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What is the difference between a true spirit led Christian and a mimicker?
What is the difference between a true spirit led Christian and a mimicker?
Active
We see these represented in the parable of the 10 virgins. They are all in the church, all doing churchianity stuff, and all awaiting the return of Messiah. But we see they never trimmed their wicks (which I see as cooperated with the Spirit as we conform to the image of Christ) and their lamps have no oil (which I see as the Holy Spirit). So they run out to try and purchase the oil at the last minute, and when they return Jesus shuts the door to the Bridal chamber saying "I NEVER knew you". Never is a long time.
Now apparently these people (about half the alleged church) said some magic prayer or took a bath and were told or assume they are His, but they are not (you shall know them by their fruits). Now just like in the parable of the Tares and the Wheat some probably knew these were make-believers, but as Jesus said we are not to uproot these (the Tares) because in doing so you uproot some of the real plantings as well. But Romans 8:9 makes it quite clear...if you do not have the Spirit of Christ in you then you are not one of His (period).
So every one who bears the name Christian is not...you shall know them by their fruits. So now go to Matthew 25 and read from verse 31 on...
So for an example from now, we see in the news some politician claiming to be a Christian (or being held up by alleged Christian leaders) ...compare this person's actions and beliefs to what you read in Matthew 25. Are they feeding the poor, healing the sick, housing the homeless, clothing the naked???? No? Then do they have the Spirit of Christ in them? Is their lamp really filled with oil? How about their lifestyle over the years? Did they trim their wicks? Think on these things...and may the grace and peace of God be with and upon us all, Amen.
Paul
Now apparently these people (about half the alleged church) said some magic prayer or took a bath and were told or assume they are His, but they are not (you shall know them by their fruits). Now just like in the parable of the Tares and the Wheat some probably knew these were make-believers, but as Jesus said we are not to uproot these (the Tares) because in doing so you uproot some of the real plantings as well. But Romans 8:9 makes it quite clear...if you do not have the Spirit of Christ in you then you are not one of His (period).
So every one who bears the name Christian is not...you shall know them by their fruits. So now go to Matthew 25 and read from verse 31 on...
So for an example from now, we see in the news some politician claiming to be a Christian (or being held up by alleged Christian leaders) ...compare this person's actions and beliefs to what you read in Matthew 25. Are they feeding the poor, healing the sick, housing the homeless, clothing the naked???? No? Then do they have the Spirit of Christ in them? Is their lamp really filled with oil? How about their lifestyle over the years? Did they trim their wicks? Think on these things...and may the grace and peace of God be with and upon us all, Amen.
Paul
Active
I love that word churchainity. That's funny. I like Brother Paul's answer. Just my simple answer answer now. The difference is the spirit led have a relationship with God that's how they recieve the Spirit of God that gyides them to truth. The mimickers don't have a relationship with God, they think if they can copy qhat the spirit led are doing than they will be ok. But nope.
Now it is thee Holy Spirit that will bear witness and inform us if a persons fruits do not match the type of tree they are claiming to be. If after being in a church for several months, meeting and getting to know the other church people, if a person cant tell the people with a relationship from those just faking it, then they should look into why thwy aren't hearing fron the Spirit.
Now it is thee Holy Spirit that will bear witness and inform us if a persons fruits do not match the type of tree they are claiming to be. If after being in a church for several months, meeting and getting to know the other church people, if a person cant tell the people with a relationship from those just faking it, then they should look into why thwy aren't hearing fron the Spirit.
Loyal
So -- in your perspective -- a magic prayer (accepting Jesus Christ as their personal Savior) or took a bath ( baptism by immersion) -- they were told they were His but their lives don't show it.
And Poster # 1 commented on a mimicker -- can a person mimic Christianity? No. Because a person who has truly accepted Jesus Christ Will have the Holy Spirit indwelling them and they Will bear the fruits of the Spirit as a result.
