What an encouraging reminder that we live for God! As Mother Teresa once said, “Do all the good for people and even if it is not enough, do good anyway.”
One thing that may be upsetting is that ANYONE can self-claim this, but in the hearts, they do not truly know the Lord. In other words, they may talk the talk, but they do not walk the walk in the way God expects.
I know there are people who may be hard-working and can only be complimented in the most glowing manner by other people, but inside, it may be the opposite. An example would be a “believer” working hard, helping others, and showing kindness in a convincing manner, but unknown to others, they have treated certain people like dirt, which can in the form of disguised kindness. They are also proud and unrepentant of this mistreatment. Also on social media where they either take on a different personality or reject a friend request and block them, when they may have treated people “kindly” in real life.
These people would think that just because they are praised and admired by others and they claim to believe in God, that God would view them favorably and save them without knowing about the offenses above. Saying this is sad is an understatement - why would they have the nerve to mock God’s ability of knowing who is pure and who is consumed with pride?
But from a positive viewpoint, if God could transform Paul from a murderer to a devoted disciple, then He can change and make pure the hearts of these people. I guess what actually happens to them is entirely on their own choices, whether to truly repent or continue being proud and unapologetic while pretending to be righteous on the outside. I guess that is why Jesus said at the end of Revelation to “let those who do wrong continue to do wrong, and let those who are holy continue to be holy.” God will ensure that such attitudes and people will be nonexistent in Paradise.
Thanks again Sister for your encouraging post. Have a blessed day and rest of the week! 🙏🏻
True! Only the Lord knows our hearts. People can do "Good Works" and not be saved... absolutely. But the opposite is also true. People who are truly saved WILL do good works... They can't help it because they are being led by the Holy Spirit! Hence, someone who lives in willful sin day by day without repentance or even attempting to follow Jesus,... and says they are "saved".. my guess is they are not. We know them by their fruits... But also like you aptly pointed out, the ones who do good works but aren't saved... it will eventually come out in the open. People cannot hide in the shadows forever. Thanks for your comments!! Blessings!
Hey this might be a little off point, But my old Pastor friend was a fully committed Pentecostal. I wound up at his church. Funny, I was reading my Bible one day. My wifes Sister got saved, and I wanted to know what was going on. So I started to study. All at once it hit me like an avalanche. Wow, "dont you know that your body is the temple of the Lord " !!!!! That was it for me. I surrendered. My wife had also been saved a few weeks before and was going to the old Pastors church. So I said call him up, I want to be baptized ! My wifes parents lived on a lake, and the Pastor agreed to meet us there. He came riding up on his Honda Gold Wing and cowboy boots !Lol We went right down to the water, Hallelujah !. But the point I really wanted to make, lol, is that the Pentecostals believe that speaking in tongues is the only evidence of the Holy Spirit. That just never set right with me. Sometime later, at a mens retreat, a very powerful anointing of God fell upon us all there. And I spoke in tongues. The Lord said to me " Joseph, I have always been with you" ! Even though I speak in tongues as the Spirit leads, I still think that unselfish, joyful works of many sorts are all evidences of being born again, evidence of the Holy Spirits indwelling a believer. Thast the way I believe it still. The old Pastor and eye never saw eye to eye on this until shortly before his death. I had 3 dreams that I told him about concerning this issue in one of our long discussions some time before. But just before he went to heaven, he took my hand and told me to hold onto those dreams and nodded his head and smiled.
Thank you Sister for the blessing of this post. May the blessings of Jesus be returned on you.
Many times in the book of Acts, when people were baptized in the Holy Spirit, which is different from the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, they spoke in tongues, but I never see anything in Scripture that says it is evidence of the baptism or necessary for proof. We all are indwelt by the Holy Spirit at the point of salvation, but I believe Scripture teaches that there is also a baptism in the Holy Spirit too. Regardless, I, too, speak in tongues as the Spirit leads, but it's not something I'm gifted with. I often wish I did it more because I know it edifies my spirit and it is a prayer to God for things I might not even be aware of. That old pastor sounds like a kick!
