Posted on 06/27/2010 3:10:25 AM PDT by GonzoII
Scenario:
You're discussing religion with an Evangelical friend. For 20 minutes you've responded as best you can to her pointed arguments against Catholic doctrines like Mary's perpetual virginity, praying to saints, venerating statues, and purgatory. She's unconvinced. You're frustrated. It doesn't look like there's much of a chance you'll agree on anything.
Then comes the jackpot question. "Look," she says earnestly, "we can disagree about many things, but what's most important is that we know we can be saved by Jesus Christ. Tell me, if you were to die tonight, do you know for sure if you'd go to heaven?"
This is the "all-important" question for Evangelical and Fundamentalist Protestants. Although your friend is completely sincere in asking this question (as she's been coached to do by her pastor and the anti-Catholic radio preacher she listens to in the afternoon), you realize that if you don't answer correctly, you'll walk into a sort of theological ambush.
If you respond that Christians can't, apart from a special revelation from God, have metaphysical or absolute certainty concerning their salvation, a completely biblical and theologically precise answer, your Evangelical friend will gleefully spring a "trap" on you, based on 1 John 5:13: "These things I write to you, that you may know you have eternal life, you who believe in the name of the Son of God."
"See?" she smiles confidently. "The Bible disagrees with you!" She then proceeds to inform you that if you "confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in thy heart that God hath raised him up from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For, with the heart, we believe unto justice; but, with the mouth, confession is made unto salvation" (Rom. 10:9-10).
(Excerpt) Read more at envoymagazine.com ...
I think any way you want to look at this passage it is clear you can be cut off.
It appears to be “Religion” to me.
Second, 'being cut off' has nothing to do with losing one's eternal salvation.
In the passage, the Jews are unsaved not saved who became unsaved.
It is speaking of God turning once again to focus on the Jew instead of the Gentile in giving the Gospel
You don't work to get saved and you don't work to stay saved.
If you don't keep the Commandments, Bud, you can't make it to Heaven, the Bible is clear on that.
If that were true then no one would ever get to Heaven because other than Jesus no one has ever kept all the 10 Commandments. In fact the entire point of the Gospel is that Jesus saves even those who haven't kept all the Commandments.
How many people reading this thread have ever even read the bible?
All of it? Every single word? Even the “boring” parts?
How many?
If you break one, you break them all! (Ja.2:10)
The only way to get saved is to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, who died for your sins and rose from the dead.
He did all the work, that is why salvation is by faith, that it might be by grace (Rom.4:16).
Grace and works don't mix (Eph.2:8-9, Rom.4:4-5).
Do you really think you are going to make it to heaven because you kept the Commandments?
That was exactly what the rich, young ruler thought until the Lord exposed his hidden sin.
I find this article offensive. Can I have you banned and then stoned to death? :-)
There are no stones left..tar and feathers....?
Jesus said “keep the Commandments”.
Are you saved by grace or law?
Grace.
And with Him by whom all things are possible I can keep the Commandmants which he commanded me to do if I am to enter into eternal life.
Mt 19:17 "But if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments."
Rev 14:12 "Here is the patience of the saints, who keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus. "
And that is certainly a worthy ambition, just as Jesus' command to "be perfect just as your Father in Heaven is perfect". Unfortunately no one can do this, which is why we need a Savior. If anyone could keep the commandments on his own there would have been no need of Jesus. This is why I seek mercy not justice. The law kills but the Gospel gives eternal life.
I didn't say I wasn't in need of a Savior. You are correct we need a Savior to save us. We also need His help to keep the Commandments. Would God ask the impossible? With Him all things are possible.
Once saved always saved. We still do things we shouldn’t but now our sin is covered by the blood of Jesus dying on the cross. Not perfect, but forgiven.
How would you ever have assurance of eternal life in heaven and the peace that goes with that if you had to constantly worry if you were good enough.No one is perfect except Jesus Christ and Adam & Eve till they disobeyed God.
Then you make Christ sound silly for commanding us to to keep it. And I'm talking about the Ten Commandments not the old Jewish precepts aside from the Decalogue.
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.