Inherint contradictions teaching Faith Alone

[GodsGrace]

Yes, but not for justification.

In doing some more thinking, I'm beginning to believe that justification and sanctification are inexorably intertwined.
This might be the reason why Paul AND James are both correct.

 

[GodsGrace]

No one is making any kind of argument that Jesus or any New Testament writer said you do not have to do works of righteousness. The argument is you do not have to do works of righteousness in order to receive the imputation of God's righteousness. But, please, show us a scripture where Jesus said, in the context of the New Covenant, that you do works of righteousness in order to obtain the imputation of God's righteousness if you are sure of that argument.

I'm having a problem with the word imputation.
If we were IMPUTED with Adam's sin, we would be personally responsible for it.

If we're imputed with the righteousness of Jesus...then we don't have to do anything at any time.
I looked up imparted.... Too tired now...tomorrow morning I'd like to go over 2 verses re the imputation of sin...
or, at least, that's how it's translated.

The article speaks of being transformed...which has been my statement all along and these would be the verses I'd post for support.

(I'm not a methodist).



Imparted righteousness, in Methodist theology, is that gracious gift of God given at the moment of the new birth which enables a Christian disciple to strive for holiness and sanctification. John Wesley believed that imparted righteousness worked in tandem with imputed righteousness. Imputed righteousness is the righteousness of Jesus credited to the Christian, enabling the Christian to be justified; imparted righteousness is what God does in Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit after justification, working in the Christian to enable and empower the process of sanctification (and, in Wesleyan thought, Christian perfection).

Scriptural support​

[edit]

• Jeremiah 31:33-34 "But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”" (ESV)
• 2 Corinthians 3:18 "And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit." (ESV)

source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imparted_righteousness#Scriptural_support

 

[GodsGrace]

Demons don't believe, as in trust, in the blood of Christ. That's the difference. They just believe the fact that he is the Messiah who died and rose from the dead. They know that better than you or I! They've seen that with their own eyes. But they don't believe in him for the forgiveness of sin and the promise of eternal life.

Google 'the Shema Deuteronomy 6:4' for more insight into what James is getting at when he talks about the demons also believing that God is one.

The Shema. I don't know what it has to do with this.

The demons: They believe in a mental way.
They don't trust. Correct.
A different TYPE of beleiving...my point exactly.

If we trust...then we will obey.
Obedience, for the One true God, is not optional.
He DEMANDS that we obey Him.

Yes. To keep us saved AFTER justification.
THIS is why Paul spoke so much of doing good deeds and having the proper behavior.

THIS is why Jesus spoke about the Kingdom here right now...and why He left us with
commands and the 2 Commands which cover all the others.
LOVE GOD
LOVE NEIGHBOR AND YOURSELF.

LOVE.
There, again, we've just added something to faith alone....
for justification AND sanctification.

Faith is not alone...it works with God to work the will of God.

The following are AFTER conversion.
Paul is speaking to believers.
And Jesus is teaching what to pray.

Romans 12:2
2Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
1 Peter 2:15
15For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people.
1 Thessalonians 4:3
3For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality;
[behavior]
Matthew 6:10
10Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Ephesians 5:17
17Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

 

[GodsGrace]

Good works are not necessary for JUSTIFICATION.

Correct.

Good works are only necessary for salvation from the wrath of God at the resurrection when they will be used as the evidence of your faith in God's forgiveness.

It is by God's forgiveness, received by faith, that you are delivered from the wrath of God and made eligble to enter into the kingdom. In no way do your works make you righteous enough to enter into the kingdom. You're not righteous enough to enter in on the basis of your righteousness. No one is. Only the righteousness of God imputed to you through faith, evidenced in how you live, is good enough to get you into the kingdom of God.

Not correct.

Romans 2:5-10
5 But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God,
6 who WILL RENDER TO EACH PERSON ACCORDING TO HIS DEEDS:
7 to those who by perseverance in doing good seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life;
8 but to those who are selfishly ambitious and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, wrath and indignation.
9 There will be tribulation and distress for every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek,
10 but glory and honor and peace to everyone who does good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
At the end time:
John 5:28-29
28 "Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs will hear His voice,
29 and will come forth; those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment.
John 15:2
2 "Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit.

The branch is ALREADY part of the tree.
The person is a saved person.

The FRUITLESS branch...the saved person...will be taken away.

Seems very clear to me.

 

[onlysaved]

Again all this over complicated talk.

Paul taught that people who taught what we call salvation by works should be eternally condemned.
Read chapter two of Galatians.

