To cut to the chase we had a very lengthly discussion regarding the topic but the fact remains that they indeed understood the doctrine, which basically says that we are eternally saved from the wages of sin simply because the Bible tells us so and that its implications with the act that they did when they chose to recieve Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior, it is that salvation is wholly the act of
God saving men from their sins through the sacrificial death and ressurection of Christ and another is that scripture tells us that salvation is given by God to man as a gift (or as the Bible tells it: by grace) and like all gifts, it could only be considered ours if we chose to accept it, and to accept it is by putting our faith in Jesus Christ, so to cut the story short they indeed understood that they are saved by the grace of God and that it is their faith in God's work of redemption that they are saved so therefore our faith validates in the Gospel of salvation is what saves us and that it is our belief in that promise of the Bible that gives us the assurance of the eternal security of our salvation.
Another is that again I am in awe that I have been able to expound on it and be able to relate it to them in a way that is neither preachy nor vague and that apart from that I was also able to talk to them about other topics of the faith as well like why Biblical Christianity is against the existence of Purgatory and that I was able to explain to Ryan the topic of the Great White Throne Judgement in the Book of Revelation, and take note that I was able to give them scriptural references that would validate my claim which is not me already since I am no more special in my understanding of Scripture, I truly believe that it was that of the Holy Spirit's work in me that was there yesterday.
Later that night (or better yet early morning) I was also given the chance to have a very long telephone conversation with a common aquiantance who is considering on leaving his religion (INC) for the reason that he is so in love with his girlfriend who is very much on fire for God right now. And to cut it short
I was very troubled by this mainly because I know and he verified it that he's simply chosing to be converted to Christianity is simply because he feels that he cannot move on with his life without that special relationship with his girlfriend and that on the girl's side she is simply that serious with her faith that she is only that serious with God's command that a believer in Christ should no be equally yoked with a none believer.
Though the guy indeed claimed that he is chosing to Christianity over his religion mainly because of the girl and that he also believes that the girl might be God's way of calling him to His pressence and indeed I may in a way agree on that part but I do believe that though the girl may by the way she cannot be the reason for him to be converted, because the right reason would still be and always be the fact that we have the right understanding that we are sinners and that we need God in our lives apart from that it would just be another emotional act of putting being prey to what we feel for the moment.
Another thing that we talked about is that he said that he'd be interested in studying our faith and after that he asked me how one get's saved with Christianity I simply said that one must sincerely receive Jesus Christ as their personal Lord & Savior thus entering into a relationship with God, nothing more nothing less. I was struck by his response that he is basically doubting the fact that it is that simple but come to think of it the
religious system that he is in right now basically denies the truth that Jesus Christ is God and that it is a requirement for one's salvation that they must be a part as well as baptized into their Church and that one must keep all their laws so that they would not be excommunicated thereby forfieting their salvation. Simply put is that their faith is based on again their membership in their church another is in the way of deeds which are commanded of them, which is not that of the person Jesus Christ which the Bible explicitly implies.
The talked went for more than 2 hours or so and I feel that we're simply going nowhere with our talk so in the end I asked him to pray with me that he'll be able to be certain with his intention for converting to us and during that moment I feel kind of guilty and at the same time helpless, because I feel that at that moment the dilemma he's facing is beyond my capacity and that all I can offer him is sympathy another is that my conscience really convicts me not to entertain his decision to move to Christianity for the reason
of his love for the girl, and so we prayed for God to give him the right decernment as to whether he'd really be willing to follow Jesus Christ and as to whether he'd be willing to pay the cost of following him since he also belongs to another system of faith that clearly preaches a different gospel from what I believe. So in the end I simply gave him the four gospels I told him to take the time to read it and to call me then after he's read it and if ever he has any questions.
And just this morning as I was surfing the net I stumbled upon a Christian apologetics site that deals with how a Christian was to deal with such and it says this what I did yesterday was simply an act of preventing him from falling into a false conversion because the fact still stands that we simply need to recieve Christ for the forgiveness of sins, not to "make things better."
So I hope that this have been sort of any value to those of you who are reading this right now. Another is that I really need your prayers with the things that are happening around me right now because though I am already bought by the blood my human nature is still that of the flesh which seeks comfort rather than that of the building up of my character in Christ so please do include me in your prayers.
posted by m35b @ Thursday, August 19, 2004
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