All Christians can be tempted to sin; their history with God can help determine whether they’ll actually follow through with the temptation. For instance, if a person has been under depression off and on for many years, then accepts Jesus as Savior, and becomes depressed again, the person may not see her depression as something to be alleviated by God. She may kill herself, not realizing the new resources she has in Christ and in the church. (Many Christians don’t get involved with others; their church is just on the glowing screen, whether Internet or TV.) So I expect that those who have been saved only a short time would be more prone to follow through with their temptation. (This could be true for any temptation.)
The Christian has two outcomes after death (or the Rapture): to reign with Christ and receive an inheritance, or to lose both, but still be saved. All Scripture accounts point to faithfulness being the prime requirement for reigning with Christ (such as in Matthew 25:14-30). The second option does not mean that a Christian loses his salvation and goes into the Lake of Fire; his works will be burned up, but he will be saved (1 Corinthians 3:12-15).
The only reason one does not enter the kingdom of heaven is because one has not been born again (John 3:3).
What do you think?
a. What reasons do people give for committing suicide? What biblical perspective could help out a person in each of those reasons?
b. Do you think people who have been saved should have all temptations miraculously rendered ineffective from day one of their salvation? Why does this not happen?
c. It takes time to grow in any new endeavor, and the same is true with getting to know the power and love of God. Why would growth in that knowledge relieve one of depression?
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