Hi Ernest. Thank you for your posts. My response is in three parts.
(1.) There were no commas or punctuation in the original Greek text. If you place the comma after "today", how do you see it now in Luke 23:43? Do you see the thief being raised at first resurrection?
(2.) Then Jesus lied, and the thief will not be remembered in the Kingdom. Jesus said, "truly I say to you". Don't you think he meant it? Luke 23:42.
(3.) If belief and confession isn't enough to go to heaven then all those who have believed and confessed on their death bed didn't make it.
God bless
These question do not address any of the 3 points I made that prove the thief is NOT an example of NT gospel salvation.
1) all good and bad will be resurrected John 5:29
2) Jesus did not lie
3) The NT gospel does not teach "death bed salvation"
Heb 13:8 said:
Being baptized in H2O will not save you any more than sacrificing goats for sin will.
The Bible says water baptism is the point God removes sins therefore in that sense the Bible says water baptism saves, John 3:5; Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; Romans 6:3-5; Colossians 2:1-12; 1 Peter 3L21; etc, etc
Heb 13:8 said:
Ernest, good works are all about sanctification on earth and rewards in heaven. So many try to mix Grace with works and fail every time. Becoming a Christian and remaining one is about believing and confessing Rom 10:9, and once you get saved you depend on the finished work of the cross and what He did for you, not what you can do for yourself. It's not about you Ernest.
It takes OBEDIENT WORKS in doing what God says is necessary to be saved in believing repenting confession and baptized. Then once one has obeyed and is in a saved state he MUST continue to do goods to maintain that saved position (Eph 2:10)
Heb 13:8 said:
It seems that you're confused even in your own doctrine. If you're adding hell to your doctrine then yes, you are trying to earn salvation. How does a believer unbaptize himself out of Christ death?
Rom 6:3-4 Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.
You misunderstand God's grace that God's grace is conditional and requires men to meet the conditions and meeting conditions on a free gift does not, cannot earn the free gift of God. Again, grace charis means favor extended AND favor returned. So grace does NOT mean God extends favor and man in return does nothing for being idle cannot save. Doing no works is the same as being disobedient to God's commands, unrighteousness.
Plenty of Bible examples of God's grace having conditions attached and meeting the conditions did not, could not earn God's free gift:
Exodus 16:
God owed the Israelites nothing but because of His grace God sent them the free gift of manna. Yet the free gift came with the condition of the Israelites doing the work of gathering the manna. Had the Israelites not done the work of gathering the manna (faith only) then they would have remained hungry. Therefore they must have done the work of gathering the manna in order to receive this free gift from God yet the work of gathering earned them nothing.
2 Kings 5:
God did not owe Naaman anything but because of God's grace He would heal Naaman's disease. Yet this free gift came to Naaman with the condition that he do the work of going and dipping in the Jordan River 7 times. Had Naaman not done the work of dipping (faith only) then he would have maintained his disease. Therefore Naaman must have done the work of dipping in order to receive this free gift from God yet the work of dipping earned Naaman nothing.
John 9:
Jesus did not owe the blind man anything but because of His grace Jesus would heal the man's blindness. Yet this free gift came to the blind man with the condition he go and wash in the pool of Siloam. Had the blind man not done the work of going and washing in pool (faith only), he would have remained blind. Therefore the blind man must have done the work of going and washing in order to receive this free gift from Christ yet the work of going and dipping earned him nothing.
Matthew 19:
Jesus did not owe the rich man anything but because of His grace He offered the rich man the free gift of eternal life. Yet this free gift came with conditions of obeying God's commands. The rich man met those conditions except for one...go
and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come
and follow me. The rich man did not obey, did not do this work of righteousness thereby refusing the free gift that had been offered him. He therefore must have obeyed in order to receive the free gift Christ had offered to him for free yet his obedience in no way would have earned him anything.
Acts 2:
Peter, in his sermon, offered his listeners the free gift of salvation which is a result of God's grace. This free gift came with the condition they call upon the name of the Lord/repent and be baptized, verses 21, 38. Had they not done this work (faith only) they would have remained lost in their unremitted sins. Yet to receive this free gift of God required they conditionally call upon the name of the Lord/repent and be baptized and their obedience in doing this in no way would have earned them God's free gift.
Joshua 6:
God would give the Israelites the city of Jericho as a gift. Yet this free gift came with many conditions including the requirement of the Israelites to march around the city. Had the Israelites done no work (faith only) then they would have not received this free gift of God. Therefore Israel must have obeyed in doing those works in order to receive this free gift of God and doing these works in no way earned them the city.
Jn 6:
Jesus told His hearers He would
give (it's free) the gift of everlasting life. Yet this free gift came with the condition of laboring. Had Christ's hearers had done no laboring (faith only) they would not receive this free gift. Therefore they must labor to receive the free gift of everlasting life and their laboring in no way would earned them everlasting life.
Rom 6:
Paul said those Romans had been freed from sin/justified, a free gift of God, v23. Yet this free gift came with the condition of obeying from the heart that form of doctrine. Had they had done no obeying (faith only) they would have remained in their sins/unjustified. Therefore they must have obeyed from the heart in order to receive the free gift of God and obeying in no way earned them God's free gift.
Rev 22:
The waters of life are freely given, a free gift that is made available to all/whosoever. Yet this free gift comes with the condition that one must obey in coming and taking of this water of life. If one does nothing (faith only) he will never get the free gift of the water of life therefore one must do the obedient works in coming and taking of this water and those works in no way earns one this water of life.
Acts 10:
Salvation was a free gift that came to the Gentiles by God's grace. Yet this free gift came with the condition of 'working righteousness', v35. If the Gentiles had done nothing (faith only) they never would have been accepted with God. Therefore the Gentiles must have worked righteousness (obey the command to be water baptized) to be saved yet this working righteousness would earn the Gentiles nothing.
Hebrews 11:7 the saving of Noah's house was by grace but God's grace conditionally required Noah do the work of building the ark. The work in building the ark therefore did not earn the saving of his house. Favor extended, favor returned > charis