things are really hampering the relationship I have with Jesus. I've prayed, but I feel my prayers are not being heard because of my starting to become backslidden. I need help, my Brothers and Sisters. Can you help me? Point me to some sermons or Bible passages that can help me get over this? Like Jesus said, "[color=990000]Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?[/color]" Any help, rebuking, guiding, will be greatly appreciated.
_________________
Jim
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|  2009/10/29 12:47 | Profile | ADisciple
Member
Joined: 2007/2/3
Posts: 835
Alberta, Canada
| | Re: Am I truly saved? | | Don't forget that AFTER you are saved you will experience testings and temptations.
Don't doubt your salvation: recognize you have a fight on your hands.
Satan's objective in temptation is to bring you down to defeat and destruction. The Lord's objective in the same temptation is to prove you.
So lift up the hands that hand down; don't look back anymore. Look unto Jesus, and persevere!
You will come out of the fire a vessel approved.
...As to hating your mom and dad, this is only speaking of a matter of priority. In any instance where your love for Jesus is superceded by your love for anything or anyone else, you must "hate" that other person or other thing, "yea, and your own live also," and take up your cross and follow Jesus. Apart from that, honour your father and mother, and love them, as the scriptures bid us to do.
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Allan Halton
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| | 2009/10/29 13:00 | Profile |
| | Re: Am I truly saved? | | Jesus statement about hating thy parents etc. is known as a hyperbaly, statement of extremes for emphasis sake. We know this also when Jesus declared to pluck out the eye or cut off the hand if it offend you.
You should know of the day when you were born again. if you know of that great day then you know you were born again.
Just because you are saved dosen't mean you cannot backslide.
You say,
"I think I'm starting to backslide, and not because I want to, but because confusion and anxiety are plaguing me. I noticed that I'm starting to use bad language again and am more easily irritable, and this frightens me. I believe confusion to be a snare from the devil, but it doesn't make it any less difficult for me."
In 'Pilgrims Progress', by John Bunyan , Christian enters 'doudting castle' and is beaten continualy by 'giant despair'
Finally he remembers the 'key' around his neck which is 'promise' that unlocks everydoor in doudting castle. You should put your armor back on my friend. Don't be enticed by "vanity fair'
Also this whole thing is about love. true love from God to you and you to God. True love is merciful patient and kind as it strives to not compromise.
Maybe perhaps get you bible and get alone for a day or two and just read and pray and worship. Tell God all you doudts and confusion and let Him clear it up through His word and His Spirit.
Sorry for mispelling any words.
God bless, John
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| | 2009/10/29 13:08 | | Leo_Grace
Member
Joined: 2009/6/14
Posts: 703
| | Re: Am I truly saved? | | Dear Jim,
God is reaching out to you. You are not eternally lost, but I believe you have not yet been saved, for the proof of rebirth is not yet in you. You are not saved until you experience a changed life and a renewed heart.
If you truly believe in Jesus Christ, the first impulse you would have is to get to know Him as God has revealed Him. Not by listening to sermons, not in listening to hymns, not in watching uplfting videos, not in reading articles written by men, and definitely not in asking others about Him. You must approach Jesus Christ, "the Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us" (Jn 1:14), by reading the Word (eating His flesh is reading the Word) with an attitude of faith and trust that you will find Him there. Seek and you will find.
Your relationship with Jesus is between the two of you alone - no middlemen can be involved. The confidence and knowledge that you are indeed saved will come from Jesus himself, not from some set of rules, or a step-by-step approach written by mere men. At this point, you do not need us - you need to go to Jesus in the Word.
Our advise may be helpful, but if that is all you rely on, you will come back to this forum again and again frustrated because you will never experience rebirth by coming to us, but by going to Jesus (the Word). None of us have the power to save you - only Jesus (The Word) can do that for you.
I'm pasting below some things from other posts of mine. They might be helpful, but only to point you to where you should go - to Christ (the Word):
"The culmination of our rebirth is obedience and compliance with the greatest commandment: To love the Lord Jesus, our God, with all our hearts, with all our souls, and with all our minds. The changed life and the renewed heart of the true believer is anchored on a life-changing love for Christ. It is this love that gives us the power to deny ourselves and to seek only to please the Lord. Without such love for Jesus, one has not yet been reborn, but is probably still on the way to rebirth.
It is Jesus who is to be the focus, the goal, the meaning, and the essence of our lives. Both God the Father and the Holy Spirit point us always to Jesus Christ."