1. We are saved by grace through faith.

2. Real faith will always be accompanied by works. They are not required for salvation but they will accompany it. That's why James says that he'll show you his faith by what he does.

Abraham had faith he believed God's promise that through his son a great nation would be born. This is what he was trusting in. It wasn't simply a matter that God told him to kill his son so he prepared to do it. He believed that even if he killed his son God would still fulfill His promises about his son.
This belief in God alone "saved" him.
The work was to prepare his son as a sacrifice. This act was not required for salvation but was the evidence that he believed God.

Both works and faith can be faked and other humans can be incapable of telling what's genuine and what is not. Best not to worry about it and let God sort it out. The faith was required, not the works.

Works without faith is pride.
Faith without works is not real faith or "dead" as James says. Such is not a saving faith and no salvation has ever taken place.

Faith and works are inseparable.
Those who are saved will have works but the works do absolutely nothing to save them they are ONLY the evidence that true faith has occurred.

 

[mailmandan]

1. We are saved by grace through faith.

2. Real faith will always be accompanied by works. They are not required for salvation, but they will accompany it. That's why James says that he'll show you his faith by what he does.

Amen! We are saved by grace through faith, not works. (Ephesians 2:8,9) Crystal clear. Man is saved through faith alone -- apart from the merit of works (Romans 4:2-6) yet authentic faith does not remain alone -- apart from the presence of works. (James 2:14-24)

 

[Jethro Bodine]

Romans 2:5-10
6 who WILL RENDER TO EACH PERSON ACCORDING TO HIS DEEDS:

If you think this means you're going to enter the kingdom of heaven on the merit of your righteousness, you aren't going to make it.

But, if you understand this means that your deeds are the evidence of having the righteousness of God imputed to you through faith in God's forgiveness, you will enter the kingdom of heaven.

You don't enter in on the merit of your righteousness (that isn't good enough), but on the merit of God's unstained and perfect righteousness credited to your account, through faith in his forgiveness, your works being used at the resurrection as the evidence of that imputation. Just as the love of the woman who washed Jesus' feet was the evidence of the forgiveness she had received (Luke 7:47).

 

[Jethro Bodine]

The Shema. I don't know what it has to do with this.

I'm going to assume that you know what the Shema is, so I won't explain that beyond this convenient AI produced explanation:

The Shema (שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל, "Hear, O Israel") is a central Jewish prayer and declaration of faith, affirming the oneness of God

As you know, in context, James is talking about empty faith - a profession of faith (see above) that is absent of works. The Jews thought their rituals saved them. Much like many in the church today, careful recitation of scripts and obedience to perform rituals and ceremonies is not what faith in God is all about. One should take zero confidence in that for salvation. Faith in God is all about obeying the whole law and having a faith that manifests itself in obedience to the royal law of scripture, "love your neighbor as yourself."

 

[JLB]

We are saved by grace through faith.

Amen.

Do you understand the law (principle) of faith?

 

[GodsGrace]

I noticed that you did not mention the death, burial and resurrection of Christ and you seem to place a heavy emphasis on verses that you believe teach we maintain our salvation by works. You call that good news?

By cultivating the qualities listed in 2 Peter 1:5-7, Christians can be sure that God has called them and elected them. These fruits will confirm it. Make sure you have been called and elected. bébaios (an adjective, derived from bainō, "to walk where it is solid") – properly, solid (sure) enough to walk on; hence, firm, unshakable; (figuratively) absolutely dependable, giving guaranteed support (security, surety). Make sure that you are saved. To practice these qualities gives evidence of and assurance of salvation, though they are not the basis (or cause) of salvation. They are the effect. Cause of being in Christ (FAITH) effect of being in Christ (FRUIT).

I'm replying because your post is inaccurate.

WHERE does JESUS state anything about being saved or not being saved
in ANY of the fruitless verses? NOWHERE.

For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ (vs. 8). For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins (vs. 9). What is the object of the forgetting? Is this forgetting temporary because this believer had fallen into error or does this lack of fruit exist because this person’s "cleansing" was merely an external reformation that did not come from a truly changed heart? The genuineness of their profession will be demonstrated as they express these virtues. These fruits confirm their divine source. Verse 10 - Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble.

So now you're a calvinist?
It's the reformed that state that our fruits will confirm our election.

