A question for Christians (page 4)

paul from cleveland

(It wouldn't hurt to keep it in your pants and save it for a treat once in awhile.)

I'm sorry I ever mentioned it.

yknot

The pain passed.......peace entered and spiritually has stayed!

And I am free mentally, emotionally, and spiritually........all the while still attending the KH weekly!

So I say to you in fullness of truth.......this too will pass and you will be mended by your maker (granted you will have a scar like all of us)!

Some people's journeys are short others are longer...... it may seem dark now but maybe this is what is needed to purge, refine and re-mold you into whom you will become.

Until then......you have got to assigned this properly in your life as an excercise of self-control and faith. I know the desire to over-focus and scrutinize obsessively but for those in the longer journey the need for deeper examination of self is necessary. This usually isn't about theology so much as self-worth, determination and preservation. As JWs our 'salt' is deemed by our theocratic actions and the opinions of others, once fully out of that structure and line of thought we have to discover our authentic self.

Now for a little 'big sister' nudging......it is Friday night! There is no reason why you shouldn't be able to find a nice girl to accompany you to the movies by Saturday night!

It is not good to be alone in this process, you need to socialize in your 'real' life on top of forum support..............God might be putting persons in your path that you can learn from, be challenged or comforted by!

Balsam

Paul I've found it helpful to go back to the Jewish understand of SIN. I strongly recommend you look into it. Remember when the early Jewish Christians spoke of sin they spoke of from the understanding of their Jewish roots.

Sin and Disconnection

http://www.dorsheitzedek.org/divrei/5769/YK%20talk.pdf

Ruth Baker

Chalam

Hi Paul,

No, I'm not born again but I've prayed very hard for this for years. What does it feel like? How do you know? How can you know? Are you sure?

Quick answer as I have to run.

Galatians 5:22-23 (New International Version)

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

PM me if you like or I will write more later.

Blessings,

Stephen

mouthy

I'm sorry I ever mentioned it.

No Paul never be sorry about mentioning it!!!
We talk about the issues we wonder about.
If some one makes a snide remark, take no notice

You sound like a young man,that is honest about yourself
You feel insecure ( as most of us did when we left the Cult)

Well my love as Grannies always do.....I am telling ya as I see it
I may be having trouble to answering again as my "Mouse" is acting up
it keep freezes I bought a new one & that dont work either ,Maybe it is time
a Granny realizes she is to old to play anymore LOL

littlebird

Keep playing Granny!

Paul, we all delibrately sin, the fact you think about it shows you wish you wouldn't do it , but yet you still do. That's the fallen flesh, we do what we wish we wouldn't. That's why believers are under God's grace.

However, the scriptures you refer to is Hebrews 10:26-31

F or if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain terrifying expectation of judgment, and the fury of a fire which will consume the adversaries. Anyone who has set aside the Law of Moses dies without mercy on (the testimony of) two or three witnesses. How much more sever punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled under foot the Son of God, and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of grace? For we know Him who said, 'Vengeance is Mine, I will repay.' And again, 'The Lord will judge His people.' It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

This is not speaking to believers. This is speaking to people who have received the knowledge of the truth and rejected it. What is the truth? Jesus Christ and his sacrifice for sins for those who believe in him. If a person rejects him, there is no sacrifice for sins left for them to rely on.

Jws like to apply this to believers in order to put fear in them, but when you read it in context, you find that it isn't about believers to begin with, prime example of the scripture twisting they do.

frankiespeakin

Littlebird,

This is not speaking to believers. This is speaking to people who have received the knowledge of the truth and rejected it.

What is the truth? Jesus Christ and his sacrifice for sins for those who believe in him. If a person rejects him,

there is no sacrifice for sins left for them to rely on.

So sad really that you believe this way, because it puts you in a fearful thought loop you can never get out of and closes your mind to facts that threaten your belief system. Fear of loosing everything has long held people in darkness while feeling they are in the light.

Disbelief = the unforgivable sin, and eternal damnation. This type of thinking closes the mind and holds people captive through fear. Fear of a vengeful Deity who requires belief in doctrine order to get forgiveness and salvation is a scam used to keep people from thinking clearly.

Littlebird do you beleive God is love and vengeful both at the same time? Do you feel there is no excuse for rejecting beleif in Jesus ansd so people who do so are evil and God is just and loving when he punishes them? Is it all just black and white type of thinking with no gray in your interpetation with no justifiable reason for rejecting beleif Jesus?

paul from cleveland

but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son.

You have to believe

Maybe you aren't ready yet

How can faith be required for salvation if faith is a manifestation of God's spirit as the following scripture shows:

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control.

It seems like a "catch 22". Faith is required to receive God's spirit and be born again yet that faith is impossible without the spirit in the first place. Does that seem logical? It seems that God has to take the first step and "choose" me or I'll never be able to "overcome the flesh". I can pray all I want but it's not up to me.

Are you born again? Without being a new creation you are unable to overcome the "flesh", the sinful nature.

This is speaking to people who have received the knowledge of the truth and rejected it. What is the truth? Jesus Christ and his sacrifice for sins for those who believe in him. If a person rejects him, there is no sacrifice for sins left for them to rely on.

This is another point that seems nonsensical to me. Why would anyone reject the truth? It's like telling someone that they have two choices: 'You can be happy, have a wonderful life and live forever OR you can be miserable and have nothing to look forward to but eternal death. No one who has an accurate "knowledge of the truth" is going to choose option 2. This really isn't a choice and there must be another explanation. Everyone wants to live unless they're really depressed. If faith is a gift from God, how can someone be faulted for not having it? (please don't say that I've got to ask for it')

diamondiiz

Jesus was a sacrifice for all time and through Christ you have the foregiveness which you wouldn't have otherwise. If you are a Christian that is your whole basis for your salvation. Also some "sins" may not be actual sins other than what wts interpretated to be sins only appearred to be sins beacuse wts said they were. It's obvious that a Christian wouldn't go stealing and killing knowing it's wrong thinking that Christ's sacrifice will cover these sins as one would be abusing Christ's sacrifice.

paul from cleveland

Also, if faith is a gift from God that leads to eternal life, wouldn't it be fair for God to give the gift to all of his children, not just some? We're taught from an early age that 'if you bring candy to the class, you have to share it with everyone'. How would we feel about a parent that feeds and clothes some of his children while making the others life under a bridge? How is it possible to have love for such a parent? Even those who are fed and clothed would live in fear that 'they could be next'.

A question for Christians

Galatians 5:22-23 (New International Version)

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