Conference yukon::christian_v7

RE:                       <<< Note 267.0 by DV780::ARAGON >>>
                              -< Help me witness >-

  I'm kinda short on time here, but first off I'll keep you both in prayer,
 and here's a couple things that might help.   

    
       
   . 1.  How can we know for SURE that we can get into heaven?
    
         First, one has to realize that they are a sinner, and there is
         nothing one can on their own to enter heaven.

         Romans 3:10  "There is none righteous, no, not one"

         Romans 3:23  "For *all* (my emphasis) have sinned and come short
                       of the glory of God."
                      

         He need to see that all of us are sinners

         Then he needs to understand that our sin separates us from God
         
         Romans 6:23 "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God
                      is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord"

         
        Then he needs to see that Jesus paid the price for our sin
     

        Romans 5:8 "But God commendeth (proved) his love toward us, in 
                    that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us"

                    

        and that by accepting that death in our place, God will save us
  

        Romans 10:13 "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord
                      shall be saved"


        There are more, but these are essentially the basics.


       
   . 3.  Why will God reject a "good" person because he didn't believe in
   .     Jesus?
    

         Romans 3:10 "..there are none righteous..no not one"  and Ephesians
         2:8 "For by grace are ye saved through faith, lest any man should
         boast"..there is nothing we can do, to enter heaven, apart from 
         accepting Jesus Christ.


  
    Sorry if these are unclear...I'm kinda pressed for time...


    This is exciting!



 Jim    

    1.  How can we know for SURE that we can get into heaven?

Jesus said so.

John 14:2  In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would
have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

But with Jim's note in .1, the "you" for whom Jesus prepares are His own
disciples.  So how do we know we are his disciples?

John 8:31  Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye
continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;

John 13:35  By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have
love one to another.

John 15:8  Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall
ye be my disciples.

    
    2.  What does it mean to be a Christian...or what is a Christian?

Simply this:  a follower of Christ and His teachings, which include
              belief in Him for salvation from our sin.  An imitator of
              Christ, himself.
    
    3.  Why will God reject a "good" person because he didn't believe in
        Jesus?
    
John 14:6  Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no
man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

This is a common question, especially considering many in the world 
may live and die without knowing who Jesus is.  The things to bear is mind
are these: (1) we must walk in the light we have, and are responsible for
the knowledge that we have. (2) God's ways are not always comprehended by
man but we can know that part of God's character is justice and mercy,
that God sees the heart of man.  By coupling this with "every knee shall
bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord" we do not see the complete
picture that God has for all humanity.  BUT! We, in possession of knowledged 
about "the Way, the Truth, and the Life" are responsible to act on that 
knowledge, and also to go to those who have not heard and teach them about 
Jesus and His redemption.

    4.  Who is ruling this world - God or Satan?
    
Satan is called the prince of this world.  But if you look, you will see
that there is an extent (boundary) to his rulership.  Satan must ask
permission from God (Job 1) - God overrules.

Nothing happens without God's active or permissive will.  This causes us
coniptions because we see all manner of evil being perpetrated in the world.
And we must remember that we cannot see the whole picture, just as looking
at the dot on a TV screen that is blue doesn't make the whole screen blue.
When one can step back from the TV, they can see that the blue dot is
one of many colored dots to form a whole and clear picture.  Each of 
sees the world from our dot, but God sees the whole of it.  When we
begin to see this, we can also say with confidence:

Romans 8:28  And we know that all things work together for good to them that
love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

More if you like.

    ---  How do you know?
    
    I John uses know many many times,  ie we know, you know etc.
    
    
    1John 5:13
    
    These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the
    Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may
    believe on the name of the Son of God.
            
    
    In fact by reading God's word and listening to the Holy Spirit is the
    way to know.  I become convinced that multiplication works, etc by
    doing.  I am convinced that God's word gives the know by reading,
    praying, and doing.
    
    

Jim has pointed out some good ones in Romans, which is a great one for the 
doctrinal basis.  I can't resist adding a few ... (I use the New 
International Version)

	=====================================================
    1.  How can we know for SURE that we can get into heaven?
	=====================================================

This is an 'assurance' one.  Even if I ask the LORD Jesus into my heart, 
how can I *know*...

