Being contrite is merely one aspect of holiness in action. Isaiah was crushed when he saw the vision of the Lord. 'Woe is me' expressed his emotions, and the Lord cleansed him and when he responds 'Here I am send me' his iniquity was purged to be of use to the Lord God. (Is.6:1-8). In the case of Judas remorse would not help. Neither did it with Esau.
Contrition in order to be complete must restore peace with God. Simon Peter denied his master without losing the peace. Jesus entrusted the care of his flock to his chief apostle as nothing happened, 'Feed my sheep' ( John 21:17 )
No man is justified by expression of contrition alone. Judas felt remorse but his faith could not be restored. So faith with works is man's abiding life with Jesus Christ is the key. "Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders,/Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What is that to us? see thou to that." (Matt.27:3-4) He merely returned other man's riches without restoring peace with God. "I am the Way" Jesus said. By denouncing him he had thrown the key to salvation away. His works condemned him.
We do need to pray to Israel that they will wipe out Hamas and end this, but the world says: "lets give Hamas a break so they can regroup during the cease fire, and, of course, Hamas isn't just satisfied with returning hostages, which is imperative, but also demands more then twice the number of Palestinian prisoners in exchange for hostages to be released. I know as God's people Israel will never be wiped of the face of the earth, as the Palestinians so dearly want to happen.
We also need to be sure we are praying for the Jews to find the Lord. There are organizations like One For Israel that provide food, clothing and companionship for the elderly Jews and their families are seeing this. It gives them a great opportunity to, not only tell them of the Lord, but show them also. They are also helping the soldiers and their families with support and supplies. I pray for the soldiers and their families, the healing of the hostages. I pray for peace but only what is best for Israel. I hope they won't relent until all of Gaza is freed from the terrible hold Hamas has on it.
I don't believe this is for sure a sign of the end times because as this quote says: "Conflict in Israel has been a reality whenever Israel has existed as a nation. . . .attempts to completely destroy Israel will always fail. The Persecutors of Israel will come and go, but the persecution will remain until the second coming of Christ. As a result, conflict in Israel is not a reliable indicator of the soon arrival of the end Times." Got Questions: "What is Israel's role in the end?" God Bless :)
These are God's people and He definitely has their souls in His hands also the terrorists need salvation so I am praying for them also. God Bless :)
God is in control and He will know whom he should deliver and whom he will let to their own devices. The Bible is very clear and let us stick to our faith and take this day This is the day that God has made and I shall rejoice in it. Israel is a drop in the troubled sea and as Isaiah says it will keep roiling as Hanas another drop. What muck they churn up is not for me pick up. With joy and peace,
God's people are "the bride", there are only two camps. In Christ, or not. 490 years were given to "finish the transgression".. Dan 9.. Galations tells us that all who come to Christ through faith are "heirs" to the promise, also says that the Jerusalem (in Arabia) is represented by Hagar, "cast out the bondwoman", and that Jerusalem that is above is free, and is the mother of us all Gal 4:26. The Jerusalem that is above.. Rev 21:2.. John saw the city new Jerusalem coming down from heaven..This "literal" Israeli thing is a snare. A falsehood of satan. There are only "two camps".. wheat or tares, sheep or goats, wise virgins, unwise virgins.. "in Christ.. or not.
I agree Rainwalker. there are only two camps. One is either in Christ or not. And election does have much to do with this from
God's perspective. From ours, we either profess Jesus as Lord and Savior and God, and Creator, and King, and our Righteousness, or not
For the Jews, one was either a Jew or a gentile. The Jew being chosen by God and the gentiles not. But this is not truly so. Abraham was not a Jew, nor David, nor Noah, but they were chosen by God. Jesus cleared all that up through His teachings during his earthly life and through how He inspired Paul to write to the churches that were a mix of both Jew and gentile. Those in Christ are one in Him. Those not in Him are not united to Him as we are.
Jesus asking Peter, "Who do YOU say that I am?" is really the question of the ages, isn't it?
We can pray for any and all people to be blessed by God with salvation, provision, healing, and deliverance for we do not know whom God will show His favor to or send His Holy Spirit to sent to regenerate them into believers. There are almost 7 billion people on the earth now. God knows every single one through and through. But for His grace, we are all enemies of God due to our sinfulness. But to those He predestined, he called, and to those he called, he saved. We are among those He chose for redemption.
