This problem with a Christian doubting his own faith is addressed in scripture:
1 John 3:18-22 (NASB) Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth. We will know by this that we are of the truth, and will assure our heart before Him in whatever our heart condemns us; for God is greater than our heart and knows all things. Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; and whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do the things that are pleasing in His sight.
John is telling us that a person loving “in deed and truth” (and, subsequently, one that keeps God’s commandments and does the things that are pleasing in His sight) can take assurance in this action that he is indeed “of the truth;” he should not feel condemned or guilty in his heart. And John also says that it is a guilt-free heart that can stand boldly before God.
So really this scripture contradicts your conclusions.
Dear Andrew,
Everyone seems to be a heretic for you. Can you please email me. I need to talk to you. Mark Driscol never said that unregenerate sinners can save themselves or that Christ’s sacrifice was insuficient. You are not interpeting any of these men with any charity but with an ax to grind.
You say that all that is necesary to be saved, in truth the only thing that a sinner is capable of doing is “believeing.” Well why is this posible and not “commiting” and other such things. We all know that sinners do not please God and that everything done without faith is sin, but the Bible itself and Jesus himself do not qualify each and every statement they make incesently. Jesus says, “follow me.” Peter says, “Repent and be baptized.” James says, “even the demons believe.” Jesus says, “unless you leave your mother and father and take up your cross you are unworthy of me.” He also says, “if you love me you would obey me.” James says, “if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him?” What God wants is a son or daughter who turns his or her whole life toward God with Faith and love. The Bible say that God is our Father. Lets just pretend that the Bible reveals rather than conceals our relationship with God. Lets say you had two sons. One gave lip service to loving and obeying you but in the end disobeyed you. The other son verbally refused to obey and otherwise disrespected you but in the end did obey. Which son showed that he loves you? Right, neither son is pleasing the father. So how will God, our Heavenly Father deal with us if we say we love him but refuse to obey him? What God seeks is sons who both love and obey him. He wants to make us sons, sons of the free woman. And that is imposible without the Death of Christ our God on the Life Giving Cross and the Healing ministery of the Holy Spirit. If people preached as your prefered them to no one would be invited to “believe,” but we must invite sinners to repent, turn from their ways and take up their cross. That is how the Bible invites people to follow Christ and be regenerated.
Sincerely,
Ryan
But yet people doubt their faith. You could take a hardline position and say they are unsaved. Or you could say they are saved by grace alone and not some kind of intellectual attainment, and despite their free salvation have yet to be fully educated on all the wonderful aspects of grace. Nonetheless the New Testament address the problem and pastors in pastoral care frequently come against this problem with their congregations. Praise the Lord that you never had doubts! But some do, some saints from the Bible had doubts. In a pastoral situation, when one of your flock comes to you and brings you this problem, are we to love them or hate them? Show them the truths of grace or tell them they are unregenerate? Should we tell them that they should love and follow Christ and live a life of 100% faith in him alone for salvation, or should we, afraid that they will think they are “earning salvation by believeing,” not tell them anything except that they are probably not regenerate because they are not elect, and this is demonstrated by the fact that they do not have overwhelming assurance, thus they are lost, and no matter how much they love God and wish to follow Christ, and be filled with the Holy Spirit, and believe in him 100% for salvation they will burn in hell forever because those are all “works.” The latter is absolutely absurd and unbiblical!
Comments (4)
This problem with a Christian doubting his own faith is addressed in scripture:
1 John 3:18-22 (NASB)
Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth.
We will know by this that we are of the truth, and will assure our heart before Him
in whatever our heart condemns us; for God is greater than our heart and knows all things.
Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God;
and whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do the things that are pleasing in His sight.
John is telling us that a person loving “in deed and truth” (and, subsequently, one that keeps God’s commandments and does the things that are pleasing in His sight) can take assurance in this action that he is indeed “of the truth;” he should not feel condemned or guilty in his heart. And John also says that it is a guilt-free heart that can stand boldly before God.
So really this scripture contradicts your conclusions.
Dear Andrew,
Everyone seems to be a heretic for you. Can you please email me. I need to talk to you. Mark Driscol never said that unregenerate sinners can save themselves or that Christ’s sacrifice was insuficient. You are not interpeting any of these men with any charity but with an ax to grind.
You say that all that is necesary to be saved, in truth the only thing that a sinner is capable of doing is “believeing.” Well why is this posible and not “commiting” and other such things. We all know that sinners do not please God and that everything done without faith is sin, but the Bible itself and Jesus himself do not qualify each and every statement they make incesently. Jesus says, “follow me.” Peter says, “Repent and be baptized.” James says, “even the demons believe.” Jesus says, “unless you leave your mother and father and take up your cross you are unworthy of me.” He also says, “if you love me you would obey me.” James says, “if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him?” What God wants is a son or daughter who turns his or her whole life toward God with Faith and love. The Bible say that God is our Father. Lets just pretend that the Bible
reveals rather than conceals our relationship with God. Lets say you
had two sons. One gave lip service to loving and obeying you but in the
end disobeyed you. The other son verbally refused to obey and otherwise
disrespected you but in the end did obey. Which son showed that he
loves you? Right, neither son is pleasing the father. So how will God,
our Heavenly Father deal with us if we say we love him but refuse to
obey him? What God seeks is sons who both love and obey him. He wants
to make us sons, sons of the free woman. And that is imposible without the Death of Christ our God on the Life Giving Cross and the Healing ministery of the Holy Spirit. If people preached as your prefered them to no one would be invited to “believe,” but we must invite sinners to repent, turn from their ways and take up their cross. That is how the Bible invites people to follow Christ and be regenerated.
Sincerely,
Ryan
But yet people doubt their faith. You could take a hardline position and say they are unsaved. Or you could say they are saved by grace alone and not some kind of intellectual attainment, and despite their free salvation have yet to be fully educated on all the wonderful aspects of grace. Nonetheless the New Testament address the problem and pastors in pastoral care frequently come against this problem with their congregations. Praise the Lord that you never had doubts! But some do, some saints from the Bible had doubts. In a pastoral situation, when one of your flock comes to you and brings you this problem, are we to love them or hate them? Show them the truths of grace or tell them they are unregenerate? Should we tell them that they should love and follow Christ and live a life of 100% faith in him alone for salvation, or should we, afraid that they will think they are “earning salvation by believeing,” not tell them anything except that they are probably not regenerate because they are not elect, and this is demonstrated by the fact that they do not have overwhelming assurance, thus they are lost, and no matter how much they love God and wish to follow Christ, and be filled with the Holy Spirit, and believe in him 100% for salvation they will burn in hell forever because those are all “works.” The latter is absolutely absurd and unbiblical!
Sincerely,
Ryan
Entering the 1990s, new Louis Vuitton wallets was named president of LV, and in 1992, his brand opened its first cheap bags lv at the Palace Hotel in Beijing. Further new lv became introduced such as the Louis Vuitton Card Holder Monogram Vernis leather line in 1993, and the Holder Monogram Multicolore collection of Voyager Avec… in 1994. In 1996, the celebration of the Centennial of the Monogram Canvas was held in seven cities Louis Vuitton Card Holder Epi Leather.[3]After introducing its pen collection in 1997, lv new handbag made Marc Jacobs alongside Jae its Art Directors the following year in 1998.[3] In March of the following year, Louis Vuitton Travel Monogram Canvas designed and introduced the company’s first Louis Vuitton Ebene Canvas line of clothing for men and women. Also in this year products introduced included the Monogram Vernis line, the lv Travel,