Just because you believe something, doesn't make it true

[chaser]

Job 33 is a comfort too

v24 to be gracious to him and say, "Spare him from going down to the pit, I have found a ransom for him". Then his flesh is renewed like a child's, it is restored as in the days of his youth. He prays to God and finds favor with Him, He sees God's face and shouts for joy; he is restored by God to his righteous state.

v29 God does all these things to a man-twice, even three times to turn back his soul from the pit that the light of life may shine on him.

God promises to make everything beautiful in its time. His mercies are new every morning. His love and faithfulness cannot be measured. And time. What is time to the one who was, and is and is to come, the Alpha and Omega? We are prisoners of hope, as the scripture says, and we are told that hope NEVER disappoints. We are told the rapture of millions will take place in the blink of an eye. So just imagine what he can do, even as one draws their last breath.

 

[Footsteps]

This really all boils down to pride doesn't it. I mean it's always been hard, since being saved, to think of my loved one's that passed, not believing in Christ and their only salvation being in Him. But pride was Lucifer's downfall, along with the angels that followed him, and if we aren't believing on the one, true God what else can there be for us except a place where God is not, which when I think of a place with no God, and His beautiful creation, than that looks like hell to me <weeping>

Are there any comforting verses at all about God coming to a person, even in a coma before dying, that can be saved? This kills me to think about, but I understand if someone just rejects Him even then. I suppose there are people that would do that though

John 6:37 He who comes to me I will IN NO WAY cast out. That validates “deathbed confessions” - in a coma, most patients can hear things said by
their visitors, meaning they can understand the prayers said over them. If they can’t, I believe many can hear communications from the heavenly realm, like those who have seen a “life review” moments before they were facing certain death. I would not stress over this question - everyone has a specific length of time granted in which they can be saved, regardless of the mental state they are in.

 

[Everlasting Life]

Religion whether it's Islam or Catholicism, acknowledge the existence of God, to try to live a "moral" and "upright" life and there are some good and truth contained in these religions but the truth is none of these things will be enough to allow you into Heaven. Good deeds nor being highly religious will not save you from Hell. Many people fall into this category, decieved by their "goodness" and own good works.

Your comments made me think of how it's God's Holy Spirit, given to one who's repented and placed faith in Jesus (who then is imputed and covered with Jesus' complete righteousness), that provides the believer the power to live righteously more and more, through the Holy Spirit.

This is why other 'religions' cannot help a person. There is no power available, through these avenues, to overcome evil. Only Jesus' power via the Holy Spirit, made available through His shed blood on the cross (and subsequent resurrection, bringing uncountable souls with Him in rescuing salvation to heaven and eternal life) will help the Christian overcome evil by the sent Holy Spirit to the believer.

In reading a bit from Lewis Sperry Chafer (from Systematic Theology - XIII, pg 179), he comments that the world, flesh or human spirit is not superior to the Holy Spirit. To discover this, to believe this and to claim His sufficiency by an attitude of faith is the key to a victorious, God honoring life. It is an attitude of faith not one act either of faith or crisis experience. He then says, "No burden, therefor, is placed upon the Christian to order or arrange respecting the Spirit's undertakings; the Christian is rather enjoined to maintain nothing but a right dependence upon the Spirit regarding all His work in the individual heart." (italics, underline mine)

He says that when trusted to do so, the Holy Spirit works in a Christian to overcome evil and promote good. No self effort can be part of this, only the Holy Spirit is needed (E.L. here, this makes me think of how Jesus spoke of being the true vine and telling the disciples to remain in Him - John 15:1-4).

So then a Christian's posture in regards to the Holy Spirit is:

-A willing and expectant mind that the Holy Spirit will help one to do God's will.
-An attitude of faith
-Maintain dependence on the Holy Spirit.
-Trust the Holy Spirit, made available by Christ through faith in Jesus and sent from God the Father (John 14:16)
-Rest in Christ, rest in confidence of the Holy Spirit's work in the Christian
-Confess sins, yield to the Holy Spirit and walk in the Holy Spirit
-False leading of the Holy Spirit is irksome, painful and disagreeable whereas the true leading of the Holy Spirit is good, acceptable and perfect (Rom 12:2)


For those who are interested this might be some helpful reading about the Holy Spirit written by Lewis Sperry Chafer, of which Andy Woods takes much of his teachings from (along with the bible).

https://www.wholesomewords.org/etexts/chafer/spiritual/ch4.html

Here's a quote from this.....the whole article is very good:

"Sin is always sin in the sight of God. It is no less sin because it is committed by a Christian, nor can it be cured in any case other than through the redemption which is in Christ. It is because the redemption-price has already been paid in the precious blood of Christ that God can save sinners who only believe and restore saints who only confess. Not one degree of the punishment that fell upon our Substitute can ever fall on saint or sinner. Since Christ bore it all for us, believing or confessing is all that can righteously be demanded. Until confession is made by the one who has sinned, he is contending for that which is evil and thus is at disagreement with the Father. "Two cannot walk together except they be agreed." God cannot agree with sin. The child can agree with the Father and this is true repentance which is expressed in true confession. Repentance is a change of mind. By it we turn from sin unto God.


