Join For His Glory for a discussion on how
https://christianforums.net/threads/a-vessel-of-honor.110278/
https://christianforums.net/threads/psalm-70-1-save-me-o-god-lord-help-me-now.108509/
Read through the following study by Tenchi for more on this topic
https://christianforums.net/threads/without-the-holy-spirit-we-can-do-nothing.109419/
Join Sola Scriptura for a discussion on the subject
https://christianforums.net/threads/anointed-preaching-teaching.109331/#post-1912042
Strengthening families through biblical principles.
Focus on the Family addresses the use of biblical principles in parenting and marriage to strengthen the family.
Read daily articles from Focus on the Family in the Marriage and Parenting Resources forum.
It's an egotisical approach to think we're so special that God elected a few over the majority of humanity, not the Christ I know that loved and died for mankind.. IN the end salvation just becomes more luck than anything.
The difficulty with that view is this. All of Israel's people were taught to be Gods children. See Deut. 14:1 or Psalm 82:6 for examples. Paul teaches that 'all' of Israel shall be saved in Romans 11:25-32. Why? Because they are 'all' His children, and that includes Judas.
s
Hi smaller,
The Bible doesn't present a repentant Judas,
I will simply point to the scriptures shown earlier. If you want to condemn any person of Israel, then you must conclude that God burns His own children alive forever in fire. I've had some believers who can take that position without any qualms whatsoever. To me, it does not and can not compute for a myriad of scriptural reasons.and I tremble at the thought of taking the path of Judas, because I couldn't expect any forgiveness, at least based on what we are given in Scripture. I wouldn't say that everyone who is related to Abraham or Israel will be saved.
Again, and I'm not saying this to deride you, but if you bothered to read Romans 11:8, you would see that it was God Himself that put upon the unbelievers of Israel 'a spirit of slumber' so that they could NOT hear, see or believe, and God did so precisely so that WE, as Gentiles would have their benefits extended unto US. So 'what then' was not of Israel??? Well, obviously it is the SPIRIT OF SLUMBER. Hello!Romans 9:6-7
New King James Version (NKJV)
Israel’s Rejection and God’s Purpose
6 But it is not that the word of God has taken no effect. For they are not all Israel who are of Israel, 7 nor are they all children because they are the seed of Abraham; but, “In Isaac your seed shall be called.”[a]
I would say you know little about what you claim. Sorry. You only see Judas. Don't you know it is the 'god of this world' who blinds the minds of the unbelievers?Also, Jesus rebukes the people who claim to have Abraham as their father, even though He acknowledges that they are descendants of Abraham, but tells them their father is the devil, John 8:37-44. It is very possible that Judas is in Hell right now.
- Davies
salvation isnt luck theres a large coptic underground in iran.
i know a copt who told me that in iran theres a million at least chrstians.
Hi Ace1234,
I understand more completely the danger sin presents when I consider that most of the world does not have faith in Jesus Christ. I don't know the fate of all who died in the flood, but God only preserved eight people out of what must have been millions or even billions given the longevity of the people at the time.
Genesis 6:5-8
New King James Version (NKJV)
5 Then the Lord[a] saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. 6 And the Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. 7 So the Lord said, “I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, creeping thing and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them.†8 But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.
The wickedness of man described in Genesis 6 is a good description of people today, and just think, God not only destroyed 99% of man with the flood, He also destroyed all of the animals that couldn't adapt to the water. The judgment of God is scary and frightening, but then we begin to understand the holy nature of God and what is good. We understand His love, but do we understand righteousness?
- Davies
Iran..one million christians, population 75 million, you do the math...
How about China, population 1,339,724,852, about 15 million Christians
India is a lil better, about 24 million Christians, population..1,166,079,217
Still were talking about an average of 2% of the population profess Christianity in nations where government, culture, etc., indoctrinate children from birth to follow the main religion of each nation and most do. As you stated, in many nations it's a small underground movement, not allowed in the open.
I don't hold that the entire world was flooded in Gens. I think it was a more local flood, but obvious to those there it was their world as they knew it. If you take the literal year of the flood from the bible, then detailed written records exist from 3 of the largest civilizations the year before the flood, year of and year after, with no mention of a flood. I would think they would know about it since they lived in the year of the flood. Also, several flood stories exist that predate the bible account from other tribes, the stories are much the same, just different people, etc...
Hi JMJ,
I don't think you reconciled those verses from James and the various verses I provided. Perhaps you will have to work to keep your justification, but my justification was completed when Jesus said, 'It is finished,' and gave up His Spirit on the cross and then rose again from the dead. My justification was never in my hands, and the role I play in receiving the free gift of eternal life, being born again by repentance and faith in Jesus Christ alone, I don't fear losing my salvation because I have been sealed by the Holy Spirit. Because you say you keep your justification through works, I am concerned you may think you earn a 'second' justification. That is wrong from the understanding I have from reading the Bible. We may have to strongly disagree on this point because I will speak against it where ever I hear it. It was the doctrine of justification that split the Catholic faith from what was deemed Protestantism in the 16th century, and there is no joining with hands with the Catholic church and its Maryology today except for the lukewarm church.
