What if you aren't one of the elect?

[marie glen]

I believe truth is one and it's very simple.. not heard in the multiplicity of voices but in the silence of God's Presence/Spirit and prayerful, thankful contemplation..

[marie glen]

....What was I even put here for? I haven't done anything significant, and I don't see myself ever doing anything that will be useful to God.

This short youtube video seems to me to answer this very well -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCQhqPny8tI&feature=youtu.be&em

(someone here on tentmaker forum first posted this guy and I have to say I love his message! very rational, very calming.. and encouraging)

[Tom]

"by faith are we walking, not by perception" (2 Corinthians 5:7)

"He chooses us in Him before the disruption of the world, we to be holy and flawless in His sight" (Ephesians 1:4)

"For in grace, through faith, are you saved, and this is not out of you; it is God's approach present, not of works, lest anyone should be boasting." (Ephesians 2:8,9)

[rosered]

After reading the posts about the Lake of Fire, the consuming fire, and the second death IMO we should all have concern because of the variety of the thoughts and answers that offer questionable answers to all those questions and wonders. They All have left me in quite a quagmire, with much mud. And a glass darkly, well, not much help. Yeah, it's just my opinion. :2c:

  Micah    , I am truly sorry if I added to your   quagmire 
 
I agree we  should all have concern   in How we handle the Word of Life     

  In this life   I can see the   words of  1  John 2 as those born of the Spirit      as being  in 3 categories

   babes  being sincere   on the milk of the Word  and are forgiven   for His names sake     because He is    forgiving and loving     praise God !

   and the young men are strong and  able   as  the Lord gives measure to their stature

  and the fathers     those made  for meat to do the will of God

  2I am writing to you, little children, because your sins have been forgiven you for His name's sake.


13I am writing to you, fathers, because you know Him who has been from the beginning.

I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one.


I have written to you, children, because you know the Father.

14I have written to you, fathers, because you know Him who has been from the beginning.


I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you,

and you have overcome the evil one

  There is One God Micah    , but remember there are   7 Spirits     that makes  Our One God  '' The GOD OF ALL THINGS  ''

This keeps us in faith and hope and in the Love of God though Jesus Christ  and  looking as the what those Seven Spirits are   

1Corinth 15 27For HE HAS PUT ALL THINGS IN SUBJECTION UNDER HIS FEET.

But when He says, "All things are put in subjection,"




it is evident that He is excepted who put all things in subjection to Him.


28When all things are subjected to Him, then the Son Himself also will be subjected to the One who subjected all things to Him

so that God may be all in all.

  God bless

[Tom]

"if ever you should be avowing with your mouth the declaration that Jesus is Lord, and should be believing in your heart that God rouses Him from among the dead, you shall be saved" (Romans 10:9)

[joeteekay]

After reading the posts about the Lake of Fire, the consuming fire, and the second death IMO we should all have concern because of the variety of the thoughts and answers that offer questionable answers to all those questions and wonders. They All have left me in quite a quagmire, with much mud. And a glass darkly, well, not much help. Yeah, it's just my opinion. :2c:

Yup.  :iagree:

[Lazarus Short]

Even if you're not one of the Elect, you will still have a better life in the Kingdom than you have in the here-and-now.  :banana: :banana: :banana: :banana: :banana: :banana: :banana:

[rosered]

Even if you're not one of the Elect, you will still have a better life in the Kingdom than you have in the here-and-now.  :banana: :banana: :banana: :banana: :banana: :banana: :banana:

  Thats the Spirit Laz  :giveheart:

   James 1   ;5       

    we always ask Him for  help don't we ? 


Holman Christian Standard Bible
Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives to all generously and without criticizing, and it will be given to him.

[rrich7]

Hi UniversalSkeptic!

I understand how you feel! Just know everyone struggles with sin, whether they admit it or not. I know I do! I used to feel discouraged, beat myself up about it horribly and get very down on myself. Just to share my story, I'm pregnant currently with a little bundle, I'm not married, but I am in love & made decisions to "lay" with someone out of wedlock. Now the old me would've waded in my sorrow & best myself up at how stupid I was, but I learned to look at things differently & I'll share in hopes that it will help you.

