Thank you for the obligatory Catholic-bash. The real lie of the devil and the real doctrine of demons is right there in Genesis 3: 4 Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. 5 For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 2 And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; 3 but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.’”
"'You will not surely die' ... commit any sin you want, do anything you want, God won't send you to hell once you've prayed the sinner's prayer and answered the altar call! You'll have absolute assurance of salvation!"
That's a real doctrine of demons -- you have Genesis 3's assurance on it; straight from the demon's mouth.
1 Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, 2 by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. -- 1 Corinthians 15:1-2Who is Paul speaking to? Who among his readers in the Corinthian church had "believed in vain"?
Great post! I hadn't thought of Gen 3:4 in this context before.
"Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you"
Here, Paul is declaring the gospel of grace which JESUS CHRIST PROVIDED PAUL after Acts 9. Paul was given the gospel of grace for which Paul was to preach to the Gentiles, and Peter to the Jews (and that is Biblical proof in Galatians 2:7-9). When Paul is preaching unto the believers in Corinthians, he states that they received his gospel:
"which also ye have received"
This verse shows clear evidence that Paul's preaching was to those who have received Paul's gospel in Corinth. A.K.A. Believers!
"and wherein ye stand;"
Clearly the verse here identifies that these believers "stand firm" on the gospel which Paul preached to them, indicating that they are fully saved saints, which is a declaration by God the Holy Spirit, not of man. When Paul makes a statement like "wherein ye stand", Paul has been given the authority directly by Christ Jesus to declare this gospel which is the stablished foundation for salvation. Paul's gospel is EQUAL and EFFECTUAL together with Peter's gospel to the Jews. (See Galatians 2:7-9)
"By which also ye are saved
The sequence: Preached. Received. Stand. And now Saved. Many proofs from Paul's authority to declare one who receives Paul's gospel is saved. And why can Paul make such a claim: because his gospel represents the gospel that God the Holy Spirit and Christ Jesus provided to Paul to preach to the Gentiles. And this gospel EFFECTUALLY works to call those whom hear and receive salvation, e,g., resulting in their saved and secured condition.
"if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain."
Now this statement by Paul is not declaring that all the Corinthians believed in vain, rather, it is a reminder in strong language that Paul had formerly preached this gospel to the Corinthians - this past tense preaching event is evident from the statement Paul opens with in verse 1, e.g., "I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you". "Preached" is past tense. Paul formerly preached to these believers. Paul's warning then regarding "unless ye have believed in vain": this warning refers to admonish the Corinthians believers, that if they had not believed Paul's gospel, but acepted another gospel, another gospel of another kind (Galatians 1:6-8), then they would have believed that other gospel and not Paul's gospel, thus making their belief in vain. For Paul's gospel now saves: not another, but there be some that trouble and would prevert the gospel of grace of Christ. Galatians 1:8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.
Galatians 1:6 "I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:"
7 "Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ."
8 "But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed."
God's Perfect PROPITIATION for forgiveness of all sins is through the FINISHED WORK of Christ. Only is Paul's epsitles does God teach us about PROPITIATION (Romans 3:25):
Romans 3:25 "Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;"