How Committed Are We To Jesus?

Salluz

Aspiring Man of God

I also highly recommend this series. It was a huge huge blessing to me when I watched it at a time the enemy was really tormenting me about my salvation.
 

soundingthealarm

Well-Known Member
I can't think it can't be overstated LOUD ENOUGH that this is a HUGE issue in the Church. I believe there is a vast number of "bewitched" believers out there living life without any assurance because they were wounded by falling into legalism AFTER having believed. Its a miserable walk, joyless, anxiety ridden that produces much harm in that the bewitched hearer of error strives to validate something in SELF to merit what WAS provided when Jesus said "IT IS FINISHED!!"

The Prodigal Son thought He HAD to go back home as a servant, with his head down and tail between his legs, walked towards home BUT HIS FATHER SEEING HIM AFAR WAYS OFF RAN TO HIM!!!! Jesus was sent to reconcile us all BACK TO THE FATHER who is LOVE and He has to hate the anxiety and lack of assurance in the life of believers cause I know as a earthly Father that I would literally be crushed if my kids ever doubted their standing in life as my kids whom I love!

I type all of this to encourage anyone struggling with feeling like you have NEVER measured up, can't measure up!! YOU ARE RIGHT and that is great news cause God knew that and sent His Only begotten Son and whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life and to ingrain that firmly and daily put on the helmet of salvation I HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend listening to what Andy has posted as building a tremendously strong healthy foundation of "blessed assurance!!!"
 

Jojo4124

Well-Known Member
I can't think it can't be overstated LOUD ENOUGH that this is a HUGE issue in the Church. I believe there is a vast number of "bewitched" believers out there living life without any assurance because they were wounded by falling into legalism AFTER having believed. Its a miserable walk, joyless, anxiety ridden that produces much harm in that the bewitched hearer of error strives to validate something in SELF to merit what WAS provided when Jesus said "IT IS FINISHED!!"

The Prodigal Son thought He HAD to go back home as a servant, with his head down and tail between his legs, walked towards home BUT HIS FATHER SEEING HIM AFAR WAYS OFF RAN TO HIM!!!! Jesus was sent to reconcile us all BACK TO THE FATHER who is LOVE and He has to hate the anxiety and lack of assurance in the life of believers cause I know as a earthly Father that I would literally be crushed if my kids ever doubted their standing in life as my kids whom I love!

I type all of this to encourage anyone struggling with feeling like you have NEVER measured up, can't measure up!! YOU ARE RIGHT and that is great news cause God knew that and sent His Only begotten Son and whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life and to ingrain that firmly and daily put on the helmet of salvation I HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend listening to what Andy has posted as building a tremendously strong healthy foundation of "blessed assurance!!!"
Thank you for addressing this topic! I agree that maybe more teaching needs to be done! I appreciate all these postings, I have my homework to do, lol. But I love to study God's Word!! Thank you for taking the time to share these things with me!!
 

Jojo4124

Well-Known Member
https://www.gotquestions.org/fruit-of-righteousness.html

I agree with this commentary regarding works. We are branches that bear fruit which shine Jesus' light...Jesus is the main Vine, and any fruit or works some might say, are brought out from Jesus pouring thru us as we abide in Him. He bears the fruit of the Holy Spirit in us for His glory...no man can boast about these as Jesus grows these, He is the Light that shines from us to a lost world, it's all Him. If I do a "good work" then I can boast about it n get some applause n glory from it. Father God deserves all glory.

Abiding in Jesus is what He tells us to do...for apart from Him we cant do anything pleasing to God...so if I claim that Jesus is my Lord, and I am His servant, I obey Him n abide...then He produces His fruit in me which can affect the world toward salvation. None of me, all of Him!
 

Jojo4124

Well-Known Member
I don't see a biblical case for doubtful self-examination based on behavior for whether one is a believer or not. The test is "do you believe Jesus is the Christ and the Son of God." If you do, you have life in His name. (See John 20:31)




This verse is taken out of context. The Corinthian believers were accusing Paul of not actually being an Apostle (IE being disqualified). Paul told them to examine themselves to see whether they were in the faith. Paul preached the gospel to them in the first place, so unless they were disqualified, he was not disqualified. Their salvation was the proof of his apostleship. The Corinthians the epistle was addressed to were affirmed to be saints in both letters. Why would Paul suddenly make them doubt it at the end?

Should we shame believers into doubting their salvation to get them to work to prove they are really saved? Isn't the example Paul gave to always point out the surpassing worth of the grace of God and use gratitude as a motivation? We are told to live up to who we are positionally over and over again.

