Again, to me, this means you are trying to save (justify) yourself. Not getting down and letting God save you.
Again he is talking about sanctification. Not justification.
Justification is a moment.
Sanctification is life-long.
HOW am I trying to save myself by obeying the commandments of God?
Don't you think we're demanded to obey God?
When did I ever say we could save ourselves?
All the works in the world will not save us if they're not done for God.
If they're done for God, they will save us.
Our faith without works is a dead faith because faith demands that we obey God.
If feeding the hungry a command?
Is visiting the sick a command?
Is forgiving others a command?
What if we don't do these things??
Hebrews 10:24
And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works,
Matthew 7:21
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
Titus 2:7-8
Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity, and sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us.
Jesus said he lifts up the branches and cuts away the dead and burns them. That is pruning us.
Right.
But you forgot to read the rest...see no. 6...you're referring to no. 1.
John 15:1-6
1“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser.
2“Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit.
3“You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.
4“Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me.
5“I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.
6“If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned.
As far as Colossians goes. Again, What is yoru faith in? Is it in Christ, or is it in something else? (The law. Religion, The world)
Where is your faith, where is your heart? Because scripture says that is where you will go;.
Your addressing my verse posted...Colossians 2:21-23
I thank you for responding...most overlook it completely and do not respond.
The asnwer to your question...WHAT IS MY FAITH IN is found in verse 22
YET HE HAS NOW RECONCILED YOU IN HIS FLESHILY BODY THROUGH DEATH.
(in order to present us holy and blameless before God Father and beyond reproach)
So, yes, I'm depending on the work of Christ.
But verse 23 states IF I CONTINUE in the faith steadfast...
This would be my faith in Christ.
Why would you trust yourself and think there is NOTHING that can happen to you which could cause your faith to dwindle. When so many people have had life changing things happen to them and they walked away?
You do not know what will happen 20 years from now.
Are you agreeing with me?
It sounds like it.
Was I saved those 5 years?
1. Did I have eternal life? Yes
2. Did I have the HS who was given as a pledge until the day of redemption? Yes
3. Was I born again? Yes
4. Was I a child of God? yes
5. Did God leave me? No
6. Was I baptized into Christ? Yes. (Spirit baptism not water)
6. Was I chastened by the Holy Spirit? More than you can imagine. At the end, I was looking to commit suicide
I hope you're right.
I don't understand how you could be chastened by the Holy Spirit if you were involved in a life of sin....
but this is beyond my pay grade...
Decide who I would serve? Not sure what you mean by this question. We are saved by faith in God to save us. Not by our ability to serve. Again, that would be saving yourself. And would not be a grace based salvation. So once again, i am confused.
Easy...
Romans 6:16
15What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? May it never be!
16Do you not know that
when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness?
We have to be slaves to one or the other power.
One is satan and the other is God.
We present ourselves to one or the other for service to that power.
Many people have died the sin unto death. Where they for whatever reason walked away and in their Tim of sin died BeFOR having the ability or time to return.
Isn't this in conflict with your stating that you were still saved when you walked away?
We should not judge their salvation. Only God knows.
I can say amen to that.
But I do think the N.T. made a point of not walking away so we could be secure in our salvation.
The prodigal son returned. He could just have easily have died before he returned. He would still be the son.
How do you reconcile that with what Jesus said?
Luke 15:24
For this son of mine was dead, and has come to life again; he was lost, and has been found.
If Jesus said the son has come to life AGAIN, doesn't this mean the son was lost while he was away from the father?
Also. I never stopped denying Jesus as my savior the whole time I was gone. I may have walked away from his blessings and his love and his guidance because of something that happened that tore me up inside. But I never became the anti-Christ Who denied Jesus (1 john)
Ah. Happily you have given us the answer:
YOU NEVER STOPPED DENYING JESUS.