Jesus Christ wants his believer to reach perfection and become completely sinless

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ForestGreenCook

Well-known member
Jul 8, 2018
8,441
1,213
113
#61
It is not true love if we do not make the choice to love God, and He would not condemn people that did have the choice but to reject Him so they have a choice.

If a person programs their computer to say I love you when they start it up does the computer really love them.

If we do not have a choice we would say we love God for we could see no other alternative which is not true love.

If we did not have a choice then it would all come from God and not us, so how is our faith real, and our confession of Christ real, and our hope real.

The greatest love of all would not want robotic love, which we would not think that our computer saying I love you, or a robot saying I love you is real love.
Heb 13:21, Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ.

Dan 4:35, And all the inhabitants of the earth shall be reputed as nothing; and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?
 
Apr 9, 2020
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#62
They will not be humbled because all they have known in their lives is power and authority they have not known weakness and thus cannot understand or recognize what true strength is.

Father on the other hand does, there is a reason Jesus won the war on sin with humility and the form of a gentle lamb it is because weakness is strength. Only those who have known weakness and suffering can understand the hardships of it and show understanding and humility in their ways, only they know what it is is like to made humble by these things and thus because they lack the arrogance and blindness of those in power they can see what others cannot.

I am a perfect example of this, because of my life all I have known is weakness and suffering, my body and mind are damaged from my past and I can never no matter how much I try live a life like a normal person it is difficult for me to do sinple tasks on my own I can never live on my own and will always need help in my daily endeavors I can never drive and will always know limitation. In every sense of the word I am weak I was not built to survive in this world on my own. However I do not mention this to boast of myself rather I am a living testimony of how God uses the weak to show his strength because while I was indeed made weak in the ways of the world he made me strong in his.

For every way I am slow in learning and growing in this world even from the first day I was saved I grew in him and in love at an amazing rate not that I can take any credit but it while every now and then it can be overwhelming and bring me to shattered tears and frustration I thank God for my weakness and suffering in life because I saw what real strength is and what love really is when I saw on him on the cross
I believe that God is sovereign over all things, so I don't believe that anything happens by chance.
You're in good company with your 'thorn in the flesh', whilst I don't understand why God chasteness those He loves I know that He has a very good reason for everything He does.
My brother is healthy and a very successful business man, who married a woman from a rich family and they live on the waterfront in a big house. But he has no interest in the things of God, I've tried to share the gospel with him on several occasions but he stops me before I can explain it. He tells me to keep my new religion to myself, he actually said 'I'll join your religion, as long as I'm the one collecting the money and not the sucker giving it'.
I have pray for him all the time, but it seems to me that the hardest people to reach with the gospel are the 'healthy, wealthy and wise in their own eyes types'. My brother must think he has the world at his feet, so maybe that's why he doesn't need God for anything.
Sometimes I wonder if I would have come to believe the Gospel, if I was in my brothers position. I've been struggling financially, due to failed investments and poor decisions, but my brother never lifted a finger to help me. That said, I know that I'm extremely rich in the Lord and my brother is naked destitute.
I'm a loser, in the eyes of the world. But thank the Lord, my riches aren't in this world.
I would encourage you to praise God, regardless of your infirmity. This life is just a vapor, so it will be over before you know it and your struggles will seem like a distant memory.
 

