I’m sure you did just great.
I don’t believe that “the event” in Galatians (2:11) precipated the Jerusalem Council , but that is a matter for which I’ll leave to the bible scholars. I guess we disagree on timing here. I do think it odd that you hang so much on Paul withstanding Peter to the face, when Paul himself “lived like a Jew” because he did not want to offend the Jews – detailed quite a few times in Acts, after the Council of Jerusalem.
I find it odd that you can so easily discount the Paul and Peter episode.
I do not believe you have to add something to Christ’s Sacrifice – his Sacrifice is complete and perfect. We are given it through Grace, working through faith. We can lose it through sin and not being repentant of our sins, as outlined in the Bible. I think Adam and Eve are the best example of this – they knew God personally and yet, through temptation and then sin, lost their perfect faith in Him. I believe you need to be sorry for your sins - is that adding to Christ's perfect sacrifice on the cross?
If you can lose your part of Christ’s “complete and perfect” Sacrifice, then it was neither. Nobody is saying that you shouldn’t be sorry and repentant for your sins. We are saying that those sins that occur after you have believed on Christ as your Savior do not jeopardize your place in Heaven.
ksen: What happens if YOU don’t keep the Sacraments? What happens if YOU don’t attend Mass, what happens if YOU don’t go to confession, what happens if YOU don’t partake of the Eucharist, what happens if YOU don’t get baptized, etc.? If your Salvation is dependent upon YOU performing these actions, then your Salvation is dependent upon YOU. The Salvation that I believe in is dependent upon Christ alone.
american_colleen: Since I belive the sacraments were instituted by Christ himself, I believe they are necessary in the life of a Christian. Through the sacraments we grow in the life of grace, it is also the sacraments that provide us with a means of restoring the life of God's friendship that we may have lost through sin.
That is all wonderful, but you did not answer my question. What happens to you if YOU don’t keep the Sacraments, as listed above.
What about “The Rich Young Man” in Matthew 19:16-30 – never mind St. Paul, Jesus spoke about keeping the commandments.
What about the Rich Young Man? He asked Jesus what good thing that HE COULD DO in order to get eternal life. Jesus gave him a list, notice the list only contained the last 6 commandments. The man said he did all of that. Jesus did not rebuke him, so I have to assume that the man told the truth. Jesus discerned where the man’s heart truly was, with his money, and demanded he part with it in order to inherit eternal life. The man left, why? because his money was his god, not the God of Israel.
He provided a perfect salvation. We can either accept it, or not. Why would he give us free will? Free will allows us to either accept Him or not, persevere, or not.
I agree with you in this last part. I just don’t agree with the conclusions you draw.
Who keeps your home in Heaven secure? God? Or you through your own performance/obedience?
I await your response, should you feel like continuing.
-ksen
If I may intrude, though I confess to not reading the entire exchange you and Colleen have been having.
You make this an either/or question, where we see it as both. God wants to keep my place in Heaven secure. But I can choose every day, every minute, to work with Him or against Him. He does not force me to do His Will.
Together we ensure my salvation. God doesn't force me. I can't do it alone. But together we can do it.
This is the message of the Incarnation. God took on humanity to join with us, to partner with us, so that we could come to join with Him, partner with Him.
SD
So you believe that after one has "believed on Christ" it is not possible for them to choose to cast away Christ's complete and perfect gift?
Who keeps your home in Heaven secure? God? Or you through your own performance/obedience?
If the home in Heaven is secure, is it no longer possible to choose to not take up residence there?