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What's the Difference? - 11/20/2008 7:07:21 PM
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ladyichigo
Posts: 544
Joined: 10/23/2007
From: Honolulu
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This is what I’ve been hearing from recent converts to Christianity:
(1) To become a Christian one must believe that Jesus Christ died for your sins and you are redeemed through Him.
This is what I’ve been taught throughout my life:
(2) To become a Christian, one must believe that Jesus Christ died for your sins and you are redeemed through Him, and you must accept Him as your personal Lord and Savior.
Are there any differences between the two?
To me the difference is:
One (1) believes Christ died for their sins so they’re off the hook,
and one (2) believes that Christ died for their sins, so they’ve surrendered their life to Christ and have decided to follow Christ and not their own desires.
Do you think it's necessary to take that "acceptance" step to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, or is it just semantics?
_____________________________
Mari
My avatar picture is my father-in-law, Rev. Yuichiro Nakano jumping over fireworks on 12/31/08 to entertain his grand-kids. He's 70.
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RE: What's the Difference? - 11/20/2008 7:10:19 PM
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levimichal
Posts: 51
Joined: 10/9/2008
From: Christiansted, Virgin Islands live in Minneapolis
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Repentance and Faith
_____________________________
Levita Michal Ayala Goeloe
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RE: What's the Difference? - 11/21/2008 9:22:35 AM
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rcjames
Posts: 5771
Joined: 7/15/2005
From: Oklahoma
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quote:
ORIGINAL: ladyichigo
This is what I’ve been hearing from recent converts to Christianity:
(1) To become a Christian one must believe that Jesus Christ died for your sins and you are redeemed through Him.
This is what I’ve been taught throughout my life:
(2) To become a Christian, one must believe that Jesus Christ died for your sins and you are redeemed through Him, and you must accept Him as your personal Lord and Savior.
Are there any differences between the two?
To me the difference is:
One (1) believes Christ died for their sins so they’re off the hook,
and one (2) believes that Christ died for their sins, so they’ve surrendered their life to Christ and have decided to follow Christ and not their own desires.
Do you think it's necessary to take that "acceptance" step to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, or is it just semantics?
Christ answered your question here;
(Luk 6:46) Why do you keep on saying that I am your Lord, when you refuse to do what I say?
If we are Believers then Christ is our Lord, for Christ to be our Lord we must be obedient to his Word.
The Apostle John also speaks to this in;
(1Jn 3:5) You know that Christ came to take away sins. He isn't sinful,
(1Jn 3:6) and people who stay one in their hearts with him won't keep on sinning. If they do keep on sinning, they don't know Christ, and they have never seen him.
Thanks
RC
_____________________________
Just a country Preacher's humble opinion
Read the first chapter of my latest book here;
http://www.deliveranceofsara.com
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RE: What's the Difference? - 11/21/2008 9:51:14 AM
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Kat_D
Posts: 3037
Joined: 9/2/2005
From: Where We Shake, Rattle & Roll!
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19" Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out..." -Acts 3
30 "And he brought them out and said, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" 31 So they said, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved..." Acts 16
8 "But what does it say? "The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart" (that is, the word of faith which we preach): 9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the Scripture says, "Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame." -Romans 10
8 "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God..." -Ephesians 2
_____________________________
~Kat
"...And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes...no more death, sorrow, nor crying."
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RE: What's the Difference? - 11/21/2008 2:16:43 PM
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Liveloved
Posts: 2069
Status: offline
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quote:
ORIGINAL: ladyichigo
This is what I’ve been hearing from recent converts to Christianity:
(1) To become a Christian one must believe that Jesus Christ died for your sins and you are redeemed through Him.
This is what I’ve been taught throughout my life:
(2) To become a Christian, one must believe that Jesus Christ died for your sins and you are redeemed through Him, and you must accept Him as your personal Lord and Savior.
Are there any differences between the two?
To me the difference is:
One (1) believes Christ died for their sins so they’re off the hook,
and one (2) believes that Christ died for their sins, so they’ve surrendered their life to Christ and have decided to follow Christ and not their own desires.
Do you think it's necessary to take that "acceptance" step to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, or is it just semantics?
They both are just semantics (or can be). The words are just words. Even if we quote scripture and use His words, they can still be just words. IOW, they can be true words but not believed words or words of faith.
It is even bigger than obedience. In John 14, the Lord talks about those who 'keep' His word. For example, verse 23 says, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him, and make Our abode with Him."
Then contrast this with what Jesus spoke in John 8:37. "I know that you are Abraham's offspring; yet you seek to kill Me, because My word has no place in you." The literal rendering of 'has no place in you' is makes no progress.