There are millions more chosen for salvation that need to come to Christ yet. We can pray for those brethren to be as well. As to those who will never come to Christ, I don't really know how to pray concerning that matter, only that we can never truly know if an unbeliever come to be a sheep or remain a goat . Therefore, we are to have compassion for all and a passion for all to come to the knowledge of the truth of salvation in Christ. May each of us on here be obedient to the call of God to be used for the bringing into the fellowship of believers those He selects to be in each of our lives.
You respond by telling me Jews are goats but nothing is said that you are praying for their salvation to become true believers. Many have. These people have gone through a terrible, tragic time recently, are you praying for them?
Never said Jews are goats. There are 2 camps, among those are sheep and goats, in Christ or not in Christ. Many have "suffered".. Spanish inquisition?.. Somalia, Ukraine, 3 major wars between India and Pakistan since 1948, ever read about the atrocities of the Indonesian mass killings of 1965-66?.. Armenian genocide?.. it's about humanity, in Christ.. or not, there is no difference.
God chose Israel for a unique purpose. He wanted, and so He created a nation through Abraham, in order to preserve through them the faith to the true God until the Savior appears on earth. At that point their mission as a nation ended and the church took in charge. In the church all nations and people all over the world are included, including Hebrews, that little remnant that accepted and still accepting Christ. The purpose of the church is very different from that of Israel's. We have to bring the gospel of salvation to all people all over the world, that was not what Israel was expected to do, it wasn't their mission. So who is God's chosen people? Both, for different reasons. Israel for bringing the Savior to the world and the church for bringing Him all over the world. But we must know that Israel 's mission has ended 2th years ago and it is now the church that has a mission. If Israel had accepted Christ they would have been the most honourable and important nation in the church, but they didn't and they have been cut off the olive tree. But God preserves them for a reason. Because He knows that under the pressure of antichrist they will turn to Him that they crucified and so they will be saved at the end. But we must know that they are not saved now (neither for the past 2 th years) and if they end their lives in sin they will not go to Heaven. I don't know how God is going to judge them, according to their faith or according to their works/conscience? ( Romans 2:11-26). But it is going to be really tough for them in the Judgement for as long as they are not receiving Christ as their Savior.
Ephesians 2:3-14, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:Having predestinated us unto the adoption .."
Momsage, The people of Israel are going through so much pain and suffering at this time. About 20% of the population are Jews. The rest are people from all nations of the earth. All are being affected by this war. I do pray often for those involved in this war. It is very awful. And we can continue to pray for those in Ukraine. We can pray for the people of Taiwan to be kept safe from China. There are conflicts happening in the world that we may not even know of yet since not everything is reported in the news.
I believe that our focus is to love the people as Christ did. To pray for them as He did. To reach out to them as He did. To act towards others as He did.
I guess if people on this site know of wars that are happening that may not be reported on, I would like to know so I can pray specifically. There are opportunities to pray for others we don't know personally everyday. I pray for the ones holding signs along the road asking for help. I may not be able to participate in solving their problems, but I can pray for God to send them to the right places and for the best people to come their way who can help them.
I don't think anyone on this site is reluctant to pray for Jews. But if they are unbelievers, then they are the same as any other unbeliever-- Lost and enemies of God. They need to come to Christ in the same way as anyone else. They will not receive salvation just because they are Jews. So we pray for their hearts to be changed and open for the gospel of Christ and that the Holy Spirit will regenerate many. And we can pray for God's goodness to fall upon all who are being oppressed, being treated violently, who are in danger, and great need. We know He is merciful and compassionate, more than we can ever be. So we lay our prayers in His lap and trust that His ways are true and right and just-altogether good.
Yes dear Momsage, I do pray for Israel as well as for all people, friends and enemies, to be safe and live in peace and mainly to get to know the true God and the salvation He gifts to everybody through His Son's sacrifice. This is our duty as sons and daughters of our Father in Heaven who loves all people and wants every person to come to the knowledge of theTruth.
Its too too late here now, time to go to bed. We will talk again tomorrow. Have a blessed night..
About Judas a lot has been written by many. The usual question is: why didn't God forgive Judas since he "repented"?
But did he repent? The answer is no, he didn't. He merely felt bad about what happened, and he never went to God to ask for forgiveness.
