Salvation by TRUST (Faith is total surrender in Trust and therefore is inseparable from Obedience... and therefore at its essence, is only embedded in and swallowed by and enabled in true Love). Sent by: -jm, rs, cm, pj
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Peter could not affect his own salvation, but he could leave his nets." (Bonhoeffer)
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To encourage some few here as the LORD gives leading.
God Bless
mj
Very profound insight dear sister. Something that I will certainly reflect on today.
Blaine
Peter could not affect his own salvation, but he could leave his nets." (Bonhoeffer)
Man that hits me right in the gut.
Yes that's a good 'n.
Some scriptures to ponder.
Acts 2:40
And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, SAVE YOURSELVES from this untoward generation.
John 6:66-68
FROM THAT TIME MANY OF HIS DISCIPLES WENT BACK, AND WALKED NO MORE WITH HIM. Then said Jesus unto the twelve, WILL YE ALSO GO AWAY? Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.
Why did MANY stop following Jesus? Could it have affected their salvation?
When I read Bonhoeffer's quote it reminds me of John 3:15,16. Whosoever believes shall not perish. The word believe is better translated " faith in," or " trust." Faith and trust are one and the same thing. The distance between mental assent to abstract truth and trusting Jesus with your whole life is the distance between heaven and hell. This one word, "believe," may have done more damage and caused more people to go to hell than any other thing. The devil himself believes in God, believes in the Son of God, believes in the trinity, believes that Jesus came and died for the sins of humanity, he believe all of that.
It makes no difference whether you believe all of that and more. What makes the difference, what causes a man to be born again from above is having faith/trust in God with your whole life. To surrender your life, to lay it down and give it over, to believe what Jesus said and because you believe it to give your whole life to him, this is salvation. Those who do that then follow Him all the days of their lives. They do not seek to increase the bounty of their nets, they seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and have trust/faith in Him for everything else.................bro Frank
Yes, many cannot and will not follow Christ and even turn back, because they cannot, NO, they will not trust Him over the long haul. Many believe at first but once they find out what really following the Lord is all about, they turn back.
If I remember correctly in John 6 those who were following Christ would not eat of his flesh or drink of his blood. Jesus went on to say the flesh profits nothing but it is the Spirit that gives life. He said his words were spirit and life.
It seems to me that those who were following Christ did not want to feed on His words that were spirit and life. And also to act on those words. By implication obeying them.
Simply my thoughts.
Greetings
Peter could not affect his own salvation, but he could leave his nets." (Bonhoeffer)
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I just like how simple that is. Peter, as with all of us could never save himself but he could follow and obey. I was very encouraged by that.
God bless
Mj
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