How does a persos know that he is not decievin himself?

[RJ]

Can a person decieve themselves into thinking that they are saved when they r really not. The bible says that when The Lord returns and takes His people, many will come to him and ask why were they not saved, and The Lord will simply tell them Matthew 7:23: "Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!"

Do you think a person can decieve themselves into thinking that they r saved when truly they are not?

I think not knowing the truth about salvation, having not honestly "Called Upon The Name Of The Lord" or done something like what Paul says to do in Romans 10: 8-13 is a probable cause of so many being called Christians in name only and not saved. You don't get the Holy Spirit through Osmosis or simply because you are very active in a church.

I once talked to a very church active 83 year old lady who may not have been saved, in fact she once made a statement in a Bible Class that she didn't know if she was saved. I asked her when she was 'Born Again" and she said "what do you mean?" I said when did you first come to Christ, accept him and and see a significant change in her life? She said, well I have been going to this church for 60 years.

Jesus states the key to this thought and in itself, is the purpose of His answer. Those who don't know him will be turned away no matter what works they have done. If a person who questions their own salvation, are probably doing that for a reason.

 

[JDFree]

Where I wrote above, "How come Saul was such a chump and dummy to fall for the old 'shining light' trick of Satan? I dunno, just plain stupid & gullible I guess. But seriously, it's obvious that the shining Light and Voice from heaven was far, far more dynamic than we can understand from these few words in Scripture, way beyond Satan's limited powers to whisper in the ear or cause problems, such that Saul was completely blown away, for life and all of eternity."

Offhand I know of no circumstance in the physical world since Adam & Even where Satan or devils physically appear as embodied beings within the creation. I'm not even convinced that Satan appeared in actual physical being in Eden. Yes, Scripture says Satan came to Jesus to challenge Him after His 40 days in the wilderness but that may not have been in the physical reality and actually couldn't have been. Why? Simple: it says Satan took Him up to a high place and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world & no such place of viewing exists. No place exists from which to see all sides of the globe at once: impossible, except in the spiritual.

Devils do come in whispers, thoughts, imaginations, mental pictures, and may cause physical events in the world, this I know from unpleasant personal experience. What they cannot do is manifest their being as an independent form of embodiment. That's why they must possess other bodies, like the pigs that ran off the cliff at the command of Jesus, or the Gadarene demoniac, or many politicians and many people in the entertainment industry hah!

No devil, demon or even Satan himself is allowed to manifest themselves in their own physical body or create one in this world, at this time. They are limited to possession of an existing body, nothing more, far as I know.

 

[JDFree]

I think not knowing the truth about salvation, having not honestly "Called Upon The Name Of The Lord" or done something like what Paul says to do in Romans 10: 8-13 is a probable cause of so many being called Christians in name only and not saved. You don't get the Holy Spirit through Osmosis or simply because you are very active in a church.

I once talked to a very church active 83 year old lady who may not have been saved, in fact she once made a statement in a Bible Class that she didn't know if she was saved. I asked her when she was 'Born Again" and she said "what do you mean?" I said when did you first come to Christ, accept him and and see a significant change in her life? She said, well I have been going to this church for 60 years.

Jesus states the key to this thought and in itself, is the purpose of His answer. Those who don't know him will be turned away no matter what works they have done. If a person who questions their own salvation, are probably doing that for a reason.

Yep!

Or like some that I've asked, who respond, "Well hell yes I'm a Christian! I mean *&*& , I was BAPTIZED! What do ya think, I'm a G-d'd heathern or something??"

Well, matter of fact, now that you asked....

 

[Sheep]

Hi JDFree

I prayed for her a minute ago. And while I was praying, I saw our Shepherd Jesus take up His staff and He went after the lost sheep. I believe with all my heart. That the Shepherd will find her.

She does not belong to satan, she belongs to the Lord and He is on His way to go and retreive her!!

Thank you dear Lord, thank you for loving us. We praise your Name forever and ever.
We love you, with all of our hearts!!!

Yours forever - Sheep

 

[SpiritLedEd]

It's ironic that Paul would simply accept the faceless shining light as Jesus and ironic that he would accept it as representing God. Paul,

"He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, 'Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me?' 'Who are you, Lord?' Saul asked. 'I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,' he replied." (Ac 9:4-6 NIV)

Tusk,

you did a cut-and-paste on the Scriptures here, ignoring the verses that confirm that it was Jesus who appeared to Paul. I would also point out that Paul was a natural born Roman citizen and a Pharisee. That leads me to believe he was an educated man, not the dimwit you paint him to be.