I'll be praying for you. |
| | 2009/10/29 13:11 | Profile |
| | Re: Am I truly saved? | | my dear brother Jim,
I would never rebuke you, all i can offer are three things, first, the conviction in my heart burned their by the Holy Spirit, that Jesus will never let you go, we might stray stumble fall hide, whatever stuff we do, as we groan in these "clay jars".
the second and third thing I can offer you are two sermons that have always encouraged me in moments of despair, or brokenheartedness. the first is from Dr, Michael Brown, a Jewish follower of Jesus, I adore this pastor, the sermon is called "Holy Desperation"
[url=http://askdrbrown.org/media/albums/ICN/Revival/Holy%20Desperation.mp3]"Holy Desperation"-Michael Brown[/url]
the second sermon is from Duncan Campbell, he was the man God used as a channel for revival in the Hebrides Islands of Scotland in the 1950's, and the sermon is called "Heart Preparation for Revival"
[url=https://www.sermonindex.net/modules/mydownloads/visit.php?lid=999]"Heart Preparation for Revival"[/url]
I pray for you and I pray these sermons light you up in the Love of Jesus. This is just me, but when I found myself "pressed", and I would listen to various sermons, these included, I would wait till the world was silent, at night, before bed. (so I wont fall asleep) and I would get on my knees and listen to them, firt asking God the Holy Ghost, please, speak into my heart.
but thats just me, we all must walk in the way God has for us. Unseen, I love you in the Lord brother, and am confident no prayer returns unanswered. Though the path may difficult, full of rocks and steep drop-offs, Jesus is the Light, and the Guide and the Truth, full of Love, His Blood says everything.
in Jesus' love, neil |
| | 2009/10/29 14:00 | | jmooney6
Member
Joined: 2009/9/2
Posts: 60
| | Re: | | Right now, I'm weeping. Thank you all so much for your love and support of me, and for your prayers. Maybe I'm saved now, or maybe I never was saved, but the encouragement that this is between me and Jesus is fantastic. I haven't been praying enough!
I love you all through Christ as well, and thanks for not rebuking me, even though I feel I deserve it. It's amazing to have such an Awesome God who still loves me, even though He's the perfect being and I'm not. And I thank God for you all, my fellow Brothers and Sisters.
Satan tricked me into confusion by wrapping me up in school studies. Oh, he knows every last trick in the book! I must get back to reading the Bible more, saturating myself in It, and praying and praying, even if I give up a higher grade because of it. It's Jesus' life, not mine! Thank you all again. I hope to see you all again soon, and I pray we all meet in Heaven.
@Brother Neil, I'm definitely checking out those sermons tonight! Thank you my Brother.
_________________
Jim
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| | 2009/10/29 18:04 | Profile | trueblue
Member
Joined: 2009/9/1
Posts: 63
| | Re: | | Quote:
Leo_Grace wrote:
Dear Jim,
God is reaching out to you. You are not eternally lost, but I believe you have not yet been saved, for the proof of rebirth is not yet in you. You are not saved until you experience a changed life and a renewed heart
According to the scripture "the eye of the Lord is in every place" and not your own eye.So would you say that the church at Corinth were not saved or David when He conspired to murder.This man in his humilty has confessed His struggles and who are you to judge him a child of satan.He that is without sin cast the first stone!!.."if we say we have no sin we decive ourselfs and the truth is not in us"...in Love!!
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| | 2009/10/29 18:12 | Profile | TaylorOtwell
Member
Joined: 2006/6/19
Posts: 927
Arkansas
| | Re: | | Quote:
jmooney6 wrote:
Right now, I'm weeping. Thank you all so much for your love and support of me, and for your prayers. Maybe I'm saved now, or maybe I never was saved, but the encouragement that this is between me and Jesus is fantastic. I haven't been praying enough!
I love you all through Christ as well, and thanks for not rebuking me, even though I feel I deserve it. It's amazing to have such an Awesome God who still loves me, even though He's the perfect being and I'm not. And I thank God for you all, my fellow Brothers and Sisters.
Satan tricked me into confusion by wrapping me up in school studies. Oh, he knows every last trick in the book! I must get back to reading the Bible more, saturating myself in It, and praying and praying, even if I give up a higher grade because of it. It's Jesus' life, not mine! Thank you all again. I hope to see you all again soon, and I pray we all meet in Heaven.
@Brother Neil, I'm definitely checking out those sermons tonight! Thank you my Brother.
Amen, Brother. Get in the Word and hold fast to Christ.
However, a simply word of caution - do not turn Bible study and prayer into a "new law" that you must fulfill in order to gain salvation. Salvation is only through resting in the finished work of Christ on the cross.
With care in Christ...
_________________
Taylor Otwell
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| | 2009/10/29 18:24 | Profile | Leo_Grace
Member
Joined: 2009/6/14
Posts: 703
| | Re: | | trueblue wrote:
Quote:
Leo_Grace wrote:
Dear Jim,
God is reaching out to you. You are not eternally lost, but I believe you have not yet been saved, for the proof of rebirth is not yet in you. You are not saved until you experience a changed life and a renewed heart
According to the scripture "the eye of the Lord is in every place" and not your own eye.So would you say that the church at Corinth were not saved or David when He conspired to murder.This man in his humilty has confessed His struggles and who are you to judge him a child of satan.He that is without sin cast the first stone!!.."if we say we have no sin we decive ourselfs and the truth is not in us"...in Love!!