Beforehand you can't - the assurance only comes afterwards, because it 
takes Him in your heart, in control, for you to recognise.  Even then, 
sometimes it's gradual rather than sudden.   But a great book for 
assurance is 1 John.

1 John 1:9
 "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins 
  and purify us from all unrighteousness..."
to :
1 John 2:25
 "...and this is what He promised us - even eternal life"

2 Timothy 1:12 :
 "I know whom I have believed and am convinced that He is able to guard what 
  I have entrusted to Him for that day"

    - "what I have entrusted" - my eternal life / salvation
    - "that day" - the day of judgement and revelation; the dawn of eternity.

Ephesians 1:13 :
 "Having believed, you were marked in Him with a seal, the promised Holy 
 Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption 
 of those who are God's possession - to the praise of His glory"

	- GUARANTEED.

	=============================================================
    2.  What does it mean to be a Christian...or what is a Christian?
	=============================================================

Again, Jim outlined the steps in becoming a Christian - the realisation 
that *I* am included personally in the 'all' of Romans 3:23  
 "For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God."

 - That only He can take away my unrighteousness and give me His righteousness.
 - Asking Him (by prayer) into my heart to do just that, which gives Him 
   the right of ownership there.

Verse 24 continues: 
 "and are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that came by 
  Jesus Christ."

'Justified' - 'made just', or righteous, in His eyes.

Ephesians 2:8
 "...it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this is not 
  from yourselves, it is the gift of God..."

 - something you can - should - ask for, available free, because we have 
   no currency that can be counted in that sort of value.  That's why He had 
   to do it for us if we were to be saved at all.

... so much to be said there, but so little tme (getting late for me here
    in the UK) 

	================================================================
    3.  Why will God reject a "good" person because he didn't believe in
        Jesus?
	================================================================

When the Bible says : "There is none righteous, no, not one" (Romans 3:10), 
it means just that.  What we think of as 'goodness' falls woefully short of 
the standard of perfection that God designed us to be capable of.  This 
design reaches His holiness - remember Romans 3:23
 "For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God."
 - 'the glory of God' is or potential, but we burn up, at best, glorifying 
man.  Doing 'good deeds' to help fallen man, and not acknowledging that
this is a work of god, done primarily for Him - even as sin is primarily 
against Him (Psalm 51:4, after murdering Bathsheba's husband!).

Isaiah 64:6 say :
 "...all our righteous acts are like filthy rags"
Whereas what we need is told in Isaiah 61:10
 "...he has clothed me with garments of salvation,and arrayed me in a 
  robe of righteousness..."

Remember the sheep and goats judgement of Matthew 25:31-46 - in verse 44,  
the unrighteous think that in their own strength they did enough.  The 
world's valuation of 'goodness', by man's effort.

In verse 37-9, the righteous say - "Hey, we never did anything like 
great..." - meaning tht they recognised that their strength and efforts 
just don't penetrate the eternity barrier, in terms of making their souls 
righteous.  But the LORD Jesus said (verse 40) that because it was done for 
Him, He could turn it to eternal account.  The blood of Jesus Christ 
purifies us from all sin.. (1 John 1:7)

    
	========================================
    4.  Who is ruling this world - God or Satan?
	========================================

1 John 3:8b
 "The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's work."

If The LORD Jesus brought total righteousness in *now*, it would not just 
mean a 'better' world, but a perfect one.  In fact., it would imply 
judgement.  He is waiting before doing this so that more can repent and 
come to righteousness, to escape the just wrath of God.

Those who follow the devil are following one who knows he is alreadyv 
defeated - Revelation 12:12 :
 "...the devil has gone down to you! he is filled with fury because he 
  knows his time is short"

The devil has to ask God for permission to test/temp/try the LORD's people 
- Luke 22:31, Job 1:8-12, 2:3-6, 42:10...

Jesus said in the gospel of John 16:11 :
 "...the prince of this world" [satan] "now stands condemned"
 - Jesus had broken the devil's claim on the world, by living a perfect 
   life, before He sacrificed His perfect life for our sins...

In John 16:33, He added "...take heart! I have overcome the world"

And, of course, in 1 John 4:4 :
 "the One Who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world."