Firsty in greek the verb used in Matthew 27:3 is not the same as in other places in the Bible where repentance is mentioned. The grk here shows that somebody feels bad/sad for something that has occured and wishes that it hadn't occured. So does that mean that they repent? To answer that I will go to what happened to me, not long ago. One Sunday morning after the church service I quarreled with a fellow dear brother (never mind who started it). I spoke to him very badly infront of almost the whole church. In the evening as I was sitting in my house and was thinking about it and feeling very bad about the whole incident, I asked myself one question. Was I feeling bad because I hurt my brother's feelings or was I feeling bad because I made myself a fool infront of the church and created a bad situation in the church? To be honest it was the second case. So did I really repent? No I didn't, I just wished it never happened not because I hurt my brother but because I created a bad impression of me in the congregation.
So lets go back to Judas. Judas was just feeling bad because of all that happened and most probably everybody figured him as his master's trator. So a whole bad situation occured about him. Probably everybody started avoiding him, nobody likes and approves betraying. But he didn't realy care about Jesus. He said to the Pharisees that he betrayed an innocent blood. But he knew that before betraying Jesus, didn't he? Maybe he didn't expect that they wanted to kill Jesus? But he knew that they wanted to do that, it was obvious from the beginning.
So he didn't actually repent, that is why he never asked for forgiveness. He was only thinking of his own situation, not Jesus'
it occurred to me that a point that I left unsaid in my reply. You cited your own case which I can well appreciate.
In everyday walk among the worldly a quarrel is over one's self-esteem. At any cost to make the other lose his argument or his face, so my self worth is shown in better light. When we have died to the world and to sin what self- worth are we talking about? Christ is the head. No glory of this world can match his? "For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God./Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord."(Ro.6:10-11)
When we are living unto our Lord we bear our cross, and smarting under a false accusation or called names, so we do not put obstacles in our path. That takes time and only now I am beginning to understand what it means to be mature Christians. Our glory is in our faith. When Christ who is our life shall appear we shall be with him in glory. Joy and peace in Him
Although my comment was about Judas and I just wanted to explain what probably had happened to him using an experience of mine, I must say that none of us have walked that road before, so we are learning along the way. We must grow up and start eating meat, not milk all the time. Christ is a life experience not just mere knowledge. There are many scholars and theologians that know the gospel perfectly well, more than any of us do, but they don't know Christ personally. Our relationship with our God is personal, it is not adequate to know about God but one has to know God Himself. A Christian that never ever had any personal experiences with God is lacking in many marvelous things like joy and peace and comfort. I wish you have a blessed week.
Yes I agree , may I expand ? I believe that God loves all of His creation , He certainly shows mercy and kindness to atheists and idolaters . I believe that God acts in everyone's lives , the problem is that a lot of people don't recognise Him and if they don't recognise Him they can't acknowledge Him and thank Him . We have to train our eyes and hearts and minds , to see Him at work in our lives and the lives of others , we have to acknowledge that everything , literally everything comes from Him and does so for a purpose and we have to recognise His righteousness and power and mercy and thank Him every day for every good thing in our lives . This means all the things we need , food , clean water , warmth , safe shelter and His Word , these are our only true needs , everything else is unnecessary but none the less a gift from God . I see Him every where every day , He is in the beautiful sky and all its different colours , never the same . He is in the birds singing , He is in my cats stunning eyes , He is in my kitchen , providing me with everything I need to cook a meal . Only when we can see Him can we acknowledge Him and thank Him . He is everything to us , He gives us everything and more , we need to see His love and beauty all over every day . When we acknowledge that we are nothing and have nothing without Him , then we can truly thank Him and love Him for His loving kindnesses that He pours all over His creation every day and for His beauty and generosity and mercy . It can be hard to see any good in this world , but it is here , only from Him though . Thy Kingdom Come .
One of your best posts . I agree , at the age of 56 I'm just starting to understand how I must submit , to the will of God and to the trials of this life . Submission , obedience and humility . We must rest in and trust in him totally . This world and the things of it are nothing to us , our hearts are elsewhere . No matter how hard it may seem , we must all always do what is right in His sight , remembering that His ways are not our ways , so our ways should not be the ways of this world and the people of it , we must be different , we must keep our eyes on our Saviour and look to him for guidance all the time . He will keep us on the straight and narrow path that leads to his arms and his Father's Kingdom . May all on here rejoice together in those awesome days .
we are called to be holy and virtue (2 Pe.1:5) and it takes time. The Spirit gives us examples. God named Jacob as Israel but confirmed it later. Peter and disciples would go back to fishing but the risen Christ changed their restless spirit. ( John 21.) We are living according to earth time I am nearing 81 but my life had begun in God's will before the worlds began. Having died to the world our lives hidden with Christ is everlasting life. How often we tend to forget it. With joy and peace,
Thanks Jema. We remain disciples/students for our whole lifetime, we are learning all the time and hopefully stop doing the same mistakes. Have a blessed week.
