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Featured I Have To Conclude.....

Discussion in 'General Baptist Discussions' started by Earth Wind and Fire, May 23, 2016.

  1. Earth Wind and Fire

    Earth Wind and Fire Well-Known Member
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    After much prayer & study, I would have to conclude that most claiming the Lord are not getting into the Kingdom. Am I missing something?


    Matthew 25:35-46New International Version (NIV)

    35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

    37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

    40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

    41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’

    44 “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’

    45 “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’

    46 “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”
     
  2. TCassidy

    TCassidy Late-Administator Emeritus
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    Yes. You are missing Grace. :)
     
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  3. tyndale1946

    tyndale1946 Well-Known Member
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    EWF I have always believed as John Gill in his Exposition of the Bible on these verses and not all scripture applies to eternal salvation... We need to work out our Salvation not to get but because we already have it... How do we show forth the Amazing Sovereign Grace we've been given?... I know of only one way by showing forth our fruit in our walk and how we treat our fellow man... We receive blessing when we do and are deprived of the blessing when we don't... We not only read and studying the Word of God but we put the Word Of God to practical application... In doing so we have done it unto him our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ... Those are my thoughts... Brother Glen
     
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  4. Earth Wind and Fire

    Earth Wind and Fire Well-Known Member
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    What of the people who do not put it into action? "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven."

    So lets look at James, does he not warn us to be careful against merely relying upon our belief of certain things, and he puts it this in a startling manner saying, "the devil also believes & trembles," (2:19).

    There have been people throughout the centuries who have fallen into this trap. they read the scriptures and accepted their teachings....they believed the teachings and sometimes they have even been exponents of the truth. And yet their whole character and life has been a denial of the very truth they have claimed to believe.I just conclude that they are not saved.....they may think they but they are not.
     
    #4 Earth Wind and Fire, May 23, 2016
    Last edited: May 23, 2016
  5. preachinjesus

    preachinjesus Well-Known Member
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    Thank you for this. Exactly.
     
  6. tyndale1946

    tyndale1946 Well-Known Member
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    I leave that in God hands as I have no control over that... You can interpret as you understand it and I stand with TC and preachinjesus... You are missing Sovereign Grace!... Brother Glen

    Here is a little poem that sums up the way I feel and no one knows who wrote it... This to me is Sovereign Grace!

    Surprise In Heaven

    I dreamt death came the other night
    And Heaven’s gate swung wide.
    An angel with a halo bright
    Ushered me inside.
    And there! To my astonishment
    Stood folks I’d judged and labeled
    As “quite unfit”, “of little worth”,
    And “spiritually disabled”.
    Indignant words rose to my lips
    But never were set free,
    For every face showed stunned surprise --
    Not one expected me!
     
    #6 tyndale1946, May 23, 2016
    Last edited: May 23, 2016
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  7. Earth Wind and Fire

    Earth Wind and Fire Well-Known Member
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    No I'm not. So how many do you think walk around thinking that they are the born again saved when all the while they never experience the holy spirit....or are we to conclude that they have it but don't ever have to be anything remotely resembling a Christian?
     
  8. Earth Wind and Fire

    Earth Wind and Fire Well-Known Member
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    I much prefer scripture....Rev 3:16 says So because you are lukewarm——I spit you out of my mouth.

    So how are we to explain this?
     
  9. tyndale1946

    tyndale1946 Well-Known Member
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    So do I look at the setting... He was addressing the 7 churches of Asia and pay particular to verse 19... He was telling all these churches to repent and since the number is 7 churches it represents to me all the churches down through time and not one of them was perfect... Find a perfect church with perfect saints on the face of this earth... They don't exist!... "We all walk with feet of clay!"... Brother Glen

    Revelation 3:19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.
     
  10. Earth Wind and Fire

    Earth Wind and Fire Well-Known Member
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    OK... What distinguishes a true believer from a fraud?
     
  11. tyndale1946

    tyndale1946 Well-Known Member
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    I can tell you this my wife is a pretty woman and to me she is such a blessing from the Lord but you know what stands out to me other than her outward beauty?... Her heart!... A true believer no matter what their faults and failures and what they have been through in life has a heart for God, his creation and his people... Gods children spend to much time looking on the appearance and not on the heart... IMHO!... And scripture backs up what I say... Why does God look on the heart?... Because he is the only one that changed it!... Brother Glen

    1 Samuel 16:7 But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.
     
  12. Earth Wind and Fire

    Earth Wind and Fire Well-Known Member
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    And I would submit to Christ when He states we are to Love the Lord and then love your neighbor as yourself. So what about those who do not love their Lord above all and treat people like crap. Now they tell you they are saved.....do you believe them?
     