SLE

 

[Tusk Barnes]

"He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, 'Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me?' 'Who are you, Lord?' Saul asked. 'I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,' he replied." (Ac 9:4-6 NIV)

Tusk,

you did a cut-and-paste on the Scriptures here, ignoring the verses that confirm that it was Jesus who appeared to Paul. I would also point out that Paul was a natural born Roman citizen and a Pharisee. That leads me to believe he was an educated man, not the dimwit you paint him to be.

SLE

Quite the opposite, SLEd. I have no doubt that Paul was an educated man. His epistles practically bleed with logical modi, Even though his logic is not always sound, he was certainly leaps and bounds ahead of the 12. A relatively rational, and forward thinking man, to say the least. He would have to be to concoct arguments where the earlier, more dimwitted fishers of men had failed.

But this only brings us to the initial question of this thread. How does a person know he is not deceiving himself?

How does Paul know he wasn't deceiving himself? How do I know you're not deceiving yourself?

You mention I left out verses that confirm that Paul did in fact see Christ. I apologize, as this was not intentional. I wasn't aware it was confirmed that Paul had ever actually seen Christ. Which confirming verses are you talking about?

 

[Brighthouse]

2 Cor 12:2-10 these revelations were so great,Paul could never speak of them. Many believe heaven is one place,I do not,for heaven and hell have degrees to them,outer darkness,hades, heaven to has degrees.The 3rd heaven. I am not so bold as to know,for all things we know only in part.If heaven was a single place even in the Old testament there is spoken of ddegrees or levels Deaut 10:14,psalms 148:4 heavens,not heaven.eph 4:10 again heavens Hebrews 4:14 again heavens. just a thought,something to think of outside the box as it were.

 

[JDFree]

2 Cor 12:2-10 these revelations were so great,Paul could never speak of them. Many believe heaven is one place,I do not,for heaven and hell have degrees to them,outer darkness,hades, heaven to has degrees.The 3rd heaven. I am not so bold as to know,for all things we know only in part.If heaven was a single place even in the Old testament there is spoken of ddegrees or levels Deaut 10:14,psalms 148:4 heavens,not heaven.eph 4:10 again heavens Hebrews 4:14 again heavens. just a thought,something to think of outside the box as it were.

Hey, Brightouse, you're not the only screwball around here that thinks heaven has many levels! It's written all over Scripture, to them that seek. But that's the CLUE! Those that just accept the 'Economy Class Ticket' to eternity get just that! God gives to every man the desires of his heart, and like Jesus warned, "You know not what ye ought to pray".

Others seek with all their heart, all their might, while the first I mentioned are real ho-humm about it. Fine, as ye sow, so shall ye reap!

I've mentioned it before in passing, but Jesus says to us that in the eternal we will 'Rule & Reign' with Him: okay, rule and reign over whom?! If all are saved in 'heaven', who is under subjection to rule of other Christians? Seems to me it is those below the Throne, who were too lazy to get around to reading that. That should be a bright red flashing light, and bells and sirens going off, but alas they sleep, with no oil for their lamps.....that they cannot see and have not the Light to READ what the Lord says!

No cheap seats for me; I plan to be seated right next to my King for all of eternity, in His Blessed Rest!

 

[JDFree]

Quite the opposite, SLEd. I have no doubt that Paul was an educated man. His epistles practically bleed with logical modi, Even though his logic is not always sound, he was certainly leaps and bounds ahead of the 12. A relatively rational, and forward thinking man, to say the least. He would have to be to concoct arguments where the earlier, more dimwitted fishers of men had failed.

But this only brings us to the initial question of this thread. How does a person know he is not deceiving himself?

How does Paul know he wasn't deceiving himself? How do I know you're not deceiving yourself?

You mention I left out verses that confirm that Paul did in fact see Christ. I apologize, as this was not intentional. I wasn't aware it was confirmed that Paul had ever actually seen Christ. Which confirming verses are you talking about?

