We are Soldiers of Christ

[Soldier4Christ]

As time passes by it seems that this world gets more and more evil. A nation that was founded on and whose laws were based upon the Holy Word of God has forgotten it's roots burying the truth in soil where those roots are stifled and many hope will be forgotten forever. Churches turned into social affairs, our schools forsaking the word of God and prayer for lies of a secular world. Children taught to hate rather than to love. Adults killing children in the womb. Children killing children.

It should be more than enough to make a a person sick. It makes one wonder what is it all worth. We as Christians have stood on the sidelines way too long. Pew warmers at best. Some don't even do that but would rather sit at home not wanting to be bothered by it all. Living their own private little lives.

Just because the world is being over taken by evil does not mean it is time to give up. Just because the Bible tells us these things will come to be does not mean that we should not fight against it. Our jobs, our very duty as Christians is to fight against evil. Jesus Christ suffered more than any of us will ever do and He did it all for us. The very least that we can do is to at least show our love for Him by working for Him, attempting to bring others out of this evil to the love and solace of His arms.

General Douglas McArthur once said something that is very fitting for this situation, 

"The enemy is behind us.
The enemy is in front of us.
The enemy is to the right
and the left of us.
They can't get away this time!"



We are more than conquerors through him that loved us. Romans 8:37

Mar 16:15  And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.

[john909]

We saints on earth are the Church Militant, while those saints who have gone before us are the Church Triumphant. The Church Triumphant is forever interceding on our behalf in prayer to God. The "good fight", as this is sometimes known as, is the hardest aspect of being true to God.
Unfortunately, the world hates Christianity and what it represents. The world does not want to hear about sin, about hell, about the fact that being a Christian, as Saint Paul so eloquently put it, "we are slaves to Christ" If the world only understood that we as Christians have more freedom than anyone else. People confuse the term freedom with permissiveness. Freedom does not mean sex with everyone with no repercussions, smoking dope, blaspheming God, or most likely, denying Him altogether -- that is permissiveness, and, per God, is allowed under His gracious free will. He gives us the ability to do what we please.
I fully believe in the doctrine of the elect and the reprobate, but I pray for everyone. Who knows what God may do for someone if we soldiers of Christ pray for them. The problem with too many Christians, especially the XXXXXXXXXXX, is that they get in people's faces with the "I'll pray for you" stuff, or "you're going to hell if you don't serve Jesus." I think this all serves to drive people away. I once a pastor say that we should do less preaching and more praying. I agree. This is not to say that we abandon the Great Commission, but I think that praying for people can be more powerful. We plant the seeds for someone with prayer and let the Holy Spirit do the gardening, if that is His will with that person or group of people.

To God Alone Be the Glory +++

[nChrist]

We saints on earth are the Church Militant, while those saints who have gone before us are the Church Triumphant. The Church Triumphant is forever interceding on our behalf in prayer to God. The "good fight", as this is sometimes known as, is the hardest aspect of being true to God.
Unfortunately, the world hates Christianity and what it represents. The world does not want to hear about sin, about hell, about the fact that being a Christian, as Saint Paul so eloquently put it, "we are slaves to Christ" If the world only understood that we as Christians have more freedom than anyone else. People confuse the term freedom with permissiveness. Freedom does not mean sex with everyone with no repercussions, smoking dope, blaspheming God, or most likely, denying Him altogether -- that is permissiveness, and, per God, is allowed under His gracious free will. He gives us the ability to do what we please.
I fully believe in the doctrine of the elect and the reprobate, but I pray for everyone. Who knows what God may do for someone if we soldiers of Christ pray for them. The problem with too many Christians, especially the evangelicals, is that they get in people's faces with the "I'll pray for you" stuff, or "you're going to hell if you don't serve Jesus." I think this all serves to drive people away. I once a pastor say that we should do less preaching and more praying. I agree. This is not to say that we abandon the Great Commission, but I think that praying for people can be more powerful. We plant the seeds for someone with prayer and let the Holy Spirit do the gardening, if that is His will with that person or group of people.

To God Alone Be the Glory +++

Hello john909,

First, I see that you are new, so WELCOME!

Most Christians would disagree with several points in your post above, and I would be one of them. I won't argue them, but I will state my disagreement.