The blessing does not depend upon sinless perfection: it is a matter of not grieving the Spirit. It is not an issue concerning unknown sin: it is an attitude of heart that is willing always instantly to confess every known sin. "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." The Christian who fully confesses all known sin will have removed one, if not all, of the hindrances to the fullest manifestation of the Spirit.


"And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption" (Eph. 4:30).


From He That Is Spiritual by Lewis Sperry Chafer. New edition, rev. and enl. Philadelphia: Sunday School Times Company, ©1918."


But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. 1 John 1:9

 

[Neonap]

Your comments made me think of how it's God's Holy Spirit, given to one who's repented and placed faith in Jesus (who then is imputed and covered with Jesus' complete righteousness), that provides the believer the power to live righteously more and more, through the Holy Spirit.

This is why other 'religions' cannot help a person. There is no power available, through these avenues, to overcome evil. Only Jesus' power via the Holy Spirit, made available through His shed blood on the cross (and subsequent resurrection, bringing uncountable souls with Him in rescuing salvation to heaven and eternal life) will help the Christian overcome evil by the sent Holy Spirit to the believer.

In reading a bit from Lewis Sperry Chafer (from Systematic Theology - XIII, pg 179), he comments that the world, flesh or human spirit is not superior to the Holy Spirit. To discover this, to believe this and to claim His sufficiency by an attitude of faith is the key to a victorious, God honoring life. It is an attitude of faith not one act either of faith or crisis experience. He then says, "No burden, therefor, is placed upon the Christian to order or arrange respecting the Spirit's undertakings; the Christian is rather enjoined to maintain nothing but a right dependence upon the Spirit regarding all His work in the individual heart." (italics, underline mine)

He says that when trusted to do so, the Holy Spirit works in a Christian to overcome evil and promote good. No self effort can be part of this, only the Holy Spirit is needed (E.L. here, this makes me think of how Jesus spoke of being the true vine and telling the disciples to remain in Him - John 15:1-4).

So then a Christian's posture in regards to the Holy Spirit is:

-A willing and expectant mind that the Holy Spirit will help one to do God's will.
-An attitude of faith
-Maintain dependence on the Holy Spirit.
-Trust the Holy Spirit, made available by Christ through faith in Jesus and sent from God the Father (John 14:16)
-Rest in Christ, rest in confidence of the Holy Spirit's work in the Christian
-Confess sins, yield to the Holy Spirit and walk in the Holy Spirit
-False leading of the Holy Spirit is irksome, painful and disagreeable whereas the true leading of the Holy Spirit is good, acceptable and perfect (Rom 12:2)


For those who are interested this might be some helpful reading about the Holy Spirit written by Lewis Sperry Chafer, of which Andy Woods takes much of his teachings from (along with the bible).

https://www.wholesomewords.org/etexts/chafer/spiritual/ch4.html

Here's a quote from this.....the whole article is very good:

"Sin is always sin in the sight of God. It is no less sin because it is committed by a Christian, nor can it be cured in any case other than through the redemption which is in Christ. It is because the redemption-price has already been paid in the precious blood of Christ that God can save sinners who only believe and restore saints who only confess. Not one degree of the punishment that fell upon our Substitute can ever fall on saint or sinner. Since Christ bore it all for us, believing or confessing is all that can righteously be demanded. Until confession is made by the one who has sinned, he is contending for that which is evil and thus is at disagreement with the Father. "Two cannot walk together except they be agreed." God cannot agree with sin. The child can agree with the Father and this is true repentance which is expressed in true confession. Repentance is a change of mind. By it we turn from sin unto God.


The blessing does not depend upon sinless perfection: it is a matter of not grieving the Spirit. It is not an issue concerning unknown sin: it is an attitude of heart that is willing always instantly to confess every known sin. "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." The Christian who fully confesses all known sin will have removed one, if not all, of the hindrances to the fullest manifestation of the Spirit.


"And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption" (Eph. 4:30).


From He That Is Spiritual by Lewis Sperry Chafer. New edition, rev. and enl. Philadelphia: Sunday School Times Company, ©1918."


But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. 1 John 1:9

Agreed. I can see how if we take Islam as an example could change someone for the better on the outside but can Islam change the heart of a individual or set them free from sin? No. There are certain sins in Islam that I can agree with that are bad such as not commiting adultery or fornication, do not hurt innocent people, disobeying and disrespecting your parents, homosexuality, devouring the wealth of orphans, cursing, lying etc etc. Being a modest person overall. I can respect that, since our society has thrown God out the window and morality is declining in our society.

Although Muslims acknowledge the reality of sin, against God and others they are missing the fact that God is Holy and just one sin can keep us out of Heaven. Being good isn't good enough to enter Heaven. That's why we need Jesus because He is the only one who can set the captive free and
guarantee Heaven for those who place their faith and trust in Him alone. Islam has some things right in certain areas and other things wrong in others, especially rejecting Jesus Christ as the Messiah.

As someone who was previously Muslim, this is why I have such a burden for Muslims because I understand how deceving and alluring Islam is, and how they are relying on their own efforts and goodness to get them into Heaven.