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| Without God We Can Do Nothing?? |
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Many people do many good things, and are successful, without God. Why does that happen, when the bible says that without God, we can do nothing?
Perhaps, something that we cannot do without His help, is to be good, decent, kind hearted people, doing our all for Him and submitting to His will. We cannot go through suffering, sadness, or tragedy, with a peace that passes all understanding, without His help. I’m pretty sure that the “nothing” we cannot do without His help, is not monetary success, or personal success, but spiritual success. Without His help, we are but mere mortals on this earth. We might be successful, but we are not spiritual, without Him.
What does it mean to be spiritual? Dictionary.com says the following...
spir·it·u·al    /ˈspɪrɪtʃuəl/ [spir-i-choo-uhl]
-adjective | 1. | of, pertaining to, or consisting of spirit; incorporeal. |
| 2. | of or pertaining to the spirit or soul, as distinguished from the physical nature: a spiritual approach to life. |
| 3. | closely akin in interests, attitude, outlook, etc.: the professor's spiritual heir in linguistics. |
| 4. | of or pertaining to spirits or to spiritualists; supernatural or spiritualistic. |
| 5. | characterized by or suggesting predominance of the spirit; ethereal or delicately refined: She is more of a spiritual type than her rowdy brother. |
| 6. | of or pertaining to the spirit as the seat of the moral or religious nature. |
| 7. | of or pertaining to sacred things or matters; religious; devotional; sacred. |
| 8. | of or belonging to the church; ecclesiastical: lords spiritual and temporal. |
| 9. | of or relating to the mind or intellect. |
–noun | 10. | a spiritual or religious song: authentic folk spirituals. |
| 11. | spirituals, affairs of the church. |
| 12. | a spiritual thing or matter. |
This tells me a lot, but I am going to concentrate on numbers 6 & 7.
| 6. | of or pertaining to the spirit as the seat of the moral or religious nature. |
| 7. | of or pertaining to sacred things or matters; religious; devotional; sacred. |
Spiritual to me means being a believer in God, following the bible, attending church, living our lives for Christ. Activities that I do relating to those subjects are spiritual as well.
But, it is worth it to note, that there are evil spirits too. Does being spiritual refer to evil spirits as well?
When life draws to a close for us, what will be left? I have no children, so I won’t leave a living legacy to follow in my footsteps. Will people remember me when I am gone? Perhaps for a while, but eventually I will fade into the past. So what is my life all about? What is the meaning of any of our lives? To be successful in monetary means? To have great personal success and be popular? Or perhaps, our one and only goal should be to be spiritual, living a godly life, following His guidance, and living for Him?
We can do some things to be successful in this life, but there is much we cannot do without God. People who think they don’t need God have never been faced with what they are missing, by not having Him in their lives. They don’t know any better. They don't know the peace that He can give in trying times, or the strength He can give in weak times, or the comfort He can give in sad times. And that is what I am here for, what we are all here for, to tell everyone we know about what Jesus has to offer. When I leave this earth, I am going to heaven, and I want to take as many people with me as I can!
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Joey |
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January 07, 2008 at 12:26pm |
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You're getting it sister! |
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Deb,
once again your writing has touched and moved me! What a great blog and extremely thought provoking. I guess what moves me most is the notion of what will be remembered about us once we have gone home to be with our Father in Heaven. It really makes me think about why I am here and how I should really measure "success" in my life. If I can answer a resounding YES to the question, "did I fulfill God's purpose for my life?". I think I can count that as success. |
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| I'm with you! Let's take a crowd and have a real party! |
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Cheryl |
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January 07, 2008 at 4:17pm |
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Deb,
Why are you here on this earth?.....to blog on MyChurch!!! Another great one, thank you sweet sister. |
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R |
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January 07, 2008 at 5:46pm |
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Hey Deb, When Jesus says this in the illustration of the vine and branch union, I've often thought about these verses also, "fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire (1 Cor.3:13-15)." If the things we worked about, were without the unction and power of Christ, they will be burned. Which in my opinion will be equal to nothing. So maybe this is the emphasis that Jesus is making? Depend on Me... to do the living through you and there will be lasting fruit. Depend on yourself and do things without My leading... they are but dead works, worth nothing. I've always loved this verse also (which plays into the principal), "for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure (Phil.2:13)." P.S. To anyone interested. This short booklet on John 15... is fantastic!
