You can get your panties in a bunch all you want, but the bottom line is that you made an assertion that the bible SAYS.....
So, if the bible says it, tell us where. And if the bible DOESN'T say what you claim, then you need to clean up what you say.
Believing in (or upon) Jesus is plainly stated in multiple dozens of scripture.
So where is this accepting Him into your life? What the he is that supposed to mean, anyway? It's very ambiguous, and can mean anything to anybody
And where is this accepting Him into your heart?
You're trying to palm off a mystical deception as biblical truth, and you got called in the carpet.
It's not an issue of tomatoes, it's an issue of truth. The nonsense you teach leads to destruction. And I hope that offends you to the point that you'll take an honest look at what you're saying.
The only one who can call me on the carpet is God through the Holy Spirit, and that is because HIs is the only voice I listen to. Your words have no standing in my sight, For all I know, you may be an atheist, here on the board by false application? So, your view is your view. I note your opinion, but, feel it is worthless and void.
As I said to
recieve him is the same as to
accept him. Merely semantics on your nitpicking behalf. I have led many people to Jesus inviting folks to "accept" Him as Savior, to live in their heart and to rule his or her life. Are you trying to tell me, that God will not save those folks based on my words, or as you put it mystical deception? Because if that is what you are trying to assert, it is you who has given more credence to the doctrine of words, and not the remorse and willingness of a repentant sinner to ask Jesus into their heart and life!
It is not the words of invitation, or the words of our prayer that addresses and changes the condition of ones heart when the Holy Spirit convicts that sinful heart and urges them to come forward and make Jesus their Lord and Savior.
It is aparent that the condition of your heart is being guided by perfection of doctrine, and not according to the actual leading of the Holy Ghost? But if you want to go out on that spiritual limb and teell me that the thousands I have led to Jesus over my lifetime are in fact not saved, well, go ahead and say it!
As I said at the top of this comment, you may call me on the carpet all you want James .... but unfortunately it is not your authority that I recognize or move under. God is my judge, and the author of what words come from my mouth. And I choose to use the term "Accept Him" over "recieve Him" and that is acceptable according to the Thesaurus.
As to where He will spend eternity in a person's body, I believe repentance begins with the heart: Romans 10:9 ESV -
"Because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved."
As for living in the heart of a person, read these different versions of Ephesians 3:17:
New International Version - "so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love,"
New Living Translation - "Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God's love and keep you strong."
English Standard Version - "so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love,"
New American Standard Bible - "so that
Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love,"
King James Bible - "That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,"
Pulpit Commentary: "Verse 17. - That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith. Reversing the usual order, the prayer begins (ver. 16) by asking the blessing of the Third Person of the Godhead; now we have a cluster of petitions connected with the Second Person. The first of these is for the indwelling of Christ in their hearts, as opposed to mere occasional visits or influences from Christ; the instrument by which this blessing is attained being their faith. Christ exercising a constant power within them, both in the active and passive movements of the heart, giving the sense of pardon and acceptance, molding the will, sweetening the emotions, enlightening and confirming the conscience, purifying the whole springs and principles of action. This to be secured by their faith, opening the door, receiving Christ in all his fullness, resting and living on him, believing his promises, and longing for his appearing the second time. In order that ye, having been rooted and grounded in love. Two images are combined to make the idea emphatic - that of a tree and that of a building; denoting what is both the starting-point and the support of the Christian's life, viz. love. In what sense? The love of Christ is specified afterwards (ver. 19), but this may be as a pre-eminent branch of that manifold love which bears on the Christian life - the love of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost; the love of the brethren to one another; and the reciprocal love evoked from the believer by the reception of this love. Evidently it is implied that the Christian life can begin and flourish only in such an atmosphere of love; as warm sunshine is needed to start and advance the life of a plant, so love is needed to start and carry on the life of the soul. Experience of Divine love is a great quickening and propelling power. "One glance of God, a touch of his love, will free and enlarge the heart, so that it can deny all and part with all and make an entire renunciation of all to follow him" (Archbishop Leighton).
Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible: That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith,.... This is another petition put up by the apostle for the Ephesians, which is for the inhabitation of Christ in them: the inhabitant Christ is he who dwells in the highest heavens, who dwells in the Father, and the Father in him, in whom all fulness dwells, the fulness of the Godhead, and the fulness of grace; so that those in whose hearts he dwells cannot want any good thing, must be in the greatest safety, and enjoy the greatest comfort and pleasure; and this inhabitation of Christ prayed for is not to be understood in such sense, as he dwells everywhere, being the omnipresent God; or as he dwells in the human nature; nor of his dwelling merely by his Spirit, but of a personal indwelling of his; and which is an instance of his special grace: he dwells in his people, as a king in his palace, to rule and protect them, and as a master in his family to provide for them, and as their life to quicken them; it is in consequence of their union to him, and is expressive of their communion with him, and is perpetual; where he once takes up his residence, he never totally and finally departs: the place where he dwells is not their heads, nor their tongues, but their hearts; and this is where no good thing dwells but himself and his grace; and where sin dwells, and where he is often slighted, opposed, and rebelled against: the means by which he dwells is faith; which is not the bond of union to Christ, nor the cause of his being and dwelling in the hearts of his people; but is the instrument or means by which they receive him, and retain him, and by which they have communion with him:
that ye being rooted and grounded in love; either in love to God, and one another; for faith and love go together; and love is sometimes weak, and needs establishing; and what serves to root and ground persons in it, are the discoveries of God's love, views of Christ's loveliness, the consideration of blessings received, and the communion they have with God, and Christ, and one another, and a larger insight into the doctrines of the Gospel: or rather in the love of God to them; which is the root and foundation of salvation; this is in itself immovable and immutable; but saints have not always the manifestations of it, and sometimes call it in question, and have need to be rooted and grounded in it; which is to have a lively sense of it, and to be persuaded of interest in it, and that nothing shall be able to separate from it.
In conclusion, James, or whoever you really are, read this link, if you dare:
http://www.jesus.org/following-jesu...vation/can-jesus-really-live-in-my-heart.html
So place those panties back over your head and continue to peek out the leg size cutouts. They have brought you this far in life, and I'd hate to see you stop a good thing :laugh: