How To Be Born Again

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[connectthedots]

Quite true, but usually, people use those methods quietly and without fanfare. they just cope. they do what they must, in order to accomplish what they can.

It's been a while, but I think it all began when a few members of the swarm mentioned their theologial degrees as if simply hav ing a pece of paper somehow made them an authority on the Bible. I then stated the fact that some of the smartest people on a number of subjects studied those topics as an avocation rather than a vocation.

I believe I also mentioned that when one attends any particular institution, they are going to received a biased view that reflects the particular theological bent of that institution; and that one ought to keep that in mind when discussing a particular point.

Actually, I have done quite a bit of reading on psychology/psychiatry; and when I went to see a couselor after my ex left me, and reading the DSM-IV, I am clearly not a narcissist. As for your suspicions that I am somehow into self-agrandizement, I can assure you that is not the case. It is hardly self-agrandizement when one readily recognizes that one has been blessed in particlar areas and giving thanks for it. In fact, it is much healthier than one who goes around belittling themselves. How would that glorify God. I certainly have no problem recognizing gifts and abilities that God has given others which I admire. I also know how to give compliments to others and to simply say 'thankyou' when receiving them.

Something else about ADDers. We tend to know a lot about a lot of topics, because we are generally very curious and retain information well.

I hope this gives you a bit of a different perspective.

[Dr Warmoose]

So who whined to the mods? Anybody willing to fess up?

Somebody has been comparing notes with White Mountain.

[Dr. Eckleburg]

Why do you think the answer you gave in #2 differs from my answer?

Where does "God's assistence" end?

And as for "God's unseen ways," as a pastor I bet you clearly see the ways He assists you every day.

[Dr Warmoose]

Which reminds me that I need to put on my snow tires.

I unavoidably ran over something large this morning, had a catastrophic blow-out in the rear tire, and just now I am looking at a receipt for nearly $700 in new tires.

Funny thing though, last night I dreamed about buying tires... (the old ones were getting rather slick)

No snow in the south, though!

[Paitiently waiting for wisecracks about God's foreknowledge about today's posting antics and predestining the tire blow-out.]

[Dr Warmoose]

Hint: It's a Yes/No question, like "Are your eyes shut" or "Is it raining outside your window?"

Actually it can be a No and Yes question (part a:No, part b:Yes) in the same way that we do not know the date of Christ's return, yet we do know the circumstances.

[Jerry_M]

"Why would a Calvinist preach a "Come to Jesus" sermon? If God has already decided who is saved and who is condemned, then what's the point of evangelism?"

"If God would have painted a yellow stripe on the backs of the elect I would go around lifting shirts. But since He didn't I must preach `whosoever will' and when `whosoever' believes I know he is one of the elect" - C.H. Spurgeon

(One would think that the "anti-grace" crowd would come up with some new arguments, this one is "long in the tooth".)

[Dr. Eckleburg]

Perhaps you're unaware of the enormous compliment our free-willers have offered by comparing you to the_Doc.

the_Doc is a learned, righteous, take-no-prisoners Calvinist whom, it's been said, was used by God (along with a couple other GRPL brethren) to facilitate RnMom's conversion from Arminian to stalwart Calvinist.

It would be nice to think He has that in mind for others on these threads.

[nobdysfool]

Actually, I have done quite a bit of reading on psychology/psychiatry; and when I went to see a couselor after my ex left me, and reading the DSM-IV, I am clearly not a narcissist. As for your suspicions that I am somehow into self-agrandizement, I can assure you that is not the case. It is hardly self-agrandizement when one readily recognizes that one has been blessed in particlar areas and giving thanks for it. In fact, it is much healthier than one who goes around belittling themselves. How would that glorify God. I certainly have no problem recognizing gifts and abilities that God has given others which I admire. I also know how to give compliments to others and to simply say 'thankyou' when receiving them.

