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What's your preferred system?

MilesBeyond250

July 30, 2017

10 upvotes

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Post Information

Title	What's your preferred system?
Author	MilesBeyond250
Upvotes	10
Comments	24
Date	July 30, 2017 11:17 PM UTC (9 years ago)
Subreddit	Posted in /r/RPChristians
Original Link	https://old.reddit.com/r/RPChristians/comments/6qkn2x/whats_your_preferred_system/
Archive Link	https://theredarchive.com/r/RPChristians/whats-your-preferred-system.302186 https://theredarchive.com/post/302186

Comments

[–]Kanshan5 points6 points7 points 9 years ago (2 children) | Copy Link

[–]MilesBeyond250[S] 2 points3 points4 points 9 years ago (1 child) | Copy Link

[–]Kanshan3 points4 points5 points 9 years ago (0 children) | Copy Link

[–]emprags2 points3 points4 points 9 years ago (5 children) | Copy Link

[–]MilesBeyond250[S] 3 points4 points5 points 9 years ago (4 children) | Copy Link

[–]emprags3 points4 points5 points 9 years ago (3 children) | Copy Link

[–]FrancescaSedai4 points5 points6 points 9 years ago (1 child) | Copy Link

[–]emprags3 points4 points5 points 9 years ago (0 children) | Copy Link

[–]MilesBeyond250[S] 4 points5 points6 points 9 years ago (0 children) | Copy Link

[–]Peoples_Bropublic4 points5 points6 points 9 years ago (0 children) | Copy Link

[–]FrancescaSedai2 points3 points4 points 9 years ago (0 children) | Copy Link

[–]Kanshan3 points4 points5 points 9 years ago (0 children) | Copy Link

[–]rocknrollchuckMod | 50M | Married 11 yrs1 point2 points3 points 9 years ago (14 children) | Copy Link

[–]MilesBeyond250[S] 5 points6 points7 points 9 years ago (13 children) | Copy Link

[–]rocknrollchuckMod | 50M | Married 11 yrs1 point2 points3 points 9 years ago (12 children) | Copy Link

[–]MilesBeyond250[S] 8 points9 points10 points 9 years ago (10 children) | Copy Link

[–]rocknrollchuckMod | 50M | Married 11 yrs1 point2 points3 points 9 years ago (9 children) | Copy Link

I have a family, and I work 60 hours a week. I also lift weights at the gym 3 times a week, and I go to church on Sunday. I also share the gospel with people when I get the chance:

Do you know for sure that you will go to heaven when you die? And when you stand before Holy God, and He asks "Why should I let you into My heaven?", what reason will you give? What are the requirements for getting into heaven anyway? Jesus said in John 3: 3, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again." So isn't going to church, being sorry for your sins and asking forgiveness enough? No, and here's why: we have all broken God's Law, the Ten Commandments. Who hasn't told a lie, stolen, used God's name in vain, or lusted after another person?

We will all stand before God on Judgment Day, just like standing before a judge in a courtroom, and answer for everything we have ever done. Everyone must pay for their crimes, and God's standard is total perfection in everything we say, do and think. None of us measure up. Then the Judge will pass sentence—even if we ask for forgiveness, because the Judge is bound by the Law to see that justice is done. Those that are guilty of the crime will do the time, and will end up in God's prison, which is hell. So what can we do?

Jesus Christ paid the penalty for your sins in His life's blood. You broke God's Law, Jesus paid your fine. That means your case can legally be dismissed and you can walk free from the courtroom on the Day of Judgment. But what you must do to receive this free gift is trust in Jesus Christ alone to save you, like the kind of trust you have in the pilot of an airplane when you fly. Then God will enable you to repent—this is more than just telling God you are sorry and ask for forgiveness; He will enable you to turn from your sinful life and begin to live for Him instead. What does this look like? Suppose you’re sailing your boat out on the ocean when a big storm comes up. Your boat begins to fall apart and you find yourself in the water, hanging onto one little piece of wood with the waves crashing over you. You’re about to drown when a Coast Guard cutter comes up and the captain leans over the railing and yells, “I’m throwing you a life preserver. Grab on and we’ll pull you to safety!” One of the crew throws a life preserver into the water, right next to you. The only way you can grab the life preserver is to first let go of the waterlogged piece of rotten wood that was keeping you afloat. And so it is with repentance. Jesus throws the life preserver of eternal life, and after placing our trust in Him we must let go of our old life and grab onto the new life that He offers, living for Him instead of ourselves.

As soon as you do that, God will forgive every sin you have ever committed and you will be made righteous in His sight. Romans 8: 16 says "The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children." What this means is that the Holy Spirit will come to live inside you, and will help you change your life to be an obedient follower of Jesus Christ. You will know you have been changed like nothing else you have ever known before.

The truth is, you don't clean up your life first and then come to Jesus. We can never be good enough for God to save us based on our actions. You come to Jesus first and He takes control of your life and begins to clean it up for you. The more you are obedient, the more you will see the old life slip away and be replaced by one that honors Christ. There is nothing you can do to earn your salvation. Ephesians 2: 8-9 says, "It is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--not by works, so that no one can boast." Good works are only proof that you really are a Christian.

There are many people today who "believe in God" or have "asked Jesus into their heart" or are "religious" but have never repented of their sins or been born again by the power of the Holy Spirit, and they continue to live just as they did before they were "saved." Jesus talks about these kinds of people in Matthew 7: 21-23, "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of My Father who is in heaven. Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name and in Your name drive out demons and in Your name perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from Me, you evildoers!'"

