Assurance of salvation (a couple of things I found)

[derrick09]

Hey everyone regarding assurance of salvation, while doing some research I came across these links.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zu6f1o_OvFY
http://www.faithalone.org/news/y1993/93march3.html

Now the video clip talks about the three standard evidences trusting God's word, Fruit of the Spirit, and the Holy Spirit's inner witness. Now the second link, lists all three but they argue that only one is fully necessary for assurance that being trusting God at His word and at His promise. Which is something that is fully agreeing to me, because of the fact that life gets too wild and crazy for me at times to always display Fruit of the Spirit and perfect morality, and because I somehow don't have the emotional talent or ability to feel or sense the Holy Spirit or any spirit inside me. I'm just not the kind of guy who gets religious experiences, I'd love to but I just don't.

So with those issues, all I have to fall back on for assurance of salvation is to take God at His word. Because after all, if I do believe God's promises and don't get into heaven on some kind of odd technicality then, I would be safe to say He doesn't keep His promises, but because God is fully against sin and fully against lying it would be safe to think He would not hoodooe me after death. I know there are a couple of people here who would love to see me wind up in hell because I don't adhere to their "specific odd formula of Christianity" but if that's the way they want to be, I'll just try and get a celestial restraining order against them for all eternity, they stay on their end I"ll stay on my end. It's fine with me.

[jlay]

all I have to fall back on for assurance of salvation is to take God at His word.

Amen! John 5:24

BTW. Do you really think there are people here who want to see you wind up in Hell?

[derrick09]

That's an odd response, I was expecting something more like this " you have to feel God's spirit within you" or "have some sort of confirmation experience" or " you have to be possessed and controlled by God's spirit in a way that all you are essentially "God's robot" and would not be able to control yourself from street witnessing and doing all sorts of good deeds". Either that or some ambiguous combination of these three examples. This is why I"m so confused about the matter and why many others are confused by it. And all these run of the mill small, town pastors and their emotional knee jerk reaction "answers" don't help in the least and it causes more confusion, more division and produces more lost people in the process because it turns more and more people off to Christianity because to them it looks like a ambiguous, emotional, cult like laughing stock.

[zoegirl]

Pretty sure that no one here wants you to be in hell

[derrick09]

I know you don't want me to be there Zoe, and for that I'm very thankful.

[zoegirl]

pretty confident that no one else wants you there either. You must remember that for all that we might engage in skirmishes, we are brothers and sisters in Christ. We can be pretty ugly towards one another and we all hope that we learn to regard one another as Christ regards us. You've had some unfortunate interactions that have bruised you in fellowship. It's understandable to carry these with you. Goodness knows I have plenty of scars in that respect. Unfortunately church has not been a pleasure lately and I'm sorry to say that it is relief when snow interrupts those plans. But we must not let those scars or "friendly fire" distract us from how Christ sees others and therefore how we should see others.

[jlay]

Derrick, have you ever heard of the book, "Lord Save us From Your Followers" ?

You will find little defense from me regarding the modern church structure. And I certainly won't attempt to defend small town pastors I've never met. That doesn't mean I don't see value in the fellowship of a local congregation. I am part of a local congregation, but I often have grin and bear it moments, as I am sure every Christian does.

Derrick, I am not sure where you got the idea that I would respond in these ways. As a dispensationalist I believe in grace alone through faith alone. Naturally, the closer we are with the Lord, and the more surrendered we are to His will, the more apt we are to live a life in His service.

Let us also understand that the duty of the church is not to make itself appealing to the world. This isn't to discount your issues, but to point out that the church is not to mold it self to our preferences. That certainly wasn't the M.O. of Jesus. So, let us not assume that just because a church doesn't fit our mold, doesn't mean that it is a cult or narrow minded. Although I am sure there are many who are such. Our mind should be that of being conformed to the image of Christ, and not trying to conform ourselves to appeal to the world.