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To: nicmarlo
Jews must come to the Father through Jesus Christ. If they reject Christ, then the Father rejects them. As Jesus said, "No one comes to the Father but by Me."

Jesus also said, "No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day" (John 6:44); and he said, "every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day" (John 6:40).

Jesus also said, "And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me" (St. John 12:32). But there is no contradiction, because he also said, "he that hath seen me hath seen the Father" (John 14:9).

He also said, "as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up" (John 3:14); and he said, "him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out" (John 6:37).

I read that to mean, "all come to him and he casts none out". Or, as in the words of Paul, "every knee shall bow to (the Lord), and every tongue shall confess to God" (Romans 14:11), and, "with the mouth confession is made unto salvation" (Romans 10:10).

As I mentioned several months ago on FR, if I was given the task by the Lord to determine the names of those to be saved in the Book of Life, I would have to include everyone. Otherwise I break the Law (the Law of the Lord as stated in Matthew 7:12). It is also written, "The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance" (2 Peter 3:9). Therefore, my previous interpretation of "all come to him and he casts none out" is possible. Of course, "with God all things are possible" (Matthew 19:26).

212 posted on 11/28/2002 10:57:15 PM PST by PhilipFreneau
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To: PhilipFreneau
Jesus said:

Not everyone who says to Me, "Lord, Lord," will enter the kindgom of heaven; but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven. Many will say to Me on that day, "Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles? And then I will declare to them, "I never knew you, depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness."

Not everyone who claims to be of God is of God. Matthew 7:21-23

220 posted on 11/28/2002 11:30:32 PM PST by nicmarlo
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To: PhilipFreneau
And Jesus also said:

"And why do you call Me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say? Everyone who comes to Me, and hears My words, and acts upon them, I will show you whom he is like:

he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid a foundation upon the rock; and when a flood rose, the torrent burst against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built.

But the one who has heard, and has not acted accordingly, is like a man who built a house upon the ground without any foundation; and the torrent burst against it and immediately it collapsed, and the ruin of that house was great."

We must listen to the Words of the Lord and act according to His teachings. We are not free to ignore Him or His Words and expect salvation simply because we think we are "entitled" to it. Luke 6:46-49.

224 posted on 11/28/2002 11:47:42 PM PST by nicmarlo
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To: PhilipFreneau
That is not to say, however, that our salvation is condition upon our works. Our salvation is based on faith, through grace. We cannot earn our way to heaven, or add to what Christ has already done for us. But we must be diligent in practicing what Christ would have us do, because this is right and just, as believers, to be examples to non-Christians, or the "unchurched," for what kind of witness would we be if we behaved and acted as those who do not know Him? Why, then, we would be perceived, by man, as no different. It is for other human beings we must act and live according to the laws of God, not for our own salvation's sake, but as a testimony to the Lord, that He has changed our inner being, molding us into His likeness.

And while we may still sin, we are no longer sinners, for Christ died for us. He gives us the power and the strength to overcome sin, yet we are weak and do not always strive for the perfection which He freely would bestow upon us.

Nevertheless, our aim is to please Him, for pleasing sake, not for salvation's sake. For that is accomplished, once and for all, when we accept Christ as our Savior. But no one shall come to the Father but by Him, Jesus our Lord. And this is for all peoples all over the earth, to the Jew first and the Gentile.

226 posted on 11/29/2002 12:00:04 AM PST by nicmarlo
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