So WHERE in the NT does JESUS state that our fruit will confirm our salvation?
What He states is very simple:

No fruit....THE BRANCH IS CUT DOWN. John 15:2
No fruit....THE FIG TREE WILL BE CUT DOWN. Luke 13:6-9

This NOMINAL CHRISTIAN IDEA is yours.

Jesus says we are either saved by our good works
or will be damned by our evil works.

John 5:28-29

Here's another LOADED QUESTION for you:
WHO did the Father's will?
Another member asked this but no one replied because the answer is too uncomfortable.
As are all LOADED QUESTIONS....unless, of course, the reply aligns with the bible....then there are
NO loaded questions because they all have an easy reply.

Matthew 21 NASB
28 "But what do you think? A man had two sons, and he came to the first and said, 'Son, go work today in the vineyard.'
29 "And he answered, 'I will not'; but afterward he regretted it and went.
30 "The man came to the second and said the same thing; and he answered, 'I will, sir '; but he did not go.
31 "Which of the two did the will of his father?"

In regard to John 15:2,
the branches that bear fruit and remain are genuine believers (like the remaining 11 disciples). The self-attached branches that bear no fruit and do not remain are not genuine believers (like Judas Iscariot). In regard to John 15:2, Jesus mentions branches that bear no fruit and branches that bear fruit but Jesus says nothing about branches that bear fruit but then later stop bearing fruit.

So you DO believe in works?
I hear many state that they are saved but our good works are like dirty rags to God.
They sincerely believe they're saved.
So you're saying they are NOT saved?

IF this is what you believe...then you IMMEDIATELY should begin to preach good works.
And stop trying to explain WHY we should do good works.

THIS is why:
BECAUSE JESUS DEMANDS IT.
John 14:15
15 "If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.

1 of 2

 

[GodsGrace]

mailmandan

2 of 2

As Greek scholar AT Robertson points out that there are two kinds of connections with Christ as the vine (the merely cosmic which bears no fruit, the spiritual and vital which bears fruit). Probably (Bernard) Jesus here refers to Judas.

John 15 - Robertson's Word Pictures in the New Testament - Bible Commentaries - StudyLight.org

When Jesus spoke these words in John 15, how many people at that time, prior to Him being glorified, had received the Holy Spirit and were baptized by one Spirit into one body? - "the body of Christ?" (1 Corinthians 12:13) -- NONE.

John 7:38 - He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water. 39 But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.

So "in me" is part of the metaphor of the vine (in the vine) and not in the body of Christ under the new covenant which was not yet fully established. Without that vital union with Christ, there can be no spiritual life and no productivity. Those who profess to know Christ but whose relationship to Him is self-attached, Christ neither saved them, nor sustains them. Eventually, the dead self-attached fruitless branches are cut off.

I'm sure Robertson is a scholarly person.
But these men have differing opinions and we tend to believe the one that agrees with us.
You want to read what MEN said?
Try reading the Early Church Fathers...they were taught by the APOSTELS.
It's a little better than Reading Robertson.

Let's see what JESUS says about the branches....AGAIN

John 15:1-6
1 "I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser.
JESUS IS THE VINE. THE VINE GOES INTO THE GROUND AND GIVES NOURISHMENT TO THE FRUIT.

2 "Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit.
GOD FATHER IS THE VINEDRESSER...
IF A BRANCH DOES NOT BEAR FRUIT....GOD CUTS IT AWAY.
IF IT BEARS FRUIT IT IS PRUNED SO THAT IT WILL BEAR EVEN MORE FRUIT.

3 "You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.
THE HEARERS ARE ALREADY CLEAN...ALREADY SAVED. ALREADY JUSTIFIED.
4 "Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot * bear fruit of itself unless * it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless * you abide in Me.
WE MUST ABIDE IN THE VINE, JESUS, THE VINE THAT GIVES NOURISHMENT.

5 "I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing *.
JESUS IS SPEAKING OF SAVED PERSONS ABIDING IN HIM.
THEY WILL BEAR MUCH FRUIT...WHAT HE EXPECTS.
6 "If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned.
IF WE DO NOT ABIDE...DO NOT BEAR FRUIT, WE ARE LIKE A DEAD BRANCH THAT IS CUT OFF.

The Greek word for “abide” is "meno" which means to remain, tarry, not to depart, continue to be present. Abiding in Christ is not a special level of Christian experience that is only available to a few, elite Christians, but is the position of all true believers. 1 John 4:13 - By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit.. 15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.

I'd say that verse 6 shows that OSAS is DOA.
However, let's not lose sight of verse 1....
branches that do not bear fruit will be cut off.

