Re: Do we serve a "gotchya!" God?
 

Acts clearly shows the Apostles expected to see the manifested presence of the HS. As I might ask when do you know you have received the HS that would fall in concert with what happened in Acts 19 and Acts 10?

Re: Do we serve a "gotchya!" God?
 

So do you believe in OSAS or just really hard to lose salvation?

What would your thoughts be of.

1Jn 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.

Joh 15:14 You are my friends if you do what I command you.

among a few...

Either you are faithful or not. Pretty simple!

Re: Do we serve a "gotchya!" God?
 

Expected??? Shoot, I think it says they were astonished that it happened.

They were not at all expecting what had happened to them 10 years ago to happen to the household of Cornelius


Amazed / Astonished.....NOT expecting. could be that they had not seen anything like this since it happened ten years ago on the day of pentecost.

Re: Do we serve a "gotchya!" God?
 

Randy,

I think that those brought up in the ranks of religiosity have a warped sense of God and that He waits until we are down to take us out. That is not the God of mercy and grace that died for us when we were sinners.

God sees us through the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus.

When I had a near fatal car accident in 1991; the thougths of some was that God was punishing me for the sin in my life at the time. I never saw it that way. I saw it as the mercy of God to stop me long enough to get my head together and set my path right.

Some tried using the car accident to manipulate and control me into doing what they thought I should do out of gratitude to God, but what they wanted and what God wanted from me,a nd from them was totally different.

If our earthly father desires to give good gifts to his children - how much more does our Heavenly father desire to give us the kingdom? Just like we don't discard our children when they do wrong , but wait for them to come to us for help and forgiveness...God is so much more the loving parent that takes our hurts and fears, and yes - even sins - and covers them with His blood. He paid the complete price for our sins and loves us beyond human reason.

Blessings, Rhoni

P.S. The plan of salvation was fulfilled In Christ Jesus and all the steps we espouse cannot save us...it just gives those steeped in religiosity the go ahead to add another step. Jesus took the steps needed to save us...all the way up Golgotha's hill.

Re: Do we serve a "gotchya!" God?
 

I wish that it were that simple.

It's been a long dark road for me. Many times I almost tossed it all completely. I managed to hold on to the one thing that I still trusted, and that was Jesus.

The only way that I could do that through all that doubt and confusion was to decide that ultimately all of the questions and doubts and the things that confused me and kept me up at night, that, well, in the grand scheme of things, they just didn't matter.

I have come far, and have been working quite hard to rebuild a sturdy and lasting foundation (Jesus), but I openly acknowledge that there is no point in worrying about the doors, the framing, the roof, until the foundation is completely finished. (I know the pain and suffering that comes from a bad foundation and have no wish to experience it again).

So when it comes to any questions beyond "Is there a God?" and "Is He Jesus?", I can offer opinions and conjecture, and they will most likely change tomorrow. The jury is still out on the Bible, whether or not it is inerrent, or accurate, or anything more than the words of men. Which makes it extremely hard for me to comment on particular scriptures.

But I think I am able to comment on the jist of your question.

I don't necessarily believe in OSAS, but I do not believe that you can lose your salvation as easily as some suppose. I think the thing that stops me from believing in OSAS is that in the end, we always have free will. I think that one can choose to walk away from God, and therefore be lost. By this I don't mean just leaving a certain church, or telling God "I don't want you anymore". I think it is something that only God would know, as He is the only one who can see your heart, your mind, your intent. And I think he knew that even when I was saying "God your horrible and cruel, I hate you!", my heart was saying something else, and my mind and thoughts had been totally warped.

For now, I rest secure in the knowledge that God knows my heart, my mind and my experiences. He knows what I have been through, he knows what I have suffered, and he knows what I have been /am searching for.

Re: Do we serve a "gotchya!" God?
 

Excellent point!

Re: Do we serve a "gotchya!" God?
 

Bro. I love ya, but that was totally disprespectful. :club

Re: Do we serve a "gotchya!" God?
 

Actually I meant Acts 8 sorry for the typo. Also actually it was that God gave them the HS, tongues was just the evidence which they readily accepted the sign per there experience.

Re: Do we serve a "gotchya!" God?
 

Nothing disrespectful said here LS. I realize you live in a Kansas cacoon but some of have seen this actually happen.

See the joe Duke thread.

Re: Do we serve a "gotchya!" God?
 

It is often the elephant in the room that nobody wants to talk about.