BillG, TT says even if you get invited and you accept you are not saved. What do you think?
I'm sure TT will explain what he means.
As I said in a previous post I believe everyone is invited to eat a the Lords table.
Not everyone will accept it therefore they are not saved.
Then we have those who seem to accept the invitation, yet when they do all they want is a free meal.
By that I mean they say a sinners prayer but have no intention of changing, they use it as an excuse to sin. Which Paul addressed.
On this point I feel very strongly that discipleship is needed.
What it actually means to be a follower of Jesus.
When I disciple people I do so on the basis of explaining who they are in Jesus, get some proper footings in place.
I do talk about it's not an excuse to sin, that Jesus wants us to be a shining light, do not limit God to what you want but be open to what God wants and so on.
I tell them they have the Holy Spirit in them, the helper, who helps conform us to the image of Jesus.
He speaks truth into our lives, of who we are in Jesus.
He will let us know when we sin, and when we do we have Forgiveness on account of Jesus.
People may disciple in different ways.
People get invited to church, they accept the invitation that doesn't mean they are saved though. They may stay in the church because they like affiliation.
In a sense we only have to look at Judas.
It seemed he accepted Jesus, the invite.
Would you say he was saved?
One thing I know for sure and I endeavour to do is never right anyone off.
To always be willing to walk with them should they need help.
If it is apparent they want to change and grow but are struggling to do so. Walk the walk with them.
If it becomes apparent that they have no desire to change then step back, but I would still say pray for them.
After all we have no idea what God can and will do in a person's life.
What we do need to bear in mind is that for wheat to grow or trees bear fruit is that it takes time.
I used to do the accounts for a farmer.
And he explained the process of cultivation, preparing the ground.
It's a process and hard work.
He said in his 50 years of farming he had never had a 100% crop.
He has always had to remove weeds.
For us to bear fruit, Jesus had to cultivate.
Even then we this side of eternity will never bear 100% fruit.
We also need to bear in mind the following
Mark 4:8
8 But other seed fell on good ground and yielded a crop that sprang up, increased and produced: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.”
So we have good ground with different produce.
But they are all on good ground, or should I say in good ground.
Those are my thoughts.
God bless
Bill (without the G)