Blain

The Word Weaver
Aug 28, 2012
19,504
2,711
113
#63
I believe that God is sovereign over all things, so I don't believe that anything happens by chance.
You're in good company with your 'thorn in the flesh', whilst I don't understand why God chasteness those He loves I know that He has a very good reason for everything He does.
My brother is healthy and a very successful business man, who married a woman from a rich family and they live on the waterfront in a big house. But he has no interest in the things of God, I've tried to share the gospel with him on several occasions but he stops me before I can explain it. He tells me to keep my new religion to myself, he actually said 'I'll join your religion, as long as I'm the one collecting the money and not the sucker giving it'.
I have pray for him all the time, but it seems to me that the hardest people to reach with the gospel are the 'healthy, wealthy and wise in their own eyes types'. My brother must think he has the world at his feet, so maybe that's why he doesn't need God for anything.
Sometimes I wonder if I would have come to believe the Gospel, if I was in my brothers position. I've been struggling financially, due to failed investments and poor decisions, but my brother never lifted a finger to help me. That said, I know that I'm extremely rich in the Lord and my brother is naked destitute.
I'm a loser, in the eyes of the world. But thank the Lord, my riches aren't in this world.
I would encourage you to praise God, regardless of your infirmity. This life is just a vapor, so it will be over before you know it and your struggles will seem like a distant memory.
Trust me I know where your coming from. In my entire family stuff only seems to happen to me, the cancer the damage on my brain and body the severe abuse and breain I g0ot from them as well my eyes almost going blind I can never live like everyone else I am mentally incapable and find it hard to do simple things on my own I can never drive and working is hard for me for obvious reasons and I get 30 dollars a week after my disabilty check takes care of my food and rent and medical things it is sometimes so unbearable that I sometimes break down in tears because of how unfair it is.

But like I always say for every way I was made weak in this world he made me strong in his, your brother has had it easy and so he is unaware of the value that suffering brings. If I had not gone through all I have it wouldn't have made me who I am today and so I always thank God for my suffering in life and use these experiences to help others who have also known suffering and pain in life.

It doesn't matter what cards you have been dealt in life what matters is what you do with them. If you have been dealt a bad hand in life then fight for a better one
 
Apr 9, 2020
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#64
Trust me I know where your coming from. In my entire family stuff only seems to happen to me, the cancer the damage on my brain and body the severe abuse and breain I g0ot from them as well my eyes almost going blind I can never live like everyone else I am mentally incapable and find it hard to do simple things on my own I can never drive and working is hard for me for obvious reasons and I get 30 dollars a week after my disabilty check takes care of my food and rent and medical things it is sometimes so unbearable that I sometimes break down in tears because of how unfair it is.

But like I always say for every way I was made weak in this world he made me strong in his, your brother has had it easy and so he is unaware of the value that suffering brings. If I had not gone through all I have it wouldn't have made me who I am today and so I always thank God for my suffering in life and use these experiences to help others who have also known suffering and pain in life.

It doesn't matter what cards you have been dealt in life what matters is what you do with them. If you have been dealt a bad hand in life then fight for a better one
It's very encouraging to hear your testimony of Gods grace in the midst of your tribulation.
The fact that you're not bitter towards God for giving you such a heavy cross to bare, demonstrates that you have true faith in Him.

I've noticed that those who bare heavy crosses seem to be the most faithful people. The world may look at you with pity, but they don't realize that their plight is far more serious than yours. God could heal you instantly if that was His will, but we just have to trust in Him even when He sends us harsh providences.

I had a serious motorcycle accident a few years ago, which involved several surgeries and left me with an opioid addiction. After around 12 months of using 200mg's Oxy Contin per day, the Doctor stopped prescribing it and I started substituting it with heroin. Then I quickly ran out of money and after selling everything I owned, I suffered the worst imaginable cold turkey withdraw for 3 months. It was during that time, that I turned to Christ as my last hope and He gave me the strength to see it through.

After 16 months, I feel much better but I still can't laugh or cry and I can't enjoy life as I did before but I wouldn't change a thing because I know that God used that accident to bring me to repentance. God showed me that I can have true joy in Him, even if I feel sad and depressed.

I attended a few Narcotics Anonymous meetings, where they use the 12 step program to maintain their abstinence. But that program depressed me even more, because the poor people there still identify as addicts even after years of abstinence. I didn't hear anyone mention Christ, they talked about a higher power which could be anything you invent in your own mind.

I wish that I had some words of wisdom to encourage you, but I'm not a good communicator. All I can do is point you to the One who is all wise, all sufficient and all loving. He's our only true friend, He proved it by going to the cross for us.
 

