QUOTE]As Saul, Paul did not know who Jesus is! He was righteously guarding the status quo of Judahism. He was a zealot of his faith! A religious person. Jesus introduced himself in a rather abrupt manner to Saul and made Him a believer in a fashion that is rarely if ever repeated. I know of no one in my six decades who has had a similar experience to that of Paul. That is not to say that I know of no devout Christians, because my life is full of devout Christians all with wonderful testamonies of how they came to KNOW Jesus as their savior. Some of them were in pretty dire straights, at least three of them very near death's door when they were confronted with the Gospel message and believed in Jesus, my own father being one of them. Virtually every one of the Christians in my life are Christian because they heard the word of God and believed. Then they changed their behavior in accordance with the change in their persuasion, by believing the instructions contained in the Word of God.
Blessed are they who have not seen, yet believed! Have you ever noticed the whole message of Jesus is "believe", "believe", "believe". It is only after one believes that Jesus says "do", "do", "do". [/QB][/QUOTE]
Dear Yelsew,
I didn't mean that one has to actually see Him, silly. I mean in the Spirit a believer sees and believes. I have no doubt that you and your friends have seen and believed and I praise Him for it. Where we differ is how the belief comes.
I also heard the word (scripture) and believed. But I would venture to say that NOT ALL OF GOD'S WORDS HAVE BEEN WRITTEN DOWN. And......certainly not all of His words have been interpreted alike. But yet, in the Spirit, the important words mean the same to all believers.
As believers, imo, we should be trying to find those same words - the words that the Spirit speaks to us - and be one in Him. For this is what He prayed on the night before He died. That they be one, Father, as You and I are one, He said.
You believe that you must by faith be saved and sanctified - I believe that it all begins and ends with God's salvation and sanctification of His creation. Yet we both love Him. I think that is all that matters.
We have been blessed......may we be a blessing to others.
In Christ,
Diane