I think you missed my point. You have just done it again. I'm not saying that you should go around putting yourself down. I'm just saying that it is generally better to let someone else praise you, and not yourself. It's not because what you say makes me feel in any way inadequate, because I am quite comfortable in my own skin, with who and what I am, and what God has blessed me with. I just don't feel the need to tell everyone else about it, as though they wouldn't be able to notice it unless I said something. It looks like fishing for compliments. Anyone who is around me for any appreciable period of time would be able to see it, and whether or not they were to verbally acknowledge it is entirely up to them. I purposely avoid speaking about myself as much as possible, precisely because I don't want to be seen as arrogant, self-centered, or vain. I can't claim credit for that which God has given me, and My Bible says my gifts will make room for me, and place me before Kings, if that's God's Will.

IQ doesn't really mean all that much, it's just a measure of one's ability to process information, engage in deductive reasoning, and discern order. It is by no means the entire measure of one's intelligence. I read the encyclopedia from cover to cover growing up, when I didn't have anything else to read. Most of what I have learned from that comes under the heading of "little known and even less cared for facts". No big deal, certainly not something to brag about with the intent of making myself look better than someone else in the eyes of a third party or parties. It is what it is.

Let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth; a stranger, and not thine own lips. (Pro 27:2)

[nobdysfool]

[Paitiently waiting for wisecracks about God's foreknowledge about today's posting antics and predestining the tire blow-out.]

You said it better than we ever could have.... :)

[Dr. Eckleburg]

But the question was "Does God know the date of your death and the circumstances of it?

Does God know the date of Christ's return?

[nobdysfool]

Discouraging. We're setting a bad example

By not having your snow tires on yet??? :)

[Starwind]

I essentially agree with the bulk of your post so I won't bother repeating. There really is little I would even quibble with.

The point I would make is in addition to something on which you were silent:

It is from such as these that God chooses to save some of them, predestining them to salvation by His choice, and they are Elect unto salvation by God's choice, and not by John, Mary, or Bob's choice. Therefore, God's interventions into His creation are foreordained at the time of Creation, by the very fact that He chose to save some at the time He chose to create this creation. If God did not intervene, NO ONE would be saved.

Again, I agree with what has been stated.

But you stop with election, and did not address God's biblically commanded co-requisites for salvation.

Note that you also make a point with which I agree in a later post #447:

Not only that, but we are commanded to preach the Gospel to every living creature, which points back to my previous sentence.

We are likewise commanded to obey the Gospel (and the apostles teaching of it): namely to confess a belief and servitude unto Christ, believe in His resurrection, confess our sins and repent, and be baptized.

As you point out and I agree, God in His foreknowledge knows who will in fact make a sincere confession and give his life to Christ and presumably those people were predestined to received God's grace, mercy and be regenerated. I also agree that God is sovereign cause in this, not man.

We can argue about when regeneration happens but we can agree it does happen and minimally the confession, repentence, and baptism are the obedient fruit of that regeneration, and salvation is appropriated for the believer as God has commanded it be done.

The point being that irregardless of to whom and when regeneration happens, fullfilment of the correqusites for salvation is conditioned on man's willful obedience.

An obedience that God 'enables' in the regenerate, but a required free will obedience none the less.

The further point being that absent such obedience, salvation is not yet appropriated (it may or may not be pending), and the indvidual that assumes they are saved without having yet obeyed and approriated their salvation is 'testing God' and in grave danger. Because they do not know if they are ultimately 'elect' (or 'unelect' and never to appropriate salvation because they die in an accident going home from bible study) until they fulfll God's command regarding salvation as written.

God Himself has decreed that election is sovereign to Him alone, yet salvation is conditioned on man's acceptance.

Yes God has predestined election and salvation in such a way that the elect do in fact obey by their free will, and likewise the unelect disobedient are on their own, by their own free will (unregenerate as it is).

But none of us know and can be assured of our election until after the fact. After we (of the free will enabled and given us) appropriate our salvation and make certain by fulfilling what Christ has commanded of us to be saved.

[scripter]

If God knows the end from the beginning, how then does God "change His mind?"

That's a good question to put towards all of Scripture. To quote a friend of mine: "I think we just don't understand yet how it all fits together."

Does He erase what He willed from the foundation of the world? He must be plenty busy with rewrites. Think of all that red ink and piles of eraser crumbs. Whew.

Fighting the comment from the flesh here...

[NYer]

How do we get rid of sin?

Through the Sacrament of Penance.