Hello Sister,
ReplyDeleteWhat an encouraging reminder that we live for God! As Mother Teresa once said, “Do all the good for people and even if it is not enough, do good anyway.”
One thing that may be upsetting is that ANYONE can self-claim this, but in the hearts, they do not truly know the Lord. In other words, they may talk the talk, but they do not walk the walk in the way God expects.
I know there are people who may be hard-working and can only be complimented in the most glowing manner by other people, but inside, it may be the opposite. An example would be a “believer” working hard, helping others, and showing kindness in a convincing manner, but unknown to others, they have treated certain people like dirt, which can in the form of disguised kindness. They are also proud and unrepentant of this mistreatment. Also on social media where they either take on a different personality or reject a friend request and block them, when they may have treated people “kindly” in real life.
These people would think that just because they are praised and admired by others and they claim to believe in God, that God would view them favorably and save them without knowing about the offenses above. Saying this is sad is an understatement - why would they have the nerve to mock God’s ability of knowing who is pure and who is consumed with pride?
But from a positive viewpoint, if God could transform Paul from a murderer to a devoted disciple, then He can change and make pure the hearts of these people. I guess what actually happens to them is entirely on their own choices, whether to truly repent or continue being proud and unapologetic while pretending to be righteous on the outside. I guess that is why Jesus said at the end of Revelation to “let those who do wrong continue to do wrong, and let those who are holy continue to be holy.” God will ensure that such attitudes and people will be nonexistent in Paradise.
Thanks again Sister for your encouraging post. Have a blessed day and rest of the week! 🙏🏻
True! Only the Lord knows our hearts. People can do "Good Works" and not be saved... absolutely. But the opposite is also true. People who are truly saved WILL do good works... They can't help it because they are being led by the Holy Spirit!
DeleteHence, someone who lives in willful sin day by day without repentance or even attempting to follow Jesus,... and says they are "saved".. my guess is they are not. We know them by their fruits... But also like you aptly pointed out, the ones who do good works but aren't saved... it will eventually come out in the open. People cannot hide in the shadows forever.
Thanks for your comments!! Blessings!
Greetings devoted Daughter of Christ,
ReplyDeleteHey this might be a little off point, But my old Pastor friend was a fully committed Pentecostal. I wound up at his church. Funny, I was reading my Bible one day. My wifes Sister got saved, and I wanted to know what was going on. So I started to study. All at once it hit me like an avalanche. Wow, "dont you know that your body is the temple of the Lord " !!!!! That was it for me. I surrendered. My wife had also been saved a few weeks before and was going to the old Pastors church. So I said call him up, I want to be baptized ! My wifes parents lived on a lake, and the Pastor agreed to meet us there. He came riding up on his Honda Gold Wing and cowboy boots !Lol We went right down to the water, Hallelujah !.
But the point I really wanted to make, lol, is that the Pentecostals believe that speaking in tongues is the only evidence of the Holy Spirit. That just never set right with me. Sometime later, at a mens retreat, a very powerful anointing of God fell upon us all there. And I spoke in tongues. The Lord said to me " Joseph, I have always been with you" ! Even though I speak in tongues as the Spirit leads, I still think that unselfish, joyful works of many sorts are all evidences of being born again, evidence of the Holy Spirits indwelling a believer. Thast the way I believe it still.
The old Pastor and eye never saw eye to eye on this until shortly before his death. I had 3 dreams that I told him about concerning this issue in one of our long discussions some time before. But just before he went to heaven, he took my hand and told me to hold onto those dreams and nodded his head and smiled.
Thank you Sister for the blessing of this post. May the blessings of Jesus be returned on you.
Many times in the book of Acts, when people were baptized in the Holy Spirit, which is different from the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, they spoke in tongues, but I never see anything in Scripture that says it is evidence of the baptism or necessary for proof. We all are indwelt by the Holy Spirit at the point of salvation, but I believe Scripture teaches that there is also a baptism in the Holy Spirit too. Regardless, I, too, speak in tongues as the Spirit leads, but it's not something I'm gifted with. I often wish I did it more because I know it edifies my spirit and it is a prayer to God for things I might not even be aware of. That old pastor sounds like a kick!
Delete