Salvation is ours! God made sure of this. Look at this posting under another subject here on StressCenter.com forums, this should help. My post there shares what God said to me about my lack of feeling saved.
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Rod
Trying Very Hard to Follow Through
-
Guest
Sorry this is so long, but it's a really good explanation:
Michael Leunig writes in his book "A Common Prayer": There are only two feelings: Love and fear. There are only two languages: Love and fear. There are only two activities: Love and fear. There are only two motives, two procedures, two frameworks, two results. Love and fear. Love and fear. He does not seem to be saying Fear is the opposite of Love - he is talking about what MOTIVATES us in our lives, what drives us, the structure through which we approach the realities of every day.
According to 1 John, the basic driving force of our fear finds its roots in the loneliness that comes from feeling a long way from God. He says in verse 18 that fear has to do with punishment. It is a reflection of the fear that Adam and Eve felt while cowering under the bushes in the garden; the fear that the unclean people of Israel felt standing before the holy mountain in the wilderness; the fear of Isaiah in chapter 6 when he stands before the perfect God and says: "Woe is me I am ruined! I am unclean and live amongst an unclean people!"
In our sin, a great wall stands between us and our heavenly Dad. This means something essential is missing - and like walking along the edge of a cliff without the safety rail or being a small child in a large shopping centre without a parent - this breeds within us uncertainty and fear! Fear of rejection, loneliness, failure, death. Fear can drive us to many different things: The parent who obsessively holds on to their child and crushes its spirit; the alcoholic who can’t give up the drink even though the family is being destroyed; the husband who beats his wife or kids because he feels he needs to show he is in control; the business person who needs to earn more and more to somehow show they have any worth in themselves; the nation that feels it needs to ethnically cleanse itself. The list is never ending.
If we are cut off from the source of all power, strength, comfort and love - then this becomes a very scary world. It becomes almost "natural" to cover our fear with whatever we can get our hands on.
In 1995 we celebrated fifty years since the end of World War II. It was good to reflect on the roots of fascism. Again you see FEAR doing its work: in the Twenties Germany experienced high unemployment, incredible inflation, moral decline. Very ordinary people grew afraid - and were happy to go along with Hitler if only he would give their lives stability and security. Fear can drive us to terrible things.
John says in 1 John 4 that love drives out fear. Notice that he doesn’t say the answer to fear is more courage. That might be our very human answer, but all that does is center more on me and my efforts. It has a way of precluding God. As we face the myriad examples of fear in our world the focus needs to change.
Reading the rest of his book we see that when John talks about Love he is talking about two very closely inter-linked things: (1) the Love of God and (2) the Love we are to have for each other.
Firstly, in verse 8 He says God is Love. In verse 9 & 10 He refers to the depth of that Love by speaking about the way God sent His Son to die for us and how through the sacrifice of that Son our sins could be washed away once and for all. When we know God in an intimate way. When we experience Love. When we hold on to Him and are surrounded by His arms then our perspective on the world can change.
When Scripture talks about God’s Love - it uses words like unchanging; faithful; unfailing; it endures forever. The Psalms speak of the all -encompassing nature of that Love - the heavens and the earth are filled with it! We see the way in which God sticks with His people despite their whingeing in the wilderness and the rebellion before the Exile. This love is a foundation that we can trust. We are safe under His wings; our lives are solid, built on the Rock of His strength, justice and peace.
Secondly what John says is that this reality (i.e. the reality of God’s Love - and what it means for us) must now change our perspective on the reality of our everyday lives. We no longer need to be driven by FEAR!
John says (in verse 11) that since we have seen the Love of God - we ought also to love one another. More then that in verse 20 he says: "If anyone says ‘I love God’ yet hates his brother, he is a liar’"...
How we relate together, the things we say about each other; the way we work; the way we run our homes; what we do with our money; how we run the church; all these things and much, much more are affected by that driving force. What’s it going to be FEAR or LOVE?
In my relationship with my wife, if I am driven by FEAR I will manipulate, use and take in order to somehow deal with my own needs but if I have tasted God’s Love in a deep way then I can start to reflect Jesus in my relationship and give and build up and sacrifice.
If it is fear that drives the church then it is natural to hold on to tradition or, on the other hand, think that change is what is going to give us meaning. We can easily focus on HOW things are done for in them we might find comfort. BUT if I know of God’s unfailing love then the focus changes from our institution to His leading and the Church place can become an instrument for giving out love and hope rather then just a place for fearful pilgrims to huddle from the storm of life.
As Citizens of this nation - if we are driven by FEAR it would be natural to cheat on our taxes, take what we can to make our lives as secure as we can through our own means, BUT if we are in the arms of love then the whole picture changes.
