God and i are constantly having this little tiff and i'm hoping that you good people can help me to see things his way. I don't disagree with him, i just want to see things a little bit clearer. Where our lives are concerned, if our steps are ordered by him, if our lives are in his hands, if Jesus is carrying us through the darkness of this life. Then PLEASE tell me how we will be judged. AND how does one take responsibility for his own life when it is pretty clear we have no control over anything. 'How much control do we have over ourselves?' i guess that is my real question.
God told me this morning that my life is like a mist, which is true, he told me not to boast in tomorrow because it is evil to do so... hmm, i guess the boasting part is what i would be judged for? don't mind me these are things that occured to me while writting the post and instead of discarding it i decided to keep on writing. I'll take to notepad now, but my question still stands 'How much control do we have over ourselves?'
Not sure what you mean, but we are judged by our overall attitude toward our attempts at being like Christ. No one can be perfect....but, in our hearts...we have to have that desire. We have to hate our sinful fallen flesh, and long to be like Jesus. It's not a simple matter of "oops...God will forgive me". Any known sin in our lives should be hated. It should be like a death to our selfishness and ego every time we sin and fall short. Death to self. Selfishness or selflessness. That's the dividing line. Now...like I said...not possible to be perfect. We will fall, we will sin...but we have to honestly hate it and strive with our whole will to get rid of it. Doesn't even matter if we ever do or not. We can't win the battle on our own...but we have to fight. Gods grace wins the battle if our attitude is in the right place.
I believe that we have a good amount of control over our lives. God has given us the power of choice and that alone holds a lot of power! As far as the issue of judgement...I am of the understanding that non-Christians will be judged and basically sent to Hell for choosing not to believe in God and Christ and having a relationship with Him. Christians however will recieve a different kind of judgement...and in that judgement we will be judged on what we did for God...I hope this helps and at least that it doens't further confuse you. Thanks for you post...I think its something all of us from time to time deal with...have a great night!!
I believe that we have free will, but God can use us in varying amounts for His purposes. I believe He would only judge us for actions, thoughts, etc. that came about as a result of our own free wills. It doesn't make sense to me that He would make us do something and then judge us for it.
Romans 2:6-11 God "will give to each person according to what he has done." To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor & immortality, he will give eternal life. But for those who are self-seeking & who reject the truth & follow evil, there will be wrath & anger. There will be trouble & distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile;but glory, honor & peace for everyone who does good; first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For God does not show favoritism.
How much control do we have over ourselves?
The Believer's Freedom !
1 Corinthians 10:23-24 "Everything is permissible"- but not everything is beneficial. "Everything is permissible"- but not everything is constructive. Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others.
God gave us freedom to choose, which way? The Narrow gate or the Broad gate?
Hey girl!!! How much control you have is how much control YOU have. I grew up in a mission where no-one was allowed to have an outside job. Hence, no income, or guarantee of where your next meal was coming from. They got by on donations, both public and private, and from support from friends and family (and sometimes strangers)who believed in what they are doing. I did not join that mission, and found myself "out in the real world, where no-one can stop me from doing/having what I want, when I want it."
Granted, this type of "surrender" is not for most folks, it damaged my walk with God severely. But, again, it all comes down to the amount of control YOU want over your life. God does provide for the sparrows who neither reap nor sow!
I think control would be equal to what ever ratio your heart has over your soul or vice versa ..the word gets its power from your heart ..your spirit man need that word to power up
so have faith >>you get that by the word rom 10.17 ..all being said , taking for granite that you've submitted your heart to God
I think your questions are profound and reflect the thoughts of many others who ponder the depths of God's love and mercy.
You know the story of Noah, right? Let me tell you what Father showed me in that story. I'm a student of words. I like to learn what the Hebrew and Greek words in the Bible mean and the stories behind the words. The word in Hebrew for Atonement is Kaphar (kaw-far'). The very first time this word was used in the Bible it was in reference to Noah's Ark. Gen 6:14 Make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch. In this verse it is translated "pitch".
It literally means to cover. So Noah had to cover the inside and the outside of the ark with "atonement".
When Jesus died on the cross his blood made atonement for our sins. Rom 5:9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.
Rom 5:10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.
Rom 5:11 And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.
Eph 1:7 "In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;"
So my point here is that it was the pitch, or the atonement, that kept Noah, a righteous man from suffering the judgment that was put on the earth in the form of the flood. 1Pe 3:20 " . . . when once the long-suffering of God waited in the days of Noah, an ark having been prepared, into which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water." 2Pe 2:5 ". . . and [God] did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah the eighth, a herald of righteousness, bringing a flood on a world of ungodly ones;
The Ark represents the Salvation of Jesus' atoning blood that keeps us from judgment just as atonement protected Noah from the flood. Rom 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to those in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to flesh, but according to Spirit. In the Ark = In Christ Jesus . Our sins are atoned for and we are protected from the wrath of God's judgement.
Christians will be judged but it will be based on our performance as Christians and will not result in condemnation. It will result in the level of responsibility we receive in the Kingdom. Luke 12:43 - 48 makes this clear and ends with this. "To whomsoever much has been given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been entrusted, of him a larger amount will be demanded." We will be responsible to God for what we have done with our salvation, whether or not we have been working out our sanctification and being obedient to His word. If we are his servants but have done little or nothing to serve Him there will be consequences for it but we will not be condemned to Hell for it. Mt. 25:14-30 is another example.
thanks everyone for your input, it was very much appreciated!
hey Thunder!
that sounds exactly like what God is showing me! :yay:
your response just really made me feel at home because it is identical to some discussions God and i have had :glow: and continue to have. sometimes it is hard to see what God tells me in other's words, but you said it all and very well at that. thanks.
From the moment of Birth a child's future is pretty much "laided out" in it's parents mind.
From where he or she will go to school and whether they will participate (even excell) in sports...that baby's future is already set in it's Mother's and Father's mind. In other words it's "Steps are Ordered". Whether it all comes about that way is up to the child and the choices it makes.
God gave us all Free Will. He gave us the power to say NO! to Him. God uses Grace to "guide' us and nudge us where he wants us to go or be. Sometimes it works ( "I SEE!") and sometimes it does not. Sometimes God has to "Kick us in the Bottom" to get our attention, but eventually he gets us where He wants us.
Here's something to ponder:
Your 12 year old accidently breaks a storefront window because he was playing stick-ball in the street (knowing that it was against The Law). He replaces the window with money he had saved up for a new glove. He has made it right with the store owner (he is "Rightous in the owner's eyes.) He has 'Atoned' for his error. Yet, Mr Policeman slaps him with a $100.00 fine for his recklessness. That was the Judgement from the Officer. The 12 year old is being punished why still being "Rightous".
The young boy was Rightous -- Atoned -- yet must still suffer some sort of Punishment...for something he did of his own free will.
Now...if it was an accident that broke that window. Then the young boy may still have to pay for replacing that window (Being Rightous with the owner)...which would make up for the damage (Atonement), but there would not be any Punishment. It all has to do with Free Will.
Yes Arch. There is no punishment for Believers but there is discipline. Our Father will discipline us for failing to obey but He will not punish us with death (lake of fire).
