Nothing has changes after aking Jesus into my heart

[farout]

Many times people say they have seem no change in their life after asking Jesus to come into their heart, even after several years. With faith that is hurting, and so sick and tired of the old sinful ways of their life, they ask what's wrong?

Concerned brothers and sister's give suggestions, and say they will pray. Some say we all have periods of disconnectedness with God. Some give Bible verses of assurance, others ask questions.

Is his a time to ask if they repented? Some may ask what is repentance? Is repentance required to be a follower, or born again? What does the Bible about repentance?

Here are some Bible verses, read them and tell us what you think. Has this been an issue for you?

Romans 7:1, Mark 1:14 6:11 Acts 2:38; 3:19; 17:30 20:21Luke 13:3; 24:46, 47. do these verses have any clue to help those who still fee just the same year after year? How do these verse make you thnk?

 

[NoHype]

Once one has believed on The Father through His Son Jesus Christ, and baptized in His Name, they should desire to get down to real study in His Word, asking God to give them understanding. Only then will they really begin to discover what it is He wants for them and the how to connect with Him. Depending upon a Church system or Church head only to do it for you just isn't good enough, but that's one of the problems many new believers put themselves into.

 

[james1523]

Many times people say they have seem no change in their life after asking Jesus to come into their heart, even after several years. With faith that is hurting, and so sick and tired of the old sinful ways of their life, they ask what's wrong?

Concerned brothers and sister's give suggestions, and say they will pray. Some say we all have periods of disconnectedness with God. Some give Bible verses of assurance, others ask questions.

Is his a time to ask if they repented? Some may ask what is repentance? Is repentance required to be a follower, or born again? What does the Bible about repentance?

Here are some Bible verses, read them and tell us what you think. Has this been an issue for you?

Romans 7:1, Mark 1:14 6:11 Acts 2:38; 3:19; 17:30 20:21Luke 13:3; 24:46, 47. do these verses have any clue to help those who still fee just the same year after year? How do these verse make you thnk?

That is something they must do themselves, by hard work, willingness, and lots of time with God. Romans 8 on life in the Spirit will help, as will any messages about the cross and baptism. Faith is like a seed, it has to grow. The Spirit lives in us like a seed, it has to grow in us. I have been there, as many of us probably have also. A devout Christian, praying, reading the Word, going to church, yet full of so many bondages. Tried all the remedies, prayer, confession, formulas, whatever. In a way it all helps, as long as we contact the Lord, but I think the expectation to see results too soon is too strong. It can take years, for me it took 10 years until I found some release. We need to add patience and endurance to our faith. We can speed up the process by our willingness and openness to God, but sometimes we have to let the growth happen as it happens. God will meet us where we are at, and take us higher and higher one step at a time. And He won't hold our shortcomings and failures against us, He already knows, and He's already dealt with those at the cross.

Unconfessed sin can certainly be a barrier between us and God. This barrier stops the Holy Spirit getting from our spirit into the soul (mind, emotions, will). And so despite the fact that we have truly received the Spirit of God into our spirit, we do not have the experience in our soul - we don't feel different. Then we need to learn to call upon the name of the Lord often, to cultivate an inward sense of the presence of God, to confess sin as soon as it is known (a general prayer of confession is fine, we don't need to tell God all the details, He already knows), and then be patient and enjoy life day by day. Spiritual growth doesn't happen overnight. A baby doesn't feel like an adult in only a few days. The baby needs to be nourished with the Word and with the Spirit and will grow. But the person can't be force fed - they need to be willing. If they are not willing to be open to the Spirit of God, then no one, not even God Himself can help them. Jesus would call us to "come as you are", open our self and be willing to be changed by Him, and stop focusing on ourself, but focus on Christ. There are 4 or 5 growth stages in the Christian life, the first is accepting Christ in our heart, and then struggling with self and sin. God uses this stage to prove to us that we cannot overcome self and sin by our own efforts. The second stage is learning to live and walk in the Spirit, and then we learn to overcome the flesh. The third stage is recognizing that we are lonely, we can't live life as an individual and that we need other Christians, we need fellowship - this stage is when your own prayer life which used to be sweet becomes rather dull and boring, or not as fulfilling, and only meeting with other Christians seems to lift us up. God uses this stage to show us that we need others. And the final stage is full maturity (Eph 4:13), awaiting the transfiguration of the body, with all the saints. Each stage is carefully planned and measured by God for each individual person, and He sovereignly arranges our environment as He pleases to cause each growth stage to progress. Those who are willing will be rewarded by the Lord at His return and possibly raptured, and those who are unwilling will have to pass through an accelerated education either in the next life or by passing through the great tribulation in this life. Careers, marriage, family, other commitments, can all hinder this growth and cause us to become lukewarm and lazy, so we need to try even harder. The apostle Paul was continually striving and pursuing Christ, and we must also.

 

[farout]

Once one has believed on The Father through His Son Jesus Christ, and baptized in His Name, they should desire to get down to real study in His Word, asking God to give them understanding. Only then will they really begin to discover what it is He wants for them and the how to connect with Him. Depending upon a Church system or Church head only to do it for you just isn't good enough, but that's one of the problems many new believers put themselves into.

If one does not repent are they saved? I don't so, we change the direction we are going and follow the ways of Jesus. Otherwise we are doing the same old things the same old way, right?
g

 

[farout]

I have been there, as many of us probably have also. A devout Christian, praying, reading the Word, going to church, yet full of so many bondages. Tried all the remedies, prayer, confession, formulas, whatever. In a way it all helps, as long as we contact the Lord, but I think the expectation to see results too soon is too strong. It can take years, for me it took 10 years until I found release. We need to add patience and endurance to our faith. We can speed up the process by our willingness and openness to God, but sometimes we have to let the growth happen as it happens. God will meet us where we are at, and take us higher and higher one step at a time. And He won't hold our shortcomings and failures against us, He already knows, and He's already dealt with those at the cross.