Hey, Tusk,
Gotta say, it's becoming clear to me. It's apparent that in your former 'Christianity' you claim, you weren't given to devouring Scripture daily at every opportunity, or maybe even weekly, or monthly? Matter of fact then & still now: you never sat down even once to read the Bible in its entirety, cover to cover, uninterrupted, with open mind & heart to things of God? To then read again for clarity, once again for study, thereafter to continuously search out keys of understanding, always with an open mind & heart to God? Did you only turn from lukewarm to cold?

Guessing instead you mostly laid it aside, but for occasional church Bible Study if that.
After that, because your faith was weak, never strengthened by the Word as the Lord in His Spirit never spoke into your heart daily to strengthen & refresh you, slowly you fell away in disinterest? Then after hearing scholarly secular words & hearing their methods of technical textual criticism, to read & study searching for errors, how to dissect & discover perceived fallacies, you believed: finally turning to Scripture to energetically search for errors instead of for revelation: of God's Light of Truth in Jesus by His Holy Spirit pouring into your mind & spirit a desire for more of His manifest Goodness and knowledge of His Ways of Righteousness? What I proposed is clearly seen here:

"...he was certainly leaps and bounds ahead of the 12. A relatively rational, and forward thinking man, to say the least. He would have to be to concoct arguments where the earlier, more dimwitted fishers of men had failed.

Thing is, within that high viewpoint looking down at Scripture, you reveal your ignorance. That's said in the interests of being truthful, rather than kind and kissing your hiney. To say, dare to say, that Paul is only 'relatively rational' is near stupendous in misunderstanding! "forward thinking" is a thing of today's 'Progressive' pseudo-intellectuals, not of a Christian or others of those times, except for their forward expectations in Christ.

The book of Hebrews is broadly considered one of the most brilliant of all writings of his time, Christian or otherwise. Many a man, including myself, has been seriously humbled as they labored for understanding, lacking the astounding intellect of the one who wrote, lacking his amazing insight, huge knowledge & wisdom. His education was in the finest of schools in all Israel, directly under, literally sitting daily at the feet of the most famous and technically brilliant Rabbi of the time, who is STILL today considered the number one Rabbi of all time! That same complained Paul was wearing him out, that he couldn't ever keep him in enough books to satisfy him! Paul's words in Hebrews soar to untold heights and depths of understanding that few can fully grasp. But then there are those who believe that their own lack of understanding there, most especially in reading word for word in Greek, or in near word for word of King James, proves Paul to be somehow deficient as they stumble to comprehend. In his other general letters he labors & fights even to word things of his thoughts down at a suitable level of understanding for his general audience of Gentiles, who often lacked the superlative Jewish education.

Further, your aside, "more dimwitted fishers of men" makes it clear you failed to fully study & understand there also. Yes, for the most part some lacked a great formal education, but afterall, Luke was a doctor, Matthew sat at the receipt of Roman taxes, both positions requiring brains, cleverness & education. To read all of Peter's epistles and call him a dimwit, or the words of Jude or James to call them the same, man, something there you're missing! That everyday fishermen, men of the sea & boats & nets & slimy fish could write such words as Peter reveals a very deep insight & intellect far beyond most.

"where the earlier, more dimwitted fishers of men had failed" You know not of that which you speak! Failed? Failed how? Had you read Scripture thru & thru, you would know that instead of failure as you perceive, they instead were only sent, by Jesus, to the children of Israel, NOT to the Gentiles. Jesus chose Paul specifically because of his tremendous education & intellect, with extreme reputation among gentiles under Roman rule: that Paul was to be the 'apostle to the Gentile', NOT the Jews. There was no failure, but if you think there was: explain it?

How does Paul know he wasn't deceiving himself? How do I know you're not deceiving yourself?
That question was not answered by what I posted, about Pauls' experience in Damascus??? Something was lacking in my answer?? What was missing?

Another point clearly missed, entirely misunderstood, though it is an incredibly fundamental basic of the Gospel of Christ: that these words of the Word of God are written to whmo? To whom are they written? Were they addressed and mailed to the Intellectual Department of Advanced Theological Studies of the finest universities? No, and no in the extreme: the Gospel of Jesus Christ is given unto all men, FOR THEIR UNDERSTANDING! It isn't intended for the top 3% of intellects, who are also well educated! Why? Because the Love of Jesus Christ knows no bounds of selectivity but is given into the teeming masses of humanity, which you have somehow failed to grasp!

