|
Post by sinner on Jun 9, 2009 13:16:33 GMT -5
Bro. Mike... I just have a few questions from last sunday. In Luke 24-25, it says "Strive to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able. When once the master of the house has risen and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying, 'Lord, open to us,' then he will answer you, 'I do not know where you come from.' Does this passage pertain to nonbelievers? Or does it pertain to believers as well? The reason I ask is because I remember you asking the question, when He shuts the door, what side will you be on? Also, too, as the message of urgency, you said one day He will close the door and make sure you are in it. I have accepted Christ in my heart, but I do not always live my life to glorify Him. I guess I just live life knowing I have God in me, but do nothing about it. So i guess to in turn, if we have accepted Christ in our life, but don't necessarily live life like we have, does this mean that we won't go to heaven?
|
|
|
Post by Mike Miller on Jun 9, 2009 14:12:06 GMT -5
Great question. First, those who are shut out are the unbelievers. Jesus is talking to a Jewish audience who thought they were bound for heaven simply because they were Jewish. They made the sacrifices and took part in the feasts, but they never belonged to Christ. After His return, it will be too late. The urgency is that they need to repent now and turn to Him.
As for our context, the same application holds true. Some people might think they are Christians because they have been baptized, they go to church, and perhaps even because they serve in some capacity. However, if they have never come to Christ personally they need to do so now or else on that day, they too will be shut out.
You say you have accepted Christ but that you don't always live like it. For one thing, we all sin. Sometimes our spiritual lives are terrific, and sometimes they aren't. And sometimes we simply stumble and fall. But we don't lose our salvation.
However, I also know that it is possible for someone to go through the motions of accepting Christ without really accepting Him. What I mean is that a person can pray a "sinners prayer" (nowhere seen in Scripture, by the way) and get baptized without really repenting of sin and trusting Christ. Jesus said we must be born again (John 3), and 2 Corinthians 5:17 says that "if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come." Are you a new creation? Has Jesus given you new life? Or did you just pray a prayer and continue living like you did before? I am not asking if you are perfect. No one is perfect. We all sin. But I can tell you that, even as sinful as I still am, Jesus completely changed my life--and He's still changing it. I am not the person I used to be. I am a new creation. Not perfect, but new.
If you have truly turned to Christ, then you can never lose your salvation. Salvation is completely effected and completed by God. It is an act of His grace--not our works. You don't get saved by your effort, and you don't stay saved by your effort. So, If you are truly saved, you are on the inside of the door. And if you are truly saved, though you still stumble, your life will show that you are saved.
|
|
|
Post by sinner on Jun 10, 2009 1:19:27 GMT -5
Bro Mike... thanks for answering my questions. Now I just have a couple more... sorry. I know I am a new creation. After I accepted Christ, I noticed a couple of changes. If I do some of these things now, I feel conviction. However, I do some of the same sin from before accepting Christ when I still know it is wrong. Is this ok? Also, I never spend quiet time with God like I should. It's not that I don't have time, I just don't do it. I want too, but just don't. Is this ok?
|
|
|
Post by Mike Miller on Jun 10, 2009 8:46:14 GMT -5
No. Sin is never ok. Neglecting time with God is never ok. God is obviously convicting you of your sin. You need to do two things (simultaneously, not in order):
1. Cry out to God. Plead with Him to help you overcome your sin. Plead with Him to give you a desire to spend time with Him--a desire so strong that you would not let anything crowd that time out.
2. When it comes to your sin . . . stop it! I'm really not trying to be harsh with you. Nor am I trying to oversimplify it. But the fact is, you are doing something(s) that you know you shouldn't do. Stop it. I think this is the advice you would give me if, for example, you learned that I, your pastor, was viewing pornography online (I'm not; this is just hypothetical). If I said, "I just keep doing it," you would say, "Stop it!" And that is what you should say.
Now, as important as it is to resist sin, you must incorporate both of these things into your life, for you cannot resist sin on your own. You need God's help. He never promised that we would not be tempted (wouldn't that be nice), but He will give you the strength you need. You are, by your own confession, a new creation. You need to start acting like one.
Now, another suggestion I have is to find a strong Christian in whom you can confide. Tell this person your struggles. Ask him/her to pray for you and to hold you accountable. God created the church and put us into a community of faith for numerous reasons. This is one of them. We need each other. Find a trustworthy believer to help you in your struggle.
Again, I hope I don't seem harsh. It's just that sin is so damaging. It hurts you, and it hurts your witness. There can be eternal consequences to the sins of believers. It's not that we lose our salvation (see my last post), but we can turn others away from Christ. So, cry out to God, exercise self control, find some accountability, get involved in worship and group Bible study (if you are not already), and please feel free to call me or come see me. I am praying for you, and I want to help.
|
|
|
Post by johngaltlives on Jun 13, 2009 8:51:42 GMT -5
This also brings to mind what Paul said, "For I do the very things I do not want to do." Reading Romans 7 & 8 really helps when I struggle with these issues. His Word truely refreshes us.
|
|
|
Post by rickymiller on Aug 6, 2009 17:05:43 GMT -5
i want you to look at romans 7: 15 "i do not understand my own actions. for i do not do what i want, i do the very thing i hate". Look at that last word again . this is a true heart of repentence. its not that we will not sin, its that because the Holy Spirit lives inside us we will start to hate the sin . read the book 1 John , it explains alot about the christian life. . I can think after i first got saved. i still struggled with porn , alcohol , drugs, lust, anger ect. but God start stripping this stuff out of my life alitte at a time. i was stuborn, but God never gave up on me. Praise Jesus for His Grace.
|
|