| Author | Message | ||
| Asurprise Registered user Username: Asurprise Post Number: 1223 Registered: 7-2007 |
The main difference between all the pseudo-Christian cults (also other false religions such as Hinduism and Islam), and Christianity; is the fact that real Christians have the Holy Spirit indwelling them and cleansing them of sin. The false religions can only pretend to be good. People simply CANNOT be good in and of themselves. (For example notice the sex abuse scandal going on in the Catholic church.) Oh the cults can SEEM to be Christian for a time. The Mormons "love bomb" new and prospective members, the Catholics have their reverant and solomn ceremonies, the J.Witnesses work hard going door to door with their tracts and the Adventists smile and say "Happy Sabbath!" All of them are completely devoid of the Holy Spirit though. Acts 2:38 promises the Holy Spirit to believers, Romans 8:9 says that if someone doesn't have the Holy Spirit, they don't belong to God and Ephesians 1:13,14 says that the Holy Spirit is the Seal of God and the Guarantee of our salvation! (also see 2nd Corinthians 1:22) Happy Resurection Sonday to all of you!  | ||
| Jim02 Registered user Username: Jim02 Post Number: 970 Registered: 5-2007 |
How do you recieve and verify that you have the authentic Holy Spirit? | ||
| Free2dance Registered user Username: Free2dance Post Number: 29 Registered: 2-2010 |
Jim02, You recieve it by accepting Jesus into your heart. Owning that you are a sinner and asking forgiveness. Believing that Christ is God who came as an atonement for your sins. By surrendering your own efforts over to Him and knowing He paid the bill. He gives you His Spirit and you will know by faith and the fruits of that Spirit. Im sure someone else could answer this better, but that is the way I believe it is done. Its a gift, but we have to accept it and rely on it. I am guilty of having "accepted" it for 30 years but not relying on it. I leaned on my own efforts. When I fell short of what God expected I was sure I lost my salvation, when I did well I became more confident in my salvation. That is not faith in Him, its faith in my own effort, which I knew was sinking sand. Putting my assurance in my own work was not believing that God came and PAID THE BILL IN FULL. It was more like believing He came and gave me a loan, if I paid it back, I got in. If not...well... I go into default, loose my credit, and if I don't get back in line on a payment plan I could loose my salvation. Whenever I was "late on a payment" my guilt served as intrest. Bottom line, it has nothing to do with our own effor. Untill I understood this, and accepted His atonement ONCE AND FOR ALL, I didn't feel the constant indwelling of His spirit. Now I realize I said the word "feel" here and I know that is not completely reliable. But even now that I have His Spirit, when I take my eyes off Him I don't "feel" His Spirit the way I do when my focus is on Him. So while I believe I accepted Jesus in my heart many years ago, I think I put my SELF before Him 98% of the time and was unable to know or be known by Him. It is Gods completed work that gets us through the gate. It is trust in that ALONE which makes us His children and that is where we find the indwelling of His Spirit. This is my best attempt at explaining the way I understand it. I think its pretty simple, I think it is only complicated when a person has been completely brain washed by a false gospel. | ||
| Flyinglady Registered user Username: Flyinglady Post Number: 8085 Registered: 3-2004  |
The best way I can explain it is the peace that God gives to me when my son is overseas with the military. I do not worry or lose sleep because I know God is taking care of him. I have that peace about my finances and every little thing in my life. Diana L | ||
| Jim02 Registered user Username: Jim02 Post Number: 973 Registered: 5-2007 |
Free2dance & Diana, Thank You both for sharing your thoughts with me. Jim | ||
| Skeeter Registered user Username: Skeeter Post Number: 644 Registered: 12-2007 |
Yes, "peace" Just knowing that whatever our circumstances, and however we may personally feel at any given moment,good, bad, confuseed, sad, happy, etc. God is in control. We can trust HIM. Like the song says "He's got the whole world in His hands" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0wbUdHTAmAM Francie | ||
| Nowisee Registered user Username: Nowisee Post Number: 355 Registered: 5-2009 |
It's an "aliveness" that I didn't have before...and anxiety is so lessened (even tho' I was afraid to talk in front of the FAF meeting!!!! I was "prayed" thru it!) I used to wake up most every morning with a dread in the pit of my stomach--That is gone now, thank You God!! But it really does come from believing the Good News of what Jesus did for me on calvary and trusting that it is enough, just because He says it is! Oh, we so like to be the one in control--it takes trust in our Saviour to "let go of the steering wheel"! | ||
| Asurprise Registered user Username: Asurprise Post Number: 1224 Registered: 7-2007 |
And people in the cults don't have that peace because they can't entirely "put their weight down" on Christ's finished work. There's something "they have to do." | ||
| Cordurb Registered user Username: Cordurb Post Number: 83 Registered: 4-2009 |
Jim02, Read Acts 1 through 3 and then pray to receive the Holy Spirit. God will fill you with his Spirit. Acts 1:8 says "you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you." God Bless. | ||
| Colleentinker Registered user Username: Colleentinker Post Number: 11114 Registered: 12-2003  |
That's it, Jim! Confess your helplessness and believe Jesus has totally completed the work of salvation on your behalf. When you believe, you are counted righteous, and the Holy Spirit testifies with your spirit that you are God's child (Romans 8:14-15). Act in faith. He is faithful, for He cannot deny Himself. Colleen | ||
| Pnoga Registered user Username: Pnoga Post Number: 347 Registered: 1-2007  |
"Act in faith. He is faithful, for He cannot deny Himself. Colleen" I love that, I have seen that in the bible many times, but just now until you said it, wow. And that is why having His Spirit in us is so integral, and we receive the Spirit by Faith in His Son. God is so amazing, His Grace is so great, He Loves us so that He gives us His Son and by Faith we receive Him, and He will not deny Himself. Thanks Colleen, Paul | ||
| Dennis Registered user Username: Dennis Post Number: 1944 Registered: 4-2000  |
Nowisee, Yes, human beings certainly prize the idea of having full control and of being the "captains" of their eternal destiny. Since regeneration precedes faith, we should realize that even our faith is a gift from God. Regeneration is an act of creation. God does the creating. A person is never partially born again. When God regenerates a human soul, when he makes us spiritually alive, we make choices. We believe. We have faith. We cling to Christ. God does not believe for us. Faith is not monergistic. We are not stringed like puppets. We are biologically alive. We act. We make decisions, but never decisions that belong to God. Indeed, "Salvation comes from the Lord" (Jonah 2:9 NIV). Salvation is a gift to be received, not a goal to achieved. Dennis Fischer |
