A Thread for Christians Only - Salvation

I would have to say that mine came from the gracious, sovereign Lord!

Neal

 

I sort of think they are both. They are genuinely mine (although they did not originate from me), but they are also gifts from God. God worked true repentance and faith within me.

 

Everything I have that could possibly be regarded as good is a gift from God, most of all my adoption as His son.

By the way, Lord, if sometimes I seem ungrateful, it's because sometimes I wonder if it's such a good idea to join a family that has such low standards that it would adopt someone like me.

 

According to Spurgeon, I'm a heretic, so I obviously cannot answer this thread.

 

Scott, Spurgeon is not your judge, God is...

go ahead, be brave

For myself, when God showed me HIS view of my heart, I wanted to throw up. I honestly felt sick to my stomach. The revelation was from Him. The reaction was from me. I don't think God throws up.

I wanted to change. That want was from me. I didn't know how to do it or what to do, but I knew I needed to change, and desperately. That was the beginning of repentance and it was my reaction to myself. The sorrow that led to repentance was mine from inside me. But it was also a reaction to what God had shown me about myself.

And the question in my heart from Him: do you want me or do you want to try to do this yourself?

My free choice. In submitting to Him, which was my choice, He then granted me true repentance and true faith. My first repentance had been because I, myself, wanted me, myself, to change and be a better person. But that is not the repentance that is going to do any good in the long run, because it is all self-centered.

But it served its purpose in helping me submit to God. It helped me give up trying to do anything myself which, before, I was very sure I could do.

And when I submitted, God took care of the rest.

So I don't think the question is really stated as well as it could be. I know it was meant as a trap for non-Calvinists, and obviously Scott knew that, too, or he wouldn't have responded the way he did.

But for others reading this, that is what happened in my life. There are different kinds of repentance and different kinds of belief. I had both in my own terms before. Now I have them in God's terms. They are different now. They are God-centered and not Helen-centered. Still the Helen-centered junk, when God let me see it for what it was, did get used by God to impel me to just give up to Him!

 

I really feel pity for those who feel the need to try to establish a personal belief in such a "loaded" manner!

Sorta like, "Have you stopped beating your wife?" You are are vulnerable regardless of your answer!

My strong concern is for that searching soul, looking for answers, to read a thread like this that IF they (the searcher) have no clue as to truth!!!

Good answers, Scott & Helen!

 

God granted me faith and repentance. I believed on my own. I repented on my own. God did not do the believing or the repenting for me. I would have never come to do so if He had not liberated and enabled me.

Rev. G

 

God granted you repentence and you did the repentence on your own. This makes no sense to me! Does this mean that God allowed you to repent? How can you have it both ways?

 

I'm not sure I agree on every point Rev G. would make, but IMO it sort of does work both ways. Just because we can't wrap our human brains around the apparent paradox doesn't mean it's not true. God is not confined to doing what we think is logical.

 

It isn't having it "both ways." God granted me faith. He gifted me with faith. This is in opposition to the point that the faith was inherent within me. When He gave it, I was able to believe. He did not do the believing for me. I believed. I trusted Christ for salvation. Same with repentance.

This is much different than saying that the faith was inherent in me, and that I did what I could naturally do.

Rev. G

 

You know, this question is similar to one that I asked several individuals on different threads. Namely, "Why did you believe?" There were a variety of answers, such as "I was broken," "I saw the truth," etc. I pressed the point (or as some have said, I "badgered") by asking "What made you to differ from the lost? Were you more broken, more insightful, more humble?" Some came to the point that their only reply was, "I don't know, you'd have to ask the lost." My point in the pressing was this - God made us to differ. When you come down to it, He is the difference.

I don't think this was a "trick" question, as some have alleged. But, I think that some have felt the discomfort of the question because it has made them realize that our salvation ultimately rests with God and His power and His love and His grace, not in ourselves and our autonomy and our strength and our wisdom and our love.

How is this a "trick" question? It recognizes that repentance and faith have either come from God, or from within us.

Rev. G

 

Does anybody want to claim that they are saved because something within them, something they generated, made the difference?

 

Perhaps it's a doctrine of the church of the holy spleen?

 

I will answer the question with a familiar hymn!

Just as I am, without one plea,
But that Thy blood was shed for me,
And that Thou bidst me come to Thee,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, and waiting not
To rid my soul of one dark blot,
To Thee whose blood can cleanse each spot,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, though tossed about
With many a conflict, many a doubt,
Fightings and fears within, without,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, poor, wretched, blind;
Sight, riches, healing of the mind,
Yea, all I need in Thee to find,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, Thou wilt receive,
Wilt welcome, pardon, cleanse, relieve;
Because Thy promise I believe,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

I came because of the gift already given... not to get the gift!... Brother Glen

 

The goodness of God leadeth you (and me) unto repentance.

I believe I was saved only as a result of the Will of God that I be saved. (I also believe that all, whether they know it or not, are saved in the same manner), the confusing part is it looks as if "I" believed. When really, God granted me the ability to see my true nature, repent and believe.

God Bless.
Bro. Dallas

 

God's convicting power through the Holy Spirit made me deeply aware of my destitue situation before Him. He bent my heart to repent before Him. I believe that my response to His convincing me of my utter need produced my repentance in His Presence. Knowing that I could not lift one foot up toward the Lord to save myself, I believe that my need to trust in Him for everything related to my salvation resulted in my trust and utter abandonment to His saving grace.

Grace was offered to me and is offered as a free gift; repentance and faith are the human response to His conviction and free offer of everlasting life.

 

Helen, once again you're in my head...I wholeheartedly agree with all your response.

God called me, and I had a choice, He gave the grace to repent and the power to save. I had to release my life to Him for it to work.

Basically, I didn't really have to do anything , but STOP Doing....!!!!