Link: http://crosslifebooks.com/product.php?productid=75 |
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| Deb, I do believe you have a "gift" for writing. Thought provoking! I do like your blogs, Deb! |
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| I'm ready for the party but my work is not done. Great thought provoking blog. |
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Amen!!! Wonderful post.
I lived a non spiritual life and believe me this one is soooo much sweeter!!!!!!
pssssst, wheres the party and what time??? :o ) |
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Eliza |
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January 08, 2008 at 6:09am |
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| Amen, sister....this is really good.... |
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The big thing that so many of us forget is that we need to start thinking about eternal things now. Once we confessed our sins and accepted Christ as Lord and Savior we should start to think in terms of not just this earthly life (like so many 'successful' people do). Our rebirth as a Christian means we can face this flawed creation, this sinful world with God, as it's a moment in our eternal life with the Lord. The big thing to remember, though, is that someone 'successful' here on earth isn't going to be brought to God's love by telling them 'they're missing something'. They believe they have everything they need. And, not to stir up a hornets nest, but they probably DO have everything they need in the life they currently live and in this world. So, what do you do? You can't hope they 'hit a snag' so they see they need God - though some do, and that's how many come to Christ. But waiting for a shoe to drop in a multimillionaire's life is a risky behavior when their soul and eternal destiny is at stake. You also can't promise that life in Christ is going to be better - it might mean giving up the lavish lifestyle, it might mean persecution, mocking, etc...not something someone will sign up for when they're living a 'successful' life. The unsaved need to realize that all their success, their deeds here, how they compare to other PEOPLE doesn't matter and that if they do not put on the Lord their sinful nature (even if they don't do anything particularly 'bad' in humanity's eyes) will put them separated from God for eternity in Hell! |
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Deb |
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January 08, 2008 at 10:14am |
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Joey, I sure hope I am! lol
Charlie, good to hear from you again! I am glad that this touched you in some way. And yes, I think asking yourself if you fulfilled God's purpose for you life, is a great way to guage whether or not you were a success in this life.
Chrissy, and it will be one big party!
Cheryl, I am glad that you enjoyed this...and one of my reasons for being on this earth is to blog, but thank God He has more planned for me than that! lol
Restore, thank you!
Overcomer, what we teach this generation will hopefully be carried to the next, and so on and so on. Hopefully the right things get taught.
R, I like your choice of scripture in here. It adds to the blog. I think we all need to do things in this life that will not be burned when we die. Thanks for your comments. I haven't heard from you in a while!
Yahschild, I am glad that you enjoyed the blog!
Cheryl, me too! We have much to do before the party starts.
ds13099, when we can look back at what we were before we became Christians, and see what our life is like now, we know that we made the right choice. The party will be in Heaven, although the time might be different for us all :)
Eliza, thank you! Glad to have you back!
Growing, you are right when you say that people who are not Christians and are successful think they don't need God. As a matter of fact, a Christians life may be more difficult than a non-Christian. We can not make them become a Christian. Only them giving up their lives and allowing the Holy Spirit to come in can do that. It is not likely without some kind of catalyst. We can still pray though, for the lost that we know, and keep trying to tell them what they don't want to hear. We can't give up on them, but there does come a time when you have to stop pushing. When that happens, though, we still can pray. |
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| Since Jesus came and died for us...He would have died for one...if I only touch one life before I leave, it is all worth it...I hope I touch more, but one is enough... |
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Deb |
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January 11, 2008 at 11:22am |
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| DC, Yes, I would agree, one life will be enough to touch, but I am sure that you have touched many...and thank you for the compliment! I am glad you enjoyed it. |
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Without GOD there are many things a person can do. They can accumalate great wealth, live a good moral life, be a wonderful spouse or parent. They may even of their increase give to others to make their lives more comfortable. But without GOD whatever they do will be temporal. At the most, in exceptional cases, they may live a hundred years. Then what?