Maybe it's selective hearing. If something fully explains your question you set it aside to quickly reach in the bag for another question & challenge, rather than taking in the good answers you receive to store them in your heart. As mentioned, I genuinely like you, but your likeable personality & friendliness among men hides that your heart is steadfastly hardened against receiving things of God into it. Open your heart, Tusk, open your heart and let it listen...

 

[JDFree]

Hi folks!

Posting a clarification here: I received an Infraction on the forum for insulting Brighthouse! Here:

"Hey, Brightouse, you're not the only screwball around here that thinks heaven has many levels! It's written all over Scripture, to them that seek. But that's the CLUE! Those that just accept the 'Economy Class Ticket' to eternity get just that! God gives to every man the desires of his heart, and like Jesus warned, "You know not what ye ought to pray".

Well, I assure you, that was no kind of insult, not even backhanded, BECAUSE I MADE IT CLEAR I BELIEVE THE SAME THING! Least I thought it was pretty clear, but maybe I'm losing my touch. It was an attempt at humor, that seems to have failed in some quarters.

Anyway, Jiggyfly has whacked me with a Forum 'Infraction' of the Rules for "insulting" Brighthouse, so I want to make it perfectly clear I was NOT insulting him! I AGREE with him!

Now, some others that came here to corrupt the minds and hearts of believers, who tried to sow deceitful seeds to cause folks to question their belief, to draw them away to an apostate gospel, to sell fabricated lies as the Truth of Scripture: THEM I insulted! Don't expect any apologies for that haha!

So, before I get banned for life & sent to the gulags I wanted to make it perfectly clear, thanks!
JDFree

 

[jiggyfly]

Hi folks!

Posting a clarification here: I received an Infraction on the forum for insulting Brighthouse! Here:

"Hey, Brightouse, you're not the only screwball around here that thinks heaven has many levels! It's written all over Scripture, to them that seek. But that's the CLUE! Those that just accept the 'Economy Class Ticket' to eternity get just that! God gives to every man the desires of his heart, and like Jesus warned, "You know not what ye ought to pray".

Well, I assure you, that was no kind of insult, not even backhanded, BECAUSE I MADE IT CLEAR I BELIEVE THE SAME THING! Least I thought it was pretty clear, but maybe I'm losing my touch. It was an attempt at humor, that seems to have failed in some quarters.

Anyway, Jiggyfly has whacked me with a Forum 'Infraction' of the Rules for "insulting" Brighthouse, so I want to make it perfectly clear I was NOT insulting him! I AGREE with him!

Now, some others that came here to corrupt the minds and hearts of believers, who tried to sow deceitful seeds to cause folks to question their belief, to draw them away to an apostate gospel, to sell fabricated lies as the Truth of Scripture: THEM I insulted! Don't expect any apologies for that haha!

So, before I get banned for life & sent to the gulags I wanted to make it perfectly clear, thanks!
JDFree

I seem to have misunderstood your post and I apologize.
Maybe you should have addressed me personally instead of acting immature and spouting off to everyone.

 

[JDFree]

I seem to have misunderstood your post and I apologize.
Maybe you should have addressed me personally instead of acting immature and spouting off to everyone.

Excuse me, but this is getting off to a really bad start and escalating! I explained things to you privately in a PM after your infraction, that no insult was ever intended, also that Brighthouse himself had PM'd me enjoying the post. Then I posted in the thread in question, to clarify to all who read, lest they perceive my reply to Brighthouse as an insult also, as if I don't like him or don't respect him or was strongly and insultingly disagreeing with him. That's not true, so therefore the post. I emphasized the humor aspect, that it was a joke, and that not everybody 'got it'.

I also included the info that I had received infraction notice, and that this was the encouragement for posting, and to explain the whole picture, which I did not know was supposed to be secret or something, but I guess it is? I don't know...

If you interpret that as 'immature', well, just doing my best here! I'm bound to screw up because of a genetic problem I have had since birth: I'm born Human, and so far doctors can't seem to fix it. Glad Jesus can....if I cooperate!

"This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it!"


There's one verse somewhere about 'Let us strengthen and encourage one another as we fight the good fight' or somethin like that, can't for the life of me remember exactly where/what verse it is or I'd have posted that up: but hey, I'm in if you're in!