Many people want the benefit of going to heaven without turning from their sin. They want to have their cake and eat it too. But following Christ means giving your life to Him to do with as He wants to. The truth is, when we repent, it doesn't mean that we will never sin again. It means that we try our best not to sin because we want to please God, and that we regret it when we do sin and then confess and forsake it. But God enables us to repent through the power of the Holy Spirit, and that is given to us when we trust in Christ.

Once you are a born again Christian, then 1 John 1: 9 applies to you as well "If we confess our sin, He is faithful and just to forgive our sin and cleanse us from all unrighteousness." This is a promise for the Christian, not for just anyone. God will take your broken life and transform you day by day to be more like Jesus. But you have to completely sell out to Him and trust in Jesus alone to save you, and then repent of your sins. In Luke 15:10, Jesus says "Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

Does this make sense to you? Would you like to pray to receive Christ right now and have eternal life? You could pray something like this, in your own words, "God, I am sorry for all my sins against You. I turn from my sinful life right now and ask for Your forgiveness. Please save me and help me live a life that is obedient to Your Word, the Bible. I place my trust in Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. Thank You, Father, for the gift of everlasting life! Amen."

Your prayer will be shown to be real by your obedience to God's Word, so get a Bible and read it every day, starting with the gospel of John. You can also read or hear the Bible online at www.youversion.com , or download the Youversion Bible app if you have a smartphone. Find a good Bible-believing church to attend so you can fellowship with other believers, be encouraged and grow in faith. Also, begin to share your faith with others so they can have eternal life as well, and God will never let you down!

[–]MilesBeyond250[S] 5 points6 points7 points 9 years ago (7 children) | Copy Link

Oh, I know all those things. This is RPChristian, remember? I appreciate that you establish the paradigm of salvation being repenting and believing that Jesus is Lord. I agree that too often it's just boiled down to a feeling or saying the sinner's prayer or what have you, which frankly has about as much to do with the Bible as Temujin's invasion of China - which is to say, nothing. And I also like that you noted that this produces a lasting change. Faith is not mere intellectual assent to something. Saving faith, of necessity, produces works of righteousness, and while the presence of works of righteousness does not mean someone has faith or is saved, their absence most certainly means that someone does not have saving faith.

If you don't mind a bit of critique, I think perhaps you orient around the afterlife a bit too much. Not a bad thing, necessarily, but it's important to remember that the concept of "eternal life" in Second Temple Judaism was more than just the afterlife, but the immediate life. Eternal life with God begins the moment you accept Jesus, and the wonder of being a Christian is not just getting to spend eternity at His side, but also being able to participate in the work He is doing here in this world now to bring about His kingdom. That being said, it's possibly a bit of a nitpick, and I'm certain it's a matter of phrasing and emphasis more than anything else.

[–]rocknrollchuckMod | 50M | Married 11 yrs0 points1 point2 points 9 years ago (6 children) | Copy Link

Faith is not mere intellectual assent to something. Saving faith, of necessity, produces works of righteousness, and while the presence of works of righteousness does not mean someone has faith or is saved, their absence most certainly means that someone does not have saving faith.

I agree. Very few people realize this important but seemingly small detail.

Eternal life with God begins the moment you accept Jesus, and the wonder of being a Christian is not just getting to spend eternity at His side, but also being able to participate in the work He is doing here in this world now to bring about His kingdom.

Agreed, which is why I share the gospel with others as He gives me opportunity.

I don't understand what any of this has to do with RPG games. I also don't understand why the sudden influx of RPG-themed posts on a sub that is clearly not about that. But hey, you do you. Blessings and peace to you.

[–]CowboyBigBoss 1 point2 points3 points 9 years ago (5 children) | Copy Link

[–]rocknrollchuckMod | 50M | Married 11 yrs0 points1 point2 points 9 years ago (4 children) | Copy Link

[–]CowboyBigBoss 3 points4 points5 points 9 years ago (1 child) | Copy Link

[–]Red-CuriousMod | 34M | Married 11 yrs[M] 1 point2 points3 points 9 years ago* (1 child) | Copy Link

/u/CowboyBigBoss is actually the guy who introduced me to RP a year or two ago (it just took me forever to really start digging in with it, so I don't count my first introduction back then). I don't know how far, exactly, he dives into it, but at least I know he's theologically sound.

I also know the other users that have been trolling us (at least some of them). Like CBB said, I wouldn't take anything they say seriously. My experience with them is that they are, essentially, non-Christians who like to claim the title "Christian." They are SJWs in the rawest sense. 1 Cor. 5 says of these people, "Do not even eat with them." So, the ban list just grew from 1 to 8 in 3 minutes.

Although I'd love to say that sharing the Gospel would help, as CBB said, it's like throwing pearls to swine. One of the 7 guys brigading us (who are all from r/BrokeHugs) actually used to be a mod on r/TrueChristian. Somehow he got booted and I'm guessing he's still pretty bitter, and probably doesn't like that I referenced a personal connection I have to one of their current mods, so he's taking his frustrations out on me. Oh well ... DNGAFlip and all that. I'll just keep moving on :p

[–]FrancescaSedai3 points4 points5 points 9 years ago (0 children) | Copy Link