Now -- It's Just as possible that a person Has simply 'prayed a prayer' that they repeated after someone else. They were merely repeating 'words' -- it was Not from their heart -- they hadn't actually believed in their heart and confessed with their mouth the Lord Jesus. So their 'prayer' had no 'magical affect' on them. They might as well have Not uttered the words they spoke out loud. As far as the 'bath' they took -- it was meant to show Other people that which had Already taken place In their heart. Their belief that Jesus Christ Did , indeed die on the cross and was buried and rose again bodily from the grave In Their Place / For Them. They had Already expressed thankfulness to God For His gift of salvation which they Had already accepted.
So their public baptism by immersion was Not meant To save them.
It IS those fruits of the Holy Spirit that other people Will notice in them. Simple as that. A born-again believers life will show -- love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, etc. Galations 5 I think.
Have I 'preached a good sermon"? ! Didn't really mean to.
Loyal
A great question... an important question.
Luke 13:24; "Strive to enter through the narrow door; for many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able.
We tell people it's easy to be a Christian... and yet I wonder why the Bible says "many" will strive to enter... but "will not be able".
These aren't atheists who aren't trying... these are people who want to "seek to enter". These are people who seem to believe in "something".
2 Tim 3:1; But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come.
2 Tim 3:2; For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy,
2 Tim 3:3; unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good,
2 Tim 3:4; treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,
2 Tim 3:5; holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these.
It says some people will be "holding to a form of godliness". Again, these aren't atheists, or non believers here.
Matt 7:15; "Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves.
Matt 7:16; "You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they?
Matt 7:17; "So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit.
Matt 7:18; "A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit.
Matt 7:19; "Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
Matt 7:20; "So then, you will know them by their fruits.
Matt 7:21; "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.
Matt 7:22; "Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?'
Matt 7:23; "And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.'
Matt 7:24; "Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock.
It seems there will be people who believe in Jesus, who do things in His name.... but yet Jesus will tell them He doesn't know them. Would anyone who
doesn't think they are a Christian, do anything in Jesus's name?
There are several other similar passages to these.
Member
But believing in Jesus and reading the Bible as well as feeling the fruits of the spirit and saying prayers daily- should a person like me feel saved or is there something someone such as me should do to ensure we are saved.
Can I be sure I am saved?
Loyal
As I was reading Peter 2 this morning is brought to my attention that faith is a gift from Jesus to us, now here is the part that blew me away, it is our responsibility to DEVELOP this gift, and he gives us detailed instructions 1. Knowledge.
2. Self control 3. Brotherly love 4. and stick to it
this is all of the top of my head, but he went on to say that if you stick to these things stay focused you will grow in faith and enter the Kingdom of Heaven you will bear fruit, you wil be freed from the bondage of sin
HOWEVER he gave a warning that if we stop doing these things or we dont develop these things we will fall away and our condition will be worst then it was before we ever knew of these great things, he also spoke of blindness that we would not even know it.
Have to get to work, but this is all in Peter 2 chapter 1, it was a very eye opening reading this morning. we cant earn salvation, but we can DO SOMETHING to grow our faith and Peter give us a precise exact list !!!
2. Self control 3. Brotherly love 4. and stick to it
this is all of the top of my head, but he went on to say that if you stick to these things stay focused you will grow in faith and enter the Kingdom of Heaven you will bear fruit, you wil be freed from the bondage of sin
HOWEVER he gave a warning that if we stop doing these things or we dont develop these things we will fall away and our condition will be worst then it was before we ever knew of these great things, he also spoke of blindness that we would not even know it.
Have to get to work, but this is all in Peter 2 chapter 1, it was a very eye opening reading this morning. we cant earn salvation, but we can DO SOMETHING to grow our faith and Peter give us a precise exact list !!!
