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That's not what the passage says. I suggest you read it through again more carefully.
It's something I've pondered on occasion, without really being definitive. I like your answer! Still mulling it over, but I do like your answer!
It is very clear to me by the words IN ME
What do you think the Father does with those He "carries away."
Yes, I agree. A pastor should always keep His office door open when counseling a woman, and never all alone.
QUOTEAn Array Of Reinforcements
But what happens if the enemy succeeds in seducing us? What if during a time of weakness we slip up and give in to sin? It is at this point that the believer needs secondary levels of reinforcement, similar to how the Roman lines would stack rows upon rows of soldiers one behind the other, and rotate them out to keep the lines fresh. In the spiritual war, if the first line of defense breaks, we need to fall back on what we have "behind us," or in other words, what Christ has done through us and in us in the past. So Satan got a little victory in our lives, and found a way to bring us a little shame and defeat. What happens now?
The account of Job reveals very clearly that Satan deliberately tries to set things up so we will not just engage in sin but ultimately curse God to His face and denounce Him afterwards, bringing complete and total destruction to our faith.
8 Then the Lord said to Satan, "Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil?" 9 So Satan answered the Lord and said, "Does Job fear God for nothing? 10 Have You not made a hedge around him, around his household, and around all that he has on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. 11 But now, stretch out Your hand and touch all that he has, and he will surely curse You to Your face!" (Job 1:8-11)
He uses all manner of tricks to attempt this. In New Testament times, he was perpetrating the lie that eating meat sacrificed to demons was permissible for Christian, up until they actually did so, at which time he began beating them over the head for having taken communion with a demonic god and "sinned against the Lord." As Paul stated, it could potentially lead to some brothers "perishing," in thinking they had committed an unforgivable sin against God, and cast down their faith in Him altogether.
10 For if anyone sees you who have knowledge eating in an idol's temple, will not the conscience of him who is weak be emboldened to eat those things offered to idols? 11 And because of your knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died?... the things which the Gentiles sacrifice they sacrifice to demons and not to God: and I would not that you should have communion with demons. (1 Corinthians 8:10-11, 10:19-20)
The Gnostics, regarding whom Peter was writing this letter, were doing similar things. They were teaching others that fornication was permissible, and that no amount of sexual sin could affect a believer's salvation, for they supposedly now had "freedom" from the Old Testament laws. But as Peter would say, this "freedom" was a lie.
17 These are wells without water... 18 For when they speak great and swelling exaggerations, they allure through the lusts of the flesh and through sexual licentiousness those who have actually escaped from the ones living in error. 19 While they promise them freedom, they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by whatever a person is overcome, by that he is also brought into enslavement. (2 Peter 2:17-19)
Here again Satan would begin beating them over the head once they had committed sins like adultery, once their defenses were greatly diminished against his accusations because they were now guilty as charged. And if they had never reinforced their faith with anything they could point to to say Christ had indeed been working through them in the past, their faith might be hanging by a thread indeed.
Though it's painful to think about, we need to ask ourselves, "What if I do succumb to Satan's strategies some day, and what if I do fall into sin? Will I stand or will I fall?" Paul stated in one place that sin can quite easily beset us (Hebrews 12:1), and in another place warned, "Let him who stands take heed lest he fall." (1 Corinthians 10:12). I have personally struggled with sins throughout much of my Christian life, which is not something I am proud of. I also love the Lord, however, and have dedicated my life to serving Him, and I've had Him manifest Himself through me so many times that the Accuser has had little chance with getting me to cast down my faith. He cannot tell me there has been no true spiritual conversion in my life. Sure I may still struggle in some areas, but there is no way I would have ever been capable of the things I have done without truly coming to Christ. No way.
But I have a brother who has made some mistakes in the past, and his wife gives him a hard time over it. There are difficulties in his marriage and home life, and he and his family have also experienced multiple spiritual attacks through witchcraft. This is likely in part because he has a calling on his life and has been used mightily of God to receive prophetic dreams in the past, some of which have been important to my own life. Yet he has succumbed to depression, and to taking medication to function at his job. What is the answer for a dear brother in Christ like this who is facing such struggles? He hangs on, but sometimes talks as if He is of little value in the kingdom of God now.
I believe the answer is to fall back on the times we have been used of God, so I am reminding him of how the Lord has used him in the past and continues to. The man sent me a dream not long ago that contained wonderful promises and was a great encouragement to me, and how the Lord intends to use me and others, so I highlighted these things to him, and remind him not to lose sight of the work the Holy Spirit is still doing within him. And I remind him too that the end goal as Peter said is that we make our calling and election sure, so that we can be certain to be granted access into the kingdom of God at His return or at our deaths, which ever comes first.
Question & Applications
1. What thoughts do you remember having as you were reading through this study? Do you recall anything in particular standing out in your thinking.
2. What have been your thoughts when you heard some new believer say, "But I don't feel saved?," and what have you attempted to tell them in the past?
3. Food for thought: Do you feel the advice to reinforce their faith with spiritual evidence could be skewed and turned into a law?
4. For the sake of viewers who might like to see testimonies of the work of Christ in us and how this teaching applies, what fruit of the Spirit do you feel the Lord has manifested through you the most?
5. What fruit or spiritual gifts have you been "abounding in" more lately? Again, understand that this is not an exercise in pride, but giving testimony to what Christ is doing in and thorough you.
Previous Studies in the series:
Charismatic Bible Studies- 2 Peter 1:1-4, Part 1
Escaping Eternal Corruption, By Attaining Unto Glory And Virtue, Part 1 When is the last time someone preached to you that the Lord Jesus Christ has called you to His own glory and virtue? While I do not teach the doctrine of sinless perfection, I fully believe that we are called to emulate...www.christianityboard.com
Charismatic Bible Studies - 2 Peter 1:1-4, Part 2
Escaping Eternal Corruption, By Attaining Unto Glory And Virtue, Part 2 As mentioned in Part 1, the Vestal Virgins were the epitome of virtue amongst the Greeks and Romans. Their purity and chastity was of such importance to the State that they could be buried alive if they were to forsake...
The simple fact is, the passage does not say what you claim. If fully lacks any wording that would indicate "a branch no longer in Me", or something like that. You've got the idea that this is what is true, and so you see it in the passage, except, it's not there, and you would benefit from understanding that.
They are home with Him.
A boldness for Christ ! This is what we all need in large doses , in my early Christian walk it just wasn't there for me sadly , it was all on me though not Jesus . I pray now that I can proclaim Christ to anyone at anytime , we need to be ready to do this . People need to see that light shining in our eyes as we speak to them .
Caring for others , I have tried to follow his examples . I watched my Dad who was a nominal Christian , he did not quote the Bible or talk about God much at all but It was in the way he cared about other people if they were hurting in their lives or a bad situation .
Empathy for what others are going through . I want people to see Christ in my actions in this world . I covet your prayers for me .
B, I was raised a Christian, believed in Jesus as my Savior, but I was wrong for 30 years. That was not enough to be born again of the Spirit. It was only after I truly repented that I was filled with His Spirit and my sin nature was completely cleansed from lawlessness. That is how you then can naturally keep God's laws to abide IN Him, and He IN me. There is no working against your nature like those you are talking about. I hope you someday see the difference.
Do you remember Paul talking about a "thorn in his flesh " ?
