The Prize

[Ernest T. Bass]

We are equipped to overcome....but it remains our choices that keep us in the race. So I would say partly...YES...there is merit to putting oneself in a vulnerable place that requires faith.

Jesus said...if we do what the heathen do....what merit is there for us?

This does not take away from the Lord who calls us and visits and equips us. But what will we do with what the Lord has given to us? There are rewards in the kingdom. Those who remain faithful and patient will merit more than those who fold up when things get difficult.

Rom 6:23 "For the wages of sin [is] death; but the gift of God [is] eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."


For the heathen..."the wages of sin is death" so they have earned their eternal punishment/spiritual death.

For those that will be saved...."the gift of God [is] eternal life". So eternal life/the prize is a gift, a free gift that is not earned as eternal punishment.

 

[farouk]

What I would add is that there are many supposedly respectable people who consider themselves Christians who sadly are yet in their sins. We need to acknowledge our sin humbly before God, Who sent His Son as the Savior of sinners.

 

[John 8:32]

Aren't we speaking of two different things here at once? Eternal life is a gift we cannot earn, but must do certain things to be qualified to receive it. Whereas, our reward is based upon works completely.

 

[Ernest T. Bass]

Interesting thread. I am in the faith only crowd. I believe that the prize is a free gift, through grace. This is salvation. Nothing can be done to earn it, period.

But Paul said one must run to obtain the prize. Even though running is a work it still does not earn the free gift of salvation. So my point in this thread was to show that free gifts can and do come with conditions (such as the work of running) but the work does not earn the free gift but is merely is a requirement to receive the free gift. Therefore obedience does not earn salvation as some claim but is a required condition to receive the free gift of salvation. A biblical example is Naaman. Naaman was healed by grace, but that free gift of grace required his work of dipping in the Jordan river seven times. His obedient work of dipping did not earn his healing but that work was required condition to receve the free gift of grace.

Since Naaman had to do the conditional work of dipping to receive grace, do those that believe in faith only then say his healing was not of grace but of works of merit?

 

[John 8:32]

But Paul said one must run to obtain the prize. Even though running is a work it still does not earn the free gift of salvation. So my point in this thread was to show that free gifts can and do come with conditions (such as the work of running) but the work does not earn the free gift but is merely is a requirement to receive the free gift. Therefore obedience does not earn salvation as some claim but is a required condition to receive the free gift of salvation. A biblical example is Naaman. Naaman was healed by grace, but that free gift of grace required his work of dipping in the Jordan river seven times. His obedient work of dipping did not earn his healing but that work was required condition to receve the free gift of grace.

Since Naaman had to do the conditional work of dipping to receive grace, do those that believe in faith only then say his healing was not of grace but of works?

Throughout this thread, you have demonstrated keen insight. Those who are of the faith-only camp may be in for a rude awakening.

 

[Ernest T. Bass]

It does make sense how you lay it down like that. This would parallel the scripture that says we should be doers and not just hearers of the word. No teammate should desire to sit on the sidelines when the game is in progress, of what value to the team is he if he does so?

Being saved is an individual effort for no one can run for you to obtain the prize for you. You have to do the running yourself to obtain, no teammate can obtain for you.