Admired and Accepted by Jesus!

[acerrak]

Originally Posted by KeptByTheWord

Yes indeed! It is heresy, because it is causing us to miss out on so much with our relationship with Jesus!

Our focus each and every day is to put on the mind of Christ. Putting on the mind of Christ will cause us to lay aside things that hinder our relationship with him. Those things may seem "legalistic" to others, but a true child of God will recognize the value of setting things aside in their lives in order to more completely abide in Jesus.

When you get a glimpse of eternity, setting aside the things here that cause us to stumble will be worthwhile in order to spend eternity with our Saviour!

what can also be a heresy is taking a few scriptures out and making a stand alone doctrine with them and not looking at the rest of the word.

Michael points to a few verses, but in the context of the way he uses them actually contridicts other verses. His view completly negates romans 4 and ephesians 2

also other translations can help you understand this better.

in thessalonians, these people wasnt trying to make themselves counted to be worthy, they were suffering for their faith, Paul is trying to uplift them in their persecution.

4 Therefore, among God’s churches we boast about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring.

5 All this is evidence that God’s judgment is right, and as a result you will be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are suffering.

they wasnt trying to do works to earn this, they was suffering trials and tribulations and Paul said because of these sufferings you will be counted worthy

again verse 11

11 With this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may bring to fruition your every desire for goodness and your every deed prompted by faith.

who is going to make who worthy? God, who is going to bring this plan into fruition through you? God.

he takes verse from 2 corinthians 5:9-11 but before we got there lets look at verse 5
5 Now the one who has fashioned us for this very purpose is God, who has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come

what is Paul speaking of here. what is this guarantee? Its the ressurected body, and God gave us His Spirit as a deposit, now lets look at 2 corinthians 5:9-11

9 So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it.
10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.

11 Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade others. What we are is plain to God, and I hope it is also plain to your conscience.

All christians should try to please God this is through His will, but paul is not saying we do this to gain acceptance with God.

That would contridict the agape love of God. God will never love you more than he loves you now, and if by some reason you fail or stumble, cause you gave into the flesh that love doesnt change.

He commanded His love twords you. while i do believe a person can walk away from the faith, God did not walk away from them, if he Did then the scripture he will never leave you nor forsake you is a lie.

there is People are out here working to earn Gods love thinking the more they do the more acceptance they gain, and that isnt true. We do works out of debt, out of love, but not acceptance, romans ch 4 is very specific

4 Now to the one who works, wages are not credited as a gift but as an obligation. 5 However, to the one who does not work but trusts God who justifies the ungodly, their faith is credited as righteousness.

People need to grasp how great grace is and loving our God is, if your out here working for acceptance to some how try to make your self worthy, then you failed your doing a religion of works and your rightousness is of filthy rags,

But if your out here labouring cause you have Gods love in you and believe your already accepted though the sacrifice of Jesus, then My dear sister its a whole new ball game.