This forum can grow confusing, some people use big words and theologies I don't understand. While I am intelligent & can be a deep thinker, I find that more often (for me) a lot if things made complicated are very simple in actuality & can be simply said.

Perfection is impossible my love; no one on this earth will acheive it. I feel I am in a CONSTANT battle between my flesh that's wants evil & my spirit that wants to please God. The fact that I feel those tinges of regret, the frustration of my inhability to "please God perfectly" tells me though, that I do love Him & I have come to understand, God loves Me! Every ounce of me as he loves every ounce if you! He knew us before we were born, had our paths set & our purposes, he knew our personalities, our struggles, our triumphs, He knew the people we would be before we became them & He loved us!! In our imperfection & sin He loves us & is working on us every day! He is moving at His pace with each & every one of us, preparing us, forming us, completing us. Where you are is where you are meant to be. Do not be discouraged, because all things work together for good, to complete His ultimate plan.

What do u define as significant btw? I find we think we should do extravagant things to have done something worth doing for God. Your testimony & confession of your feelings on this point could be something significant that you were meant to do to help someone else who was feeling the same thing not feel so alone, to help grant them some peace. Little things can be significant.

Ultimately, I say all that to say, TRUST Him! Your allowed to feel what you feel but try not to dwell. He knows what He's doing, with all of us. Whether you are elect or not, whether you are a vessel of honor dishonor or something in between, You are still highly significant & important & loved! Let His love be your peace & rest in Him knowing that you are well taken care of.

[micah7:9]

ELECT G1588  eklektos  From G1586; select; by implication favorite: - chosen, elect.
Speaking to His disciples- G3101  mathētēs  ; a learner, that is, pupil: - disciple.

Joh 15:16  Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.

My  :2c: :dsunny:

[Tom]

I am certain and have been for awhile that I am not saved. I don't feel God's presence (I do believe he is their), nor do I communicate with him. I thinks my doubts, fears, and worries are preventing me from fully embracing. Sometimes I feel like I do deserve Hell and wish that God would just send me their, but I don't know if it is my guilt talking. Maybe I just want God to discipline me in someway, like we are often told he will. So back to my question: What if you aren't one of the elect? Do you just stumble and bumble your way through life, until God finally liberates you. What was I even put here for? I haven't done anything significant, and I don't see myself ever doing anything that will be useful to God.

God chose "the elect" before the disruption of the world.

"He chooses us in Him before the disruption of the world" (Ephesians 1:4)

This statement of yours seems kind of contradictory, "I don't feel God's presence (I do believe he is there)." But the main thing I think about it is you shouldn't think you need to "feel" God's presence because God is spirit. When folks talk about feeling or sensing God's presence, I think we're speaking figuratively because we feel with our senses which affect our souls, but spirit is something you need to believe to be true. That's what faith is, belief. We might become emotionally excited about knowing God loves us and is with us, but that's not necessary to believe. That's why, despite the fact that I participated in some Charismatic Church services in my quest for the truth, I now believe that's all about emotional experience not spiritual manifestation. You say, "I am certain and have been for awhile that I am not saved." Jesus Christ died on the cross two thousand years ago to save all mankind and to reconcile all on earth and in the heavens with God. I think you have come to this site because you're seeking the truth just like I was earlier in my life, but you've got a distorted idea of what that may be due to the effect church doctrine has on all of us even if you weren't raised by folks who were church members because the theology is in the fabric of our culture. I think what you need to do is simply come to a better understanding of the truth, and a good way to do that is to study an accurate translation of scripture. I think you may very well be one of the chosen, and that is why you were drawn to this forum. I think you are simply looking for signs that are not necessary or even logical to look for as evidence of "God's presence" in your life and not perceiving others that are right in front of your face. In other words, you can't see the forest for the trees. The best way to know the truth is to study the word of God because the word of God is truth. Don't give up your quest. I went down a lot of dead ends before I found the right path. Here's a link to my preferred version of scripture. I think you will find it helpful. http://concordant.org/online/index.html God bless you.