Revelations 3:15-16
15 I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. 16 So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.
This scripture appears to contradict your statement:
Freakazoid: "Maybe they make it but their "rewards" are minimal. They store no treasures in heaven so when they get there they probably get a Happy Meal or something. They love that Happy Meal and think it's wonderful and show it to others with Happy Meals. They know no better and so they are satisfied."
Matthew 7:13-14
13 "Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. 14 Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.
From this passage, I would estimate that few means less than 50 percent. Perhaps less than 20 percent. Maybe even less than 5 percent. I am not certain the exact figure to assign to Christ's word "few" but I would say it is certainly a minority. If 9 out of 10 Americans say they are Christian, obviously many are truly deceived...
Thanks for responding.
I don't wish to make excuses for the fire insurance Christians, or in fact to give them any hope for staying in their current condition, and I'm familiar with the wide gate/narrow gate analogy, but I ask, who is the "someone" in 1 Cor. 3:15 "But if someone's work is burned up, that one will suffer loss; the person will be saved, but only as through fire."?
Could not the loss of "someone's work" be ALL of their work? They escape the burning house with nothing, not even the clothes on their back? This passage refers to rewards and not salvation but it could indicate that this "someone" gains salvation but has never built upon the foundation with other than wood, hay or straw:
1 Cor. 3:10-14
10
According to the grace of God given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building upon it. But each one must be careful how he builds upon it, 11 for no one can lay a foundation other than the one that is there, namely, Jesus Christ.
12 If anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, or straw, 13 the work of each will come to light, for the Day will disclose it. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire (itself) will test the quality of each one's work.
14 If the work stands that someone built upon the foundation, that person will receive a wage.
I too believe that "few" means few and that many are decieved. I just don't know how to reconcile these two parts of scripture. Is the "someone" in 1 Cor. 3:15 someone other than the "minimal Christian"? If so, who?