by acolytes 37 Replies latest watchtower bible
PS
it is by our faith in God's Grace that we can overcome those "ifs".
It's not that we can overcome. It is by faith that He (Jesus) has overcome the conditions.
I view the imperatives, as promises that will be granted to believers, not conditions to be met by us.
In other words, it is God who meets all the conditions. He changes us. He makes us into the image of his Son. Even as Christians we aren't able to meet the conditions, God does did it all for us.
If you can use your brain when others all about you
Aren't using theirs and laying blame on you,
If you can trust yourself when Elders doubt you
But understand they're captives too,
If you can stop waiting on tired dates,
Or being lied about, not deal in lies,
Or being shunned, don’t give way to shunning,
And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise:
If you can dream–and not make dreams your master,
If you can think–and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build ‘em up with worn-out tools:
If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it all on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breath a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: “Hold on!”
If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings–nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
If all men count with you, but none too much,
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,
And–which is more–you’ll be in Paradise, my son!
–Rudyard Aposta-Kipling
If you read the New Testament you will see that there are very few conditions imposed on salvation Acts 16:31 Romans 10:9 1 Corinthians 15:2
The condition are believing in your heart that Jesus is Lord and that He is raised (bodily) from the dead.
Thereafter one needs to be a witness to Jesus and not give up on that belief in Him.
JWs fail the salvation test on both these conditions :(
Blessings,
Stephen
The primary salvation promise in the bible is John .3.16 which says
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son that whoever believs in him shall not perish but have eternal life"
However John 3-16 does not say that salvation is a free gift because it contains a "IF" statement. You will not perish if you belive in me.This is a partial statement because Just acknowledging that Jesus is Lord is not sufficient even Satan does that. The John 3.16 statement is further clarifiefd in the word where it says you must not only accept Jesus is Lord but you must submit yourself to him.(Something Satan doesnt do) So Gods promises are conditional they are only free"IF" you obay certain conditions.
The word "IF" is used approx 1600 times in bible verses -It is a well used word in the bible and it places conditions on Gods promises.
Acolytes
hard to put stock in an iffy book written by an invisible man that lives in the sky ... that isn't very good with money ... he always needs money! all powerful, all knowing, all present ... just not too good with the books ... and that's no if
To me, in a nutshell, it is our "giving ourself" to the Lord that shows are faith in him, not so much a "thy will be done" but a "into your hands, Lord, I commend my spirit".
Acolytes
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son that whoever believs in him shall not perish but have eternal life"
Even the faith to believe is a free gift. I also believe that everyone he gives faith to, believes.
Deputy Dog
Faith may be a free gift. But the Bible says proove all things.1 Thessalonians 5:21 "Proove all things hold fast to what is good"
It may luck faith but I think it is better to proove all things.
Acolytes
What God?
Quirky 1
The God of the humun imagination, but beliving very much in the imagination I oftern think What God?
Acolytes