The shadow of FEAR is a terrible thing. It reaches into each of our hearts, it drives us to very sad things. It’s icy fingers won’t finally disappear until that day when we see Jesus face to face. Nevertheless, until then let us make the commitment to seek LOVE where it can be found. In the Word, in prayer, in the fellowship of believers. Also to be sowers of Love in the fields where God has called us to work ... remembering always the wonderful truth that we can love because he first loved us!
written by Jude and Doc Martin (JaM) de Graaf
Michael Leunig writes in his book "A Common Prayer": There are only two feelings: Love and fear. There are only two languages: Love and fear. There are only two activities: Love and fear. There are only two motives, two procedures, two frameworks, two results. Love and fear. Love and fear. He does not seem to be saying Fear is the opposite of Love - he is talking about what MOTIVATES us in our lives, what drives us, the structure through which we approach the realities of every day.
According to 1 John, the basic driving force of our fear finds its roots in the loneliness that comes from feeling a long way from God. He says in verse 18 that fear has to do with punishment. It is a reflection of the fear that Adam and Eve felt while cowering under the bushes in the garden; the fear that the unclean people of Israel felt standing before the holy mountain in the wilderness; the fear of Isaiah in chapter 6 when he stands before the perfect God and says: "Woe is me I am ruined! I am unclean and live amongst an unclean people!"
In our sin, a great wall stands between us and our heavenly Dad. This means something essential is missing - and like walking along the edge of a cliff without the safety rail or being a small child in a large shopping centre without a parent - this breeds within us uncertainty and fear! Fear of rejection, loneliness, failure, death. Fear can drive us to many different things: The parent who obsessively holds on to their child and crushes its spirit; the alcoholic who can’t give up the drink even though the family is being destroyed; the husband who beats his wife or kids because he feels he needs to show he is in control; the business person who needs to earn more and more to somehow show they have any worth in themselves; the nation that feels it needs to ethnically cleanse itself. The list is never ending.
If we are cut off from the source of all power, strength, comfort and love - then this becomes a very scary world. It becomes almost "natural" to cover our fear with whatever we can get our hands on.
In 1995 we celebrated fifty years since the end of World War II. It was good to reflect on the roots of fascism. Again you see FEAR doing its work: in the Twenties Germany experienced high unemployment, incredible inflation, moral decline. Very ordinary people grew afraid - and were happy to go along with Hitler if only he would give their lives stability and security. Fear can drive us to terrible things.
John says in 1 John 4 that love drives out fear. Notice that he doesn’t say the answer to fear is more courage. That might be our very human answer, but all that does is center more on me and my efforts. It has a way of precluding God. As we face the myriad examples of fear in our world the focus needs to change.
Reading the rest of his book we see that when John talks about Love he is talking about two very closely inter-linked things: (1) the Love of God and (2) the Love we are to have for each other.
Firstly, in verse 8 He says God is Love. In verse 9 & 10 He refers to the depth of that Love by speaking about the way God sent His Son to die for us and how through the sacrifice of that Son our sins could be washed away once and for all. When we know God in an intimate way. When we experience Love. When we hold on to Him and are surrounded by His arms then our perspective on the world can change.
When Scripture talks about God’s Love - it uses words like unchanging; faithful; unfailing; it endures forever. The Psalms speak of the all -encompassing nature of that Love - the heavens and the earth are filled with it! We see the way in which God sticks with His people despite their whingeing in the wilderness and the rebellion before the Exile. This love is a foundation that we can trust. We are safe under His wings; our lives are solid, built on the Rock of His strength, justice and peace.
Secondly what John says is that this reality (i.e. the reality of God’s Love - and what it means for us) must now change our perspective on the reality of our everyday lives. We no longer need to be driven by FEAR!
John says (in verse 11) that since we have seen the Love of God - we ought also to love one another. More then that in verse 20 he says: "If anyone says ‘I love God’ yet hates his brother, he is a liar’"...
How we relate together, the things we say about each other; the way we work; the way we run our homes; what we do with our money; how we run the church; all these things and much, much more are affected by that driving force. What’s it going to be FEAR or LOVE?
In my relationship with my wife, if I am driven by FEAR I will manipulate, use and take in order to somehow deal with my own needs but if I have tasted God’s Love in a deep way then I can start to reflect Jesus in my relationship and give and build up and sacrifice.
If it is fear that drives the church then it is natural to hold on to tradition or, on the other hand, think that change is what is going to give us meaning. We can easily focus on HOW things are done for in them we might find comfort. BUT if I know of God’s unfailing love then the focus changes from our institution to His leading and the Church place can become an instrument for giving out love and hope rather then just a place for fearful pilgrims to huddle from the storm of life.
As Citizens of this nation - if we are driven by FEAR it would be natural to cheat on our taxes, take what we can to make our lives as secure as we can through our own means, BUT if we are in the arms of love then the whole picture changes.
The shadow of FEAR is a terrible thing. It reaches into each of our hearts, it drives us to very sad things. It’s icy fingers won’t finally disappear until that day when we see Jesus face to face. Nevertheless, until then let us make the commitment to seek LOVE where it can be found. In the Word, in prayer, in the fellowship of believers. Also to be sowers of Love in the fields where God has called us to work ... remembering always the wonderful truth that we can love because he first loved us!
written by Jude and Doc Martin (JaM) de Graaf