I am nothing but an authority on what I really want in life. Each person is an individual with a mind of his or her own, but I think we all desire to know each other and our own minds as best as we can. Life is a journey, and what we think really matters. What we think about life, about God, about religion has real world concepts and conclusions in this life and in other lives. I used to believe in reincarnation, I couldn't understand the concept fully but I believed that the purpose of my life was to free myself rom the illusions of karma through self-realization. The idea of karma is also a Christian concept. Christians believe what we reap we sow, although reincarnation is missing from Christian doctrine, we believe that if we sow to our flesh we will reap corruption and possibly damnation. But sowing to the spirit is explained in my understanding of it, is reaping virtue or holiness. In evangelicalism the idea of justification is through faith alone.
You put your faith in Jesus Christ for salvation and the spirit does the work of making you ready for Heaven. I still somewhat believe that we are saved by faith, let me clarify, I truly believe that we are saved by faith, and I believe that faith can be appropriated at any time in ones life. What I am having a hard time believing now is how one is sanctified. It's not that I don't believe in the sanctification process, it is how it really happens. A Pastor once explained this very clearly, but in my opinion there is something very mysterious about the sanctification process. I believe that we all are on a journey in life, and our experiences can lead us closer to God, or further away from Heaven. I believe we must at least desire holiness if we ever will see God, but there are different ways you can look at that statement. There are many religions, and many definitions of religiosity, but there is only one God who will ultimately judge us at the end.
I do believe in the born again experience, but I believe our sanctification runs much deeper than an experience. The bible is real, but so is life. If our faith doesn't lead us to a real relationship with God in our hearts, then our faith is not biblical. I believe God will judge us on a personal level, and I believe faith has a lot to do with our judgement. There is still quite a mystery behind faith, and because there is only one God, to know him now is what counts. No one will question right from wrong, and I quote a verse from Romans; 2:14-16 ESV For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. 15They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them 16on that day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus.
I personally don't believe that our conscience saves us, it is our faith that saves us. But to abandon our minds is really a dangerous thing to do. The more mindful we are, the more we can be connected to God, I really believe that our character really matters, yes I believe there are consequences for not having faith, but I also believe that everybody has faith. Faith is a heart matter and it is a gift. It is a sign of our salvation and will be given to us by the Lord when we believe. To die in faith, or as the Catholic's like to say it; "marked with the sign of faith" is really what it is all about. Only the Lord can make that judgement, now it is our job to believe. When we lack faith, and are aware of it, it is a good sign because it means that we have faith. But to lack a desire for growth is really a challenge because I believe God wants us to experience Him in this life.
This is why faith is so important, because if we do not believe in God on our own we will never believe in God. We have to make a heart choice to really follow God for the rest of our lives. If I could do that for you I would. Yes the bible is important, but it is our faith that saves us. Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. (Romans 5:1 NIV)
You put your faith in Jesus Christ for salvation and the spirit does the work of making you ready for Heaven. I still somewhat believe that we are saved by faith, let me clarify, I truly believe that we are saved by faith, and I believe that faith can be appropriated at any time in ones life. What I am having a hard time believing now is how one is sanctified. It's not that I don't believe in the sanctification process, it is how it really happens. A Pastor once explained this very clearly, but in my opinion there is something very mysterious about the sanctification process. I believe that we all are on a journey in life, and our experiences can lead us closer to God, or further away from Heaven. I believe we must at least desire holiness if we ever will see God, but there are different ways you can look at that statement. There are many religions, and many definitions of religiosity, but there is only one God who will ultimately judge us at the end.
I do believe in the born again experience, but I believe our sanctification runs much deeper than an experience. The bible is real, but so is life. If our faith doesn't lead us to a real relationship with God in our hearts, then our faith is not biblical. I believe God will judge us on a personal level, and I believe faith has a lot to do with our judgement. There is still quite a mystery behind faith, and because there is only one God, to know him now is what counts. No one will question right from wrong, and I quote a verse from Romans; 2:14-16 ESV For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. 15They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them 16on that day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus.
I personally don't believe that our conscience saves us, it is our faith that saves us. But to abandon our minds is really a dangerous thing to do. The more mindful we are, the more we can be connected to God, I really believe that our character really matters, yes I believe there are consequences for not having faith, but I also believe that everybody has faith. Faith is a heart matter and it is a gift. It is a sign of our salvation and will be given to us by the Lord when we believe. To die in faith, or as the Catholic's like to say it; "marked with the sign of faith" is really what it is all about. Only the Lord can make that judgement, now it is our job to believe. When we lack faith, and are aware of it, it is a good sign because it means that we have faith. But to lack a desire for growth is really a challenge because I believe God wants us to experience Him in this life.
This is why faith is so important, because if we do not believe in God on our own we will never believe in God. We have to make a heart choice to really follow God for the rest of our lives. If I could do that for you I would. Yes the bible is important, but it is our faith that saves us. Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. (Romans 5:1 NIV)
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