"Now when it was late that same day, the first of the week, and the doors were shut, where the disciples were gathered together, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them:  'Peace be to you.'  And when He had said this, he shewed them His hands and His side.  The disciples therefore were glad, when they saw the Lord.  He said therefore to them again:  'Peace be to you.  As the Father hath sent Me, I also send you.'  When He had said this, He breathed on them; and He said to them:  'Receive ye the Holy Ghost.  Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them; and whose sins you shall retain, they are retained.'"  (John 20:19-23)

1. Why did God the Father send His Son into the world?
      To save man from his sins.

   "Thou shalt call His name Jesus.  For He shall save His people from their sins."    (Matthew 1:21)

• Does Jesus Christ have the power to forgive sins?
     Yes, Jesus has the power to forgive sin because He is God.

• Did Jesus Christ forgive sins while on earth?
     Yes, He forgave the sins of the paralyzed man (Luke 5:18-26), the woman taken in adultery (John 8:1-11), the sinful woman (Luke 7:39-50) and the good thief (Luke 23:39-43).

• Did Jesus Christ give anyone the power to forgive sin?
     Yes, to His Apostles on Easter Sunday night.

  "Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them; and whose sins you shall retain, they are retained."    (John 20:23)

• Did Jesus want His Apostles to hand down this power to others?
     Yes, because He died to save all men from their sins.

  "This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, Who will have all men to be saved."    (1 Timothy 2:3-4)

• How did the Apostles hand down this power to others?
     By making other men bishops and priests.

  After the Apostles died, the bishops have continued to hand down the power of forgiving sin, during the past 2,000 years, through the Sacrament of Holy Orders.

• Who has the power to forgive sin today?
     All bishops and priests of the Catholic Church can forgive sin.

• What is the Sacrament of Penance?
     Penance is the Sacrament by which the sins committed after Baptism are forgiven.

• What do you have to do to have your sins forgiven?
     You have to be truly sorry for them and confess them to a Catholic priest.

  "He that hideth his sins, shall not prosper:  but he that shall confess, and forsake them, shall obtain mercy."    (Proverbs 28:13)

• Why do you have to confess your sins to a priest?
     This is the way Jesus Christ wants sin to be forgiven.  Otherwise, Christ would not have given His priests the power to forgive sin.

• Why does the priest have to know what sins you have committed?
     He has to know whether he is to forgive your sins or "retain" them.

  If you are truly sorry, he will grant you forgiveness (called "absolution"); if not, he must retain them (that is, refuse to give you absolution).

• Does the priests only pray that your sins will be forgiven?
     No, the priest, by the power given him, actually takes the sins off your soul (called "absolution").

  "For what I have pardoned...  I have done it in the person of Christ."    (2 Corinthians 2:10)

• Can you be sure that your sins are forgiven in Confession?
     Yes, if you have properly confessed them and are sorry for them.

  "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just, to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all iniquity."    (1 John 1:9)

• What does Confession do for your soul?
     Besides taking sin off your soul, Confession also--
  1. puts Sanctifying Grace back into your soul, if you were in mortal sin
  2. makes the Grace grow, if you had only venial sins
  3. gives you extra strength to stay away from sin in the future.

• Can all sins be forgiven in Confession?
     Yes, if you are truly sorry for them.

• What is meant by "being sorry for your sins"?
     "Being sorry" means--
  1. that you wish you had not committed the sins
  2. that you sincerely promise not to commit those sins again
  3. that you promise to stay way from any person, place, or thing that easily leads you into sin.

• What kind of sorrow do you have to have to be forgiven?
     Religious sorrow, that is, you must be sorry because you dread the loss of Heaven and the pains of Hell (imperfect sorrow), and/or because you have offended the infinitely good God (perfect sorrow).

  Therefore, to have your sins forgiven, it is not enough to be sorry because your sins have caused you to lose your job or some money.  The sorrow has to be religious.  Sorrow for sin is called contrition.  You do not have to feel the sorrow with your emotions.

• Why do you not have to be afraid of Confession?
     You do not have to be afraid because--
  1. you may go to any priest you want
  2. in the confessional, a screen hides you from the priest
  3. the priest is never allowed to tell anyone any sin he has ever heard in Confession.  This secrecy is called the "Seal of Confession."

