> General Discussions
Shall He find faith?
Kat:
--- Quote from: largeli on December 18, 2015, 09:41:39 AM ---Shall He find faith is the title of this thread... The answer is presumed 'no' is that correct? Does that mean there won't be any elect or remnant at that time? Or perhaps there will be but they are all (few as they may be) at that moment in a state of weakness where God has removed their faith?
--- End quote ---
Luke 18:7 And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them?
v. 8 I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?"
It has occurred to me that when Christ returns to the earth the elect will already have been resurrected and actually be with Him, so could it be that He is speaking of the rest of the world?
Jude 1:14 Now Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men also, saying, "Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of His saints,
v. 15 to execute judgment on all, to convict all who are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have committed in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him."
--- Quote ---Also... Why do any of you hope to be one of His elect?
--- End quote ---
It is the destiny of all the human race to shed this carnal human flesh and be united with God in perfection... as I see it the sooner the better. I believe it is the most wonderful thing possible for a human being to be given the honor to serve God in bringing all the rest of humanity to the knowledge of this glorious truth.
mercy, peace and love
Kat
Rene:
--- Quote from: largeli on December 18, 2015, 09:44:57 AM ---Also... Why do any of you hope to be one of His elect?
--- End quote ---
I feel exactly as Kathy stated. God's elect will be the first humans to become like Christ. They will have the marvelous job of helping to bring all of mankind to salvation! What else in life is more important or exciting as this hope? :)
Jeff:
--- Quote from: Kat on December 18, 2015, 09:28:45 AM ---
--- Quote from: Jeff on December 17, 2015, 08:31:11 PM ---
It's the greatest mystery in the universe, I think, as to why God creates us, loves us, nurtures us, prepares us. The answer is in the Scriptures, but I still can't help but think - "Why ME???" I'm the least in a sea of nothingness.
Mind-boggling. True.
--- End quote ---
Jeff, the thought as to "why me" has crossed my mind a few times too, and there is a scripture that helps me understand how it is possible.
1Cor 1:26 Now remember what you were, my friends, when God called you. From the human point of view few of you were wise or powerful or of high social standing.
v. 27 God purposely chose what the world considers nonsense in order to shame the wise, and he chose what the world considers weak in order to shame the powerful.
v. 28 He chose what the world looks down on and despises and thinks is nothing, in order to destroy what the world thinks is important.
v. 29 This means that no one can boast in God's presence. (GNB)
Aha, there you have it! God has intentionally chosen those out of the world that are the least likely, at least that does apply to me. Those verses show me how it's possible that I truly can be among the few... because I am quite certain (knowing myself as I do) that of all people I'm one of the most improbable to be God's chosen. In my life I seriously have accomplished absolutely nothing to offer... I guess that is exactly what He wants, so "no one can boast," that's for sure.
James 2:5 Listen, my beloved brethren: Has God not chosen the poor ("Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven" Matt 5:3)) of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?
So what I see is that God is taking somebody who is so implausible, that brings absolutely nothing to the table, so that He can show exactly how great He is in what He can accomplish in them! And the Scripture goes on to say just how He is doing this.
1Cor 1:30 But God has brought you into union with Christ Jesus, and God has made Christ to be our wisdom. By him we are put right with God; we become God's holy people and are set free.
v. 31 So then, as the scripture says, "Whoever wants to boast must boast of what the Lord has done." (GNB)
Do you see that? He's not making US wise and all that, it's Christ's Spirit in us that is showing through us that is our wisdom... "Christ to be our wisdom." Now this make sense in what I feel happens, "He must increase, but I must decrease" (John 3:30).
It seems this preparation is kind of our getting used to the Spirit working in us, and the more or faster we adjust the more it works. I'm 59 and I came to BT almost 10 years ago exactly, so for the first 49 or so years I learned what I'm capable of, really nothing to speak of. I also struggled so many years in the church to understand their religion and I just could not get it (turns out to be a good thing). So after all those years of study in church and praying to understand, I found out for sure that I could not figure out 'truth' from my own efforts.
But that all changed when I came to BT, God seemed to throw open the door of my comprehending truth, surely "my cup runs over" now. So I KNOW where this understanding is coming from and it is certainly is not anything I'm capable of, and that is not false modesty either, because I full well know what I am... it has to be the Spirit of Christ teaching me these things. Many times I just marvel at what I see in Scripture and mostly from studying to find answers to questions asked here.
So that's my answer to "why me" Jeff. It makes me all the more eager to think that somebody so lowly as myself could have God's Spirit working in me, but what else could it be? Well all I can say is "PRAISE GOD"! I know I have not made it yet, it's not a done deal until you're raised up with a new spiritual body... even Paul knew it was possible for him to be cast away. But I certainly am very hopeful of being faithful to the end.
mercy, peace and love
Kat
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It's all true Kat. Just as you said it. Something out of nothing is the awesome power of God.
Mark 8:2 (KJV) "I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now been with me three days, and have nothing to eat:" to Mark 8:9 "And they that had eaten were about four thousand: and he sent them away."
Extol:
--- Quote from: Rene on December 18, 2015, 12:49:51 PM ---
--- Quote from: largeli on December 18, 2015, 09:44:57 AM ---Also... Why do any of you hope to be one of His elect?
--- End quote ---
I feel exactly as Kathy stated. God's elect will be the first humans to become like Christ. They will have the marvelous job of helping to bring all of mankind to salvation! What else in life is more important or exciting as this hope? :)
--- End quote ---
Reminds me of what Ray said at the end of one of his Bible studies:
SIT WITH CHRIST IN HIS THRONE.
(Rev. 2 & 3)
That’s a lot of good stuff. In fact here’s a problem with it. It’s too profound, we almost don’t even meditate on it. See if you could go into some kind of training and after so long you would be like a cabinet member of the president of the United States, you would say that would be pretty neat. You might put up with a lot to go into some kind of training like that, because you would hob knob with the president on Air Force One, that a pretty neat plane. You would meet all the other royalty around the world and so on and that would be pretty good.
Don’t you reckon this is a little higher calling then that? It is a high calling! Really high! Probably too high for our spirit to take it in. We’re just... oh okay that is pretty cool. But it really is great and I suppose, I’m thinking the further we go in life, if we believe these things, then it becomes more tangible. Not only will we believe them and think about them, we’ll start expecting them. Where the King James uses hope the Concordant uses expectation. We will expect it, we’ll be looking for it that much.
http://forums.bible-truths.com/index.php/topic,7047.msg56006.html#msg56006
:) :) :)
John from Kentucky:
The Elect were selected by God before their birth, even before creation.
God chose the Elect, not the other way around.
If God wants you saved now, then that's what will happen. He will bring about whatever is needed to save you.
Enjoy the ride because you cannot change things. We are saved by the grace of God. We cannot make the decision to unelect ourselves.
If God does not want you saved in this age, then He will save you in the ages to come.
Our loving God will save everyone. As God said, "All will know Me, from the least to the greatest."
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