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Judging oneself
rick:
Hi Kat,
Perhaps my concerns are in what I want or think God should be doing in my life rather than what God is doing. My meaning here is I see a thing or a flaw/s and think this must go but find it remains.
However today I had an incredible sense of empathy and forgiveness for other people who lives are lived in bondage of one thing or another.
Maybe God is not interested at this time in what I feel are the bigger things in my life. Maybe it’s the smallest things or even things I’m not even aware of that are of greater importance to God concerning me.
When I read about those who will not inherit the kingdom of God because of certain practices in their life, it maybe God’s way of communicating with those who are perishing, but these have no choice or say anymore than an elect of God has any say or choice in being an elect.
I sometimes think God may purposely leave a particular thing in a believes life to keep them humble while He works in other areas in a believers life but I’m never sure about anything when it comes to me.
I find a believers walk with God is nothing like studding for a test and knowing before its even graded you going to pass with ease, it’s just the apposite I believe. With God I never know what my grade will be so to speak.
I don’t say I have any fears in me concerning God whether I’m excepted or rejected for I now know the goodness of God, I’m never angry with God but sometimes am perplex other times I’m in a state of awe .
God’s wisdom is beyond my understanding and so I trust God for my life not only while I live but even after death......God is Good in every sense of the word good, this I believe wholeheartedly.
God is not the monster I was once taught He was just waiting to take a baseball bat to me. Lol God is Good. :)
Rene:
--- Quote from: Rick on June 29, 2014, 11:22:30 AM ---
I just don’t want to assume that any changes in me are necessarily changes brought about by Christ. People change over time, for instance when I was in my early twenties I could party all night long but today, no thank you, I’m done with that sort of thing.
Did Christ bring about that change or did I finally grow up and realize there is no wisdom in that sort of life style?
--- End quote ---
Of course these changes in your life are brought about by Christ. Whether or not we are one of God's Elect, we are still ultimately His workmanship. 8)
Eph 2:10 "His, in fact, we are—His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus upon a footing of good works, which God prepared beforehand that therein,we might walk.
1Cor. 3:13-15 - "Each one's work, shall be made manifest; for the day will make it plain, because by fire is it to be revealed,—and, each one's work, of what sort it is, the fire itself will prove. If anyone's work shall abide, which he built, a reward shall he receive, If anyone's work shall be burnt up, he shall suffer loss, but shall himself, be saved—though, thus, as through fire."
René
rick:
Hi Alex,
I read nearly all your responses to other post and can tell you have a great deal of wisdom in the things of God, I do find many things in life to be a stumbling block.
I guess the old saying is true in that one can lead a horse to water but you can’t make the horse drink.
I can relate to those things you say.
Thank you also Rene again for your response. :)
Kat:
Hi Rick,
Yea, well I never heard a audible voice tell me I'm elect either. But you know I don't think God will let us know for sure, because our flesh could not handle that kind of knowledge properly, we would get all puffed up about it or whatever. But if we do believe these truths and 'want' to obey then we certainly can have hope and hope is a very good thing to have.
Rom 8:23 However, not only the creation, but we who have the first fruits of the Spirit also groan inwardly as we eagerly await our adoption, the redemption of our bodies.
v. 24 For we were saved with this hope in mind. Now a hope that can be observed is not really hope, for who hopes for what can be seen?
v. 25 But if we hope for what we do not yet observe, we eagerly wait for it with patience.
Here is something that Ray said that I think applies to this.
http://forums.bible-truths.com/index.php/topic,4472.msg34384.html#msg34384 -----
[Someone ask the question: is that why Christ was always in prayer?]
Well yes, it’s like the old saying; act like it all depends on you and pray like it all depends on God. That’s the way you should live your life. He could not help but pray.
What appears to be contradictions are not contradictions, when you have a higher spiritual understanding of what it’s talking about.
Let me show you a perfect example and it sounds like a contradiction, but it’s not.
Phi 2:12 “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.”
Doesn't that contradict this whole thing, we’re saved by grace and not of works? And now we’re to work out our own salvation? What is that? How do you explain that? “ Of Myself I can do nothing…” (John 5:30), and he said YOU can do nothing (John 15:5), He said to the apostles. Then Paul says “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.” Well it does sound like a contradiction. Read the next verse, He tells us why. ‘For,’ now that word always means ‘because,’ it’s another word for because.
Phi 2:13 “For(because) it is God who works in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure.”
Some of you probably still don’t get the answer, but it is there. Work out your own salvation, is not the jest of that saying, He is not saying, work out your own salvation(.) No, he’s saying “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, that’s where the emphases is, on fear and trembling, not on work out your own salvation. You work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, why? Because it all depends on God. If God doesn’t do it, it won’t happen, IT WON’T HAPPEN. So we live in fear and trepidation.
v
You think, 'I shouldn’t have done this or that.' That’s right you should think that way. You should think that... 'I shouldn’t have done that,' because then you're learning. When you learn, you will then put that into practice. Because God doesn’t have you learn things so you can’t put them into practice, He has you learn things so you CAN put them into practice. But the only way you will learn them, is if you see how stupid it was, and you say if I had it to do over, I wouldn’t have done that. So YOU HAD TO DO THEM! Because that lead to a lot of trouble and pain and sorrow. But did you learn your lesson? 'Well yea.' Then don’t do it again, okay, now their back on track.
-------------------------------------------------
mercy, peace and love
Kat
rick:
Hi Kat.
Thank you for your response one again, The e-mail from Ray which you have posted was what I needed to read.
Between Rene and you, my confusion has disappeared and now my understanding is much clearer now.
I definitely see I have a part in my walk with God where as before I believed God will do it all which in a way I still believe He does it all but I see where I am an active participant whereas before I did not understand that.
Thanks once again for the valuable e- mail you posted as it set me free from all this confusion I been going through ..............................I finally get it. :) :) :)
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