I'll even slap down my tremendous ego, which is always difficult, and apologize for any misunderstanding: SORRY! TRUCE!

JDFree

 

[JDFree]

How does a person know they're not deceiving themselves? That's the question. Hey, that's sorta like 'To be, or not to be, that is the question', cause in Jesus it's either 'To BE-LIEVE, or NOT to BE-LIEVE, that is the question'. The single, primary, fundamental, basic, can't break it down any simpler question is actually: 'Self, or not-Self-in-Jesus, that is the question!' Within that, cunning & wicked folks that we all were, and some presently are: we'll do everything in our power of SELF to grab it all and grab it now, full speed ahead, GET OUTTA MY WAY!

Years ago there was a comic, 'Pogo' in the papers. One especially good one showed the lovable little alligator Pogo pronouncing in the first frame: "We has seen the enemy...!" and then in the next frame he's turned away and says over his shoulder, "...and he is us!" and a BIG AMEN to Pogo!

In a fraud investigation there's a #1 basic rule that solves the crime every single time: 'Follow the money'. If you see where the purloined money or goods actually ended up, you can always backtrack to find out which hands it was filtered through! That actually works just fine in our human events of life, and of Jesus: 'Follow the SELF'! It's always the relative 'Self Level' that is the true measure of a person's actual spiritual condition. As I've mentioned elsewhere here, John the baptist, called by Jesus as the greatest prophet that ever lived, summed it up, actually the whole Bible Message from Jesus, in his 6 immortal words: "He must increase; I must decrease..." John 3:30 There we have it, folks! Cain't get no simpler!

Note that in John's words he even gives the proper perspective, not 'I MUST decrease, He must increase' putting Self first, no: it is all about standing down, falling down before JESUS FIRST! "He must increase; I must decrease." The classic 'I' problem is revealed, and it's a myopia that causes man to focus so very closely on SELF, before anything else.

More than any other thing ever seen of Jesus, one thing stands out above all the rest, His very signature in His blood, God himself come as man, born of a woman, to die for the sins of man, that one word describes it all, His message: humble. Can't even capitalize or bold the letters: humble! That we MUST humble, humble, humble ourselves before our Lord God Almighty, which we aren't.

And there's the problem: in Self, we think we are! We're calling all the shots, running the action, pushing the buttons, MASTER of our destiny! Like that garbage Shirley [Surely whacked out] McClane spouts off, "You are your OWN GOD!" Right, try walking on water, Shirley baby! Raised the dead lately, sweetie? What an egocentric mess of a Self there! She does however manage to give us an excellent message on what NOT to be in our own lives!

Why do I take up sword to fight against certain 'bible' versions? Because the they're not the Bible as handed down by God, but ego & self of man has stepped forward there, with their own sword to slash and hack and destroy, to chop out any real Word of God they don't like, that doesn't fit with their erroneous selfish beliefs, and then in selfish deceit to rewrite and then present it as Genuine, legitimate, the actual Word of God! Fraud! Follow the SELF! "We are ever so much smarter than God, and we are far above that simpleton Jesus, who is no better than, and not even as good as us! We even know more about God than God does!" Wicked, demented, deceitful perversions of self, that seek to trap the unwise into their web of dominance and control and into their organization's financial increase to SELF.

Imagine, men DARING to take up the only records we have of the most genuine copies of the actual Word of God given directly to man, by His Holy Spirit of God, with the words of God himself in the words of Jesus, who the Bible clearly says is GOD: and then altering them, removing any mention of the Diety of Jesus, corrupting all Trinity references, intentionally changing the meanings of whole phrases & chapters, then proclaiming it is the Authentic Word of God, yet knowing it has been perverted! Why? Because THEY THINK it should say what THEY want it to, in order to INCREASE themselves in so many ways!

How do I know if I'm deceiving myself? Simple: Check your sources, check your attitude, and search out every single place where SELF, either your own or somebody else's, dominates and comes first before Jesus Christ! Then you will know the Truth, the humble Truth, and the Truth will set you free!
JDFree

 

[El Hombre viejo]

How does a person know they're not deceiving themselves? That's the question. Hey, that's sorta like 'To be, or not to be, that is the question', cause in Jesus it's either 'To BE-LIEVE, or NOT to BE-LIEVE, that is the question'. The single, primary, fundamental, basic, can't break it down any simpler question is actually: 'Self, or not-Self-in-Jesus, that is the question!' Within that, cunning & wicked folks that we all were, and some presently are: we'll do everything in our power of SELF to grab it all and grab it now, full speed ahead, GET OUTTA MY WAY!

