The Eysenck Personality Inventory (EPI) measures two pervasive, independent dimensions of personality, Extraversion-Introversion and Neuroticism-Stability, which account for most of the variance in the personality domain. Each form contains 57 “Yes-No” items with no repetition of items. The inclusion of a falsification scale provides for the detection of response distortion. The traits measured are Extraversion-Introversion and Neuroticism. Read More
Are you saved?
A common question asked by evangelicals is, “Are you saved?” However, what is missing is the object of the question, saved from what?
If it is the joker? Batman has you.
Are you drowning? The lifeguard has you (if one is present).
Is it Death?
Maybe it is a meaningless life?
The real questions, the ones that really matter, are bigger than just about salvation.
While some evangelicals believe savation is just saving us from death and yes, God can save you from death by receiving His faith.
“Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved”
Believing that Jesus is Lord requires our action to make Him the ruler of your life. This is not just a quiet belief, but actual action required. By taking this action of faith, then you will be saved from a meaningless existence of serving yourself. You will be serving Him.
How do you serve Jesus as Lord? By being called out of your current life into the life of the church. By serving others in your church and community, you are saved from a worthless life, and if you keep your faith active through His grace, God can save you from a worthless death.
Faith
Faith is a communication of belief. The communication is not vocal, it is an action.
I can tell you I believe something. That is a weak argument.
I can show you I believe in something. That is a strong argument.
I can be the sender of faith. “I will show you my faith by my works.”
I can be a receiver of faith. “You are saved by faith through grace.”
God sends His faith to us by the acts of His Son. God also believes in you.
If I receive His faith, I not only believe in myself, but I believe in God.
Faith is the seed of belief.
I share my faith in God, by believing in you. I do good works for you to show you that God believes in you. By this work I express my faith in you and God.
Your current future is death.
God’s belief in you is that you can be a new creation. This new creation takes death, and gives it new life.
Unless you receive that faith, you cannot be saved from death and a worthless life. To receive that faith, you must show you believe by doing what God has faith we can do.
God has faith that you can love, because He created you in His image, and He is love.
Belief
Belief, Trust, Consent, Agree. All four words are commonly confused.
Example:
Do you agree the chair is safe? (no action performed)
Do you consent to sit in the chair? (still no action)
Do you trust the chair? (first action)
Do you believe in the chair? (continuing action)
Belief is commonly used for agree or consent, but belief requires action. When you truly believe, you can transmit your belief as faith to another person.
When you trust, you do something. When you believe, you continue to do something.
“Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved.”
“If you believe in me, you will keep (do) my commandments”
Understanding that belief is beyond agreement, beyond consent and beyond trust. It is foundational to faith.
“Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith BY my works. Faith without works is dead.”
A Limit is Allot
Most people view limits as a negative thing. In fact, as human beings, we have a nature desire to push the limits when we can. Speed limits come to mind, but so does Adam and Eve.
“Of any tree in the garden, you may eat, but the tree in the center of the garden, you may not eat.” Next thing you know, Adam and Eve are standing by the tree tasting that fruit.
So when we are limited by time, money, resources, ideas, and creativity, we tend to think that we are missing out when we could just have more.
The truth is, that limits are good. Because limits make us be creative. Limits can cause us to push the boundaries of our lives. It can make us do great things.
Limits can help us keep things simple. It can narrow our target audience and help us focus on that unique thing we do which others cannot.
We tell our children, “You can be anything you want to be,” when the reality is we should be telling them, “You can only do one thing, you should do it well, and it should be something you enjoy but only one thing.”