Hi,
Your comment: “I do not claim. I know.”
All that we do is respond with faith and obedience to God’s offer of grace in Christ. We insist that this is a lifelong commitment that should grow over time. God’s grace grows within us as we trust in God more and follow his commandments. The final outcome of a life of faith and obedience is eternal life with God.
We believe that salvation is a process by which we come closer to God throughout our whole life as we participate in the sacraments and the grace that comes through them. But it is not true that man plays as important a role as God. God the Father planned our salvation, not man. God the Son gained our salvation by his death and resurrection; no one else did these things. And God the Holy Spirit infused the very love of God into our hearts by his presence (cf. Rom. 5:5). This is beyond our human ability. Still, we must cooperate with God’s grace to find eternal happiness with God. If we don’t, we will be cut off from God forever.
Your comment: “I do not ignore any part of inspired Scripture. It simply doesn’t mean what you’ve been taught”
You may say that, but is it the truth?
I realize that the Truth will always offend some people.
Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you.
Peace be with you.
“All that we do is respond with faith and obedience to God’s offer of grace in Christ.
All God declares is that we accept His Indescribable Gift to have eternal life now - or reject it and spend eternity in hell.
“We insist that this is a lifelong commitment that should grow over time. God’s grace grows within us as we trust in God more and follow his commandments. The final outcome of a life of faith and obedience is eternal life with God.”
Don’t know who “we” is, that you continue aligning yourself with in these statements.
God declares that those who entrust themselves to Christ:
Are born from above
Have eternal life now and forever
Are His forever
Are baptized into the Body of Christ
Have every sin - past, present, and future - paid for 100% now
Are the righteousness of Christ
Are saints
NOW.
“We believe that salvation is a process by which we come closer to God throughout our whole life as we participate in the sacraments and the grace that comes through them.”
No sacraments provide grace that grants salvation according to God’s Words
“ If we don’t, we will be cut off from God forever.
The one who has entrusted himself to Christ alone is never cut off.
“Your comment: “I do not ignore any part of inspired Scripture. It simply doesn’t mean what you’ve been taught. You may say that, but is it the truth?
Absolutely.
God’s Words tell us salvation and eternal life is in Christ alone, apart from merit, works or any way of self-righteousness. Certainly, eternal life will never come from beads, scapulars, nor sacraments.
I know Him and have trusted a Him alone. I have both eternal life and full assurance of my salvation now - based on His Words.
If you do not have salvation and assurance of salvation, that is because you are listening to “we”, instead of Him.
Do you have salvation now?
Do you want to know you have eternal life?
If not, why???????
Peace be with you.