James 1

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Caleb

Member
James 1:5-8

But if any of you lacks wisdom, he should pray to God, who
will give it to him; because God gives generously and
graciously to all. But when you pray, you must believe
and not doubt at all. Whoever doubts is like a wave in the
sea that is driven and blown about by the wind. A person
like that, unable to make up his mind and undecided in all
he does, must not think that he will receive anything from
the Lord.

Hebrews 11:6

No one can please God without faith, for whoever comes to
God must have faith that God exists and rewards those who
seek him.


Now what I think the James Verse above tell's me that If I
ask God to get me place to live in the city and I doubt
getting a place in the City, even if It's God's will,
then I won't get a place in the city because of my doubt,
If I ask God for a Christian Girlfriend and I say I can
forget about getting a Christian Girlfriend because of my
Circumstance, even If it's Gods will, My doubt will stop me
from getting a Christian Girlfriend.

Now what I think the Hebrews Verse above tell's me is my
doubt can stop me from pleasing God Because I have to have
Faith.

Now what do you Christians think?
 
Ephisians 2:8-9
"For by grace have you been saved, through faith; and that not of yourselve, but it is a gift of God. Not of works lest any man should boast"

I think if we continually are striving to be closer to God then He will give us the faith we need.
As for doubt, I think it depends on what kind of doubt you're talking about. God may not want you in the city, or not yet. (I don't know what He is telling you here, if you believe He's leading you in that direction that's good)
So believing to the exclusion of any other possibility that He is going to give you a place in the city would be probably be counterproductive. I'm not sure if the thought "maybe He won't take me there" is what you're calling doubt. I don't believe that that is necessarily a bad thing.
I think the verse you cited above is refering to doubting that God is capable of getting you where He wants you. The you would be doubting Him, and that is where a lack of faith comes in.
 
Also understand that God's will doesn't necessarily coincide with our desires/needs.
Wanting a city house and praying for it earnestly, even with teh faith of Graham, doesn't mean you'll get it, if God doesn't will it.
Perhaps he'll pair you up with a non-Christian girl just so you can witness to her.
I don't know if you're Christian or not, but I believe that if it's in God's will, it will happen. We don't know God's will.
 
You said it before me, Ultima. God's will > ours

Also, much of the time when granted requests are spoken about in the Bible, they are referring to spiritual riches rather than material, for Jesus said not to store of material riches here on Earth.

Something interesting, though. If doubting will "cause your prayer not to come into fruitition", then when you pray, you'll likely find yourself trying NOT to doubt, which is in an essence, doubting. Really. Try it.
BlackKnight and Ultima combined are correct, I believe. If you live trying to get closer to God, God will answer your prayers according to his will.

I could go on forever (3 pages?) about prayer, the power of it, etc. If you want me to, I will
biggrin.gif
But until then, I'll spare you your eyes and bandwidth.
 
Do you doubt that the chair you are sitting in will hold you?  No you have faith in the chair that it will be there because you see it, you know it exists.  

Why am I talking about the chair?  Remember, most of the New Testament is written to believers as an instructional book.  These people are those who are saying 'I'm a Christain.'  What James is saying is that if you are a Christian, there should be no doubt in  your mind that Christ exists.  Can you doubt that God will answer your prayer?  Sure, because sometimes no answer is an answer, but you are not doubting the existance of God.  James is basically questioning, that if you are doubting the existance of God, are you really a Christain or are you just play acting?  God made it clear that he answers the prayers of His children, and if we're not Christain we're not His children.  If we're doubting God existance, if we're doubting God's word, do we really have a saving knowledge of Christ?


Ultima God will never send a Christain a non-Christain to date.  To do so would go against His word (be not yoked unequally with nonbelievers) and God cannot go against His word.

timor
[b said:
Quote[/b] ] much of the time when granted requests are spoken about in the Bible, they are referring to spiritual riches rather than material, for Jesus said not to store of material riches here on Earth
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uhm, references for that please.  from my reading it doesn't matter about spiritual/material requests God will handle both according to His will, since we have the power to bind in Heaven and in Earth through Jesus' name, and Jesus himself said that God will take care of our material needs, how can it be said that "when granted requests are spoken about in the Bible, they are referring to spiritual riches rather than material"  Yes, God says that we should store our riches in Heaven where they are incorruptable rather than here on earth where they can be destroyed, but the thing to remmber is that most of our requests are not for 'riches' but for 'needs'
 
