Purpose Of Being Christian

[mfblume]

Originally Posted by The teacher

Amen Bro Blume, and good to talk to you again!

As a real-life example, I have heard ministers declare that they are not sure if one can make it to heaven if they have not won a soul. Now we know that activity toward soul winning is profitable, but it is certainly not a characteristic for salvation.

AMEN AND AMEN.

That would make it salvation by works, if that were the case.

However there are Christians who are "laboring" outside of the rest of Calvary, worrying and fretting over their salvation, and attempting to win souls under such circumstances. They are not in the rest of Calvary, and such attempts can lead to frustration, not being rooted in what Jesus Christ already did, but rooted in a performance based mentality.

And their accomplishments will be very skimpy and small. Flesh simply cannot do the job.

God bless, and we trust all is well in California!

Great to hear from you! God is good. In our work, another soul who wandered away 17 years ago is now coming to services with a renewed hope and hunger for God!

Originally Posted by mfblume

And their accomplishments will be very skimpy and small. Flesh simply cannot do the job.

Exactly. Unless the Lord build the house...

Great to hear from you! God is good. In our work, another soul who wandered away 17 years ago is now coming to services with a renewed hope and hunger for God!

That is tremendous! May God continue to bless all your efforts in the rest of Christ.

[Falla39]

On another thread a few days ago I made this response to a post Sis. Felicity made, plus a few more words. There was very little response as
there is also to many of my posts. I wonder if many that grew up in this
last generation ever learned to listen or understand. They can sit and
watch a program for hours, play video games, sit for hours watching a
team play a "game" but when it comes right down to it, unless there is
some great argument or something being discussion, not necessarily of
eternal value, they are bored. Their attention span is limited.

Please, I do not mean this to be offensive but of great concern.

Re: Changes in the UPC over the past 30 years

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Quote:
Originally Posted by Felicity
Not sure what you mean by "sin free" Stephen.

Do you not believe that the blood is there for continual cleansing if we avail ourselves of that IF we do sin? What about the scripture that says the blood of Christ "cleanseth" us from our sin. The "eth" always denotes a continual action. That is there for us when we need it and when we admit guilt and sin. Once you're cleansed, you're clean until the next time you sin or transgress. Then you can avail yourself of that cleansing once again.

Do you not believe the scripture that says that if we walk in the Spirit we will NOT fulfil the lust of the flesh?

I believe that it's possible to live in victory. In fact, I KNOW it is.



Sis. Felicity,

I also know that we can live an overcoming life by the Blood of the Lamb

and by the word of our testimony.

In the early 1930's, my maternal grandmother and her young son, our father,

attended a revival at the Virginia Point Methodist Church, in Fannin County,

north of Savoy, Texas. Our late father went forward to "accept Christ as

his personal Saviour". I heard him say many times through the years that it

was a good place to start but by no means no place to stop.


His maternal grandmother had been a charter member of the Methodist

church for 48 yrs., his mother for 21 yrs and as a new teenager, he was

going to be a Methodist

like his mother and grandmother. He loved to attend the Baptist Church be-

cause of the training union (youth program), but he was going to follow the

traditions of his elders and be a Methodist.


He found out a few days after saying the sinner's prayer that try as he may,

he could not help but cussing as he had done previously. This concerned him

greatly. He told his mother that he didn't feel saved. She took him to the

pastor of the Methodist Church for counsel. He told young Robert's mother

that there was no way he could not sin a little every day. He said the boy

will just have to accept his salvation by faith. This did not satisfy the young

boy's mother as she very emphatically replied, "Then what did Jesus Christ

die for! The Bible said He died FOR our sins, not IN them". No doubt this

incident was preparing this family for not long after that, an old preacher

with his white-hairing blowing in the wind as he proclaimed the teaching of

the Apostles, on the street corner of their small town.


Grandma read her Bible regularly as a Methodist and her first reaction upon

hearing this new teaching was that she was going home and read her Bible

and prove that preacher wrong. My dad, having some knowledge of the JW

teachings because of two uncles that liked to argue with them. He told his

mother, "Mother, sounds like more of that JW doctrine, don't you think"?