  13. tyndale1946

    tyndale1946 Well-Known Member
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    Don't know I leave that up to God but I do remember Jesus Christ words to his disciples in the sermon on the mount... Brother Glen

    Matthew 5:43 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.

    5:44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;

    5:45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.

    5:46 For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?

    5:47 And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?

    5:48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.
     
  14. TCassidy

    TCassidy Late-Administator Emeritus
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    One believes Christ died for his sins, was buried, and rose again on the third day, and the other does not.
     
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  15. Earth Wind and Fire

    Earth Wind and Fire Well-Known Member
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    And then there are those who believe but don't act on their beliefs...... they are lukewarm believers......Right

    Christ states that he spits them out of his mouth. I would think that I'm in trouble if my lord spits me out.....regurgitates me as an unpalatable, unacceptable thing that makes him gag.
     
  16. Aaron

    Aaron Member
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    ". . . few there be that find it."
     
  17. Earth Wind and Fire

    Earth Wind and Fire Well-Known Member
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    Our Lord said on one occasion to the Pharisees, "ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God". It is a very terrifying thought, and I understand it to mean this, that at the day of judgement we shall all have great surprises. We shall find men who have been lauded and praised as stalwart Christians outside the kingdom. They say all the right things, and said them marvelously; but they never had the life and truth within them. It was all carnal.
     
  18. Martin Marprelate

    Martin Marprelate Well-Known Member
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    Let us suppose that Christianity became illegal in the USA and UK (as daily becomes less unlikely).
    Suppose that you were hauled up before the judge and accused of being a Christian. Whom would you call as a defence witness?

    Could you call your neighbour? "I never thought he was a Christian. He never spoke to me about my soul, or invited me to church or gave me a tract. I used to see him walking past my house on a Sunday, but he never said where he was going."

    Could you call your work-colleague? "I never thought he was a Christian. He used to laugh at all the dirty jokes we cracked, and tell quite a few himself. He was always gawping at the pin-ups on the wall and used quite a bit of bad language like the rest of us. He certainly never spoke about Jesus."

    Could you call your local bar-tender? " He used to be in here pretty regularly, and was the worse for wear quite frequently. I never thought he was a Christian."

    Could you call your bank manager? "I never saw much in the way of standing orders to Christian charities, but quite a bit going out on expensive holidays and liquor stores. I never thought he was a Christian."

    Could you even call your wife/husband? "He used to put me down in public, and swear at me in private. He never loved me as a Christian husband should (Ephesians 5:25ff), and I'm not aware he ever prayed for me or cared for my soul. We used to go to church together and he used to wave his arms about and say 'Amen!', but it never changed him."

    And the judge will say, "Well Mr Marprelate, you're free to go. There's no evidence whatsoever that that you are a Christian." If a human judge can see through a façade of Christianity, how much more a heavenly Judge? 'This people honours Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me.'
     
    #18 Martin Marprelate, May 24, 2016
    Last edited: May 24, 2016
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  19. Earth Wind and Fire

    Earth Wind and Fire Well-Known Member
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    AND CHRIST SPITS THEM OUT OF HIS MOUTH! Wonder if the spittle are going to heaven??? Frown
     
  20. Van

    Van Well-Known Member
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    Excellent topic, EWF!

    How do we know we are not self deluded, thinking we have been born anew, but when we meet Jesus will He say, depart from Me, I never knew you? Only God knows for sure. But like many others, I am confident, I have the "blessed assurance, Jesus is mine."

    Questions for every "Christian" to consider as they examine themselves to see if they are of the faith.
    1) Was my commitment to Christ mostly lip service, or have I sacrificed to carry out His ministry?
    2) Was my conversion marked by a changed life, where I no longer wanted to fail to follow Christ's path of righteous?
    3) Do I think of myself as better than others, or as a humble servant striving to become a better servant of Christ.
    4) Do I tear people down or build people up. Am I a grumbler, a fault finder, a person full of pride?
    5) Do I live by the Word of God or fail trying? Do I bend the Word to accommodate my lifestyle?

    Individual and groups that "make disciples" but fail to teach all that Christ commanded produce "Christians" that seem to not really love God with all their heart, nor sacrifice for the least of His. And if this is the case, what are we going to do?
     
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