Loyal
Got rain delayed for work so I can add scripture to this
This to me is a exact list of how to grow your faith, look we have to work at something
1. Knowledge well we dont get that unless we try make a effort of reading and studing, self control now we dont get that unless we try make a effort to deny or flesh of something is just an example. Steadfastness that seems to say to me stick to it endure keep at it. godliness being holly, brotherly loves comes from helping the needy is just and example. All these things require us to do something.
2 Peter 1-5,6,7
For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. ......................... 2 Peter 8
For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Seems to me when we are saved, these things we will be doing to help develop ourselves as better Christians. You cant do these things to get saved, you do them because you are saved. But when we are saved we are still immature and these things help us grow in maturity.
________________
Now if you are not doing these things your not growing according and might not even be saved, but there seems to be a GUARANTEE almost that if you are dong them you wont stumble yes I said Guarantee !!! it seems to me
2 Peter 1; 9,10
9But whoever lacks these traits is nearsighted to the point of blindness, having forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins. 10Therefore, brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you practice these things you will never stumble,…
So Peter is giving us a way to never stumble, something to do, we cant do anything to earn salvation, but it sure seems we can do plenty to loose it, and Peter gives us the recipe WHAT TO DO to avoid stumbling, my heart jumps for joy when I read that.
This to me is a exact list of how to grow your faith, look we have to work at something
1. Knowledge well we dont get that unless we try make a effort of reading and studing, self control now we dont get that unless we try make a effort to deny or flesh of something is just an example. Steadfastness that seems to say to me stick to it endure keep at it. godliness being holly, brotherly loves comes from helping the needy is just and example. All these things require us to do something. 2 Peter 1-5,6,7
For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. ......................... 2 Peter 8
For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Seems to me when we are saved, these things we will be doing to help develop ourselves as better Christians. You cant do these things to get saved, you do them because you are saved. But when we are saved we are still immature and these things help us grow in maturity.
________________
Now if you are not doing these things your not growing according and might not even be saved, but there seems to be a GUARANTEE almost that if you are dong them you wont stumble yes I said Guarantee !!! it seems to me
2 Peter 1; 9,10
9But whoever lacks these traits is nearsighted to the point of blindness, having forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins. 10Therefore, brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you practice these things you will never stumble,…
So Peter is giving us a way to never stumble, something to do, we cant do anything to earn salvation, but it sure seems we can do plenty to loose it, and Peter gives us the recipe WHAT TO DO to avoid stumbling, my heart jumps for joy when I read that.
Loyal
You're saying "a person like me" -- well everyone here is a human being. We All need salvation in order to enter heaven. Are you suggesting that there's something 'different' about You , personally?! We are All unique -- no two people are the same. We all have different personalities. Different strengths / weaknesses.
And once we Have accepted Jesus Christ -- satan Loves to put doubts into our hearts, minds. He doesn't want us to be reading our Bible and increasing our knowledge of Bible / God.
No one is going to be Feeling the fruits of the Spirit. Their lives Will reflect those fruits for others to see.
And 'saying prayers daily'. Are you referring to saying "The Lord's Prayer" daily? Or finding various prayers to 'pray'? While there are great prayers To recite -- such as the Lord's Prayer -- even repeating it from you heart -- it's not the same as praying to God -- your own thoughts / feelings -- talking to God like you would another person in the room.
And Lots of people believe in Jesus and read their Bible. A person Will Have inner peace as a result Of having accepted Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior. That 'inner peace' is how a person Knows they are saved. The inner peace is evidence Of the Holy Spirit's indwelling a person.
Everyone Can be sure they are 'saved'. There will be the inner peace in our hearts that nothing can take away. And the Holy Spirit Will give a person the Desire To read His Word and to be around other believers.
Reading God's Word every day -- Galations, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians are good books to read. They are short and easy to understand. And ask God for understanding as you read.
And, at times it Will feel like 'life' doesn't 'fit' right. I've been experiencing some of that lately. And Psalms 37:3,4,5 and 7
I tend to get side-tracked from Scripture sort of easily. And getting back To it Does help. And talking to God. From the heart.