Hi Zander,
Just seems unfair if i am going to get hammered for having something i didnt ask for and then having to be something i am not, with it. Hate to say this but for the first time it feels like when i was taught Church stuff that if i don't do a, b or c i would go to hell, whilst i was thinking "hang on, i cant help what i do.." Is there an answer that makes sense?
When you are judged here or later it will be JUST. God would only hammer those that needed it to learn how to live right. Don't worry that the punishment will exceed the crime, so to speak, He will give each exactly what each needs no more and no less.
You make not have much of a desire now, but you are here and seeking and that is a start. The parable of the mustard seed comes to mind... we all start out with the earnest of the spirit, a tiny amount (mustard seeds are very tiny). We have to nourish this seed/Holy Spirit and feed it spiritual food for it to grow. Yes all is of God and this is something He will continually nudge us to do. Are You being nudged right now? He makes us see the need and then start to act on it. We will not change over night, but what is the change that needs to come? Is it that anyone that sees us knows we are religious, because we just look righteous? Is it you spend a certain amount (lots) of time on your knees in pray everyday? Do you seek out as many as you possibly can do charitable works, so the world can see your "good works"? I don't think it is really any of these things.
The Holy Spirit guides you daily to overcome your faults, but it is a process that takes time. He shows us a sin and little by little we work to remove it; first we only recognize it (lying, petty thief, anger, cussing, coveting, judging others are things that come to mind), but we know these are wrong and hate that we do them and want to stop it. The hate of it grows as we continue on doing it until we actually start to catch it before sometimes, then catch it more and more till we don't do it anymore. As I said this can be a very slow process, but over time you begin to overcome these things one by one. I will say that He does at times removes a fault almost instantly, it happens. That to me is dying daily, getting ride of the carnal desires. As you can see almost all of these sins are directed towards others, so putting others before yourself is the key.
But a very important thing is coming to 'know' Christ! I see this as communication with Him back and forth, I talk to Him all the time, not out loud usually and He talks to me in the Scriptures and in meditation. This is vital spiritual food that we must have to grow spiritually. Here is a section from another thread that seems to fit here.
http://bible-truths.com/lake8.html --------------------------------------------
"To him that overcomes will I give to eat of the hidden manna" (Rev. 2:17).
We can’t grow spiritually unless we eat SPIRITUAL FOOD. When we eat of Christ’s spiritual body, we grow spiritually; when we stop eating spiritual food we spiritually starve and spiritually die. If we eat spiritual food, we grow, we mature, we are "continuing in Christ’s word" and Christ word is spirit and therefore spiritual food.
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Hi mmijares,
Sorry, I am not good in expressing myself in English, worst in giving personal advice. Funny, I sometimes think, does God only want English-speaking people to be in the first resurrection?
That made me chuckle
You speak very well. Actually in the next age I hope He will give the elect one pure language to speak, maybe the whole world too, kind of reverse it back to before Babel or something.
mercy, peace and love
Kat