*exciting* things to ponder on.... thanks!  I just *wish* I had more time...

And like Jim, I'll be praying

			may God bless you both richly
							Andrew

    Hi ! 
    
    Wow does your story sound familiar, not unlike my own!
    
    It sounds to me like you need a Pastor to help with these questions. 
    But since my brothers are answering the how can you know for sure that
    Jesus saves you, I won't address that.
    
    One of the things that I would suggest... from experience.  Is that
    while you may be able to address what you know in your heart to be
    true, the position you have as a wife is not to lead your husband
    spiritually.  If you can position yourself with him, so that he
    takes the lead in finding out the answers to these questions from a
    Spiritual authority or fellow Christian in your area [maybe from off
    this conference], I really want to encourage you to do so.
    
    Perhaps instead of being the person who is an authority of Spiritual
    matters, you can say to him, here is what I believe, but really because
    my walk with God and study of the Bible has been so little, I'd like
    someone else [with credibility] to talk to both of us about these
    questions you have.
    
    If your husband excepts Christ, you will have set him up to be the
    Spiritual leader in your home.  
    
    In Him,
    Nancy
    
    
    P.S.
    
    Let me please be careful to say that your *influence* in his life
    spiritually speaking is always there, but leading is a different story.
    
    

        We didn't get your name, but welcome back to the family of God!!

	I don't have a lot of time, so forgive me for the generalizations.
	I pray that others will be able to provide specifics.

>>    1.  How can we know for SURE that we can get into heaven?

	John ch 3 in it's entirety.  (Keep in mind that Being born
			of water refers to physical birth, not baptism)
	Romans 10:9, 10:13, 10:17
	Ephesians 2:8, 2:9

	There is also a verse in the New Testament that says something
	like, the gospel was delivered to you "... that you may know ..."
	that you can be saved and enter the Kingdom of Heaven.  Please
	forgive, I haven't the time to look these up.  

>>    2.  What does it mean to be a Christian...or what is a Christian?

	Quick study in the short books of James and 1-John.
	When you have time, read the books of John and Acts.
    
>>    3.  Why will God reject a "good" person because he didn't believe in
>>        Jesus?

	Romans 3:10-3:18.  Please look up the cross-references for
	clarification.  Also, the verse where Jesus asks, "Why do you call
	me good?  There is none good but God,"  thereby reasserting His
	Godhood and clearly showing that all have sinned (except Jesus).

        God is a Holy God.  He cannot allow any sin in Heaven, in His
        presence.  Hell was prepared for Satan and his minion.  Sin is to
        be cast into Hell.  Unfortunately, the sinner must be cast in with
        the sin.  The blood of Christ atones for our sin, and His
        resurrection demonstrates our redemption, but we must accept,
        believe in, and trust in this.

        If you are arrested for a crime, and brought to a perfectly just
        judge, you will be sentenced according to the just penalty for that
        crime, irrespective of how good you've been all the rest of your
        life.  God will not weigh our good deeds against our bad.  If  you
        ever looked defiantly at your mother and said, "No!", if you ever
        lied, if you ever stole, if you ever bore a grudge, if you ever
        envied, etc, etc, you committed a sin against a Holy God, a sin
        deserving of eternal separation from Him.  From James, "If you have
        offended in one point [of the law] you have offended in all."

        The perfectly just Judge, God, loving us as much as He does, was
        willing to come to earth, live as a man, and die as a criminal,
        though He was perfecly innocent, in order to justify us before
        Himself and all creation.  For, we cannot be pardoned out of hand,
        that is not justice.  Neither could God appoint one of His created
        beings to suffer this, as that would also be unjust.  He had to do
        it Himself, "in the flesh".  He had to make Himself "a little lower
        than the angels" to occupy a man's body in the person of Jesus of
        Nazareth.  This is a mystery we will never fully understand on this
        earth.  Many are they that stumble at it.

	This salvation is a free gift of God.  We cannot work for a gift,
	else it is wages, not a gift.  We must, however, come to claim the
	gift.  To claim the free gift of salvation, a person undergoes a
	real change of heart to turn from doing things his way to doing
	things God's way, and accepting and trusting Jesus at His word.
    