[b said:
Quote[/b] ]Ultima God will never send a Christain a non-Christain to date. To do so would go against His word (be not yoked unequally with nonbelievers) and God cannot go against His word.
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Think about this. When dating, you are not totally committed ot another person as you are in marriage (i.e., a yoke, something that binds the two people together, and which they cannot get out of). Does this mean that dating a non-Christian is wrong? Granted, it doesn't happen often, but people can be brought to Christ that way. Basically what I'm saying is, never underestimate God's ability to do things however He knows is fit. In other words, yes, it might happen that dating a non-Christian could you bring you down in your relationship with God. Would God allow that to happen? Of course not. You are correct there. Now, if God, knowing the condition of both peoples' hearts, knows that a Christian can bring a non-Christian to Him through such a relationship...are you saying God is barred somehow from doing such things for His glory?

The problem is that sometimes we as humans tend to put people into classes, judging only what we see by "the outward appearance." Remember that "God looks at the heart," and by doing so, can make certain things possible that we would normally never guess. It's not up to us to decide what God can and cannot make possible because we are not privy to all the factors involved. In short, God works in mysterious ways: He can do things we never thought of in ways we could never dream of.
 
Yes, God can do things we never thought of in ways we could never dream of but He will never contradict Himself.

[b said:
Quote[/b] ]Think about this. When dating, you are not totally committed ot another person as you are in marriage (i.e., a yoke, something that binds the two people together, and which they cannot get out of).
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God's word orders us to not be unequally yoked.  While dating is not an attachment in the same form as marriage, dating is a forerunner for marriage.  As a Christain you should be dating to find an acceptable spouse.  

[b said:
Quote[/b] ] Does this mean that dating a non-Christian is wrong?
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While you can meet a non-Christain for dinner and a movie (i.e a date), you should never get into a serious dating/marriage relationship with a non-Christain, to do so is to ignore God's word on the matter

[b said:
Quote[/b] ]problem is that sometimes we as humans tend to put people into classes, judging only what we see by "the outward appearance." Remember that "God looks at the heart," and by doing so, can make certain things possible that we would normally never guess
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The Bible also tells us that we will know His children by the fruits of the Spirit, so we can tell who are Christains, and while we should not judge people, there is a difference between judging someone and not dating someone because they are not a Christain.

[b said:
Quote[/b] ]are you saying God is barred somehow from doing such things for His glory?
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God will bar himself from doing things if He says that He won't do it.  God will not contradict Himself.
 
[b said:
Quote[/b] ]God's word orders us to not be unequally yoked.  While dating is not an attachment in the same form as marriage, dating is a forerunner for marriage.  As a Christain you should be dating to find an acceptable spouse.  
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"Should" being the operative word. Not all people do, and in any case, it calls for God's involvement.

[b said:
Quote[/b] ]While you can meet a non-Christain for dinner and a movie (i.e a date), you should never get into a serious dating/marriage relationship with a non-Christain, to do so is to ignore God's word on the matter
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Agreed, that's what I meant.

[b said:
Quote[/b] ]The Bible also tells us that we will know His children by the fruits of the Spirit, so we can tell who are Christains, and while we should not judge people, there is a difference between judging someone and not dating someone because they are not a Christain.
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This was not to say "jump into such a relationship and hope God sorts it out." Remember that God knows everything that can happen. He may well lead someone in the general direction of a relationship with someone who is not yet a Christian, but who will become one, or who may by strengthened in their faith by a relationship with a more "veteran" Christian (for lack of a better word).

[b said:
Quote[/b] ]God will bar himself from doing things if He says that He won't do it.  God will not contradict Himself.
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This is a very sensitive subject, and calls for some reading. No, God will not contradict Himself, but we have to look closer at things to find out exactly what a contradiction is in any given circumstance.

Song of the Post "Paul van Dyk - Forbidden Fruit"
 
Tempted by the fruit of another!
Is that the song?
Alrighty guys: I've seen Christians date, even marry, non-Christians. I've seen it work out, I've seen it not work out. I suppose it all depends on whether or not it is God's Will for you to do that, or if you are disobeying His Will.
Also let's look at this concept a bit more: He says to evangelize the entire world, correct? Ergo, wouldn't that include a non-Christian lovely young lady, at whom your heart may flutter at the sight of? Perhaps you get serious with this non-Christian, marry her, have a thousand kids and witness to her throughout this as a Christian. Now what? Perhaps she turns her heart to God in this beautiful marriage after seeing the love of God in you, something which she never saw before. If I recollect from stories I hear, marriage brings people closer together, in all ways. PEople see each other's cores, and know their hearts almost as well as God does. Wouldn't such an intimate thing possibly give the non-Christian spouse a chance to see something she hadn't seen in other Christians?
Again, it is in God's Will...
Also: what if this Christian man who married this non-Christian girl never read that particular verse? Is it now sin? "For without the law there is no sin."
 
