Since I have been a part of several forums i've learned that there are way more agnostics and people that do not recognize God as their maker. This troubles me eventhough I know there wouldn't be a bottomless pit and the lake of fire if everyone believed. I also know God is the only one that can change hearts.
My question for the unbelieving world is: There are people in the world that are a lot smarter than me and are more learned. If I can figure out by the help of the Holy Spirit that God is the only answer to salvation and eternity why can't all do this?
You might add, because everyone has a free will to believe as they wish. Okay, I will agree that this is true. Whats holding the non-believer back? Satan?? Satan will sell you out in the end as he always does. My heart goes out for the non-believer and I will pray for them.
I must not be very convincing because all the people in my immediate family are the only ones I succeded in bringing to the Lord. Some of my in-laws haven't been able to see the forest for the trees!! My closest B-I-Law is like a brother to me and he thinks the Bible is a myth!! How can the gospel of Jesus Christ be a myth??? Your coments welcome, please. BTW, I'm 66 years young and I'm still confused about non-believers!![:-]
Good question...I don't have the exact answer but some thoughts regarding the question...
"If I can figure out by the help of the Holy Spirit that God is the only answer to salvation and eternity why can't all do this? " Texas Ben
You basically answered your own question..It's the Holy Spirit that convicts and draws us to a saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.. John 6:44No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.
Also , I think some people may be too smart for thier own good..let's look..
1 Cor. 1:26 Remember, dear brothers and sisters, that few of you were wise in the world"™s eyes or powerful or wealthy when God called you. 27 Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful. 28 God chose things despised by the world things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important. 29 As a result, no one can ever boast in the presence of God.
Many are called ,few are Chosen, so don't be surprised !
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The great day of the LORD is near, it is near, and hasteth greatly, even the voice of the day of the LORD: the mighty man shall cry there bitterly. Zephaniah 1:14
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Since I am agnostic, I will try to answer some of your questions.
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If I can figure out by the help of the Holy Spirit that God is the only answer to salvation and eternity why can't all do this?
This is pretty simple. Not everyone has the same beliefs. Some people choose to ask questions about religion and when those questions cannot be answered, people tend to lose all faith.
Quote:
Whats holding the non-believer back?
I can only tell you what is holding me back and that is religion as a whole. Much of what is wrong with the world today is brought about by religion.
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How can the gospel of Jesus Christ be a myth???
You believe that every other religion that has existed or exists to be myth, what makes the gospel of Jesus Christ any different?
Because there is Christ but there is also the anti-christ. It is easy for people not to believe with the anti-christ running around aggresively.
I myself, have come to to know the Lord Jesus Christ no matter how the word of God might be believed to be inaccurate. It is still accurate enough for me to know that Christ was really God in the flesh.
Do not worry about the non-believers. Hand that worry over to Christ to carry that burden for you. Live, love, and laugh but most importantly know the only Father that is in heaven is the only Teacher and stay close to him. I believe this to be true with all of my heart, mind, and soul.
If I can figure out by the help of the Holy Spirit that God is the only answer to salvation and eternity why can't all do this? [/blockquote]
This is pretty simple. Not everyone has the same beliefs. Some people choose to ask questions about religion and when those questions cannot be answered, people tend to lose all faith.
Lets be honest here Hooker; Everyone has faith in something. Your posting here is proof of that fact. You have been asked some questions that you did not answer, yet you maintained your stance in the face of questions you could not, would not, or simply chose not to answer. Hooker has chosen not to serve God as Hooker feels his abilitiesare such that he doesn't need the God of the Christian and has chosen thoughts and theories, and Hooker himself to replace Jesus as his God, but yet Hooker has faith in OTHER sources. He isn't faithless, he just has misplaced his faith in the one and only true God.
Whats holding the non-believer back?
I can only tell you what is holding me back and that is religion as a whole. Much of what is wrong with the world today is brought about by religion.