Unconfessed sin can certainly be a barrier between us and God. This barrier stops the Holy Spirit getting from our spirit into the soul (mind, emotions, will). And so despite the fact that we have truly received the Spirit of God into our spirit, we do not have the experience in our soul - we don't feel different. Then we need to learn to call upon the name of the Lord often, to cultivate an inward sense of the presence of God, to confess sin as soon as it is known (a general prayer of confession is fine, we don't need to tell God all the details, He already knows), and then be patient and enjoy life day by day. Spiritual growth doesn't happen overnight. A baby doesn't feel like an adult in only a few days. The baby needs to be nourished with the Word and with the Spirit and will grow. But the person can't be force fed - they need to be willing. If they are not willing to be open to the Spirit of God, then no one, not even God Himself can help them. Jesus would call us to "come as you are", open our self and be willing to be changed by Him, and stop focusing on ourself, but focus on Christ. There are 4 or 5 growth stages in the Christian life, the first is accepting Christ our heart, and then struggling with self and sin. The second is learning to live and walk in the Spirit, and overcome the flesh. The third is recognizing that we can't live life as an individual that we need other Christians, we need fellowship - this stage is when your own prayer life becomes dull and boring, and only meeting with other Christians seems to lift us up. And the final stage is full mature (Eph 4:13), awaiting the transfiguration of the body, with all the saints. Each stage is carefully planned and measured by God for each individual person, and He sovereignly arranges our environment as He pleases to cause each growth stage to progress. Those who are willing will be rewarded by the Lord at His return and possibly raptured, and those who are unwilling will have to pass through an accelerated education either in the next life or by passing through the great tribulation in this life.

I read somewhere, changing my sinful ways is not accomplished in a moment, or a day, but in a lifetime of sorrow, struggle, and suffering which for many comes at the end of life. I can personally vouch for this.

 

[NoHype]

If one does not repent are they saved? I don't so, we change the direction we are going and follow the ways of Jesus. Otherwise we are doing the same old things the same old way, right?
g

No, that's not right.

When our Lord Jesus was asked by His disciples to teach them 'how' to pray, what was included in that prayer? "And forgive us our sins..." (Luke 11).

1 John 1 has more on this matter of continued repentance and asking Christ forgiveness of sins after we have believed on Him.

I Jn 1:6-10
6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:
7 But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin.
8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.
(KJV)

The problem with this present time is that we all... will have sin in our lives. God made it that way for all men so that His Salvation would be only to those who believe on His Son (Gal.3:22).

So how do we, as believers on Christ Jesus, deal with future sin we might commit in our lives? We repent of it, try to make a change, and ask our Lord Jesus forgiveness, communing with Him. I'm surprised at how many brethren today are not taught this, because the one thing that did not change between the Old Covenant and New Covenant is the need for us to atone for our sins. The difference our Lord Jesus made with the New Covenant is that we no longer need to go through a priest system (like the old Levitical priesthood of the Old Covenant); we only need to go to The Father through our Mediator Jesus Christ.


Rom 3:25-26
25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;
26 To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.
(KJV)

The Greek word for that "are past" phrase means 'previously transpired' (Strong's no.4266). All our sins up to the point when we first came to Jesus Christ and believed on His Blood shed on the cross and baptized in His Name for the remission of our sins are forgiven, wiped clean, no more; He doesn't want to hear about them. But sins we may have after that we need to repent and ask Him forgiveness, daily if one thinks they need to do it.

So, if... the believer does that, daily even if they think they need it, each time they pray, and stays in His Word to learn about Him and His Salvation prepared for us from the foundation of the world, then I can guarantee, He will come directly into your life and you will start to experience changes according to your Faith.

One more thing I feel I need to cover, and it is about doubting God's Truth and Ways...

James 1:5-8
5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, That giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.
7 For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.
8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.
(KJV)

If one doubts anything of The LORD, His existence, the sending of His Son to die on the cross, His Power to do what He said He will do as written in His Word, His Promises, etc., then why should He give or show a doubter anything???

So when we pray to The Father in the Name of Jesus Christ (yes, end the prayer always in Christ Jesus' Name, our Mediator to The Father for us), then what we ask for we are not to have doubt. If it is something The LORD thinks we need or can have, then it's just a matter of waiting for Him to do to do it, in His time, not ours. If it is not granted, then most likely He knows it's not a good time for it, or it somehow goes against His Will and Plan.

Even the asking Him for understanding in His Word, I promise you, He will give it if you are sincere with Him, and then get down to disciplined Bible study. It will always be according to your Faith. For some He gives more, others less, according to their Faith and how much they discipline their self.

But, if one continually turns to 'men' for understanding, without doing their own disciplined Bible study asking Him directly, then why should He show them anything? They trust more in man than in Him and His Word, which is what He sees by that. That's exactly what the majority do today, trusting more in the religious doctrines of men and their particular Church system organization than God giving it directly through prayer.

Nor does one's present level of education matter, though that can actually help, and I don't mean an education in the theological doctrines of men by that. I mean by study of history, language, agriculture, etc. He will open up as much as you are able to handle, when you make yourself able.

In Revelation 10, Apostle John was shown a little book in the hand of an angel and commanded to 'take' it. John said give it to me, and again he was told to 'Take it'. For John that did not mean let other men do it for him. If you want it you have to be in the same frame of mind, and take... The Book, God's Word, into your mind, heart, and soul. And when you have done so, as with John, It will be sweet to the taste, but bitter to the belly. That means regardless of what Bible events we study, we must 'take it' as a whole, including the bitter parts, that is, if... we truly want to understand.