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To: Petrosius
All of Scripture is for the Christian. Not all of Scripture is about the Christian. That a book is addressed to a church does not mean that everything in there is about the believer. You posted two verses to support your claim that immorality sacrifices eternal life.

Here they are:

"Be sure of this, that no immoral or impure or greedy person, that is, an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. (Ephesians 5:5)

You stated: "The immoral or impure or greedy persons has no inheritance in the kingdom of God. That sure sounds like the lose of heaven to me.

You are not the only casual reader to make this inference.

The passage, however, doesn't say those who have come to faith and sin, will lose their place in the kingdom. Paul reminds the Ephesians of the importance of living holy lives and gives the reason that the unregenerate have no part in the kingdom. Paul uses this as a strong contrast between how believers should act against how unbelievers act - and the consequences for unbelievers.

Contrast the description here with the other passage you quoted, which is directed in particular at the "unrighteous."

I Corinthians 6:9-11...

"Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.

These words were addressed to believers who were saved to tell them the seriousness of living a holy life.

Paul had already said that all believers have an inheritance in Christ (Ephesians 1:3–14).

To claim a truly saved person cannot and will not practice these vices or would lose salvation overlook the fact that some genuine believers - sadly - live carnal lives (cf. 1 Cor. 3:1–4).

..............................

What is overlooked in the approach you advanced is the meaning and result of Christ's death and resurrection for the believer.

From the moment of saving faith, a complete identification occurs that results in:

forgiveness of all sins (including future)
a change of identity from the first Adam to the life of Second Adam
a transfer from death to life
a change from being an enemy of God to a son of God
an exhaltation to the heavenlies (for now positional) based on the imputed Righteousness of Christ
the sealing by the Holy Spirit unto the day to salvation
the ongoing intercession by Christ as our Advocate in the presence of the Father
and of course the Holy Spirit interceding for us, even when we do not know how to pray.

This and so much more is the inheritance of Christ for the believer!

May you come to know the assurance of salvation through His grace alone and the full promise and security of eternal life, based on all He did.

405 posted on 07/19/2017 9:19:06 AM PDT by aMorePerfectUnion
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To: aMorePerfectUnion
The passage, however, doesn't say those who have come to faith and sin, will lose their place in the kingdom.

Paul does not exempt those who have faith from the immoral, impure or greedy who have no inheritance in the kingdom of God.

These words were addressed to believers who were saved to tell them the seriousness of living a holy life.

Not just to tell them the seriousness of living a holy life but to warn them that they will not inherit the kingdom of God if they return to their former unrighteousness.

Paul had already said that all believers have an inheritance in Christ (Ephesians 1:3–14).

Paul also warned them in Ephesians that: "no immoral or impure or greedy person, that is, an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God." (Ephesians 5:5) Faith without a conversion of life is useless. Or as James proclaims: "faith of itself, if it does not have works, is dead." (James 2:17)

To claim a truly saved person cannot and will not practice these vices or would lose salvation overlook the fact that some genuine believers - sadly - live carnal lives (cf. 1 Cor. 3:1–4).

If a person falls back into a carnal life without latter repentance then, as Paul states, he will not inherit the kingdom of God. Paul gives no exemption for those who have faith.

439 posted on 07/19/2017 1:02:43 PM PDT by Petrosius
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