Dear trueblue,
I'm sorry if what I posted upset you. I wasn't judging Jim. I was merely answering his question, "Am I truly saved?" to the best of my ability in order to help him. Should I not answer his question honestly from my heart? Jim has been communicating to us off-and-on for more than a month through various threads in this forum, so I am familiar with his situation and his struggles. My response was a sincere answer, not an insult.
The reason I felt that he might not yet be saved is because in his post, he reveals a lack of understanding of some basic Christian teachings. One cannot "believe" in God and not do anything about it. Once we truly believe, our first impulse should be to immediately learn more about the Lord Jesus, in whom we have just recently placed our faith, by reading the Bible. So my response was based on the observation that he apparently has not spent much time reading the Word with the illumination of the Spirit.
Read his post - how would you answer him? |
| | 2009/10/29 20:34 | Profile | Logic
Member
Joined: 2005/7/17
Posts: 1791
| | Re: Am I truly saved? | | Quote:
jmooney6 wrote:
I think I'm starting to backslide, and not because I want to
This is your first mistake.
You will not backslide if you don't want to, nothing can make you backslide. Otherwise it wouldn't be your fault.
You will have no excuse for your backslide.
Quote:
but because confusion and anxiety are plaguing me.
These are no excuses.
These are tribulations; but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation works patience (Rom 5:3)
[b]James 1:2[/b] [color=660000]My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials;
[b]:3[/b] Knowing this, that the trying of your faith works patience.
[b]:4[/b] But let patience have its perfective work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.[/color]
Quote:
I noticed that I'm starting to use bad language again and am more easily irritable, and this frightens me. I believe confusion to be a snare from the devil, but it doesn't make it any less difficult for me.
What have you been giving your self over to?
What have you been doing with your thought life?
T.V. &/or Movies may contribute to your condition.
More than that, the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and YOU becomes unfruitful (Mat 13:22).
Quote:
The first question is, how do I know I'm saved?
One clue is the fact that you care that you are save or not. However, that is not the conclusive way to know.
The main way to know is if you Love Jesus and choose to abide in Him (John 15:4-10)
Quote:
I thought I was saved, because I believe in the Gospel and Jesus' sacrifice for me.
This is only 1/2 of the faith you need; now you need proof of that faith, which is works.
See how faith worked with Abraham's works, and by works faith was made perfect (James 2:21).
Quote:
I was sharing the Gospel online and with my parents.
Only the intent of your heart for doing this is what matters.
Quote:
I thought I had a good relationship with the Lord. Then, I remembered Matthew 7:21-23 . Why didn't they know Jesus?
It is because Jesus never told them to do such things as they were bragging about; notice He called them "workers of iniquity".
Meaning they were lawless.
How is anyone lawless when they "prophesy in His name", "in His name cast out demons", and "in His name do many wonderful works"?
They were lawless in the other things they were doing.
Eternal life is not only ministering to the world, but ministering to God.
They said "Lord, Lord, we did this & that, but they never consulted God in their matters.
Quote:
Can someone truly live a Christian life and still be spewed into the Lake of Fire?!
Hypocrites can.
Quote:
Second of all, I've been reading up on the costs of following Jesus because of some of the posts I've read here. Now, whether to serve Jesus or to serve mammon, the choice is obviously easy.
Not really.
Why do you think it was a temptation for Jesus if it was Easy (Luke 4:5 )?
Quote:
Then I read that he who does not hate their own mother and father cannot be His disciple. How can I hate my mother and father and not be disrespectful towards them?
Sure, we had our arguments over religion, but I never hated Mom once. What does it mean?
The "hate" is a comparison of how much you will love God over your Parents.
It is not a literal hate.
Quote:
I'm sorry if I come across as selfish or am leaving Jesus out of the loop, but these things are really hampering the relationship I have with Jesus. I've prayed, but I feel my prayers are not being heard because of my starting to become backslidden. I need help, my Brothers and Sisters. Can you help me?
First of all, take full responsibility for your backslide.
PRAY to God to reveal Himself even more to you.
Even if you don't "feal" that God hears this prayer, He does ans will.
Examine, scrutinize yourself, whether you are in the faith; test, discern yourself (2Corinth 13:5).
Quote:
Point me to some sermons or Bible passages that can help me get over this?
We can not do this, Scripture alone with out prayer is futile.
God will reveal it to you in prayer....
[b]2Peter 1:5[/b] [color=660000]And for this reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge
[b]:6[/b] And to knowledge self control; and to self control patience; and to patience godliness;
[b]:7[/b] And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness love.
[b]:8[/b] For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that you shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
[b]:9[/b] But he that lacks these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and has forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.
[b]:10[/b] Therefore rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure, for [b]if you do these things, you shall never fall[/b][/color]
[b]Now go and pray.[/b]
He will hear you. |
| | 2009/10/29 20:56 | Profile |
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