These Jewish men were obedient to His word---probably more obedient than you and I. Yet Jesus says His word has no place in them.
To be a keeper of His word we have to allow Him and His word in so His word can go deep in us and accomplish His work within our hearts. The soil of our hearts has to be humble like humus, humility. James put it this way, "in humility, receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls."
So really the words can be just words. It is a matter of our hearts. That is where He lives and does His work. And if He is there, you will see, know and hear Him because He will be your life.
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RE: What's the Difference? - 11/21/2008 4:20:19 PM
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Liveloved
Posts: 2069
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quote:
ORIGINAL: Lady_Daffodil
quote:
They both are just semantics (or can be). The words are just words. Even if we quote scripture and use His words, they can still be just words. IOW, they can be true words but not believed words or words of faith.
That may be so, but doesn't having a DESIRE to spend eternity with God count for something? I should think it does. With God there is light and joy and happiness, with Satan there is darkness and utter despair. I prefer the former to the latter.
I'm not sure if I'm understanding you. . . or if you're understanding me. So I'll just add that I agree that an eternity with Him is the best. But my point is that we can get hung up on words and words are just that---words. It is a person's heart that matters. Anyway, hope that makes my thought clearer to you.  LL
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RE: What's the Difference? - 11/21/2008 4:34:20 PM
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ladyichigo
Posts: 544
Joined: 10/23/2007
From: Honolulu
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Liveloved: Interesting point.
Both can be just words....plain empty words. Anyone can say them and not really take it to heart, not really "own up" to it. They just say it...maybe feel like they believe, so go through the motions and then go about their life just the same as before. They obey God because they have "decided" to follow Christ....more like an obligation instead of desiring to.
When I was a teenager, I did what was expected of me because I was a Christian (I still am...by God's grace). I did good, or at least tried to do good the best I can without outward complaint, but inwardly resented. I did things out of obligation. I did things out of guilt. I did a lot of good, and said a lot good, but a lot of it wasn't authentic. Most of the time I did or said things to stay out of trouble, keep myself from being hurt, keep other people satisfied, and keep people from seeing my struggles and weaknesses. I found myself struggling with integrity.
Today, in my heart, I desire to do so much, be so much for God. I desire to be His useful vessel....but I find cracks everywhere, and everything good seems to leak out. My mind is telling me I can't do it anymore and I feel like jumping out of my own skin to be something else....something less, but at the same time my heart and soul are crying out for God to help me strive, to refine me more. Last night I found myself thinking, "How much more Lord? How much more?" After some time had past, a song "Nothing Is As Wonderful" (by Scott Underwood) welled up from my heart and I started to sing:
All I want is to know You, Jesus
All I want is to know I belong to You
Show me all of the things that are worthless
That I thought were so valuable to You
Nothing is as lovely
Nothing is as worthy
Nothing is as wonderful
As knowing You
How much of what we say, especially in regards to our faith do we really "own up" to? And is it really a desire that God Himself instills in our hearts, and minds, or is it just fluff that we regurgitate because it sounds good? Only God can truly know the depths of our hearts, and how much we really desire to KNOW Him.
Are our hearts like David, or like Saul?
_____________________________
Mari
My avatar picture is my father-in-law, Rev. Yuichiro Nakano jumping over fireworks on 12/31/08 to entertain his grand-kids. He's 70.
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RE: What's the Difference? - 11/21/2008 6:45:03 PM
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Walker311
Posts: 1343
Joined: 4/11/2005
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An old man was in a hospital bed and the doctor had just left his room after telling him he only had a few days if that long to live.
He "knew it all" as far as what is required to have eternal life but never accepted Christ as His savior. His life had been just that... his life. He had lived for himself and his own desires and now he faced certain death.
He asked God to forgive Him and accepted Christ. He later told the nurse who was doing her rounds what he had done. She said... thats nice!
There is a difference between knowing and acceptance.
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RE: What's the Difference? - 11/22/2008 1:47:18 PM
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Ezra
Posts: 1833
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quote:
Are our hearts like David, or like Saul?
Even though David was a man after God's heart, he sinned grievously and paid seriously for his sins. Saul, on the other hand, was a man after the flesh, and he was judged for his sins also.
Because Christians are still in this "body of sin" we will fall into sins and insincerity if we do not keep a close guard over our hearts and minds.
That does not mean that we go into despair. But that is why the Lord commanded His disciples to watch and pray, so that they would not fall into temptation. That is also why Christians are to intercede for all other Christians daily, while checking their own spiritual armor daily.
