Originally posted by Shakyamunison
All the time that I was a Christian, I was told that same thing, but it does not stop people from doing evil. If this does not stop people from doing evil, then it is at best superficial, or just in your head at the least.
* no one can stop you from doing evil, Christianity and Buddhism and all other religious denominations out there cannot stop anyone from doing evil... UNLESS you believe and live by the doctrine of your religion, be it Christianity or Buddhism or what have you... YOU yourself is capable of stopping yourself from doing evil...
Originally posted by peejayd
* no one can stop you from doing evil, Christianity and Buddhism and all other religious denominations out there cannot stop anyone from doing evil... UNLESS you believe and live by the doctrine of your religion, be it Christianity or Buddhism or what have you... YOU yourself is capable of stopping yourself from doing evil...
That is true with Buddhism, but I do not have a god or a holy spirit to inhabit my heart. You would think that Christians with these two things would find doing evil to be repugnant, but they are just like the rest of us. Therefore. all people of all religions (including non religions) have the same god and holy spirit in them or these two things simple do not exist.
Originally posted by peejayd
* all people can decide for themselves, whatever their religion may be, or even if they have no religion at all... it does not matter... no one can stop you from doing evil except yourself...
But you would think that someone with a god and a holy spirit on their side would have a greater chance of not doing evil.
Originally posted by Shakyamunison
That is true with Buddhism, but I do not have a god or a holy spirit to inhabit my heart. You would think that Christians with these two things would find doing evil to be repugnant, but they are just like the rest of us. Therefore. all people of all religions (including non religions) have the same god and holy spirit in them or these two things simple do not exist.
That is your interpretation of what a Christian should experience but not necessarily the truth. The truth is being born again Christian does not override a person's sinful, unregenerate flesh and mind. The body is not born again and neither is the mind. So a believer still has to contend with these two factors in their walk with God. Jesus said that the spirit is indeed willing but the flesh is weak. In the heart of a believer there lies the desire and willingness to live a holy life, but the mind and body must be brought into submission on a moment-by-moment basis which is easier said than done.
So a born again believer does have the desire to live right but that desire is not without unrelenting resistance and challenge. That is why we must trust God and depend on His grace and mercy by faith in order to fulfill His will for our lives.
Originally posted by JesusIsAlive
That is your interpretation of what a Christian should experience but not necessarily the truth. The truth is being born again Christian does not override a person's sinful, unregenerate flesh and mind. The body is not born again and neither is the mind. So a believer still has to contend with these two factors in their walk with God. Jesus said that the spirit is indeed willing but the flesh is weak. In the heart of a believer there lies the desire and willingness to live a holy life, but the mind and body must be brought into submission on a moment-by-moment basis which is easier said than done.So a born again believer does have the desire to live right but that desire is not without unrelenting resistance and challenge. That is why we must trust God and depend on His grace and mercy by faith in order to fulfill His will for our lives.
So, Christians are just like the rest of us? Good job, and welcome to the community. 😄
Originally posted by JesusIsAlive
That is your interpretation of what a Christian should experience but not necessarily the truth. The truth is being born again Christian does not override a person's sinful, unregenerate flesh and mind. The body is not born again and neither is the mind. So a believer still has to contend with these two factors in their walk with God. Jesus said that the spirit is indeed willing but the flesh is weak. In the heart of a believer there lies the desire and willingness to live a holy life, but the mind and body must be brought into submission on a moment-by-moment basis which is easier said than done.So a born again believer does have the desire to live right but that desire is not without unrelenting resistance and challenge. That is why we must trust God and depend on His grace and mercy by faith in order to fulfill His will for our lives.
Originally posted by Shakyamunison
So, Christians are just like the rest of us? Good job, and welcome to the community. 😄
Well, actually there are a number of differences spiritually speaking and as far as what a believer has to look forward to, but from a flesh and mind standpoint we are still human just like you.
🙂
Originally posted by JesusIsAlive
Believers do good works simply to glorify and honor God and to be a blessing to other people.
Originally posted by Shakyamunison
So, Christians are just like the rest of us? Good job, and welcome to the community. 😄
* my point exactly... 🙂
Originally posted by King Kandy
But all you have to do to be saved is to believe. So why do you need to do good works?
* in Christianity/Bible, God wants all people to be saved (I Timothy 2:3-4), that's why He is called the Savior of all people, be it believers or not (I Timothy 4:10)... now there are people who believe (or have faith) in God which is good yet if we are going to dig deeper, the faith Jesus was talking about should have good works with it, just like what Saint James had written:
"You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone.
For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so faith apart from works is dead."
James 2:24, 26
* and those people who do not know God (no faith/non-believers) can be saved through their good works:
"To them who, in patient continuance of good works, seek for glory and honour and incorruptibility, life eternal."
Romans 2:7
Originally posted by Shakyamunison
I realize that... but you shouldn't be the same, and that is my point. Because if you are exactly like everyone else, then why should someone be a Christian?
We put our faith in Jesus the Christ in order to have our sins remitted before God. We do not trust in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior simply to become part of an organization or community. We recognize that we are sinners in need of the Savior. We are sinners bound for Hell apart from Jesus Christ because our sins have separated us from God.
This is the crux of the matter.
A person's sin must be dealt with before he/she leaves this world in death or he/she will be separated from God forever. Jesus paid the penalty or wages of sin for the world so that those who put their faith in Him will not suffer the eternal consequence of sin, which is separation from God in the lake of fire forever.
This is what this whole thing if you would is about. It is not about going to church, reading your Bible, doing good works, getting baptized, etc just for the sake of those things. We do those things because we are saved not in order to be saved.
Believers are not exactly like everyone else spiritually because we are born again. We have eternal life abiding in our hearts. We are new creations in Christ Jesus albeit spirtually not physically or mentally. So a Christian is not exactly like other people but we are still human. We know that even if we die we shall still live because we have eternal life.
To all those reading this post ask Jesus Christ now to give you eternal life and to wash away your sins!
Originally posted by JesusIsAlive
We put our faith in Jesus the Christ in order to have our sins remitted before God. We do not trust in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior simply to become part of an organization or community. We recognize that we are sinners in need of the Savior. We are sinners bound for Hell apart from Jesus Christ because our sins have separated us from God.This is the crux of the matter.
A person's sin must be dealt with before he/she leaves this world in death or he/she will be separated from God forever. Jesus paid the penalty or wages of sin for the world so that those who put their faith in Him will not suffer the eternal consequence of sin, which is separation from God in the lake of fire forever.
This is what this whole thing if you would is about. It is not about going to church, reading your Bible, doing good works, getting baptized, etc just for the sake of those things. We do those things because we are saved not in order to be saved.
Believers are not exactly like everyone else spiritually because we are born again. We have eternal life abiding in our hearts. We are new creations in Christ Jesus albeit spirtually not physically or mentally. So a Christian is not exactly like other people but we are still human. We know that even if we die we shall still live because we have eternal life.
To all those reading this post ask Jesus Christ now to give you eternal life and to wash away your sins!
But you have failed to manifest that. If what you say is true then it would be manifest in your life, and it is not. Therefore, what you believe is only in your head.