• What sins do you have to confess?
     All your mortal sins.

• What kind of sin is it deliberately to omit telling a mortal sin in Confession?
     A mortal sin of sacrilege.  This is called making a bad Confession.

  To undo a bad Confession, you have to confess that you made a bad Confession, confess the omitted mortal sin(s), and confess any other mortal sins you have committed since then (including Communions received in the state of mortal sin).

• What should you do if you forget to confess a mortal sin?
     You must tell it in your next Confession and tell the priest that you forgot it.

  But the sin is forgiven and you may receive Communion in the meantime.

• What do you do if you have no mortal sins to confess?
     Tell your venial sins and/or mention some sin already told in a previous Confession.

• How often do you have to go to Confession?
     At least once a year (if you have committed a mortal sin).

  If you ever commit a mortal sin, say the Act of Contrition right away and go to Confession as soon as possible.  If you have perfect contrition for the mortal sin and intend to confess it in Confession, God forgives you and takes away the sin right away.  but you may not receive Holy Communion until you confess it in Confession.

• How often does a good Catholic go to Confession?
     Once a week, if possible, but at least once a month.

  Remember that in Confession you receive grace from the Sacrament of Penance.  Besides, in Confession you receive special helps to overcome the temptations that bother you most.

PRACTICAL POINTS

1. In Confession the eternal punishment (Hell) is taken away, but all of the temporal punishment due to your sins is not always taken away.  "Temporal punishment" means that, even though all your sins are forgiven through the Sacrament of Penance, God still requires that you be punished for your sins, either in this life or in Purgatory.  So, Confession does not make sinning easier.  One of the chief ways by which you can make up for your sins is by gaining indulgences.  (See Lesson 26).

2. If you are in danger of death and cannot go to Confession right away, be sure to make an act of perfect contrition; say the Act of Contrition, or simply tell God you are sorry for all your sins because they offend Him, Who is all good, and beg His mercy.  If somebody else (whether Catholic or not) is in danger of death, it is a great act of charity to help him to be sorry for offending God and to beg God's mercy.

[connectthedots]

IQ doesn't really mean all that much, it's just a measure of one's ability to process information, engage in deductive reasoning, and discern order.

Actually I di not miss your point.

I simply stated how the subject of my IQ came up. When some of the swarm attempted to claim that their 'degrees' somehow made them superior to others when it came to interpreting the Bible, it was not at sll unreasonable to point out that a 'degree' may or may not be significant. And as surprising as it may be to you, my thoughts about IQ are pretty much the same. And I totally agree that IQ is at best only an indication of inate ability to process information. I also agree that it is not indicative of the entire scope of ones intelligence; and I never pretended it was.

Like you said, it is nothing to brag about; it is what it is. That others think they can jerk my chain by making snide remarks about it, is not my problem. You see, I don't much care what they think about me. As much as it might surprise them, I have a lot of friends. Part of the reason is that I am 'authentic' and do not try to pretend to be something I am not. Not suprising to me an most other, people are attracted to those who are willing to show there true selves, warts and all. We've all got them, and nothing is a bigger turn-off than someone who puts on a facade of perfectionism or that everything is 'just fine'.

[Dr. Eckleburg]

I think we just don't understand yet how it all fits together.

Yet?

Do you envision a time on earth when Scripture will speak more loudly to us than today?

[rwfromkansas]

What a stupid question.

God commands us to do so, and it is how he finds he elect.

Duh.

[scripter]

Doesn't it seem clearer to START with the supposition that God has laid out His plan for His creation from before time according to His will, and work back, trying to understand everything else from that perspective?

I think it makes more sense to read Scripture in context, all of it. As I see it, you're less likely to limit God when you consider all of His inspired words.

[rwfromkansas]

Excuse me, ADD is very real. I had it when younger, and may have a milder case now, though I have not bothered to get diagnosed since I function fine except for being easily distracted.

[scripter]

Do you envision a time on earth when Scripture will speak more loudly to us than today?

I don't envision a time on earth when we will totally understand all there is to know about God. Do you?