Originally posted by jaywillIt requires that you believe before you can experience him? That doesn't sound too simple. Well, simple maybe, but not easily done by those of us who want the experience before we believe.
Calling on the name of Jesus is a simple way to touch the reality of Christ. The living Person of Jesus can be experienced by calling "O Lord Jesus. O Lord Jesus." If you believe that He has resin from the dead and is alive, to get to know Him you can call upon His name - Lord Jesus."
There is such power in the name of Jesus. "The last Adam became a li ...[text shortened]... 15:45). We can experience the life giving Spirit of Jesus by calling on His name in faith.
Originally posted by AThousandYoungBible says without faith it’s impossible to please God, that faith comes from hearing the Word, and that for a man to come to God he must first believe that He exists and that He rewards those that diligently seek Him. So, first you have to believe he exists, then seek Him through hearing His Word (which is why you need a Gospel preacher). In other words, to please God, the faith has to come first then, if you are serious, He will reveal Himself to you. So the answer to your question is yes.
It requires that you believe before you can experience him? That doesn't sound too simple. Well, simple maybe, but not easily done by those of us who want the experience before we believe.
Originally posted by NemesioRejecting anything the Bible says is what's frighteningly dangerous. Your soul is too valuable.
Your comment reminds me of a 13th c. Roman Catholic hymn.
Verbum caro panem verum
Verbo carnem efficit;
Fitque sanguis Christi merum;
Et si sensus deficit,
Ad firmandum cor sincerum
Sola fides sufficit.
...And if the [human] senses fail [to believe], faith alone suffices
to assure the firm of heart.
St Thomas Aquinas, hav ...[text shortened]... ejecting anything that opposes any
content of the Bible is frighteningly dangerous.
Nemesio
Originally posted by AThousandYoungSometimes this is a self deceiving pride which keeps us from calling "Lord Jesus, Lord Jesus". Proverbs 15:25 says "Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord ... he shall not be unpunished." The root cause of our unwillingness to come to the Savior Jesus often is our pride. We probably have heard that we are sinners in need of salvation. But we do not take seriously that we have sinned. We may have many rationals to excuse ourselves.
It requires that you believe before you can experience him? That doesn't sound too simple. Well, simple maybe, but not easily done by those of us who want the experience before we believe.
Jesus taught of two men who went up to the temple to pray in Luke 18 - a Pharisee and a tax collector. The "good" Pharisee was unwilling to humble himself and confess his need for God's forgiveness. The evil tax collector knew that he had no righteousness to merit God's favor. He, therefore, confessed his sins, humbled himself before God, and prayed for God to propitiate for his sins.
Jesus taught that the tax collector went down to his house justified. He was not only forgiven but declared sinless in justification. The moral Pharisee went away still under condemnation because he would not humble himself to confess his need for God's forgiveness.
A person who exalts himself, Jesus said, would be humbled. And a person who humbles himself will be exalted.
We can be self deceived. Our requiring this and that before we call upon the Lord Jesus can simply by our exalting ourselves. It could be our unwillingness to humble ourselves before God. Pride could be the root cause of a person not being willing to call on the name of the Lord and Savior Jesus.
Many proud people will suffer eternal punishment because of their refusal to humble themselves before God. But if we would humble ourselves we would be exalted in justification. It is like kneeling on an elevator which is speeding up. Apparently, it seems that we are going lower because we are kneeling. But actually the elevator is raising us higher to the upper floor.
In humbling ourselves to call "O Lord Jesus. Lord Jesus I am a sinner in need of your redeeming blood. Lord Jesus, I thank you for dying for my sins" we will go away justified. And we will be exalted though we let go of our pride.
Don't, through pride, insist that God come to you on your terms. Think of your sins which are many and serious. You need Jesus. You need to be forgiven and justified in His precious blood. So why not excercise the little faith and call on the Lord Jesus?
Remember "Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord ... he shall not be unpunished" (Prov. 15:25).
Originally posted by jaywillDo you think it is possible to distinguish between healthy pride and unhealthy pride?
Sometimes this is a self deceiving pride which keeps us from calling "Lord Jesus, Lord Jesus". Proverbs 15:25 says "Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord ... he shall not be unpunished." The root cause of our unwillingness to come to the Savior Jesus often is our pride. We probably have heard that we are sinners in need of salvation ...[text shortened]... heart is an abomination to the Lord ... he shall not be unpunished" (Prov. 15:25).
Originally posted by kirksey957I think that we humans may be mistaken. But God knows our hearts and cannot be mistaken.
Do you think it is possible to distinguish between healthy pride and unhealthy pride?
It behooves us to go to Him in honesty. I encourage people if they have a contraversy with God they should talk to Him about it honestly.
We humans make mistakes with one another. We don't even know ourselves that well. But with God there is no obscurity. Everything is crystal clear. Everything is naked and laid open to His dicerning divine eyes.
