Isaiah 64:4-7
4 For since the beginning of the world
Men have not heard nor perceived by the ear,
Nor has the eye seen any God besides You,
Who acts for the one who waits for Him.
5 You meet him who rejoices and does righteousness,
Who remembers You in Your ways.
You are indeed angry, for we have sinned—
In these ways we continue;
And we need to be saved.
6 But we are all like an unclean thing,
And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags;
We all fade as a leaf,
And our iniquities, like the wind,
Have taken us away.
7 And there is no one who calls on Your name,
Who stirs himself up to take hold of You;
For You have hidden Your face from us,
And have consumed us because of our iniquities.
I grew up in the church and believed from a young age I was really not that bad of a person. By God’s grace, He showed me that even my best “righteousness” was as filthy rags before Him. Even the faith I have to believe in Christ is not by my own merit, but it is a gift of God. (Ephesians 2:8-9)
I was lied to…………………..were you?
About I Was Lied To
{ 14 comments… read them below or add one }
15 And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the morites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord (Joshua 24:15)
Since Adam and Eve made their choices in the Garden, man has continued to make choices, both good and bad, even until this day. God has given us the ability to make our own decisions, whether to believe and serve Him or not to. We are even given the “privilege” of not believing that He exists, if we should choose to make that unwise decision. Bad things happen because people choose to do bad things. To me this has always been one of the fundamental principals of the gospel, that people are given the opportunity to show how much they love their Lord by . . . yes, their works, or to show how much they love themselves by their works. There are many beliefs, systems, religions, etc, but they are only here because man (mankind) made choices. God can give us inspiration, gifts, blessings, etc, but, we can us them or lose them . . . it’s your choice.
To: Arejay
Are you saying that salvation is your choice?? And is not a gift from GOD???
Just Wondering, No sir, I’m not saying that.. God has given us the gift of salvation and the gift of choice.
I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live: (Deut. 30:19)
Sure is quiet on here. Didn’t get to watch the clip above, (no sound on my computer). Hope everone is having a great spring. Getting beautiful outside.
Yeah, but what about John 15:16 “You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit…”
Sorry there is no sound on your computer it is a good clip!!
The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet?
Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.
But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions. (Matt. 19:20-22)
I’ll have to find a computer with sound and listen to it. I mostly use my work computer and don’t care for all the sounds it makes each time I make an entry. So, I gave the speakers away.
I’ve always understood the above story of the wealthy young man as being that he believed, Jesus offered for him to “Come follow me,” and the young man could not bring himself to give away his riches. While the main point of the story is obvious; that we should not let worldly “things” come between us and the Lord, there is also something else very basic going on. The Lord offered this young man (chose him) and the young man declined (chose his riches). This young man more than likely had a long life of regret (result of bad choice), if he did not later repent, (of this we are not told).
The only problem with using this scripture is that JESUS never told the young man directly to follow HIM. He only answered his question, had JESUS told the young man directly, the same way he told Lazarus, the man would have followed HIM. By saying that it is a choice that we make you ultimatly say that when HE calls it is not irrestiable. But if you are choosen by GOD then you can not resist his call, much like a child hears his/her father calling will not resist their call, only much greater the call of GOD!!
Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation. (Rom. 13:2)
If I had been the young man, I doubt that I could have resisited, after seeing His works, and then to have been asked in person by the Savior to come and join Him. I don’t doubt that the Lord has the power to compel us to do whatever it is that He might want us to do; I just don’t think and can’t find evidence where he made people do His bidding. They came willingly.
Just out of curiosity, how would you answer the question asked by the Administration.
“If God is good and powerful, why do bad things happen?”
This would be my answer to the question….
After the fall of man starting in Gen. 3:1. GOD said man would be cursed from then on. Therefore, man is born with an evil heart bent away from GOD toward himself. The natural man cares not for GOD nor the things of GOD and since the natural man is self seeking he does evil, because he is right in his own eyes. In Jeremiah starting in verse 8, speaks of the evil stubborn heart and how they did not obey GOD and in verse 11 GOD says “Behold I am bringing disaster on them which they will not be able to escape; thought they will cry to ME, yet I will not listen to them.” That is why bad things happen!!
If you don’t mind, how would you answer the question??
Also, bad things happen to believers so that GOD may be glorified in their sufferings…1Peter1:7
Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations:
That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: (1 Peter 1:6-7)
Great scripture, Just Wondering, and I like what you said about natural man; it seems I’m always struggling to battle the natural man within me (selfishness). I made some comments on the Admins question in my first post, but can add a few comments here also. Basically, (and these are my thoughts) I see a war going on between good and evil. Satan pulling us one way, and trying to enslave us with his many means of addictions and perversions and the Lord arming us with the gospel to do battle (armor of righteousness). And I might add that in these last days, it is becoming more difficult to “ride the fence’” so to speak. We must stand up for what is right or we will become confused and be pulled into that which is not right. I was always taught by my grandfather and dad that it’s not so much “what” happens to you, as it is “how” you handle it. I’ve always felt that they were inspired as they taught me this principle.
Thank You!!
I am not sure if you understood what I meant when I wrote the natural man, I mean the man in his unregenerate state. A man cannot have to masters, he is either a follower of JESUS CHRIST or a follower of satan. The regenerate man will sin, but will not practice nor live in sin, 1 John 3:9-10
“No one born of GOD makes a practice of sinning, for GOD’s seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinningbecause he has been born of GOD. By this it is evident who are the children of GOD, and who are the children of the devil: whoever dos not practice righteousness is not of GOD, nor is the one who does not love his brother.”
I just want to make sure that no one thinks that I believe that a child of GOD lives in or practices sin, in case that is what my post sounded like.
But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. (1 Cor. 2:14)
I think you were pretty clear with what you said, but thanks for further explaining. I had to look up unregenerate (not converted) and regenerate (spiritually reborn or converted) as I hadn’t heard those terms in some time. Thanks.
And such trust have we through Christ to God-ward:
Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God;
Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.
Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech: (1 Cor. 3:4-6, 12)
To the Admin.: Just wondering when the next question might be coming forth.