All their good works, the lives they touched, the things they have, will eventually pass. A few hundred years in the most notable of lives without Christ a memory will linger and then it is gone. Without GOD we can do nothing that will last thru the ages.
But with GOD we can do all things.
We may be poor. We may be glad the bible is complete because no way do we want our lives written about. We may have never married or our lives have been touched by divorce. We may have not given our children our best or we have and yet their lives have turned out to be a mess. And we barely can meet our own material needs.
But with GOD we can do all things.
We can touch others with the love of GOD or plant seeds that will bear fruit that will last thru the eternities.
With GOD we can be insignificant in the eyes of the world and even the church but be recognized by GOD. Remember the poor widow putting in here insignificant little that got Jesus attention while the disciples were in awe of the magnificience all around them. The most beautiful thing in the temple at that moment was not built with hands but heart, a life of thanksgiving for all that GOD had been in this poor, bent figure that would soon pass away and be forgotten in this world but certainly not the next.
With GOD we can be absolute failures and yet He sees something within us that no one else does. Remember the woman caught in adultery who was as guilty as sin and it was time to pay for her sin. Others saw her sin. Jesus saw beyond her sin and released her from that thing that had her bound, the opinion of others. Once free, she did "go and sin no more".
The wonder of the gospel is that GOD takes our nothing and makes it something. A few fish and a couple loaves of bread go a long way in the hands of GOD. But we must not only be willing to give but be broken, too. Unless we are broken we will never feed the need. Our unbroken "I" must become an "i". Spiritual success is to have been broken for others so often that at the end of our lives all that is left is the "." And that "." represents the seeds that have been planted in the hearts of the many you have touched as you gave yourself to others. You will be forgotten but the seeds planted will multiply and produce long after you have drawn your last breath.
.....peace..... |
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My belief, and my belief alone. Is to know God and his Son. Along with the Holy Sprit is to know no success like Iike it. that is success. to me is to walk with god. all the rest I've done in life.
and, I have told I've been somewhat a success. I just icing on a cake I could never tasted without his help and guidance. perhaps, just rhetorical. But, my belief!! My faith. Because to believe is to have faith. This word BELIEF is translated wrong way too many times. God bless!! |
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R |
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January 12, 2008 at 4:53am |
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Hey apureheart,
Very good comment. Very well put.
Thanks for being a blessing to me today. R... |
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Deb |
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January 12, 2008 at 10:20am |
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apureheart, thank you for your extensive comments. You are right...you said basically the same thing that I said, but much more eloquently. Without God, we are nothing.
golden2100, I couldn't agree more that to walk with God is what true success in this life is all about. Unfortunately, not everyone sees it that way. Many think they don't need God.
R, I couldn't agree with you more. Well done apureheart. You should write a blog about this subject! |
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| Good stuff! Leave a legacy, sister! |
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Deb |
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January 15, 2008 at 10:30am |
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| Lara, I sure hope I do! I will certainly give it my best shot! |
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Steve |
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March 01, 2008 at 1:23pm |
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4:24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship in spirit and truth. 15:5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same beareth much fruit: for apart from me ye can do nothing. Since God is spirit it goes without saying that Jesus is therefore spirit also. Jesus God in the flesh. So when he tells us we can do nothing without him, perhaps he means nothing spiritual, nothing that is worthwhile. As you said in the beginnning Deb, many people do "good" things and are successful in the eyes of the world but to God that means not much. Godly success is measured in terms of obedience to His will. Note Matthew 7:21 - only those doing the will of the Father are truly successful. You bring out something that not many today are willing to deal with. Good job. |
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Deb |
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March 01, 2008 at 1:43pm |
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| Steve, I absolutely agree that what is meant by we can do nothing without Christ, God is talking spiritual or worthwhile. We can have all the money and success in the world, but without Christ, where does it leave us? |
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