Posted on 09/20/2019 9:01:36 AM PDT by pastorbillrandles
No. What is required is the new birth from above that changes the heart. The indwelling Holy Spirit sealing us. This is a gift from God to all who believe. Nothing we can do to deserve or merit it. Knowledge does not save, belief does. Thee is a difference
[[Its called Grace]]
Bingo- Grace is receiving from God something that we do NOT deserve (or earn)
Good post-
[[You become, via Jesus propitiation, sinless before God.]]
Unable to sin your way out of salvation because it is Jesus that keeps us- not our works-
So a dog that does this is no longer a dog?
[[I became unsaved again (by Catholic standards) 15 minutes after my confession,]]
Lol- I’m not catholic- but I lose my salvation daily- by ‘works based salvation’ proponent’s standards that is-
In fact the opposite. Romans 11:29: for Gods gifts and his call are irrevocable. Not much wiggle room there
Amen and Amen
Spot on as usual. Christ explained this concept with His most basic parable—the parable of the sower—upon which an understanding of all of His other parables is based.
Matthew 13:3-9
Behold, a sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them. Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth. But when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away. And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them. But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!
We know from His explanation, and other passages, precisely what it means:
Seed = word / Gospel of the Kingdom
Field = world (people)
Birds = Devil and his emissaries (deception / misunderstanding)
Stony ground = shallowness (not fully committed, not believing with whole heart)
Sun = trials / persecution
Thorns = cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches
Fruit bearing = Salvation (good ground)
Salvation is not by our good works, but it inevitably (according to predestination) results in a transformed life that produces good works. This can only be accomplished by, and is evidence of, the work of God in our hearts to transform us from sinners into saints.
Only one category of those who hear the Gospel are ultimately saved: those who believe / bear fruit. Saving faith is an enduring and fruitful faith. Those who fall into this last category are those who already presently have eternal life that can never be lost. We still sin and can have resultant doubts about our salvation, because there is a difference between assurance and security.
1 John 3:18-21 (NKJV)
My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. And by this we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him. For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things. Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God.
“before you lose your salvation?”
There is no “losing salvation”. All you can do is demonstrate you never really had faith in the first place:
“They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.” 1 John 2:19
“I awoke a few nights past, startled out of a sound sleep by this verse: ‘If anyone is unwilling to work, he shall not eat.’ - 2 Thessalonians 3:10”
There is a difference between someone who refuses to work and someone who cannot work.
Apart from Christ a sinner is incapable of doing the works that please God. It is only by faith in Christ that a person can receive a new heart that has the willingness and ability to do those things that are pleasing to God.
You asked, So I accept Jesus, and then I can Do anything I want.? and I answered in post 39 of this thread.
I meant to add (but forgot) that MOST sins believers commit are with the full knowledge that they ARE sins.
In other words, every time (maybe most times) that a believer sins it is with the full fore-knowledge that they are going to sin and then do it anyway.
So your question “...do anything I want?” applies to every single one of us, no matter what the sin nor the number of sins.
Still under Grace and still paid for at the cross.
Believers have just accepted that offering/gift and live free from any condemnation for their failures.
Non-believers have refused to accept the free, unqualified gift of undeserved righteousness and the position and blessings that flow from that.
[Sadly, some believers believe that works play a part in their salvation/righteousness and choke off much of the joy and ease that comes with a full understanding and acceptance of what this Grace means.]
A new term that is being used is “hyper-Grace”. I’m not a fan of the term, particularly, although it is accurate and descriptive.
To me Biblical Grace is already “hyper-Grace”; it can’t be anymore complete or powerful than it is. So the term is redundant.
I think it matters.....
thinking that sins don’t matter is why so many evangelicals and Christians elected Billy J. Clinton....
just no....God gave us free will....HE showed us the way, the truth and the light.....the opportunity to be a good person, or a bad person.....
if there are no consequences then there is no need for churches, or priests, pastors,prayers,confession, nor CHARITY.....
and no need for lecturing....
but this "no consequences to sin mantra" is popular, among the sinners....
and our govt seems to be moving in that direction too, especially these leftist states where now what used to be a crime now just is not prosecuted.....kids in school can do any thing and not be punished...for pete's sake don't call the cops, the kid might have a record... NO CONSEQUENCES.
I think God is forgiving, of any sin, which is hard to accept, because we all want fairness in life....
the prodigal son...
but HE FORGIVES....we can't forgive ourselves.
You wrote, “but this “no consequences to sin mantra” is popular, among the sinners....”
I don’t know of anyone who says there are no consequences to sin. I certainly don’t.
The consequences are monstrous, terrible and beyond our ability to grasp.
But Jesus, at the cross, bore all of those consequences, for every sin of ours; past, present and future.
There is nothing we can do on our own to obtain righteousness. It is only by accepting Jesus’ payment of our debt on our behalf.
I’m just saying that when Jesus, on the cross, said “It is finished!”, it was finished.
What is required of us is to accept his completed, complete work.
With a full recognition of our foul nature and complete unholiness and tremendous unworthiness. Once that is done, we move into the state of Grace.
And you’re right that this is popular among the sinners. A group of people in which I must number myself.
Those are the ones that it is for.
I thought that they were all forgiven, past, present, and future. Any other way would mean you believe that good works are necessary.
I do not believe what you say I believe. Sin most definitely does matter, loving and continuing in sin is unbelief.
Romans 5:2 says faith gives access to grace.
If Mr. Charles Stanley is going to falsely proclaim one can be saved without faith, then he must also proclaim one can be saved without grace. For there is NO VERSE that says faithless gives access to grace. Such a verse would only exist in the imagination of Mr. Stanley.
False dilemma, it is not faith or works, it is faith or unbelief...
Double talk! If committing a sin is unbelief, then everyone is doomed!
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