This is repeated in
Matthew 7:17-21
17 "So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit.
18 "A good tree cannot * produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit.
19 "Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
20 "So then, you will know them by their fruits.
21 "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.
A good tree MUST bear good fruit.
If a tree does NOT bear good fruit it is cut down.
We are known by our fruit.

So WHY teach a new Christian that good fruit is to SHOW we are saved?
(which it does).
Why not teach them that IF THEY DO NOT BEAR FRUIT...they will be cut down?

 

[onlysaved]

I'm going to assume that you know what the Shema is, so I won't explain that beyond this convenient AI produced explanation:

The Shema (שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל, "Hear, O Israel") is a central Jewish prayer and declaration of faith, affirming the oneness of God

As you know, in context, James is talking about empty faith - a profession of faith (see above) that is absent of works. The Jews thought their rituals saved them. Much like many in the church today, careful recitation of scripts and obedience to perform rituals and ceremonies is not what faith in God is all about. One should take zero confidence in that for salvation. Faith in God is all about obeying the whole law and having a faith that manifests itself in obedience to the royal law of scripture, "love your neighbor as yourself."

Faith in God is about trusting His promises of the new covenant. That is His blood shed for us. God absolutely wants us to follow His teachings. However obedience is just the evidence of faith.

Paul made it clear in Romans no one will be made righteousness on account of following the law. The law brought sin and death. Righteousness comes from faith in Christ. The purpose of the law is not to make us better people.. The purpose of the law is to make us conscious of sin and thus love and depend on God more.

 

[GodsGrace]

If you think this means you're going to enter the kingdom of heaven on the merit of your righteousness, you aren't going to make it.

But, if you understand this means that your deeds are the evidence of having the righteousness of God imputed to you through faith in God's forgiveness, you will enter the kingdom of heaven.

You don't enter in on the merit of your righteousness (that isn't good enough), but on the merit of God's unstained and perfect righteousness credited to your account, through faith in his forgiveness, your works being used at the resurrection as the evidence of that imputation. Just as the love of the woman who washed Jesus' feet was the evidence of the forgiveness she had received (Luke 7:47).

Yes. I believe I will get into heaven based on what Jesus taught.
Jesus did HIS part...now we must do OUR part.

And merit means something different.
All these terms will NOT get us into heaven...
but DOING THE WILL OF GOD.

Jesus taught this in His prayer....
YOUR WILL BE DONE
ON EARTH
AS IT IS IN HEAVEN.

Are we doing God's will?

Jesus already did God's will, now it's up to us.

 

[GodsGrace]

Faith in God is about trusting His promises of the new covenant. That is His blood shed for us. God absolutely wants us to follow His teachings. However obedience is just the evidence of faith.

Paul made it clear in Romans no one will be made righteousness on account of following the law. The law brought sin and death. Righteousness comes from faith in Christ. The purpose of the law is not to make us better people.. The purpose of the law is to make us conscious of sin and thus love and depend on God more.

NOBODY is following the Law.

Are we supposed to follow the commandments?

 

[GodsGrace]

I'm going to assume that you know what the Shema is, so I won't explain that beyond this convenient AI produced explanation:

The Shema (שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל, "Hear, O Israel") is a central Jewish prayer and declaration of faith, affirming the oneness of God

As you know, in context, James is talking about empty faith - a profession of faith (see above) that is absent of works. The Jews thought their rituals saved them. Much like many in the church today, careful recitation of scripts and obedience to perform rituals and ceremonies is not what faith in God is all about. One should take zero confidence in that for salvation. Faith in God is all about obeying the whole law and having a faith that manifests itself in obedience to the royal law of scripture, "love your neighbor as yourself."

Again...
WHAT does the shema have to do with this conversation?
WHAT do rituals have to do with this conversation?

Did you just state that faith is all about obeying the whole law?
I don't think you mean that.

And LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.
Do YOU do that?

Good.
Then you're doing good works.

The works JESUS demands of you and which good works will get you into heaven,,,
just as He stated in John 5:28-29 THOSE WITH GOOD WORKS TO AN ETERNAL LIFE..

And just as Paul stated in Romans 2:6 GOD WILL REPAY EACH ACCORDING TO WHAT THEY HAVE DONE.

 

[JLB]

Which of the two did the will of his father?"

The second son; the one who obeyed his father.

 

[onlysaved]

mailmandan

2 of 2


I'm sure Robertson is a scholarly person.
But these men have differing opinions and we tend to believe the one that agrees with us.
You want to read what MEN said?
Try reading the Early Church Fathers...they were taught by the APOSTELS.
It's a little better than Reading Robertson.