The fact of the matter is that we are in a daily battle with the forces of evil, and if we fail to be vigilant, we will fall.
Just as eternal vigilance is the price of freedom, eternal vigilance is the price of walking with the Lord.
_____________________________
And whosoever will, let him take the Water of Life freely. Revelation 22:17
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RE: What's the Difference? - 12/5/2008 8:36:08 PM
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Dancre
Posts: 1307
Joined: 4/12/2005
Status: offline
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Well, there are some folks who have accepted Christ as their savior but He's not their Lord. They still do their thing, not God's.
quote:
ORIGINAL: ladyichigo
This is what I’ve been hearing from recent converts to Christianity:
(1) To become a Christian one must believe that Jesus Christ died for your sins and you are redeemed through Him.
This is what I’ve been taught throughout my life:
(2) To become a Christian, one must believe that Jesus Christ died for your sins and you are redeemed through Him, and you must accept Him as your personal Lord and Savior.
Are there any differences between the two?
To me the difference is:
One (1) believes Christ died for their sins so they’re off the hook,
and one (2) believes that Christ died for their sins, so they’ve surrendered their life to Christ and have decided to follow Christ and not their own desires.
Do you think it's necessary to take that "acceptance" step to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, or is it just semantics?
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RE: What's the Difference? - 12/6/2008 9:36:48 AM
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Little_1
Posts: 1588
Status: offline
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quote:
ORIGINAL: Dancre
Well, there are some folks who have accepted Christ as their savior but He's not their Lord. They still do their thing, not God's.
This brings to mind Jonah!
Jonah was called by God to preach to the Ninevites but he did not want the Ninevites to repent and be saved and so Jonah decided to take matters into his own hands and ran away from God's call. God had other plans for Jonah and the Ninevites however! (see Book of Jonah).
Jonah's heart was not surrendered to the Lord. Even when he did do as the Lord told him (eventually), Jonah's heart was still far removed from God! Jonah did not obey God from the heart but rather out of a sense of duty (no wonder he was so miserable!).
Some will choose the Lord for salvation but may not enter into God's rest here in the present (which is only possible through a surrendered heart) and the tragedy is that many people miss so much blessing, peace and contentment as a result of not doing so.
_____________________________
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RE: What's the Difference? - 12/6/2008 10:55:36 AM
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rcjames
Posts: 5771
Joined: 7/15/2005
From: Oklahoma
Status: offline
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quote:
ORIGINAL: Dancre
Well, there are some folks who have accepted Christ as their savior but He's not their Lord. They still do their thing, not God's.
And Christ drew this line very plainly in;
(Joh 14:15) If ye love me, keep my commandments.
And
(Luk 6:46) And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?
Small verses, but very weighty.
Thanks
RC
_____________________________
Just a country Preacher's humble opinion
Read the first chapter of my latest book here;
http://www.deliveranceofsara.com
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RE: What's the Difference? - 12/6/2008 5:57:33 PM
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Dancre
Posts: 1307
Joined: 4/12/2005
Status: offline
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Exactly!!!
quote:
ORIGINAL: Little_1
quote:
ORIGINAL: Dancre
Well, there are some folks who have accepted Christ as their savior but He's not their Lord. They still do their thing, not God's.
This brings to mind Jonah!
Jonah was called by God to preach to the Ninevites but he did not want the Ninevites to repent and be saved and so Jonah decided to take matters into his own hands and ran away from God's call. God had other plans for Jonah and the Ninevites however! (see Book of Jonah).
Jonah's heart was not surrendered to the Lord. Even when he did do as the Lord told him (eventually), Jonah's heart was still far removed from God! Jonah did not obey God from the heart but rather out of a sense of duty (no wonder he was so miserable!).
Some will choose the Lord for salvation but may not enter into God's rest here in the present (which is only possible through a surrendered heart) and the tragedy is that many people miss so much blessing, peace and contentment as a result of not doing so.
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RE: What's the Difference? - 12/6/2008 5:59:53 PM
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Dancre
Posts: 1307
Joined: 4/12/2005
Status: offline
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Yes He did!! I think folks make it so darn hard!! All He wants is for us to be obedient.
quote:
ORIGINAL: rcjames
quote:
ORIGINAL: Dancre
Well, there are some folks who have accepted Christ as their savior but He's not their Lord. They still do their thing, not God's.
And Christ drew this line very plainly in;
(Joh 14:15) If ye love me, keep my commandments.
And
(Luk 6:46) And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?
Small verses, but very weighty.
Thanks
RC
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