Feeling remorse is not restoring peace with God. Judas did not turn to God for it. He responded to his remorse in a manner as man does, cursing himself out of frustration or hanging (an extreme case). Esau also responded to his folly in giving away his birthright so cheaply. "For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears."(He.12:7) David did a terrible thing but he found grace. He had to pay the price for it. His family life was ruined what with Absalom turning against it. His contrition was backed with genuine remorse. Ps.51 is a study in the manner he came back into the fold.
Having a quarrel with brethren "Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift." You have to respond to what the Spirit has shown you as your lapse and not leave for the other.
I have often thought of Esau trying to find forgiveness with tears. Wondering if I were in the same situation. That indeed is a most "sobering" passage to consider.
Hebrews 12:7, "17 For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears."
It says " though he sought IT carefully with tears" What do you think that "IT" is refering to?
Question. If one repents is there any case God rejects them? Answer. No, God always forgives Actually this is what God wants us to do when we sin. Next question. If we want to repent and seek to do it, is there any case that God rejects us? Is there any case that we want and have decided in our minds to repent and still not being able to repent? Really our heart is not that easy to come to repentance some times but when I have decided that in my mind then God forgives me at that very moment. Actually God will always gives us His grace to overcome our stony heart when we have decided to condemn our actions. So next question. Why was Esau rejected although he seeked with tears to find forgiveness? Well because simply he didn't ask for forgiveness. That "IT" is refering to the " inheritance" not to forgiveness or repentance. So the verse in simple words reads as " Esau was rejected by God when he wanted to get the inheritance because he didn't repent, although he wanted to get the inheritance very much(with tears)". So don't worry. When God sees that we condemn in our mind something we did, He always runs to our help and ease us to repent, if we have problem doing it, and He gives us His grace because He wants to get us to very end, the kingdom of Heaven. Also in NT there are no consequences like with David in the OT, when we sin and repent. It is like we have never done anything, God forgets it and He never punishes, no way.. GBU
Being contrite is merely one aspect of holiness in action. Isaiah was crushed when he saw the vision of the Lord. 'Woe is me' expressed his emotions, and the Lord cleansed him and when he responds 'Here I am send me' his iniquity was purged to be of use to the Lord God. (Is.6:1-8). In the case of Judas remorse would not help. Neither did it with Esau.
Contrition in order to be complete must restore peace with God. Simon Peter denied his master without losing the peace. Jesus entrusted the care of his flock to his chief apostle as nothing happened, 'Feed my sheep' ( John 21:17 )
No man is justified by expression of contrition alone. Judas felt remorse but his faith could not be restored. So faith with works is man's abiding life with Jesus Christ is the key. "Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders,/Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What is that to us? see thou to that." (Matt.27:3-4) He merely returned other man's riches without restoring peace with God. "I am the Way" Jesus said. By denouncing him he had thrown the key to salvation away. His works condemned him.
We also need to be sure we are praying for the Jews to find the Lord. There are organizations like One For Israel that provide food, clothing and companionship for the elderly Jews and their families are seeing this. It gives them a great opportunity to, not only tell them of the Lord, but show them also. They are also helping the soldiers and their families with support and supplies. I pray for the soldiers and their families, the healing of the hostages. I pray for peace but only what is best for Israel. I hope they won't relent until all of Gaza is freed from the terrible hold Hamas has on it.
I don't believe this is for sure a sign of the end times because as this quote says: "Conflict in Israel has been a reality whenever Israel has existed as a nation. . . .attempts to completely destroy Israel will always fail. The Persecutors of Israel will come and go, but the persecution will remain until the second coming of Christ. As a result, conflict in Israel is not a reliable indicator of the soon arrival of the end Times." Got Questions: "What is Israel's role in the end?" God Bless :)
These are God's people and He definitely has their souls in His hands also the terrorists need salvation so I am praying for them also. God Bless :)
God is in control and He will know whom he should deliver and whom he will let to their own devices. The Bible is very clear and let us stick to our faith and take this day This is the day that God has made and I shall rejoice in it. Israel is a drop in the troubled sea and as Isaiah says it will keep roiling as Hanas another drop. What muck they churn up is not for me pick up. With joy and peace,
God's perspective. From ours, we either profess Jesus as Lord and Savior and God, and Creator, and King, and our Righteousness, or not
For the Jews, one was either a Jew or a gentile. The Jew being chosen by God and the gentiles not. But this is not truly so. Abraham was not a Jew, nor David, nor Noah, but they were chosen by God. Jesus cleared all that up through His teachings during his earthly life and through how He inspired Paul to write to the churches that were a mix of both Jew and gentile. Those in Christ are one in Him. Those not in Him are not united to Him as we are.