Blain

The Word Weaver
Aug 28, 2012
19,504
2,711
113
#65
It's very encouraging to hear your testimony of Gods grace in the midst of your tribulation.
The fact that you're not bitter towards God for giving you such a heavy cross to bare, demonstrates that you have true faith in Him.

I've noticed that those who bare heavy crosses seem to be the most faithful people. The world may look at you with pity, but they don't realize that their plight is far more serious than yours. God could heal you instantly if that was His will, but we just have to trust in Him even when He sends us harsh providences.

I had a serious motorcycle accident a few years ago, which involved several surgeries and left me with an opioid addiction. After around 12 months of using 200mg's Oxy Contin per day, the Doctor stopped prescribing it and I started substituting it with heroin. Then I quickly ran out of money and after selling everything I owned, I suffered the worst imaginable cold turkey withdraw for 3 months. It was during that time, that I turned to Christ as my last hope and He gave me the strength to see it through.

After 16 months, I feel much better but I still can't laugh or cry and I can't enjoy life as I did before but I wouldn't change a thing because I know that God used that accident to bring me to repentance. God showed me that I can have true joy in Him, even if I feel sad and depressed.

I attended a few Narcotics Anonymous meetings, where they use the 12 step program to maintain their abstinence. But that program depressed me even more, because the poor people there still identify as addicts even after years of abstinence. I didn't hear anyone mention Christ, they talked about a higher power which could be anything you invent in your own mind.

I wish that I had some words of wisdom to encourage you, but I'm not a good communicator. All I can do is point you to the One who is all wise, all sufficient and all loving. He's our only true friend, He proved it by going to the cross for us.
Your testimony is absolutely amazing. You are right it seems those who have bore a heavy cross seem to be the most faithful to him and there is a good reason for that too. When you shake another mans hand you can tell what kind of life they have lived by the feel of their hand. if they have lived a simple cozy life they have delicate and soft hands no grip or strength in their hand shake but a man who has been through a lot and worked his butt off all his life has leathery skin and a very firm and strong grip.

This is a real life example of how tribulation makes us tougher and stronger and the same goes for faith. You and I have known great suffering and trials in our lives and it may have damaged us but we learned the value of suffering and it brought us closer to God. Only those who have known such suffering could understand and help others who have been through the same thing so with your testimony you could help others who have struggled with drugs and how you are living proof that God does indeed save
 
Apr 9, 2020
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#66
Your testimony is absolutely amazing. You are right it seems those who have bore a heavy cross seem to be the most faithful to him and there is a good reason for that too. When you shake another mans hand you can tell what kind of life they have lived by the feel of their hand. if they have lived a simple cozy life they have delicate and soft hands no grip or strength in their hand shake but a man who has been through a lot and worked his butt off all his life has leathery skin and a very firm and strong grip.

This is a real life example of how tribulation makes us tougher and stronger and the same goes for faith. You and I have known great suffering and trials in our lives and it may have damaged us but we learned the value of suffering and it brought us closer to God. Only those who have known such suffering could understand and help others who have been through the same thing so with your testimony you could help others who have struggled with drugs and how you are living proof that God does indeed save
I agree that we can tell a lot about a person, when we shake hands. I had 2 brothers, the one I love dearly committed suicide recently and a lot of people shook my hand at his funeral. I did notice that those who weren't sincere with their condolences, gave me lame hand shakes.
I didn't just lose a brother, he was the best friend I had in this world. My pastor and I went to visit him at his house a few days before he died, he made a profession of faith in Christ and said he would like to come to Church but I feel that the enemy snatched him out of our hands.
I have suffered all kinds of physical pain, but I must say that the grief we feel when we lose a best friend is just as bad in it's own way. I haven't had any contact with my other brother for a long time so it's like he's dead as well, he didn't even look at me at the funeral.
Thank God for giving me many new brothers in the Church, they helped me through my darkest days.
None of my worldly friends were around when I needed the most, they were always available for a party but not to lend a hand in any way.