Years ago there was a comic, 'Pogo' in the papers. One especially good one showed the lovable little alligator Pogo pronouncing in the first frame: "We has seen the enemy...!" and then in the next frame he's turned away and says over his shoulder, "...and he is us!" and a BIG AMEN to Pogo!

In a fraud investigation there's a #1 basic rule that solves the crime every single time: 'Follow the money'. If you see where the purloined money or goods actually ended up, you can always backtrack to find out which hands it was filtered through! That actually works just fine in our human events of life, and of Jesus: 'Follow the SELF'! It's always the relative 'Self Level' that is the true measure of a person's actual spiritual condition. As I've mentioned elsewhere here, John the baptist, called by Jesus as the greatest prophet that ever lived, summed it up, actually the whole Bible Message from Jesus, in his 6 immortal words: "He must increase; I must decrease..." John 3:30 There we have it, folks! Cain't get no simpler!

Note that in John's words he even gives the proper perspective, not 'I MUST decrease, He must increase' putting Self first, no: it is all about standing down, falling down before JESUS FIRST! "He must increase; I must decrease." The classic 'I' problem is revealed, and it's a myopia that causes man to focus so very closely on SELF, before anything else.

More than any other thing ever seen of Jesus, one thing stands out above all the rest, His very signature in His blood, God himself come as man, born of a woman, to die for the sins of man, that one word describes it all, His message: humble. Can't even capitalize or bold the letters: humble! That we MUST humble, humble, humble ourselves before our Lord God Almighty, which we aren't.

And there's the problem: in Self, we think we are! We're calling all the shots, running the action, pushing the buttons, MASTER of our destiny! Like that garbage Shirley [Surely whacked out] McClane spouts off, "You are your OWN GOD!" Right, try walking on water, Shirley baby! Raised the dead lately, sweetie? What an egocentric mess of a Self there! She does however manage to give us an excellent message on what NOT to be in our own lives!

Why do I take up sword to fight against certain 'bible' versions? Because the they're not the Bible as handed down by God, but ego & self of man has stepped forward there, with their own sword to slash and hack and destroy, to chop out any real Word of God they don't like, that doesn't fit with their erroneous selfish beliefs, and then in selfish deceit to rewrite and then present it as Genuine, legitimate, the actual Word of God! Fraud! Follow the SELF! "We are ever so much smarter than God, and we are far above that simpleton Jesus, who is no better than, and not even as good as us! We even know more about God than God does!" Wicked, demented, deceitful perversions of self, that seek to trap the unwise into their web of dominance and control and into their organization's financial increase to SELF.

Imagine, men DARING to take up the only records we have of the most genuine copies of the actual Word of God given directly to man, by His Holy Spirit of God, with the words of God himself in the words of Jesus, who the Bible clearly says is GOD: and then altering them, removing any mention of the Diety of Jesus, corrupting all Trinity references, intentionally changing the meanings of whole phrases & chapters, then proclaiming it is the Authentic Word of God, yet knowing it has been perverted! Why? Because THEY THINK it should say what THEY want it to, in order to INCREASE themselves in so many ways!

How do I know if I'm deceiving myself? Simple: Check your sources, check your attitude, and search out every single place where SELF, either your own or somebody else's, dominates and comes first before Jesus Christ! Then you will know the Truth, the humble Truth, and the Truth will set you free!
JDFree

Keep in mind here, one thing, If it were not for Satan we would never sin. We get tempted or deceived by the enemy and sin or see the thing and push it away. If there were no temptation sin would never be in the picture. Can you deceive yourself? No. Not without the enemy confusing your thinking.
Am I saying I need temptation to sin? Absolutely! Again Without the enemy tempting me I cannot sin

 

[JDFree]

Keep in mind here, one thing, If it were not for Satan we would never sin. We get tempted or deceived by the enemy and sin or see the thing and push it away. If there were no temptation sin would never be in the picture. Can you deceive yourself? No. Not without the enemy confusing your thinking.
Am I saying I need temptation to sin? Absolutely! Again Without the enemy tempting me I cannot sin

I agree, except for one thing. In my life it seems the biggest tempation is me, that stinking rotten 'self', that is the most continual temptation. Why? Because wherever I go, whatever I do, there I am!