Slam
Yes, Should is the operative word, there are many things that we SHOULD do but which we don't.


Ultima The BIble is clear. Christains should marry Christains. If you are married and you become a Christian, you stay married unless your non-Christian spouse wants to leave you. Christains doing otherwise will have to aswer for what they do, but that is a matter between them and God.

as for the 'if they didn't read that verse' as always if we're ignorant of sin, we're under grace for that sin.
 
As I recall, we're under grace for our sins no matter what the case. There's no way I'd just go ahead and marry a non-Christian on my own. I'm waiting for someone God's leading me to. But always remeber the story of Peter.

[b said:
Quote[/b] ]On the morrow, as they went on their journey, and drew nigh unto the city, Peter went up upon the housetop to pray about the sixth hour: 10 And he became very hungry, and would have eaten: but while they made ready, he fell into a trance, 11 And saw heaven opened, and a certain vessel descending upon him, as it had been a great sheet knit at the four corners, and let down to the earth: 12 Wherein were all manner of fourfooted beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air. 13 And there came a voice to him, Rise, Peter; kill, and eat. 14 But Peter said, Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten any thing that is common or unclean. 15 And the voice spake unto him again the second time, What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common.
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In other words, yes, as a rule, don't go expecting to marry a non-Christian. As the exception, if God slaps you in the face with her/him, do not refuse.

Song of the Post: "Tourniquet - Drinking from the Poisoned Well"
 
Mark 11:22-26 NKJ

So Jesus answered and said to them, "Have faith in God.
"For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this
mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' and
does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those
things he says will come to pass, he will have whatever
he says. "Therefore I say to you, whatever things you
ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and
you will have them. "And whenever you stand praying,
if you have anything against anyone, forgive him,
that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your
trespasses. "But if you do not forgive, neither will
your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses."

What do you say about this verse as well?
 
Hard to say. Is that saying that the blood of Christ doesn't cover certain sins? I doubt that that's the explanation.
 
No it's saying that Christ forgives the way we forgive. If we are harboring unforgiveness in our heart, then we are harboring hate.

Christ is clear that if we are to be forgiven, then we should be forgiving.

Christains cannot hold grudges. Christains cannot "stay mad" at people. Christains cannot be held back by guilt.

We must forgive all trespasses, both those commited against us, and those we commit.
 
Great elder once say..."When reed blows, moutain tumbles. Wind of change cripples mighty."
Sorry. Felt like talking like Confucious for a moment.
Okay, somewhere in the Scriptures, I believe Proverbs: "Don't let the sun go down if you're mad. 'Cause if you do, then you're a cad. And that means you've been real bad. And it's just a passing fad. And since I am your dad, I'll get real mad." And stuff.
Okay. Really it just says don't let the sun go down on your anger. Don't go to sleep mad. It sucks. Forgive. Go to your brother, ask for forgiveness. If he refuses, get some friends, if he refuses, take him before elders, ask him, he refuses then, you're absolved. Yeah. Then it's up to God for THAT dude.
Also, if you offend a dude and he drags you off to court, make sure you get on his good side and be forgiven beforehand, or else you're stuck until you've paid the last penny.
 
The "doubt" that James refers to is doubting GOD, not doubting you'll get a Christian girlfriend.
 
I thought the general idea was that WE were supposed to forgive the way CHRIST forgives, not the other way around. In all truth though, it really shouldn't matter which way it is looked at, because we should unconditionally forgive in any case!
 
One of the biggest things that messes up relationships between people is offences that we pick up with those people and one of the causes for this is unforgiveness. This also works the other way round .. To be forgived, you must forgive as Christ did. Also, a lot of blessing can be missed due to unforgiveness since if you are not forgiving someone for what they did to you , then God cannot bless you becasue He has said that He cannot forgive you and your sin will then bring a wall between you and God.

(Jer 31:34) and they shall teach no more every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know Jehovah; for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith Jehovah: for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin will I remember no more.
 
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