To answer your question, we may detect healthy self appreciation from pride. And we may mistakenly take one for the other thinking that we know. But God knows everything. And He is the one ultimately that we must deal with.
Paul told Timothy to be strong and be a man. This encouragement was probably to engender a healthy self concept about himself. God is not unaware of our need to appreciate that part of us which He created and said it was "very good" (Gen. 1:31).
Originally posted by jaywillI would argue that if you take away a healthy sense of pride from a child, you remove a healthy awareness of God.
I think that we humans may be mistaken. But God knows our hearts and cannot be mistaken.
It behooves us to go to Him in honesty. I encourage people if they have a contraversy with God they should talk to Him about it honestly.
We humans make mistakes with one another. We don't even know ourselves that well. But with God there is no obscurity. Everyt ...[text shortened]... need to appreciate that part of us which He created and said it was "very good" (Gen. 1:31).
Originally posted by kirksey957I of course would agree. However, in raising children as I have, I certainly needed the wisdom and guidance of God in doing that.
I would argue that if you take away a healthy sense of pride from a child, you remove a healthy awareness of God.
I was talking about the kind of pride of heart which causes one to self exalt themselves into an attitude of not needing salvation.
Along the path of life God is faithful to allow some things to happen to you here and there occasionally to remind you - you are dependent on God. Any kind of "healthy pride" which causes one to feel that they do not need God is a damage to proper humanity.
Originally posted by jaywillIsn't this supposed to be a spiritual forum not a religous propaganda forum!!??
Calling on the name of Jesus is a simple way to touch the reality of Christ. The living Person of Jesus can be experienced by calling "O Lord Jesus. O Lord Jesus." If you believe that He has resin from the dead and is alive, to get to know Him you can call upon His name - Lord Jesus."
There is such power in the name of Jesus. "The last Adam became a li ...[text shortened]... 15:45). We can experience the life giving Spirit of Jesus by calling on His name in faith.
Originally posted by SerendipityWouldn't you say that one person's spirituality is another person's religion?
Isn't this supposed to be a spiritual forum not a religous propaganda forum!!??
One person's telling of spiritual good news is another person's prosylatizing.
One person's explaining spiritual principles taught in the New Testament is another person's religious propagandizing.
Many people do not know that a spiritual experience is one that involves their human spirit. They don't know that they have a human spirit.
Some assume that the human spirit is just the same thing as the human soul. The New Testament draws a distinction between the soul of man and the spirit of man.
A spiritual experience must involve the human spirit of a person. But here is the problem - the human spirit of sinner is comatose. The human spirit is damaged in the sinner. The soul of man may be quite active and strong while the human spirit is in a deadened and comatose state.
It is hard to separate the normal function of the human spirit for spiritual experience without mentioning Jesus Christ in the New Testament. That is because He is the One who causes the deadened and damaged and comatose human spirit to be made alive and "born."
"That which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, You must be born anew" (John 3:6b,7).
The fallen sinner has been born naturally once. But her spirit is comatose and damaged. It is deadened if not completely dead. Christ causes the deadened spirit to be "born anew" or "born again". This is like a person living a two dimensional life who suddenly comes to realize that there is a third dimension.
The regeneration of the human spirit through Christ enables them to have spiritual experience. In the new birth the human spirit is born of the Holy Spirit and even becomes united with the Holy Spirit - "He who is joined to the Lord is one spirit" (1 Cor. 6:17).
So the new birth is the capital S Spirit (Who is the resurrected Jesus) joining to the deadened small s human spirit, This joining enlivens and causes the human spirit to be reborn from its damaged state - "That which is born of the Spirit is spirit". And it becomes joined to the Divine Spirit to be one united, enlivened, and mingled spirit - "He who is joined to the Lord is one spirit" (1 Cor. 6:17).
So it is hard to separate spiritual experience from the new birth of regeneration through Jesus Christ.
Originally posted by Vladamir no1I am not talking about any "anity" whether "Christianity" or another "anity". I am talking about the living Person of Jesus Christ.
Christianity is not spirituality but Western hegemony therefore it does not belong on this forum neither does the propagander of its proponents! Have I been understood?
Christ has given me a clear view of why I am here. He has provided the peace of reconciliation with God, the promise of victory over immorality in my personal life, victory over despondency, depression, hegomony. He has given me a large family of undying love. He has given me a sense of the destiny and purpose of mankind. And He has given me eternal life and assurance of prevailing justice and righteousness in history.
Now if I drop all of this and exchange my faith for what your philosophy or belief (whatever it is), what will your plan provide to me?
I would like to compare what I have obtained in the Person of Jesus with what you have to offer.
I appreciate people who are broad minded and not pushy about their beliefs. They are fair minded and accomodating.
Then there are other people who use this as a facade. Actually they just may not have anything worth telling anyone.
I think first you have to HAVE something. Then we can see if you are truly accomodating and broad minded toward others who feel differently.