You're Probably Not Saved, Yet.

Beyond Today ^ | 2013 | Various

[DouglasKC]

How do you know you're saved?

Imagine you arrive at a most important banquet that's hosted by Christ Himself. After all--you're a Christian. Picture coming to His home and walking right up to the door. Perhaps you're a little surprised that the door is closed and you're shut outside. But not to be deterred, you knock and knock. No response, no reaction. So you call out, "Jesus open the door, Lord it's me." Still, no response, no reaction. At long last, you hear Jesus' voice and He says, "I never knew you!" What a devastating and shocking situation in which to find yourself.

[American Constitutionalist]

So ? those who interpret it like that ? are they just like God ? perfect as God on their own ? in their self righteousness keeping the law ?
Rather ? For we are the righteousness of God IN Christ Jesus.
2 Corinthians 5:21

For he has made him, who knew no sin, to be sin for us; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

And just where will we be made as perfect ? In Christ.

[Gamecock]

Which is my point.

(And yes to all)

[American Constitutionalist]

And just is what is that work Jesus was talking about ?

To believe on him whom the father has sent..... believe, believe, believe... the Gospel.

[American Constitutionalist]

It helps to add a little color to it and in different words.

[CynicalBear]

The Greek word used in verse one means “stumbling blocks”.

[American Constitutionalist]

That is what he said, but the reality is ? can you live up to that high standard ? can people in order to be saved by keeping the law live up to that high standard ? I think not.
A lot of things that Jesus said where hard sayings, it get's us to the point where we trow up our arms and say " It's HOPELESS ! It's IMPOSSIBLE " how can we ever succeed ? and give up in hopelessness, that is ? until God shines the light of the good news of our salvation in our hearts and shows us that there is hope, that is ? IN CHRIST.

[redleghunter]

I used Ephesians 2:3 to show that God expects a response, a change in our behavior, in response to his spirit.

No doubt. I think the argument would be is Who is enacting this change in behavior? God of course.

[American Constitutionalist]

As in ? deliberately causing someone to trip up, to fall, to prevent someone to proceed.
As in ? just like the cut throat situations in offices or even in Churches where some think they deserve a promotion over another and the other person is trying to get a promotion by working hard but the other person in jealousy causes them to stumble ?
Or ? a stumbling block could be preventing someone from hearing the truth about the good news of their salvation in the Gospel ?
Yes, those religious leaders sure did place a lot of laws and stumbling blocks for the people to jump over to even try to get close to God.

[American Constitutionalist]

The key words in this chapter ?

BUT GOD !

[metmom]

2 Corinthians 6:2 For he says, “In a favorable time I listened to you, and in a day of salvation I have helped you.” Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.

[metmom]

We cannot do enough works to attain salvation.

It’s not about how many works we do. It’s about that one sin is enough to condemn us. Even if all we committed is one sin in our entire lives and otherwise lived perfect lives, we would still be damned.

It’s because it’s not a good works vs. bad works = salvation or not.

It’s because the soul that sins shall die. And we have all sinned, therefore all die.

And without the shedding of blood, there is no remission of sin.

[DouglasKC]

The writer speaks much about unbelief and even calls it " SIN " . Them coming out of Egypt into the promise land is as the same as us Christians before we got saved into our promised land and rest in Christ's salvation. Verse 17 of chapter 3 ? They didn't fall in the wilderness because they sinned or broke God's laws, they sinned because they refused to go into the promised land and didn't believe God that the land was theirs to take

Certainly unbelief is a sin and against God's law...it violates the 1st commandment by putting our own opinions and beliefs (a god) before God's.

But scripture is also clear that Israel in the wilderness was guilty of violating many others of God's laws...including idolatry and sabbath keeping.

[American Constitutionalist]

" Of course I don't think that. I used Ephesians 2:3 to show that God expects a response, a change in our behavior, in response to his spirit. "

Dead men don't talk or walk.

Ephesians 2

1. And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;

A spiritually dead man or soul can not modify his behavior because in God's eyes he is already dead.

Isn't that what the holy spirit is saying here ?

And you hath he quickened ( that means ? made alive ) who were dead ( dead ? means ? dead ) in trespasses and sins.
Who also ? walked according to the ways and course of this world, i.e. the fallen human nature.

Total depravity.
And left to them selves ? would have been ?
by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

BUT GOD !

4. But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
5. even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ.

It doesn't say anything about keeping the law or good works that brought us to God in Christ.... doesn't it ?

It says, But GOD ! who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
EVEN WHEN WE WERE DEAD IN SINS ( rotten, nasty, sinners, law breakers, going to the course of this world ) hath he quickened us together with Christ... he made us alive in Christ and reconciled back to God in Christ.

[metmom]

Baloney. We are told to judge constantly.

That's why God gave some in the church the gift of discernment.

The only reason people quote the *Thou shall not judge* is because they don't want anyone else telling them they're wrong.

[American Constitutionalist]

" We cannot do enough works to attain salvation. "

If I recall correctly hearing a sermon from Ravi Zacharias he was talking about some of the eastern religions and one in particular in how in vain it was to appease their god in that ? the only way for them to get to heaven ?
They were put in this cave with a ceiling over a 100 feet high with a hole at the top with no rope and if you can get to that hole you can make it to heaven.
The same thing about doing enough works to attain salvation.
Just when ? do you know you have attained and and have satisfied God ?
At the judgment seat ?
I rather know now where I am going.

[narses]

“Your ancestors ate the manna in the desert, but they died;
this is the bread that comes down from heaven so that one may eat it and not die.

I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.”
The Jews quarreled among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us (his) flesh to eat?”

Jesus said to them, “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you.
Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day.

For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink

Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him.
Just as the living Father sent me and I have life because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on me will have life because of me.

This is the bread that came down from heaven. Unlike your ancestors who ate and still died, whoever eats this bread will live forever.”

These things he said while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum
Then many of his disciples who were listening said, “This saying is hard; who can accept it?”

Since Jesus knew that his disciples were murmuring about this, he said to them, “Does this shock you?

What if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before?
It is the spirit that gives life, while the flesh is of no avail. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and life.

But there are some of you who do not believe.” Jesus knew from the beginning the ones who would not believe and the one who would betray him.
And he said, “For this reason I have told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by my Father.”

As a result of this, many (of) his disciples returned to their former way of life and no longer accompanied him

Jesus then said to the Twelve, “Do you also want to leave?”

Simon Peter answered him, “Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.

We have come to believe and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God.”
Jesus answered them, “Did I not choose you twelve? Yet is not one of you a devil?”

He was referring to Judas, son of Simon the Iscariot; it was he who would betray him, one of the Twelve.” [John 6: 49-71]

[American Constitutionalist]

" But scripture is also clear that Israel in the wilderness was guilty of violating many others of God's laws...including idolatry and sabbath keeping. "

Yes, that is true, but the writer of the book of Hebrews was focused on this sin of unbelief for a reason.
For it was that sin, the sin of unbelfe that kept a whole generation from entering into the promised land and those who didn't make it parished in the wildreness.
It's the one thing that really ticked God off.

[American Constitutionalist]

Violating God's laws and transgressions where not the reason why God rejected them and forbade them from entering into the promised land.
It was because of their harden hearts and unbelief.
The other sins ? God had already made a provision in a yearly animal sacrifice for them.

[CodeToad]

“don’t want anyone else telling them they’re wrong.”

Sorry, but that is not very Christian of you. I guess you are not one. See, I just judged, so I must be right and you are wrong. See ya in Hell.

[Iscool]

No Trinity...Immediately disqualified just on that alone...