Jesus asking Peter, "Who do YOU say that I am?" is really the question of the ages, isn't it?
We can pray for any and all people to be blessed by God with salvation, provision, healing, and deliverance for we do not know whom God will show His favor to or send His Holy Spirit to sent to regenerate them into believers. There are almost 7 billion people on the earth now. God knows every single one through and through. But for His grace, we are all enemies of God due to our sinfulness. But to those He predestined, he called, and to those he called, he saved. We are among those He chose for redemption.
There are millions more chosen for salvation that need to come to Christ yet. We can pray for those brethren to be as well. As to those who will never come to Christ, I don't really know how to pray concerning that matter, only that we can never truly know if an unbeliever come to be a sheep or remain a goat . Therefore, we are to have compassion for all and a passion for all to come to the knowledge of the truth of salvation in Christ. May each of us on here be obedient to the call of God to be used for the bringing into the fellowship of believers those He selects to be in each of our lives.
My opinion about Israel.
God chose Israel for a unique purpose. He wanted, and so He created a nation through Abraham, in order to preserve through them the faith to the true God until the Savior appears on earth. At that point their mission as a nation ended and the church took in charge. In the church all nations and people all over the world are included, including Hebrews, that little remnant that accepted and still accepting Christ. The purpose of the church is very different from that of Israel's. We have to bring the gospel of salvation to all people all over the world, that was not what Israel was expected to do, it wasn't their mission. So who is God's chosen people? Both, for different reasons. Israel for bringing the Savior to the world and the church for bringing Him all over the world. But we must know that Israel 's mission has ended 2th years ago and it is now the church that has a mission. If Israel had accepted Christ they would have been the most honourable and important nation in the church, but they didn't and they have been cut off the olive tree. But God preserves them for a reason. Because He knows that under the pressure of antichrist they will turn to Him that they crucified and so they will be saved at the end. But we must know that they are not saved now (neither for the past 2 th years) and if they end their lives in sin they will not go to Heaven. I don't know how God is going to judge them, according to their faith or according to their works/conscience? ( Romans 2:11-26). But it is going to be really tough for them in the Judgement for as long as they are not receiving Christ as their Savior.
Ephesians 2:3-14, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:Having predestinated us unto the adoption .."
I believe that our focus is to love the people as Christ did. To pray for them as He did. To reach out to them as He did. To act towards others as He did.
I guess if people on this site know of wars that are happening that may not be reported on, I would like to know so I can pray specifically. There are opportunities to pray for others we don't know personally everyday. I pray for the ones holding signs along the road asking for help. I may not be able to participate in solving their problems, but I can pray for God to send them to the right places and for the best people to come their way who can help them.
I don't think anyone on this site is reluctant to pray for Jews. But if they are unbelievers, then they are the same as any other unbeliever-- Lost and enemies of God. They need to come to Christ in the same way as anyone else. They will not receive salvation just because they are Jews. So we pray for their hearts to be changed and open for the gospel of Christ and that the Holy Spirit will regenerate many. And we can pray for God's goodness to fall upon all who are being oppressed, being treated violently, who are in danger, and great need. We know He is merciful and compassionate, more than we can ever be. So we lay our prayers in His lap and trust that His ways are true and right and just-altogether good.
Its too too late here now, time to go to bed. We will talk again tomorrow. Have a blessed night..
I'm glad your prays include them.
I actually replied to an earlier comment of yours, that you asked what we think of Israel and if they are special to God.
GBU
Well stated.
God bless you and all youdo.
About Judas a lot has been written by many. The usual question is: why didn't God forgive Judas since he "repented"?
But did he repent? The answer is no, he didn't. He merely felt bad about what happened, and he never went to God to ask for forgiveness.
Firsty in greek the verb used in Matthew 27:3 is not the same as in other places in the Bible where repentance is mentioned. The grk here shows that somebody feels bad/sad for something that has occured and wishes that it hadn't occured. So does that mean that they repent? To answer that I will go to what happened to me, not long ago. One Sunday morning after the church service I quarreled with a fellow dear brother (never mind who started it). I spoke to him very badly infront of almost the whole church. In the evening as I was sitting in my house and was thinking about it and feeling very bad about the whole incident, I asked myself one question. Was I feeling bad because I hurt my brother's feelings or was I feeling bad because I made myself a fool infront of the church and created a bad situation in the church? To be honest it was the second case. So did I really repent? No I didn't, I just wished it never happened not because I hurt my brother but because I created a bad impression of me in the congregation.
