I have to be honest here. At first, I was upset because I didn't know how to respond to this. I saw where you mentioned people being religious and ranting on forums at least twice. I felt as though this was a personal attack. In fact, I really just felt embarrassed and wanted to leave. But after reading through what you said a couple times, I realized my error. I had not known these verses were speaking to those who were not born again. I had assumed this had been directed toward those who made an attempt to know Christ through relationship with Him.
A long while ago, when I first started my relationship with Christ, I told Him that if I were going to do this thing, I wanted no part of me, that I would only accept His Word as truth. I mention this not so as to defend myself, but because I want my intentions to be clear. I have always stood for correction and I stand by it now. I am thankful for this perspective but also believe my statements weren't totally in error, either.
Being born again, as I understand it, is to be spiritually born of the Spirit, to be made new so as to know and understand the perfect will of God in order to serve Him. Being born again is also what enables us to know what His Spirit says to us. Please, correct me if I am wrong here, I will gladly accept the correction. With that being said, if in my own walk, I turn away from God after having an intimate relationship with Him, would I not fall into the category of Christ never knowing me? Or have I perceived my own walk as false? Please help me to understand this.
The reason im very direct is because God has to break through.
"break" through.
See it? To have a BREAK.....through.......that is force, and impact.
Something that is the barrier has to be torn down., broken through.
All deception is a stronghold in the mind, that you have to cut down, break through, or it just gets stronger.
Truth BREAKS deception.
I can't do this for the person, but God can,..... and the way..... is for me to oppose the stronghold and the resistance, by not massaging it.
Its like a tree that is cut down in your yard.
The roots are still there, so, you have to, by force, rip them out, or they remain.
Religious strongholds are the same...they are a root in the mind, and you can't get them out unless you force Light into them.
That is Truth breaking through.
See, the person is not the issue.
Its the stronghold.....its the mental barrier that is usually a blend of self righteousness and the devil causing spiritual blindness in the person's mind.
Gospel Truth, is hidden until the revelation of the Truth burst's forth.
You have to have that........>"OH< i see that now'... moment, ........as that is the revelation happening in place of the stronghold.
That is LIGHT invading Darkness.
When you get that, then the Truth has removed the deception.
"breakthrough".
Its not human nature to understand that we, the born again, have been "made righteous".
You can't see faith, you just have to have it.
You can't see the shed blood of Jesus, so you just have to BELIEVE IT.
We dont feel it. We can't even really comprehend it, because, this is something spiritual that has happened that is beyond comprehension.
You can't feel your Spirit. But you can feel your feelings, and feelings are not related to Truth, they are only related to emotion.
So, we read that we are "One with God""',... SPIRITUALLY......yet we see ourselves as this person that has issues here and there, and it seems to be a contradiction.
But its not, because its our SPIRIT that is the "made righteous", .. not our mind or our thoughts or our body.
We are told to renew our minds......or.... to get out of the "how do i feel about this", and "what is my opinion"...and into the .....>"God said it so it has to be true".....mind.
Thats real faith.
When we understand that this is where we have to exist in our RIGHT MIND< then we have started our Real Faith.
And that is the moment that a believer first begins to comprehend "the GRACE of God".