Ephesians 1:13-14 In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.
- Davies
That is true. That's also why I get a chuckle out of the position of the RCC's infallibility. None of them can say they are definitely saved, but they can then say they stand on infallibility? A severe logical fallacy imho.
Again, anyone who knows their RCC salt knows they have been able to determine exactly zero people 'in hell' and state openly that this is a fact. What is that fact? Zero. I believe their view on this is honest. No, there is no way of determining that matter as a fact. Even some of the 'better' determinist scholars arrive at the identical conclusion.
The RCC says you can hold that there are zero people in hell, or that you can hold that people are in hell. They have an official 'either or' position on this matter.
The 'rich man' is a very rich study. If you knew the 'identity' of this man you would understand both 'who' he is and 'why' he's not getting through heaven's gate. It's quite amazing.
The difficulty with that view is this. All of Israel's people were taught to be Gods children. See Deut. 14:1 or Psalm 82:6 for examples. Paul teaches that 'all' of Israel shall be saved in Romans 11:25-32. Why? Because they are 'all' His children, and that includes Judas.
If one thinks Judas is in hell, then one leaps headlong into the position that God burns His own children alive in hell forever. It's not credible imho to take that position. There are many sects within christiandom that are pro-Israel precisely for this reason.
s
James 2:22 Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect?
Colossians 1:28 Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.
Faith is an action verb. Faith with no good works is a dead faith and it will not save a person.
Galatians 5:6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love.
However, in order to be approved to enter into eternal life after we die, we must first do the good works that God has prepared for us to do.
For the second requirement, Jesus stated:
Matthew 7:21 Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.
Jesus redeemed all mankind by His death on the cross. He FINISHED the Old Covenant with His death on the cross. He finished/completed/fulfilled the Old Covenant and it is no longer in force. His death ratified His New Covenant.
Sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise:
What is this promise?
James 1:12 Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.
Eternal life is promised to all those who love Him.
James 2:5 Listen, my beloved brethren: Has God not chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?
Who actually loves Him?
John 14:21 He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.
Born again persons who disobey God's commandments are no longer saved by the blood of Jesus. Hebrews 10:24-27
The Holy Spirit resides in the souls of persons who obey God's commandments.
He leaves the souls of persons who defile their souls/temples with sin. If He leaves a person's soul, He is no longer this person's guarantee of salvation and if this person does not repent before he dies, he will not inherit eternal life.
Conclusion: Only the people who continue in the faith by keeping His commandments until they die truly love Him. Only the persons who truly love Him will inherit eternal life.
Galatians 3:2-3
New King James Version (NKJV)
2 This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? 3 Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh?
I have agreed and will reiterate that works follow faith and may indicate a saving faith, but the work that follows faith has nothing to do with justification, and one can't depend on his own deeds to justify himself or else Jesus' work on the cross and subsequent resurrection would be made void.
I disagree with you. We will be given rewards for our God-approved good works but we will never be rewarded with salvation or justification because of our good works.
Galatians 3:11
New King James Version (NKJV)
11 But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for “the just shall live by faith.â€
Romans 3:28
New King James Version (NKJV)
28 Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law.
Again, I disagree that there is a second condition for our salvation. Matthew 7:21 does not indicate a second condition. We will do the will of the Father if our faith is true. If we practice lawlessness, then we will prove our faith was not genuine or as James puts it, 'faith is dead without works.'
Jesus did not redeem all mankind by his death on the cross. You even stated earlier that he made redemption possible. Only those who repent and put their trust in Jesus are redeemed. Also, if Jesus fulfilled the law for us, then there is nothing we can do to add to His work. When we come to saving faith, our sins are accounted unto Jesus who paid for them on the cross, and we are given His righteousness which satisfies the requirements for God to allow us into Heaven.
Save ourselves?????We must continue in the faith by doing what is required of us in order to continue to save ourselves and those who hear us.
WIP
1Timothy 4:16 Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.
(NIV)
FC
Our approval will be made known to the world when we stand before God in Heaven. Remember He promised us the crown of life. He doesn't make a promise and then take it away when the faith is true. When the faith is not genuine, the promise was never given to that person.
Those who keep God's commandments have genuine faith. I agree with this, but we do not earn God's favor by our good deeds.
I disagree with you. A person who practices lawlessness never was born again. You wouldn't tell me you lose your salvation everyday. For you to say you lose your salvation every time you sin is to make light of God's saving power.
How did the Holy Spirit come to reside in you in the first place when every life shows God that he is not righteous. All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.
We are in Christ only when the Holy Spirit is residing within our souls.If we are in Christ, then who can separate us from the love of God? Not God.
Only those with genuine faith will keep God's commandments and they are the only ones who inherit eternal life, not because of their works.
- Davies
I sure hope I am not responsible for saving myself for if I am, I am surely doomed. Is it possible that Paul is talking about one's witness? If I watch my doctrine and life closely ergo, follow Jesus, will I not witness the love of Christ to myself as well as others I come into contact with? In so doing, I may be used by God to help save others.WIP
1Timothy 4:16 Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.
(NIV)
FC