1 - JESUS CHRIST died on the CROSS for all of mankind. ANY and ALL men and women with faith in JESUS CHRIST and wanting HIM as their Lord and Saviour WILL BE accepted. GOD does not wish any man or woman to perish in their sins under the curse of sin and death. So, NOT ONE will be turned away.

2 - I really don't care what the world wants to hear. Being politically correct is responsible for many of the problems we have now and certainly for the rapid decline of morals in our society. I will not call evil good, and I will not call good evil. Knowledge of sin is one of the first steps on the road to accepting JESUS CHRIST as Saviour.

3 - Christians should NOT live any way they want to because of the Liberty in Christ proclaimed by the Apostle Paul. There was more to the message from the Apostle Paul that some Christians conveniently forget. Hint:  the Grace of GOD is not a license to sin. Christians should also feel some responsibility as a living testimony for CHRIST. What we do or don't do either helps or hinders the work of GOD.

4 - YES, we should be praying for the lost, but that doesn't relieve us of other Christian responsibilities. ALL Christians are called to be messengers of the GOOD NEWS and share the Gospel of the Grace of God. Nothing has changed in over 2,000 years.

Love In Christ,
Tom

Romans 5:1-2 NASB  Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God.

[john909]

Hello,

I think you may have misunderstood me, so I'll reply to you per your numbering scheme:

1) Yes, Christ did die for all mankind. BUT... not all will be saved. This is God's will. Otherwise there would not be a hell. A person cannot decide on his own to "accept" Christ. They must be called by the Holy Spirit.  As Saint Paul stated, "all men are dead in trespass", so therefore, someone dead in sin cannot come to God on his own. God comes to who he "elects" through the Holy Spirit. The doctrine in the Holy Scriptures concerning the elect and the reprobate is alive and well, and spoken of by Jesus many times. Yes, God desires a relationship with all men in Christian fellowship and worship, but one has to have the calling od the Holy Spirit. Saint Paul himself was the recipient of such a call from Jesus. God gives man freewill to reject God at his own peril. many will choose this path. When Jesus walked the earth, people came to god through Him because of His earthly ministry, but remember when He told the disciples that after He left the earth, the Holy Spirit would take over to bring men to salvation. The Holy Spirit can work in weird, wonderful ways. He may call a person as the elect merely upon the prayers of one of us saints interceding on that person's behalf. Our prayers may remove the hardening of the heart that person may have had towards God. In effect, without people praying and effecting the Great Commission, no one would come to God unless God willed it.

I have a real problem with some of the XXXXXXXXl "alter calls" because people get caught up in the moment and rely on feelings. Conversion generally happens over time, but not always. Usually, though. I grew up knowing nothing but Christianity, and I praise God for it every day. My parents and my grandparents walk the walk and talk the talk. They are great role models of humans walking circumspectly for God. Look at Saint Paul. He was a murderer of Christians, a real persecutor. God saved Him for His own will. To me, after Jesus, Saint John the Baptist and Saint Paul are the most important Biblical role models. After all, Christ Himself said that no greater man will ever be born of a woman than that of Saint John the Baptist.

2) I was saying that the world at large hates the Christian message of the Gospel, that it does not want to be told what to do. I'm about as far from being politically correct as one can get. I resent the world's hatred of us and what we represent, and I wish the world would wake up, but it cannot and will not without the Holy Spirit working through us, sinful men, carrying out the Great Commission, as commanded by Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew.

3) I was not saying we should do as we please. I was stating that God gives mankind freewill, and those non-Christians can elect to reject Jesus and act as they want to, but with eternal repercussions. We as Christians are slaves to Christ, as Saint Paul so eloquently put it, and we enjoy God's freedom but not the permissiveness of the world at large, the kingdom of the left hand.

4) Per number 2, I am a great believer in the great Commission, and am commanded to so by our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Sometimes, though, not engaging non-believers is better, especially if they are not receptive. If this is the case, I pray for them, that if it is the will of the Holy Spirit, they be called into the eternal fellowship of the Church (body of believers).

Our doctrine may be different, but everything I stated above is Biblical, to include the elect and reprobate. Once saved, however, always saved, as Christ Himself stated when he said "no one will snatch my sheep from my hand". In effect, once you are His, you are always His.



His Peace and Grace to you +++