Why pray to anyone but God?

[JRKH]

Originally Posted by LilyM
Not at all - all things are possible with God, and He certainly never promises more than He can deliver. If He says we can be perfect, then we can, with His grace.

To be perfect?

How about this: I can say that I am perfectly in the center of the narrow way to God - Today. I pray I shall remain there tomorrow.
With God’s help I will strive to overcome my other imperfections.
Thus I may “Work out my Salvation with Fear and Trembling”

Peace
James

 

[diggingdeeper]

To be perfect?

How about this: I can say that I am perfectly in the center of the narrow way to God - Today. I pray I shall remain there tomorrow.
With God’s help I will strive to overcome my other imperfections.
Thus I may “Work out my Salvation with Fear and Trembling”

Peace
James

Thanks for sharing. Just make sure you aren’t working FOR your salvation. It’s a free gift, you know.
God Bless

 

[diggingdeeper]

Well, it’s a big struggle, but I’ve never expected it not to be.

I CAN say I’m quite a different (and measurably improved in some significant ways) person than I was just over three years ago when I reverted. And God willing will continue to improve.

That’s real.

Thank you for being so honest. Just remember, God loves you and saves on the basis on our faith.

“He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, 6 whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that being justified by His grace we would be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.”–Titus 3:5-7

 

[JRKH]

Thanks for sharing. Just make sure you aren’t working FOR your salvation. It’s a free gift, you know.
God Bless

You know it’s interesting that you bring that up. Yes it is a gift, but I’m not sure about free.
In Luke Jesus says that to whom much is given much is expected. God Gives us Salvation. What does He expect. Any Ideas?

Peace
James

 

[LilyM]

Thank you for being so honest. Just remember, God loves you and saves on the basis on our faith.

“He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, 6 whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that being justified by His grace we would be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.”–Titus 3:5-7

Amen - but you wanted a real answer, not a churchy ones. And the most ‘real’ thing about faith, when it is truly working in us for our salvation, is the perceptible fruit it produces, which is what I mentioned.

After all, ‘not everyone who calls me ‘Lord, Lord’ will be saved, but only he who does the will of the Father’ Matthew 7:21

 

[nbtb1348]

You know it’s interesting that you bring that up. Yes it is a gift, but I’m not sure about free.
In Luke Jesus says that to whom much is given much is expected. God Gives us Salvation. What does He expect. Any Ideas?

Peace
James

Well it was sure expensive! But a gift, by nature, is truly free. This seems to be God’s way–“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; 25 whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; 26 for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
27 Where then is boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? Of works? No, but by a law of faith…Now to the one who works, his wage is not credited as a favor, but as what is due. 5 But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness, 6 just as David also speaks of the blessing on the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works:
7 “BLESSED ARE THOSE WHOSE LAWLESS DEEDS HAVE BEEN FORGIVEN,
AND WHOSE SINS HAVE BEEN COVERED.”-Romans 3 and 4

I think that that verse about ‘to whom much is given…’ is very sobering. James says not to be quick to be a teacher, because they will incur a stricter judgement. But for Christians, it is the ‘bema’ (‘judgement seat of Christ’), which is like the Olympic judges stand, not the judgement of the sheep and the goats.

 

[JRKH]

Well it was sure expensive! But a gift, by nature, is truly free. This seems to be God’s way–“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; 25 whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; 26 for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
27 Where then is boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? Of works? No, but by a law of faith…Now to the one who works, his wage is not credited as a favor, but as what is due. 5 But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness, 6 just as David also speaks of the blessing on the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works:
7 “BLESSED ARE THOSE WHOSE LAWLESS DEEDS HAVE BEEN FORGIVEN,
AND WHOSE SINS HAVE BEEN COVERED.”-Romans 3 and 4

I think that that verse about ‘to whom much is given…’ is very sobering. James says not to be quick to be a teacher, because they will incur a stricter judgement. But for Christians, it is the ‘bema’ (‘judgement seat of Christ’), which is like the Olympic judges stand, not the judgement of the sheep and the goats.

It’s interesting how a simple and short question about what God expects of us in exchange for the Gift of Salvation can elicit such a lengthy response.
It is also interesting to me how often those responses come from the Epistles instead of the Gospels and the word of God’s own Son.
Yes God saves us as a gift. But are you sure Gifts are always free?
Look at the Gospels to see How Jesus taught. Matthew Chapter 5 is full of teching about Action on the part of the disciples. Love your neighbor, Love your enemy Do good to those who harm you. Give - Forgive - Follow - Visit - on and on.
I won’t get into a debate on the details of faith/grace/works, but suffice it to say that, if we accept this gift of Salvation we must then go DO something about it. AND we must continue to do something about it every day.

Faith and Action - Faith in Action - God expects much of His Children as any Good Father does.

Peace
James

 

[Peter_J]

Thank you for being so honest. Just remember, God loves you and saves on the basis on our faith.

“He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, 6 whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that being justified by His grace we would be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.”–Titus 3:5-7

 

[CHESTERTONRULES]

You did great

BUT - I wonder what would have happened if the father of the groom or the father of the bride had come to him??

Ive been reading a lot here, and I do get that catholics interpret this passage you gave as evidence of the intercessionary power of Mary, and extrapulate that to the saints. I have no problem with it on one hand, but on the other, Im much more drawn to the words of Jesus Himself, where he tells us to go direct to the Father. It’s not your explanation thats lacking, its my understanding. I just dont get why anyone would go anywhere, except to the Father, from whom all things come.

Asking the saints to pray for us is one way to pray without ceasing.

It is also wise according to James who tells us that the prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.

Do you believe you will stop praying for the people you love when you get to heaven?