3 Christians

[dodgerfan2002]

This has been bothering me since I became a Christian. There are 3 Christians

Christian A: has repented and received Christ (prayed the sinner's prayer and everything). believes that he has to do good works and live a holy life to go to heaven. If he stops walking closely with the Lord he believes he will go to hell. So he does good works and lives a holy life until he dies.

Christian B: has repented and received Christ (prayed the sinner's prayer and everything). believes that he does NOT have to do good works or live a holy life to go to heaven. So he only does a good work once in a while and most of the time he is a carnal Christian.

Christian C: has repented and received Christ (prayed the sinner's prayer and everything). believes that he does not have to do good works or live a holy life to go to heaven. HOWEVER out of love he walks closely with God, lives a holy life, and serves God in a ministry (maybe full time).

Question: Who will go to heaven and why? Explain your point by citing scripture.

 

[dodgerfan2002]

any takers? i'm confused someone please share your thoughts on this.

 

[wavy]

I believe each Christian will be saved.

 

[kenan]

They will all be saved.

Romans 10:13 - "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."
Act 16:30-31 - "And brought them out, and said, 'Sirs, what must I do to be saved?'. And they said 'Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house."
John 14:6 - "Jesus saith unto him, 'I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me."

The Lord also said that good works come out of grace, so true Christians already perform good works, but it is not necessary to enter the Kingdom of God

 

[Veritas]

I'd say all of them as well. Each of us probably embody those three Christians.... we're not perfect.

 

[unred typo]

I don’t think we have enough information to judge here. We can’t see the motives of these people nor their reasons for why they are or are not committed to Christ. Only God is able to judge righteously and extend mercy or condemn each person. There is no checklist that we can judge others by, to determine if they will be saved or not. We can only ultimately judge ourselves, and only then if we are being honest in our hearts and sensitive to what the Spirit tells us.

If this is in relation to #2 and they are someone you know and/or love who has died, you need to realize that God knows and loves that person far more than you ever could and you can trust in his judgment to be fair, impartial, and merciful. If this person is still living, you need to exhort them to consider that they will be judged by their works to determine their destiny and not to rest in the belief that they are saved simply by making claims that they are ‘born again‘ or that they have made Jesus Lord of their life when they are not committed to following and obeying him. But ultimately, it is up to the person (and God ) to determine where they are spiritually.

 

[Devekut]

Christian B: has repented and received Christ (prayed the sinner's prayer and everything). believes that he does NOT have to do good works or live a holy life to go to heaven. So he only does a good work once in a while and most of the time he is a carnal Christian.

While we should not comment on the salvation of any one. I would say "Christian B"'s salvation is, at the least, in jepoardy. See the below scriptures:

"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven" (Matthew 7:21)

God "will give to each person according to what he has done."[a] 7To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. 8But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger. 9There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile; 10but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.

(Romans 2:6)

Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.'

(Matthew 25:40)

What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him?

(James 2:14)

19You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe thatâ€â€and shudder.

(James 2:19)

As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead

(James 2:26)

2Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your deeds complete in the sight of my God. 3Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; obey it, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you. 4Yet you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes. They will walk with me, dressed in white, for they are worthy. 5He who overcomes will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out his name from the book of life, but will acknowledge his name before my Father and his angels. 6He who has an ear

(Revelation 3)

 

[christian_soldier]

Additional food for thought:

Mark 4:

13And he said unto them, Know ye not this parable? and how then will ye know all parables?

14The sower soweth the word.

15And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts.

16And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness;

17And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word's sake, immediately they are offended.

18And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word,

19And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.

20And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred.

 

[dodgerfan2002]

if a saved Christian who is saved by grace, then believes that he has to CONTINUALLY work for God to go to heaven or to maintain his salvation, doesn't he fall away from grace?, because he's trying to earn his way into heaven? We're talking about Christian A here. check this out:

"And if by grace, then it is no longer by works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace" -Romans 11:6

Christian B doesnt' live his life like a Christian should. He doesn't read his bible or pray or anything like that, although he has repented and received the Savior.

 

[dodgerfan2002]

if a saved Christian who is saved by grace, then believes that he has to CONTINUALLY work for God to go to heaven or to maintain his salvation, doesn't he fall away from grace?, because he's trying to earn his way into heaven? We're talking about Christian A here. check this out:

"And if by grace, then it is no longer by works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace" -Romans 11:6

Christian B doesnt' live his life like a Christian should. He doesn't read his bible or pray or anything like that, although he has repented and received the Savior. do you think he's gonna go to heaven? I've heard some testimonies of people who have gone to heaven and have come back. They said that only the obedient and purehearted can go to heaven.

Christian C I think would be the perfect Christian. I think, if God were to give salvation to only one of these 3 christians, I think he would give it to Christian C

What do you guys think?

 

[kenan]

Christian B is a bit vague; does he not do good works or does he not do good works intentionally (i.e does evil/bad works). If it is the latter, then he is still in sin because Christ is not in him: Hebrews 10:26 - "For if we sin deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins."