Posted on 11/19/2001 3:31:50 PM PST by wwjdn
I would like to encourage Christians in a discussion, if you are an atheist then please go to another post.
As a Christian I wanted to discuss what I now consider false teachings that I have heard in my own churches over the past forty years. I have been in a Christian family since birth and it has been a great experience. Please know that I am learning more each day about God and I am but his humble servant trying to spread his word.
Unfortunately today churches are becoming more and more politically correct (PC) which is denying God his authority. He has been very specific in the path to redemption.
Here is the path to heaven “as I see it” in the New Testament:
Salvation: John 3:16- 18. 16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son.
So salvation comes only from belief in the Son of God, Jesus
Then comes baptism: John 3:3-7 ; 3 In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again." 4 "How can a man be born when he is old?" Nicodemus asked. "Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb to be born!" 5 Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. 6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. 7 You should not be surprised at my saying, `You must be born again.'
Therefore, you must be born again of water and spirit.
Then comes the harder part, living for God in his body (works). Luke 9:23-26 - 23 Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it. 25 What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self? 26 If anyone is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.
Luke 14:26-27 - "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters--yes, even his own life--he cannot be my disciple. 27 And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.
Matthew 10:38-42 - 38 and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. 40 "He who receives you receives me, and he who receives me receives the one who sent me. 41 Anyone who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet's reward, and anyone who receives a righteous man because he is a righteous man will receive a righteous man's reward. 42 And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward."
Mark 8:33-38 - 33 But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter. "Get behind me, Satan!" he said. "You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men." 34 Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 35 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it. 36 What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? 37 Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? 38 If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his Father's glory with the holy angels."
So it would seem to me that following God's will and taking up the cross is also necessary.
I have always been taught that salvation was accepting Jesus and baptism, and yet these scriptures appear to me to state an entirely different path.
I have been a Christian most of my life and until recently I cannot say that I have been in the presence of God. The difference is following God, obediently and faithfully. To do his works, to let him work through me has been a blessing. The verse John 14:10 Don't you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. speaks to me and lets me know that anything I accomplish is God working through me, not me by myself.
So I ask that you pray diligently and faithfully to seek God’s wisdom before you fall into today’s “feel good religions”. If you truly have God in your heart, you will be lifted up on angel’s wings. On the other hand if you go to church to feel good, then Satan is knocking on your door.
Here is a reply from a very dear friend who is very knowledgable about the Bible:
Read the web site you sent. Seems to me to be the same "once saved always saved" theology. Of course John 3:16 is always quoted as if there is nothing else in holy writ. And, of course, works are bad, which is not true. Good works are both spiritual & physical. Praying for someone is a good work. If one has the grace of God - he will do good works. Remember the cup of water our Lord talks about. Good works are a manifestation of the Holy Spirit. I've seen this "works" stuff twisted around to the point that to many quasi-theologians it seems that good works are bad. Salvation in an instant is not salvation but an emotional response. Remember, we work out our salvation in fear and trembling over the course of our lives. If Jesus isn't with us on the journey, He won't be there at the end. We are always in a constant state of redemption pleading mercy for our sins because our Lord loves us and died for those sins we confess. And God loves us so much that even death on the Cross was not enough to satisfy His love for us. "Lord I am not worthy."
HAM !!
I used to believe in salvation by faith alone, but I can no longer believe that this is true.
As for my quotes, they are not taken from parables that I am aware of, if they were I would have tried to notate this as such.
God be with you all, Christians and non-christians.
The way I've always read this is that we are all sinners and must acknowledge our sins before God and ask for forgiveness in Jesus' name as the first step to salvation.
Other than that, John 3:16 is all you need to know.
“When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die.” - Dietrich Bonhoeffer “The Cost Of Discipleship”
For unto him that worketh(slaveth) is the reward not reckoned of grace but debt(wages-hypocrisy-bankruptcy)...
but unto him that believeth in HIM who justifies(enlightens) the ungodly(sinner)---
his faith(gift-acceptance) is accounted for righteousness(deliverance-liberation-riches-treasure)!
The wages of sin is death vs. life everlasting!
There is a distinction that needs to made though. If we are saved by grace, know God, his words, commandments and then fail to follow his commands and do good works to please God (not to please ourselves or to gain glory from God's works through us) then we are not really his children.
There is a big difference between God's children who choose to disobey him, and God's children who have not heard the good news and have not accepted him.
If on our death bed (such as the thief so to speak) and we hear the good news and accept Jesus and beg forgivness then surely God will welcome us into paradise until the day of Judgement.
So there is a difference between sinners that have never been found and God's children who have knowingly disobeyed God.
Remember, I am not a Biblical Scholar, but I am learning a lot as I study more and more.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.