Originally posted by Living4Him:
Now what do these verses (if anything,) have to do with having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
[qb]
Good, so you now can admit that they had nothing to do with the original question that I asked you, but were simply a diversionary tactic.
I have a personal relationship with Jesus, my Lord and My Savior.
I don't believe that you are in a position to sit in judgement as to what my personal relationship with Jesus is.
First, this is a debate forum. Second, Jesus said to judge righteous judgement. Third, you said previously that you had always a personal relationship with Christ. You had always loved Christ. That is why I posted those verses on sin.
Sin separates us from God. Only God can forgive your sin. That is why Christ made an atonement for your sin (not the priest). Therefore he is the one that can forgive your sin (not the priest). It was Christ that paid the sole penalty for your sin, not anyone else. He took the entire penalty on himself. Thus any work or merit that we have to offer is of no consequence. There is nothing that we can do to merit the salvation that Christ offers us, for he paid the penalty of all of our sins. This is why good works and baptism can't buy your way into heaven. They can't pay the price of salvation. Only the blood of Christ can. He suffered to pay the price that we could never pay--the price of the penalty of our sins, which is eternal death.
It is impossible to be a Christian all of your life. Many have religion, but not a relationship. A relationship comes through being born again. But according to Catholic teaching, being born again is to be baptized, which has nothing to do with being born again. Jesus said:
John 3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
--Thus it is important to be be born again.
But for a quick explanation let's go straight to John 1:
John 1:11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not.
--When Jesus came, he came to the Jewish nation first. They rejected him as their Messiah and crucified him instead. "They received him not."
John 1:12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
--But those that did
receive him became the children of God, even those that believed on his name.
--By receiving Christ as Savior, by believing on Him, one becomes born again. This is how one is born again and develops a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
John 1:13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
--Here John makes it more clear.
Born not of blood. It is not passed down by blood. That is you are not born into a Christian family. You cannot be a Christian just because your family is a Christian family. It doesn't work that way. You can't "inherit" Christianity.
"Nor of the will of the flesh" Putting the fleshly things behind and trying to be a good person is not being born again. That is reformation, not regeneration.
"Not of the will of man." You just can't make up your mind and declare yourself a Christian someday. It is not a simple confession, by your will. Even the devils believe and tremble.
But it is being "born of God. You must be born of God. You must trust Christ as Savior. Ask Him to come into your heart, and by the power of his Holy Spirit dwell within you. This is an act of faith and faith alone.
"As many as received him..even to those that believed on his name" (acted in faith).
There must be a point in time in your life where you have done that: admit to Christ that you are a sinner in need of a Savior; that your sin has condemned you to a Christless eternity; that only the atoning sacrifice of Christ can save (not the priest, not the mass, etc.) but Christ alone. And then believe on him alone for the remission of sins.
Acts 10:43 To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.
Has there been a specific time and place that you remember where you have done that?
DHK
