The symbol of the Christian faith isn't a ladder with God at the top cheering you on to climb up to Him. Neither is He standing at the top reaching down to lift you up. That's a lot of other religions, but it isn't Christianity.The symbol of Christianity is a cross. God has come all the way down to you. He put on human flesh and lived sinlessly and walked to a cross to willingly die in your place - for your sins - as your substitute - because He loves you. It isn't you climbing up to Him.
God showered you with grace.
This is key to our faith.
Being good - doing good - doesn't attract God's favor. You can't win God over by being one nice girl or one nice guy. That's every other religion - the bottom-up version - try, try, try - you can do it - you're almost there - just a little more - be a little better ----
No.
'You can't win God over by being one nice girl or one nice guy.'
Christianity is top down. God did it all. You can never be deserving. You can never be good enough. You can never work overtime for it.
Romans 2:4 says, 'God's kindness leads us to repentance.' Repenting doesn't make God like you better. It's the other way around. Understanding God's amazing kindness and favor steers us toward change.
This is our bottom level struggle every day of our lives -- to think we can do for ourselves what only God can do for us.
Receive it. He loves you.
And be blessed.
8 comments:
This whole subject is a huge ball of yarn for me. No one has ever explained any of it definitively.
You probably won't clarify this, but here goes. If a person receives Christ as their Savior and is 'transformed' for a couple of years and then falls away, does that mean it was never true in the first place?
In all honesty, I find the Bible to be full of contradictions. I'll probably be slammed for this. But, sometimes I just don't understand it. Maybe I am not reading it in context from chapter-to-chapter. I know there have been times when you, basically, said that a person could parse a verse to mean whatever they want.
Why is it that the Old Testament is so different from the New Testament? If the whole Bible is God-inspired, then why does it vary so? Jesus was filled with grace. God in the Old Testament could be very exacting in His punishment.
There are parts of the Bible that we don't take literally these days...and others that we do. Why?
You don't have to post this, but you could not tell me with a straight face that the Bible is consistent. If you can, then why?
I am filled with questions with no real answers.
My answer is that this particular question, which has been asked many times before, is sometimes just an excuse for not believing. I could probably answer every perceived contradiction and still not satisfy. Often there is just a predisposition not to believe.
And all of that with a perfectly straight face.
There are millions of people with these questions, so I am not unique. In the good times and the bad in my journey, I have always been puzzled as to which direction I should turn. Different parts of the Bible say different things. Oh well. I imagine I will never understand.
It is time to simply believe. It isn't all these questions that need answered. They could all be answered and it would still not be enough. After 50 years, I still have questions. It's time to put your trust in something bigger than you. Not keep putting your stock in unanswered questions.
Please don't misunderstand me, I DO trust In God. I just feel confused about what He expects from me. When I was as good as I ever was, it wasn't enough. Now, I am less 'good', so to speak. Where does that leave me? Anyway, I do place my trust in God that He knows what is best. I just wish I understood it all.
You weren't 'good enough 'for who? God has never stopped loving you. You need to show up on the weekends so you can get the full picture of who God is. Rather than trying it here in this blog. Please.
I know He still loves me. I have no excuse for every single time I haven't been at church, but in retail I work most weekends. It is the nature of the business. I can't just blame it on that, though. I heard your sermon is very good. I will listen tomorrow when I have the day off.
Seek your own salvation with fear and trembling. Someone plants the seed and someone else waters it but God makes it grow. You are saved by grace through faith which are both gifts of God. No one comes to Christ lest the Father delivers himm Sounds like there are some seeds planted and looking for water when they really need to be ASKING the Father to GROW their faith. Think of your Savior on the cross. Picture every one of YOUR sins that put Him there. Every one of YOUR sins that held Him there. Every blow from the hammer piercing the nails through His body. Every drop of blood dripping from His body until He looked up and said "IT IS FINISHED" and breathed His last. You look to His cross. You look to His cross and never for get that it was YOUR sins that put Him there. And you drop to your knees and say "thank you Jesus" and believe. Believe Jesus paid YOUR sin debt in full. Ask forgiveness in Jesus name. Bring YOUR sins and lay them at the foot if His cross and repent... ask your Father to increase; your faith, your love and your belief. And remember, you are loved.
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