Let's see what JESUS says about the branches....AGAIN

John 15:1-6
1 "I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser.
JESUS IS THE VINE. THE VINE GOES INTO THE GROUND AND GIVES NOURISHMENT TO THE FRUIT.

2 "Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit.
GOD FATHER IS THE VINEDRESSER...
IF A BRANCH DOES NOT BEAR FRUIT....GOD CUTS IT AWAY.
IF IT BEARS FRUIT IT IS PRUNED SO THAT IT WILL BEAR EVEN MORE FRUIT.

3 "You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.
THE HEARERS ARE ALREADY CLEAN...ALREADY SAVED. ALREADY JUSTIFIED.
4 "Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot * bear fruit of itself unless * it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless * you abide in Me.
WE MUST ABIDE IN THE VINE, JESUS, THE VINE THAT GIVES NOURISHMENT.

5 "I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing *.
JESUS IS SPEAKING OF SAVED PERSONS ABIDING IN HIM.
THEY WILL BEAR MUCH FRUIT...WHAT HE EXPECTS.
6 "If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned.
IF WE DO NOT ABIDE...DO NOT BEAR FRUIT, WE ARE LIKE A DEAD BRANCH THAT IS CUT OFF.

I'd say that verse 6 shows that OSAS is DOA.
However, let's not lose sight of verse 1....
branches that do not bear fruit will be cut off.

This is repeated in
Matthew 7:17-21
17 "So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit.
18 "A good tree cannot * produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit.
19 "Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
20 "So then, you will know them by their fruits.
21 "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.
A good tree MUST bear good fruit.
If a tree does NOT bear good fruit it is cut down.
We are known by our fruit.

So WHY teach a new Christian that good fruit is to SHOW we are saved?
(which it does).
Why not teach them that IF THEY DO NOT BEAR FRUIT...they will be cut down?

Those who do not abide in Christ never had true faith and were never "saved"

NOBODY is following the Law.

Are we supposed to follow the commandments?

Yes we are supposed to follow the ten commandments. Why? Because they show the heart of God. However we are sinners and we will break the law, especially in light of Jesus's teaching about them in the sermon on the mount.mountain.
Thank God that His grace covers our sin.

The law was completely fulfilled in Jesus. In Him the requirements of the law were fulfilled for every person on earth.

The Word " believe" as commonly used in the NT is a verbal it has a tense that does not exist in the English language. It means to start believing at a certain point and to keep on believing furthermore it is not just intellectual agreement with a fact. It is to put ones trust into something. In short it means to trust Jesus and to keep on trusting Him.
To abide in Him.

As we read Jesus's other parables we see that this looks different for different people. Some people will bear more fruit than others. Some people love God more than others.
Some , when their deeds are judged will only make it by the skin of their teeth. They will make it however because they believed Jesus.

There is another distinction. We don't need to believe in Jesus, that's just acknowledgment that He exists, we need to Believe Jesus, to trust what He says.

 

[Jethro Bodine]

The works JESUS demands of you and which good works will get you into heaven

Yes, but not because that is the wages God owes you for your righteous work, but because your righteous work is the evidence of your faith by which you were imputed the righteousness of God. I don't even think you understand the difference between your righteousness and the righteousness of God inputed to you.

 

[Jethro Bodine]

Again...
WHAT does the shema have to do with this conversation?
WHAT do rituals have to do with this conversation?

The confession of faith that is alone in James' discourse is not faith. He's not saying real faith with no works cannot justify. That's not the argument.

You keep contending that Protestants have faith but they don't add works to it to make it able to justify. That's not James' argument.

And by the way, Protestants do add works to their faith. But we don't do it for the purpose of being righteous enough to enter the kingdom of God as Catholics do. God's perfect righteousness imputed to us apart from our works is the righteousness by which we are counted righteous enough to enter the kingdom of God. You don't believe that. You believe it is by your righteousness - the righteousness of your deeds - that you are given entry into the kingdom.

 

[JLB]

Those who do not abide in Christ never had true faith and were never "saved"

That makes no sense. How can a person remain in Christ if they were never in Christ to begin with.

“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.
John 15:5-7

How can a person be “in Christ” yet never be saved?

In Christ refers to someone who is saved; who is one with Christ, on spirit with Christ, thus one spirit with the Spirit of life in Christ.

But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him.
1 Corinthians 6:17