If anyone wants to examine their own salvation, they should just make sure they are trusting in Christ and His finished work alone to be saved. That's how you test yourself if you want to. The people who Jesus will tell to depart from Him acknowledge him as Lord but never mention Him as a savior. They list their own works as their merit, but Jesus will say they are workers of lawlessness instead. We know our own works are as filthy rags before God as a righteous judge who knows our hearts. Hebrews says the basics of the faith includes repenting of these dead works and believing.

Some of the believers talked about in John didn't show their faith immediately out of fear:
"Nevertheless, many even of the authorities believed in him, but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it, so that they would not be put out of the synagogue;" (John 12:42). But they are still believers.
I struggle with the doubting my salvation sometimes...and yes it comples me to "do" something...but I read that Jesus says to abide in Him and love God and others by His love in me. Thank you!
 

Wally

Choose Your Words Carefully...
James 2:19 HCSB
You believe that God is one; you do well. The demons also believe—and they shudder.


There is a though that "work out your salvation" is better rendered evidence your salvation.

One, Salvation is already established. Its a gift.
Two, We are to bear fruit, but we can only do it through Christ the Vine.
Three, The evidence is not what WE are doing, it is what Christ is doing in us.

When we obey, submit, ... yield to Him, He produces in us all kinds of good fruit.

James is about self inspection, but the caution is not what we are doing, but what we are hindering.


Some may argue obeying is a work, submitting is a work, but notice there is a difference in conforming, and being conformed.
Conforming is a work of effort, where being conformed is the work of someone else.


Now being a sinner, I struggle with the inclination of obeying and even doing His will. But in His grace He bides me to practice, to do things.

Those things earn me nothing, but through them I might better yield to Him and allow Him to work through me.
In the process, we are renewed, transformed and as we draw upon Christ, we product living fruit.

Perhaps the best test of our efforts to evidence our faith is: Who is getting the Glory? Me or Christ in me?
 

soundingthealarm

Well-Known Member
James 2:19 HCSB
You believe that God is one; you do well. The demons also believe—and they shudder.


There is a though that "work out your salvation" is better rendered evidence your salvation.

One, Salvation is already established. Its a gift.
Two, We are to bear fruit, but we can only do it through Christ the Vine.
Three, The evidence is not what WE are doing, it is what Christ is doing in us.

When we obey, submit, ... yield to Him, He produces in us all kinds of good fruit.

James is about self inspection, but the caution is not what we are doing, but what we are hindering.


Some may argue obeying is a work, submitting is a work, but notice there is a difference in conforming, and being conformed.
Conforming is a work of effort, where being conformed is the work of someone else.


Now being a sinner, I struggle with the inclination of obeying and even doing His will. But in His grace He bides me to practice, to do things.

Those things earn me nothing, but through them I might better yield to Him and allow Him to work through me.
In the process, we are renewed, transformed and as we draw upon Christ, we product living fruit.

Perhaps the best test of our efforts to evidence our faith is: Who is getting the Glory? Me or Christ in me?
James isn't dealing with salvation as in instructing we need to work to validate our salvation, he's dealing with living out our salvation in a way that touches/blesses others. The "You believe in God" is NOT the Gospel, as you know...... but so many use that passage as if James is saying "believing" isn't enough. Believing in Jesus as the Son of God is ENOUGH!!

Romans 4:5 But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness

James is submitting that we need to live out our faith in practical fashion, IE if my neighbor needs help or a loan or a coat I'm not to just say I'll pray for you but be willing to give of myself. But even if I don't James isn't saying it negates my salvation (as that would contradict Paul in Ephesians 2 and so much of the NT) but James is saying If I don't live out my faith, its DEAD to others.

Where we are taught to work out our salvation with fear and trembling is guarding our hearts and minds from LEGALISM and or anything adding to The Finished Work, falling from a GRACE back into a self righteous resume' building type of walk, which is MISERABLE.

I love what you said about checking our motives in everything we do, am I doing this to glorify Jesus or SELF? That is always a great thing to consider yet hopefully ALOT of the time we are "moved by compassion" ...The Same Inspired Compassion that moved our Lord and Savior!!
 

Andy C

Well-Known Member
James isn't dealing with salvation as in instructing we need to work to validate our salvation, he's dealing with living out our salvation in a way that touches/blesses others. The "You believe in God" is NOT the Gospel, as you know...... but so many use that passage as if James is saying "believing" isn't enough. Believing in Jesus as the Son of God is ENOUGH!!
Yes, nailed it.
 
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