Since I am agnostic, I will try to answer some of your questions.
Again Hooker, your statement "I am agnostic" declares your religion. Just because you reject Jesus and his cleansing blood, doesn't mean you are anti religion. You are simply declaring that you are anti the true God and Christ.
How can the gospel of Jesus Christ be a myth???
You believe that every other religion that has existed or exists to be myth, what makes the gospel of Jesus Christ any different?
Hooker, just replace the name "Jesus Christ" with the term "agnostic", and you have answered your own faith.
Everyone has an opinion and most of them contain part of the problem. The problem has many ingredients that add to the sum or end result. One big portion IMO is lack of living proof of conversion. Christians in name only who are not only professing to still be sinners, but are practicing the same. They are bound by the same habits, and sins that are condemned in the scriptures. One who is a sinner is condemned by his disobedience to God, Condemnation destroys faith in God and his Holiness, righteousness, and power. When the sinner prays, the scripture rings in his ears, "God heareth not a sinners prayer", so he doesn't pray. Without prayer the sinful saint, has no power over the works of the devil, rather the devil has power over him. The sinful saint cannot testify of Gods deliverence because he has never been delivered himself. The sinful saint has no light to shine into the darkness around him, therefore no one can see his good works and be caused to glorify God. The sinner has no testimony. The sinner cannot show the reality of a God that lives within his heart. Why would one desire to serve a God that has nothing to offer except what the sinner already has?
When the world can see Christ in you, they get a glimpse of the HOPE of glory. The believer is a "living epistle, know and read of all men".
When the church stops playing its worldly games and returns to preaching the truth of the gospel and doctrines of God, men will repent and turn to God. Ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free.
There is a famine in the land, not a famine of bread to eat, or of water to drink, but of HEARING the word of the Lord.
Singing groups, puppet shows, and chile feeds, do little for the hungry soul.
Take heed to thyself and unto the doctrine, for in doing so thou shalt both save thyself and them that hear thee.
Until Christ makes us holy again, we are all bound by sin Snooky! No if's, and's, or but's about it!
SA What happened on the cross whan Jesus cried "it is finished"??? Your statement is an open declaration of the failing of the blood of Christ to save, cleanse, wash, and make the sinner free!!
The bible says "he who the Son sets free, is free in deed". You say, He who the Son sets free is still bound my his master, satin. The bible says, "he that sinneth is of the devil". No if's, and's, or but's about it.
If you are still a sinner, what were you saved from??? Jesus came to save his people from their sins. Where does it say Jesus saves one IN their sins? Nowhere does it say that in my bible. I used the term, "sinning saint", That isn't found in the bible either. One is either saved or he is lost!! He cannot be saved and lost at the same time can he?? This is why the sinner doesn't feel that there is anything to be gained by serving God! He sees those who say they are saved doing all that he wants to be saved from. When the saved cannot cease from sin, why would one in sin desirean experience that would leave him just as helpless as he is to begin with??
My God has something to offer when his sacrifice is excepted. There is delieverance from sin, shame, self, and his former master, satin. Former things pass away, and all things become new. One is a "new creation", not a left over, warmed over, sinner who cannot be an overcomer! I marvel at this glorification of the power of sin over the one who is supposed to be saved! Lets be honest and quit beating around the bush here, Did Jesus wash us in his blood, make us white, and purify our souls? Or did he deceive us with false promises???
If one is still a sinner, his God has failed to anything more that the masons have done. Joining a church offers nothing but a membership to a social club. A born again experience is necessary to excape the clutches of sin and satin.
When thou art converted, strengthen the brethern.
The line is drawn in the sand--are we going to serve the gods of sin and be a member in the kingdom of darkness, OR will we serve Jesus is righteousness and true holiness??
Greater is HE that is in you than he that is in the world. Choose ye this day whom ye will serve.
Rev 12:11 They OVERCAME him by the blood of The Lamb, and by the word of their testimony.