Your website has been such a blessing to me. I just read a question from a brother who said that he wasn’t experiencing the joy that we as Christians are supposed to have. I can so relate. It is so difficult to feel joy with all that is going on in this world, with so many perishing, especially when they are family. Also, I am saddened by the fact that it seems to me that most of the Church is asleep.
I lost a son two years ago and am not sure where he is. He knew the Lord, but at the time of his death he wasn’t walking with the Lord.
My Dad passed away in May. He had heard the truth and I do know that because of many, many prayers on his behalf, he could have called on the Lord with his dying breath, like the thief on the cross.
Sorry for taking so much of your time before getting to my questions. First: if we are to live by faith and not by our feelings, then what is joy? Second: in 1 Cor. 6:9 lists those who will not inherit the kingdom. What if those people are born again Christians?
In Galatians 5:22 Paul listed joy as the fruit of the Spirit, along with love, peace, etc. It means to be in a state of gladness. He said there’s no law against feelings like this. When good things happen we express joy that the Lord has blessed us. When bad things happen we express joy that one day soon there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain in our lives. (Rev. 21:4)
If your son accepted the Lord’s death as payment for his sins, then he’s with the Lord now no matter what his life was like at the time of his death. It’s what we believe that saves us, not how we behave. That’s what grace is all about. Same with your dad.
1 Cor. 6:9 says the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom. Paul said our righteousness is imputed to us by faith. (Rom. 3:22) Because of our faith in the death of His Son, God considers us as righteous as He is (2 Cor. 5:21) Therefore we cannot be listed among the unrighteous.