What are YOUR standards and convictions?

By their works ye shall know them

 

2Cor 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

I think that a lot of people claim Christ but do not actually know Him. The Bible clearly states that "old things are passed away and all things are become new" for the man in Christ. I do think that a lot of real Christians fall back into sin because it has happened plenty to me! But if someone says they were saved and went right back to their sinful lifestyle, then I would not believe that they had a true experience with Jesus Christ.

 

Let see what the Apostle Paul says about this... I Timothy 1:15 This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.

Romans 8:36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.

Romans 7:[9] For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died.
[10] And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death.
[11] For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me.
[12] Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good.
[13] Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful.
[14] For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin.
[15] For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.
[16] If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good.
[17] Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
[18] For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.
[19] For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.
[20] Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
[21] I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.
[22] For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:
[23] But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.
[24] O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?
[25] I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.

So you feel yourself above everyone else?... Even the Apostle Paul who claimed he was a sinner even after he was brought to the realization of his Salvation until his dying day!... All I can or anyone else can claim is by the grace of God go I!

Put on the whole armor of God and join the other christian soldiers in battle... I sure very few on here take their Salvation for granted... I know I sure don't... It cost Jesus Christ his lifes blood!... Brother Glen

 

Some talk about receiving Christ in your heart. Another talks about taking Jesus into your life. Conversion allows for nothing less than total permeation by the Holy Spirit, and He didn't get the title "Holy" as an honourary degree.

Cheers,

Jim

 

I think the book of James speaks to this rather clearly...

 

There are good Christians and there are bad Christians.

 

No such thing you are either with him or against him.
A bad Christian is a carnal person, therefore not one of his.
As loren put it, "By their works ye shall know them"

 

We have standards at our church. One is:

No killing people on church property.

 

My standard?

 

I have to agree that there are a lot of Pew Potatoes and a lot of people who are Sunday Christians. I try to live every day in the steps of Jesus, but often fail misserably. But some people away from church are not trying to do the right thing out in the world. There is a lot of poor me and very bad value systems, so to speak, away from Church. Also there are times when your "Brothers and Sisters" in Christ will take advantage of you. But my dear family in Christ just do not act that way. We hold one another accountable and help eachother out of the pitts. It always amazes me that when something seems to be going all wrong, BAM God puts them right there in our path to help and vise/versa. It is so awesome how God works. But these are also the ones who seem to hold the church together with their peace in Jesus and their faith.
Love in Christ Angie

 

We have a strict standard at our church to... Trespassers will be baptised!... Brother Glen

 

I would also like to quote sister Tracy on this one when someone ask about Grace vs works.

The lord hates sin, if anyone thinks that they can still live the same life they did before they were saved and make it to Heaven is deceived.
I mean think about, if you say you love the Lord why would you partake in something that he hates. That is like telling your wife you love her but you still keep on beating her up.
You need to repent and turn from all will full sin.
Now I am not saying that one sin and you are condemned but repeated sins and no remorse for them is a different story.

[ November 02, 2002, 04:07 AM: Message edited by: Matthew 16:24 ]

 

Brother Glen,

What do you do with repeat offenders? Baptist them until they stop sinning?

Pete

 

We're a little more liberal... It's okay outside, but not in the building!

 

My standards? Well, it would be too lengthy to list them in detail, so I'll refer you to a good source that I feel completely covers each and every one of my standards, and contains many more I have not yet, but may very well have eventually....."The Holy Bible, (KJV preferably).

 

When I first got saved in 1974 I thought that I would magically change in an instant. 30 years later I still see the old passing away and things becomeing new. Each day I see less of me and more of Christ.

This gets real confusing unless you realize your works are the fruit of your change into "Christ likeness" your fruit (works) prove who you are. A bad christian is just a young one not bearing fruit yet. Give em some time. I'm glad I had 30 yrs...but if I had gone in 2 some people would have wondered where I ended up. Christ had me all the time!!

 

You asked, and now I will answer:
1. Non-tolerance of deviant sexual practices or lifestyles.
2. non-tolerance of alcohol of ANY kind for human consumption.
3. God's Word is perfect and in no need of addition or subtraction (see the end of Revelation for the context.).
4. There is only ONE way to God: through Jesus Christ. Any other way of thinking is a lie.
5.The true church is Jesus Christ, and real Christians are the members of the Body of Christ.
6. Abortion, for any reason, is murder. (see the commandments, as God makes NO partiality for certain forms of murder.)
7. God's authority is the ONLY authority we are to use in growing to know Him, not man's authority.
8. Speaking in tongues is brought on by the Holy Spirit, not by instigation of the worshipper. If I don't have the gift of tongues, I am STILL a Christian.
9. Repeating a 3 word chorus for 17 minutes isn't a praise song, it's empty. Real PRAISE AND WORSHIP contains the facts that: we are ALL sinners, we are NOTHING without Jesus, we are NOT righteous (no, not one), and that God is perfect, wonderful, our King, and paid for our pathetic souls in FULL.
10. God's Word is of NO PRIVATE interpretation. the meaning of John 3:16 means the same in Russian as it does in Norwegian, English or Japanese.
11. God has NEVER adjusted His Doctrine to suit our carnal exploits, and NVERE WILL.
12. If we can lose our salvation, why did Jesus offer it to us? Since Jesus is not a man that he would LIE, then why should our Salvation be returnable or revocable? If something comes from Jesus, it is PERMANENT and 100% good enough for all of us. Why would Jesus ever take back His salvation from us?
13. We are IN (or, we have to live here) the world, but we are not to be a PART of it's ways (boozeing, deviant sexual practices, drugs, murder, fornication, divorce, rape, child abuse, gossip, lying, cheating, stealing, coveting, arrogance, et al.)
14. Real unity means that ALL believe in Jesus Christ, the one written about in God's Word. All paths DO NOT lead to God..Only ONE, and that path is the narrow path, or Jesus Christ. "No one comes to the Father, but through Me." If you pray to Mary, or Buddah, or Allah, you pray to the DEAD, and your prayers will not be answered nor heard if you pray to a god, other than to the REAL God Himself.
15. Man is NOT intrinsically good, as ALL man made religions (even Catholicism) seem to be brainwashed to believe. "There is none righteous, no, not one." If we were righteous, we'd be TOTALLY perfect, and there is only ONE who will ever be perfect: Jesus Christ. HE is righteous, not us.
16. Jesus saves. CCM doesn't. PromiseKeepers doesn't. The Alpha course doesn't. A Course In Miracles doesn't. Luther didn't. The Pope doesn't. Allah doesn't. Buddah doesn't. YWAM doesn't. Music doesn't. Christian fiction doesn't. Psychology/psychiatry doesn't. Man doesn't. BUT, JESUS CHRIST does! HE saves, not a man, woman, child, idea, theology or ANY man-made creation.
17.Jesus is the truth, the life, and the way. So, it is without argument that HE is the ONLY way to be saved, and to be blessed.

 

Tiger, I agree with your standards except this one(in a way),

Jesus would never take someones salvation away but a man can walk away from Jesus and lose his salvation.
I read about several people who were hot for the Lord at one time and then turned their back on him by believing in evolution or some other false teaching. Those people lost their salvation because as with any gift you can accept it or just give it back.
Also, I believe any person who decides to live a carnal lifetsytle and choose not to carry their cross is not saved because they would rather serve Mammon and themselves and not the Lord.
There are a few parables in the Bible that speak on slothful servants that never made it to heaven.
Ten Virgins and servant who buried his money to name a couple.

[ November 02, 2002, 11:34 PM: Message edited by: Matthew 16:24 ]