Listed Questions

By | March 13, 2016

Dear Brother Tim, I pray that you can help me understand some scripture that my Pastor has recently discussed :

  1. I do not understand Matthew 5:3 – why is it blessed to be “poor in spirit” ? I would think we would want to be rich in the spirit – and to keep receiving the richness of the being in the spirit. I am really off-base??
  2. How do I know for sure that I have a “saving faith” and not just an “illusion of faith”? I do not want to come to the end of my life and find out I have lived my life in an illusion of faith …
  3. Why do Godly people have bad things happen to them?
  4. How to I put my marriage in perspective with my walk with the Lord? I know God must come first in my life – but marriage is important also … sometimes there is a conflict … I want my husband to be a part of the beauty of walking with God – I think he would be so much happier…

Thank you for listening again.

Your sister in Christ

Hi ma’am, To be poor in spirit is to realize that you have nothing, are nothing, and can do nothing, and have need of all things. Poverty of the spirit is experienced in a person when he/she is brought to their knees before God to admit his/her total helplessness. It’s the first noticeable evidence of a Gods work of grace within your soul. For instance look where the prodigal son had to get to before he returned to his fathers house. Luke 15:17: And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! 15:18 I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, 15:19 And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants.

Saving faith comes at the time of Salvation sis. It’s at the time when we become poor in spirit. We don’t need it for ourselves after the time we’re saved, because it’s replaced with the blessed hope mentioned in Titus 2:10 Not purloining, but shewing all good fidelity; that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things. 2:11 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, 2:12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; 2:13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; 2:14 Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. In other words you now have the blessed hope through faith that you’re now heaven bound. Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Although sometimes our faith waivers and we can’t see our salvation as clearly as we used to. Does this make sense to you? I once knew a lady that had a constant battle with the fact of her salvation, until she learned to take the Lord Jesus at His word when he said; John 6:37 All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. 6:38 For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. 6:39 And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. What are these verses saying to you? What is the Savior trying to tell you/us?

Why do Godly people have bad things happen to them? Simply put, because we still have the flesh, even though the soul is saved and the Lord Jesus says; Matthew 5:44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; 5:45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. Bad things happen to the saved person the same as they happen to the lost person. True, there’s a certain protection on the saved because of their soul being sealed, but facts are that the flesh is still weak.

God first, then your husband, & everything else should be our order of priority. Putting God first will sooner or later give you the results that God has ordained one way or the other according to His will. The only way you can get your husband to share that with you is to follow what’s laid out in the Holy Scriptures. 1st Peter 3:1 Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives; 3:2 While they behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear. 3:3 Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; 3:4 But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price. 3:5 For after this manner in the old time the holy women also, who trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their own husbands: 3:6 Even as Sara obeyed Abraham, calling him lord: whose daughters ye are, as long as ye do well, and are not afraid with any amazement.

Remember also that you only can answer for your own salvation and not your husbands. Do what’s right in the sight of God weather your husband wants you to or not. Let God sort out the details. Phillipians 2:12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. 2:13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. 2:14 Do all things without murmurings and disputings: 2:15 That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world; 2:16 Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain.

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