I do believe it's more than encouragement. In every letter of his Paul exhorted the Christians to live a certain life style; as did every writer. It seems to me that it was very important to them to make these proclamations.
We must, then, decide what being hardened by sin's deceitfulness means.
Revelation 21:27 tells us nothing unclean will enter heaven.
Revelation 3:16 tells us God will spit us out of His mouth just for being lukewarm.
Mathew 7:19 JESUS tells us that every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down.
I can post verses from every epistle warning us as to how we are to behave.
And what we are to believe...
John 3:15
15so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life.
John 5:24
24“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.
Believes is always in the present tense. We must be believers at the time of our death.
I'd love to believe this, but Jesus Himself says that we can believe for a while and then fall away.
Luke 8:13
13“Those on the rocky soil are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no firm root; they believe for a while, and in time of temptation fall away. "
Belief is Paramount. And no doubt ....
What each Believes comes with Conditions.
Conditions....
1) are numerous, according to mankinds renditions...meaning;
Christian...believe in Christ Jesus AND God the Heavenly Father.
Jew...believe in God and that the Messiah will come.
Muslim...believe in Allah and Mohammad.
Etc.
2) are Precise, according to Gods rendition.
Believe IN Christ Jesus, He has come, He IS the Lord God, and thee Heavenly God Almighty....AND "Heart fully Give your life to Him"..AND YOU WILL BE SAVED AND forever YOU WILL BE WITH Him and He WITH YOU.
Believe in Thee Heavenly Lord God Almighty Lord God Almighty and Continue the same belief until the end of your days.
POINT BEING ~
ANYONE can say....I BELIEVE...
That does not render a COMPLETE picture of a mans Testimony.
ANY MAN can Believe something today, say it, announce it, AND THEN CHANGE HIS "MIND" tomorrow.
THE Paramount DIFFERENCE IS When a man Proclaims....
He Believes IN Jesus Christ AND God and HAS Willingly and "HEART FULLY" Given His LIFIE TO:
Christ the Lord Jesus!
THAT MAN....HAS unequivocally...WITHOUT doubt...FOREVER has BECOME FORGIVEN, SAVED, BORN AGAIN, ALIVE FOREVER, "Converted" ONCE and FOREVER and FOREVER HIS WITH His GOD, AND his GOD WITH him....thee Lord God Almighty!
THAT MAN...WILL NEVER AGAIN BE WITHOUT or Separated FROM God.
BECAUSE...It is BY and THROUGH the POWER of GOD HIMSELF, THAT MAN, IS FOREVER KEPT in FAITH-"FULLNESS" to thee Lord God Almighty.
Fall AWAY?
Lukewarm?
Believe and then Deny?
Doubt?
Wishy Washy?
Milquetoast?
Un trustful?
Follow for awhile and then STOP?
Yes, Yes, Yes......^THAT CAN APPLY TO ANYONE..."WHO" is NOT "CONVERTED"...
"BY AND THROUGH CHRIST"!!
"THEY" are relying "ON" their "OWN POWER" to "BE", "KEEP" and "REMAIN" - faithful.
And "their" renditions ARE numerous, as to "HOW" "THEY" "MUST" remain "FAITHFUL"...
Some say....by going to a Church.
Some say...by following a Churches Teachings
Some say....by following Gods Precepts.
Some say... by following Gods Commands.
Some say... by following Gods Laws.
Some say... by Constant prayer.
Some say... by participating in the Lords Supper.
Some say... by participating in Feasts and Traditions.
Some say... by Works.
Some say... by Cooperation in these things.
The Lord says BY:
By "HEARTFUL" Belief.
By "Repentance" for Disbelief.
By "Willingness" to Choose to GIVE ones LIFE "TO" the Lord and THROUGH HIM, BECOME, CONVERTED...ONCE and FOREVER...and FOREVER KEPT in Faithfulness TO HIM, BY HIM.
THEY BECOME "HIS" Church.
And THEY ARE WHOM The Son of Man, "WiTH" POWER shall CALL UP TO Him, and Glorify THEIR BODY'S.
ALL OTHERS....Shall be Denied PARTICIPATION in the Marriage Supper of Christ and His Bride.
Some WHO are already SAVED, and NOT a Christs Church....ARE they who SHALL be guests and witnesses at the Marriage Supper.
ALL WHO ARE NOT SAVED, shall Be excluded as participants and witnesses.
ALL who ARE "Converted" SHALL Be participants.
The fallen believers, who believed for awhile and then stopped....---> NOT participants OR witnesses.
Bottom Line....
Belief is a Beginning AND can waver.
"Heart'-ful Conviction and one Giving their Life to the Lord is a FOREVER CONVERSION, and FOREVER LIFE "BY" and "THROUGH" the Power of THEE Lord God Almighty.... and CAN NEVER be UNDONE.
Bottom Line....
It is not what men SAY to other men...
It is WHAT an Individual SAYS to Christ the Lord, from his Heart.
God Bless.
Taken