So lets go back to Judas. Judas was just feeling bad because of all that happened and most probably everybody figured him as his master's trator. So a whole bad situation occured about him. Probably everybody started avoiding him, nobody likes and approves betraying. But he didn't realy care about Jesus. He said to the Pharisees that he betrayed an innocent blood. But he knew that before betraying Jesus, didn't he? Maybe he didn't expect that they wanted to kill Jesus? But he knew that they wanted to do that, it was obvious from the beginning.
So he didn't actually repent, that is why he never asked for forgiveness. He was only thinking of his own situation, not Jesus'
Just an opinion. GBU.
it occurred to me that a point that I left unsaid in my reply. You cited your own case which I can well appreciate.
In everyday walk among the worldly a quarrel is over one's self-esteem. At any cost to make the other lose his argument or his face, so my self worth is shown in better light. When we have died to the world and to sin what self- worth are we talking about? Christ is the head. No glory of this world can match his? "For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God./Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord."(Ro.6:10-11)
When we are living unto our Lord we bear our cross, and smarting under a false accusation or called names, so we do not put obstacles in our path. That takes time and only now I am beginning to understand what it means to be mature Christians. Our glory is in our faith. When Christ who is our life shall appear we shall be with him in glory. Joy and peace in Him
Although my comment was about Judas and I just wanted to explain what probably had happened to him using an experience of mine, I must say that none of us have walked that road before, so we are learning along the way. We must grow up and start eating meat, not milk all the time. Christ is a life experience not just mere knowledge. There are many scholars and theologians that know the gospel perfectly well, more than any of us do, but they don't know Christ personally. Our relationship with our God is personal, it is not adequate to know about God but one has to know God Himself. A Christian that never ever had any personal experiences with God is lacking in many marvelous things like joy and peace and comfort. I wish you have a blessed week.
we are called to be holy and virtue (2 Pe.1:5) and it takes time. The Spirit gives us examples. God named Jacob as Israel but confirmed it later. Peter and disciples would go back to fishing but the risen Christ changed their restless spirit. ( John 21.) We are living according to earth time I am nearing 81 but my life had begun in God's will before the worlds began. Having died to the world our lives hidden with Christ is everlasting life. How often we tend to forget it. With joy and peace,
Feeling remorse is not restoring peace with God. Judas did not turn to God for it. He responded to his remorse in a manner as man does, cursing himself out of frustration or hanging (an extreme case). Esau also responded to his folly in giving away his birthright so cheaply. "For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears."(He.12:7) David did a terrible thing but he found grace. He had to pay the price for it. His family life was ruined what with Absalom turning against it. His contrition was backed with genuine remorse. Ps.51 is a study in the manner he came back into the fold.
Having a quarrel with brethren "Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift." You have to respond to what the Spirit has shown you as your lapse and not leave for the other.
Praise the Lord
Hebrews 12:7, "17 For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears."
It says " though he sought IT carefully with tears" What do you think that "IT" is refering to?
Question. If one repents is there any case God rejects them? Answer. No, God always forgives Actually this is what God wants us to do when we sin. Next question. If we want to repent and seek to do it, is there any case that God rejects us? Is there any case that we want and have decided in our minds to repent and still not being able to repent? Really our heart is not that easy to come to repentance some times but when I have decided that in my mind then God forgives me at that very moment. Actually God will always gives us His grace to overcome our stony heart when we have decided to condemn our actions. So next question. Why was Esau rejected although he seeked with tears to find forgiveness? Well because simply he didn't ask for forgiveness. That "IT" is refering to the " inheritance" not to forgiveness or repentance. So the verse in simple words reads as " Esau was rejected by God when he wanted to get the inheritance because he didn't repent, although he wanted to get the inheritance very much(with tears)". So don't worry. When God sees that we condemn in our mind something we did, He always runs to our help and ease us to repent, if we have problem doing it, and He gives us His grace because He wants to get us to very end, the kingdom of Heaven. Also in NT there are no consequences like with David in the OT, when we sin and repent. It is like we have never done anything, God forgets it and He never punishes, no way.. GBU
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