>>    4.  Who is ruling this world - God or Satan?

        God is in control of all things, though the world system of things
        is pretty much a device of Satan and his minion.  The trouble in
	the world is not a result of the struggle between God and Satan.
	Satan cannot win against God, so struggle there is useless.
	Rather, it is a struggle between mankind and Satan.  Man needs
	God to defeat Satan in his life.  God is simply waiting for us to
	turn to Him.  We are not God's robots, we have a free will.  He
	will not make up our minds for us, though He may back us into
	corners where we must decide.

        The best way to illustrate the relationship is how we relate to our
        children and the children of others.  We don't (as a rule)
        discipline other people's children.  Until we are born again, we
        are Satan's children (John 8:44).  What happens to the unsaved is a
        natural outcome of their actions and free agency in a world of sin.
        Some would call this "reality discipline".  Those who are sick of
        life's knocks will seek God, and seeking, with contrite hearts and
        humility of spirit, they will find.  Once we become God's children,
        life become's God's bootcamp, rather than the Devil's house of
        horrors.  The closer we adhere to the discipline He has prescribed,
        the less shaken we will be by the hardships in life.

	Tony

I would also suggest one of the many excellent books that have been written 
which go into the questions we have and how the Bible answers them.  Two that
come to mind are "Mere Christianity" by C. S. Lewis, and "Evidence that demands
a Verdict" by Josh McDowell.

Paul

    Oops...my first name is Kathy.
    
    Thank you all for responding on such a short timeframe.  I'm taking
    what you've given me so far, and please add more if you can.  
    
    Again, thanks for your prayers and encouragement...I'm so EXCITED to
    see God working in our lives!!!
    
    Gotta go...customers are waiting.
    
    In His love,
    Kathy

    Just a quick reference to a couple of verses mentioned earlier:
    
    And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, 
    which are not written in this book:  But these are written, that ye
    might believe that Jesus is the Christ,  the Son of God; and that
    believing ye might have life through his name. (John 20:30-31)
    
    Mark L.

    Hi Kathy:

    I praise God for your decision and urge you to press on toward the goal 
for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. 

    1.  How can we know for SURE that we can get into heaven?

        "My sheep know my voice, and I know them and they follow me.  And 
	I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither
	shall any man ever pluck them out of my hand.  My Father which gave
	them me, is greater than all, and no man is able to pluck them from 
	my Father's hand.  I and my Father are one."  John 10: 26-30.

        "That we should be to the praise of His glory, who first trusted
	in Christ.  In whom also you trusted, after that ye HEARD the word
	of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that you 
	believed, you were SEALED with the Holy Spirit of Promise." 
	Ephesians 1:13.
        Note: In the days of the Roman Empire, a seal was a mark of ownership.
	Before salvation, we are God's creation.  After getting saved, we
	become God's adopted son's/daughters and co-heirs with Christ.
	Take above passage with John 3:16 and I believe that seals the deal!!	

    
    2.  What does it mean to be a Christian...or what is a Christian?
    
	I would strongly suggest you and your husband study Romans Ch. 7 and 
	8.  After receiving Christ (the crux of becoming a Christian), you
	are now an enemy of Satan.  Why, because he cannot have you and he
	know's it.  Christ's righteousness was placed on you.
	Romans 7 talks of the natural man and Romans 8 talks about living
        in the Spirit!! 

    3.  Why will God reject a "good" person because he didn't believe in
        Jesus?

	"For what shall it profit a man if he gain the world yet lose his 
	own soul"  It is amazing what people will do for a miniscule fraction
	of the world!  I think the proper question is, Why would a just God
	allow us in heaven.  By nature, we are an enemy of God.  Sad but true!
	If God did it our way, we would have been wiped off the face of the
	earth years ago.  When we ask God to judge us by our goodness, 
	we knoweth not what we ask!!!

    
    4.  Who is ruling this world - God or Satan?
    
	Others have answered quite adequately.



	I wish you God's best and urge you to seek a local church that speaks
	and teaches Christ and the cross!!

	God Bless,


	-Jack          

    2.  What does it mean to be a Christian...or what is a Christian?
    
    According to Romans 7 & 8, one important difference between a Christian
    and a non Christian is that a Christian has received the Spirit of
    Christ and is controlled by that Spirit while a non Christian is still
    controlled by the sinful nature.
    