"No, Son, I've searched the scriptures and it's in there". How close we could

have come to have not heard the gospel of Jesus Christ in its fullness. I

thank God that Grandma was wise enough to not listen to a "child" as he was

not yet mature enough to make that decision. He decided maybe he should

listen more closely after his mother's answer. He had much confidence in his

mother who he knew to be endeavoring to follow God in all that she knew.

She was very devout as far as what she understood. They repented, was

baptized in Jesus Name and received the Holy Ghost after. Daddy said they

found what they had needed.


They found POWER to live an overcoming life and found an Advocate if they

did miss Him. I too know from experience that we can live overcoming lives

by the Blood of the Lamb and by the word of our testimony.


I received this same experience 50 yrs. ago this year. Yes. I have made

mistakes, repented and moved on. All of our children (all married to their

original spouses) have received the same experience and are living over-

coming lives, active in church with all of their children there with them.

If we will be faithful to God, He will be faithful to us. If we take care of

the things that are precious to Him, He will take care of those things which

are precious to us. The blessings of the children lie in the obedience of

their parents. The children are blessed by those who precede them.

Better than what we can leave TO our children is what we leave IN them.

We CAN live overcoming lives one day, one week, one month, one year at a

time.

Last year 50 yrs. ago I graduated from high school. Fifty yrs. ago this year

my husband and I received the Holy Ghost. Also my husband and I will cele-

brate 50 yrs. of marriage next year, the Lord willing.

When you start on a journey, purpose not only to run but to finish

victoriously.

Blessings,

Falla39

[dizzyde]

Originally Posted by Felicity

It's great!

Join in sis. I'm sure you have some great thoughts or practical experience in regard to what's being discussed here.

Women are allowed.

Well, I'm not a scholar, you guys intimidate me a little in that area, but this discussion made me think of something my pastor said during Bible study on Wed. night.

He was talking about what the "will of God" is in our lives (and I realize that there are specific callings on individuals lives) overall.

From my notes:

Non-conformity to this world and a constant renewing of our minds. (Rom. 12:2)

Sexual purity; keeping your body pure and honorable; avoiding the lust of longing for the forbidden things; dealing honestly with your fellow man. (1 Thess. 4:3-6)

Giving thanks in everything. (1 Thess. 5:18)

Doing good. (1 Pet. 2:15, Acts 10:38)

Praying the scriptures. (I can't find the scripture reference he used, I'll have to ask him about that)

Anyway, I have had that rolling around in my head, and this thread made me start thinking about it again.

[RevDWW]

The real purpose of every living thing is to reproduce after their own kind.


What kind are you reproducing?

[Felicity]

Sis. Falla.......

I'm sorry I missed your post. I was just doing a search ... going back through posts made to me or referencing something I said ..... and noticed that I had missed the post you made. I was planning to acknowledge it.

Thanks for responding here and quoting what you wrote a couple days ago. You always have good things to say!

[dizzyde]

And I realize that my post was a little off topic, but I was thinking of it in reference to what all you smart people were saying!

[mfblume]

Originally Posted by RevDWW

The real purpose of every living thing is to reproduce after their own kind.


What kind are you reproducing?

Amen!

HOW we do so is what is the kicker. Through fleshly effort or through the Spirit. True reproduction is a miracle and can only be through the Spirit!

[mfblume]

Amen, Sis Falla!

WE Can live victoriously. You quoted a powerful verse. If we walk after the Spirit WE WILL NOT fulfill the lusts of the flesh.

[Pressing-On]

I was just thinking of this scripture that the Lord showed me in the prayer room before church last Sunday night. I asked Him what He wanted me to have on my mind at that time. He reminded me of the principle behind this scripture text.

Philippians 2:5-7 "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:..."

Made himself of NO REPUTATION, but took upon him the form (shape, nature) of a servant.....

That says it all! The works He did were of the Father! That needs no explanation!