That said, I've been downright astounded, flabbergasted at the attacks of Satan and his legions against me and others! First, devils can study us beyond time from the spiritual, being as they're eternal beings, not finite in the physical. They know EXACTLY where our hot buttons are that could or do cause us to fall. They watch over the shoulder of our lives to see where we go, what we do, what we like etc. and use every bit of that knowledge to plan their best attacks, at all of our weakest points!

Second, there are general attacks which I and others have suffered. Here a powerful devil may take it to the very limits, like in Satan's conversation with God regarding Job. The only limit God put on it: "But you can't kill him." So, Satan took him right up to the edge, where he probably wished he was dead!

I got hit very hard in my health, almost losing my life, extreme damage to many normal abilities. But, the Lord said, "You can't kill him." MIGHTY IS MY GOD! Who has healed me, step by step, all along a long torturous journey IN Him, my Protector, the Keeper of my soul! I'm not fully back yet, but Satan planned to stop this one from speaking: didn't work!

Will he try again? Maybe. Otherwise, like others here have mentioned, I'm attacked in countless small ways daily! Some, even many, are temptations. I'd be lost without James 4:7 "Submit yourselves therfore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you."

Sounds pretty simple, but it has to be taken as written: FIRST, submit yourselves therefore unto God! Then, once there, resisting the devil, he WILL FLEE! He will not flee and doesn't have to worry about it if I'm not submitted to God...

 

[SpiritLedEd]

It was an attempt at humor, that seems to have failed in some quarters.

Since you don't know any member of this forum personally, it is arrogant of you to assume that your attempts at such "humor" will be received as humor by the readers.

SLE

 

[Chad]

Since you don't know any member of this forum personally, it is arrogant of you to assume that your attempts at such "humor" will be received as humor by the readers.

SLE

I agree. And to call our brother jiggyfly an insult (and in ALL CAPS) via private message is unchristlike. Its rude, selfish and immature. Your profile says you're 60 years old to top it off.

I explained things to you privately in a PM after your infraction, that no insult was ever intended, also that Brighthouse himself had PM'd me enjoying the post.

Pretending to be nice in public forums and then calling brother jiggy names via pm is contradicting.

Back on track now with OP topic. Thank you.

 

[Brighthouse]

Thanks for the concern,parcular should have been the proper word!! LOL I have very thick skin, have no fear!!

 

[Michali]

Please do not tell me you are suggesting that everyone who has obtained a divorce is not saved? Plenty of Christians are doing or have done all kinds of things that would be classified as sinful and wrong, yet the blood of Jesus Christ has covered every sin. Jesus has never been out to condemn people nor does He do it today. Does God hate divorce? yes. If you get one does that change that you are the righteousness of God in Christ? Not one bit. Plenty of Christians are doing things they shouldn't be doing and many are not doing things they are supposed to as Christians under grace. Those failings do not change their right standing with God or the fact that they are saved if they believe it by faith in their heart. I'm willing to bet you don't do a few things under grace that you are supposed to be doing as a Christian. Does that mean that Jesus is not your Master? Seems to me that you want to pick and choose which failings make a person unsaved. And that's not supported by scripture.

AMEN!!

And like was mentioned earlier, Jesus does give specific permission to divorce for the cause of adultery. Here we see the command of Jesus. 1 John 5:3 And if we are of Jesus, we will have His love in us and it will show through us. John 13:35

 

[Seeker Of Jesus]

2 Cor 12:2-10 these revelations were so great,Paul could never speak of them. Many believe heaven is one place,I do not,for heaven and hell have degrees to them,outer darkness,hades, heaven to has degrees.The 3rd heaven. I am not so bold as to know,for all things we know only in part.If heaven was a single place even in the Old testament there is spoken of ddegrees or levels Deaut 10:14,psalms 148:4 heavens,not heaven.eph 4:10 again heavens Hebrews 4:14 again heavens. just a thought,something to think of outside the box as it were.

Hmmm i never thought Heaven to have multiple levels, interesting. I will defintly be studying this. Any more books that might hint at this?