Deceiver of the whole world

@kellyjay said
I guess maybe that was what Jesus was saying when he talked about us lusting for someone in our hearts.

If you genuinely believe that Jesus might send you to "Hell" to be tormented in burning flames for eternity for "lusting for someone in [your] heart", then I recommend you spare yourself the anxiety and keep your imagination and desires under control.

@KellyJay

Colossians 3:5
Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.

Right. There is a part of us that is too prone to deception. The only remedy is for it to DIE.

That is DIE and learn to live in resurrection. But for sure, once dead, no longer vulnerable.

"Lord Jesus, in this thing, unless I DIE ... there is no hope for me."

Of course God knew this before we were born. Because we still think there is something that can please God in us naturally, WE need to one day see it - we need to be crucified with Christ that we may walk in newness of life.


"Lord Jesus, unless I die with you and am raised with you, I have NOTHING I can do for you."

Then we must exercise out faith in God's word. We HAVE BEEN crucified and buried with Christ. There is no need to strive. A Dead Man cannot strive to do better. We have died with Him.

We can live with Him in the newness of life.

@sonship said
@KellyJay

Colossians 3:5
Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.

Right. There is a part of us that is too prone to deception. The only remedy is for it to DIE.

That is DIE and learn to live in resurrection. But for sure, once dead, no ...[text shortened]... cannot strive to do better. We have died with Him.

We can live with Him in the newness of life.

I think one of the many things many people struggle within God's grace and mercy. They can be under guilt, “I cannot do enough to earn it,” so they feel guilty, or they can think, “I've been so bad God cannot possibly forgive me.” The thing about God's grace is, it's God's grace! His salvation is by sovereign decree, due to the blood of the Lamb, our efforts do not save us, it isn't by works, there are not enough good works to do to earn such a great gift! Thinking we have to add to it to secure it shows we are not putting our faith in Jesus’ blood, because we believe it isn’t enough, so we try to make God like us by what we do.

The whole point of God sending Jesus to us so God could redeem us, something laws couldn’t do, something our efforts couldn’t do, we could not cause ourselves to rise from the dead being dead in our sins. With Christ in our lives, our sanctification begins, turning our lives over to Him in repentance learning to walk as Christ walked, that without the Spirit of God within us is impossible.

Anyone without Christ in them will never be accepted, they remain dead in their sins. I agree with you, we can live in newness of life in Christ, He is the best part of Christianity, those that miss Him miss it all completely.