    "You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature BUT BY THE
    SPIRIT, if the Spirit of God lives in you.  And if anyone does not have
    the Spirit of Christ, HE DOES NOT BELONG TO CHRIST." Rom 8:9
    
    "Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on
    what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the
    Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires." Rom 8:5
    
    All of us, everyone who has ever been born, have been born with a sinful
    nature - I don't say this in a condeming way (if we all have this, how
    can we point fingers at each other - this is what Romans 2 is all
    about).  Paul describes the sinful nature in Romans 7:
    
    "I do not understand what I do."
    "For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do."
    "For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out."
    "For what I do is not the good I want to do; no the evil I do not want
    to do - this I keep on doing."
    
    The picture is clear, sin is not a matter of breaking rules of
    religion, it's a condition which is inherent to human kind - even the
    "best" of human kind.  There is one solution to it:
    
    "Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ
    Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the SPIRIT OF LIFE set
    me free from the law of sin and death."
    
    When a person excepts Christ Jesus, he is born again - not a physical
    birth, but a spiritual birth.  God's Spirit is born in him.
    
    It's this Spirit that makes us better, makes us Christian.  When I was
    a teenager, the only Christians I knew were one set of grandparents. 
    When I looked at them as compared to me I figured there were two kinds
    of people in the world; those who like to go to church and be religious
    and good; and those who like sex, fun and rock and roll (guess which one
    I was in!).  I thought you were born one or the other.  When I became a
    Christian I found out otherwise.  You are "born again" one, else you
    are the other.
    
    By the way, We still have our sinful nature after receiving Christ, but
    we don't have to be controlled by it any longer.
    
    "Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation - but it is not to the
    sinful nature, to live according to it.  For if you live according to
    the sinful nature, you will die (even if you are a Christian! MLN); but
    if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will
    live, because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God."
    
    Being a Christian, means "Christ in you, the hope of glory". Col 1:27
    
    3.  Why will God reject a "good" person because he didn't believe in
        Jesus?
    
    I can't say for sure He will (it's going to be Him doing the judging on
    that day, not me) but why take a chance.
    
    4.  Who is ruling this world - God or Satan?
    
    Easy, Christ!
    
    "...which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and
    seated him in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority,
    power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the
    present age but also in the one to come." Eph 1:20
    
    "Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name
    that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should
    bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth..." Phil 2:9
    
    "And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public
    spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross." Col 2:15
    
    Obviously though, Satan, although defeated and a "short timer" can
    still influence those who listen to his lies and who don't know the
    truth.  And it's for this reason that we see so much destruction and
    sorrow in the world.

    Hi,  
    
    I was just wondering how it went with your husband?  Prayed for him
    last night with my kiddies.
    
    Nancy

    Nancy,
    
    Thanks for asking.  I did what you recommended (I think it was you!)
    and gave Mike the listing of all the replys that night and just told
    him that I was giving him information that I recieved from the
    conference members.  I didn't say "you should really read this", or
    apply any pressure or guidance to him, but just left it by our computer 
    where he was working.  Immediately after I gave him the list, our doorbell 
    rang and we had company until bed time.  Friday night we talked for a few 
    minutes, and he told me he hadn't had a chance to "really take a good look" 
    at the papers I gave him.
    
    Saturday, Mike's uncle died suddenly from a massive heart attack. 
    Mike's grandfather (same side of the family) died 6 weeks ago.  So
    needless to say, everlasting life has been utmost in Mike's mind.  We
    haven't had a chance to sit together and talk about what's been
    happending, because Mike's been helping his aunt and visiting with the
    relatives that flew in.  Things are a little hectic, right now, as you
    can imagine.  
    
    But, I'm noticing that Mike doesn't have the anger at God that he had
    when his grandfather passed away.  Please continue to pray, as our
    family goes through this sad time.  
    
    
    
    <Kathy>
    

 Will keep praying, for his salvation and for comfort in this time of
 loss.






Jim

    Amen!  And thanks for the update.  My heart goes out to you during this
    rough time.  And I will keep you in prayer.
    
    Nancy