Abiding and Free Grace

[GracePeace]

Jesus says He abides in the Father, and the Father in Him, and that, because of this fact, to see Jesus is to see the Father, and that, in connection with this, Jesus speaks and acts only as the Father commands--this makes sense that to see Jesus is to see the Father, because Jesus only speaks and acts as the Father commands, thus Christ abides in the Father, and the Father in Him--and that, in connection with this, the Father has never left Him, but, rather, He knows Him (this is eternal life : to know the only true God), because He always does what pleases the Father.

One would think that, because He says, "As I was sent, so, now, I am sending you," that the same rules would apply to us--and, indeed, 1 John 2:6 says that whoever says they abide in Christ should walk even as He walked, and 1 Jn 2:4 says whoever says they know Him, "but does not keep his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him".

So, when "Free Gracers" say they can fall away from the faith, and even go so far as to become a satan worshipper, and they are still "saved", that must be an error, because the eternal life which has been given to us is only in the Son, so how can they have eternal life if they are not abiding in the Son nor the Son in them (evinced in that they are not walking as He walked, nor speaking nor doing as the Son commands--and to see them is NOT to see Jesus)?

 

[MostlyConfused]

I wonder if this is relevant : Even if we are unfaithful, He remains faithful, because He cannot deny Himself.
That’s a truly comforting verse when I’m smarting from having been unfaithful,untrusting or self willed despite feeling I should have paused when I had a slight inclination to do so and I just ignored it. I can at once be both disgusted with myself and also relieved that He won’t abandon or leave me when I am unfaithful.
Thats what I see as Him abiding in me. I don’t think it would be wise to boast as you say you have heard someone do that even if I began to worship satan, He would have no choice but to continue to abide in me but I do wonder about the vessels of dishonor.

As for me abiding in Him, that’s a different thing, don’t you think?

 

[GracePeace]

I wonder if this is relevant : Even if we are unfaithful, He remains faithful, because He cannot deny Himself.
That’s a truly comforting verse when I’m smarting from having been unfaithful,untrusting or self willed despite feeling I should have paused when I had a slight inclination to do so and I just ignored it. I can at once be both disgusted with myself and also relieved that He won’t abandon or leave me when I am unfaithful.
Thats what I see as Him abiding in me.

Not sure, since the same passage says if we deny Him He will deny us--"before the Father."

I don’t think it would be wise to boast as you say you have heard someone do that even if I began to worship satan, He would have no choice but to continue to abide in me but I do wonder about the vessels of dishonor.

As for me abiding in Him, that’s a different thing, don’t you think?

No, I am not sure if there is a difference between us abiding in Him and Him abiding in us--that would not make sense to me--but I don't understand these things perfectly, and there's a verse where He says "If you keep My commands My Father will love you," and, "the Father loves you because you have believed that I have come from Him", so believing He came from God must qualify as keeping at least some of His commands, whereby we abide in Him and receive the Spirit which is in Him (as also 1 Jn 3:23, 24 says).

 

[MostlyConfused]

Yeah, none of us understands them perfectly, even if we sometimes act like we do!

 

[David Lamb]

I feel I must say what I often say when I see the term "Free Grace." The phrase means different things depending on where you live. Here in the UK, for example, there are churches which have the words "Free Grace" in their church name, but that certainly does not mean that they believe they can fall away from the faith, and even go so far as to become a Satan worshipper, and they are still "saved." For example, there is Belvedere Free Grace Baptist Church in London. Their website http://free-grace.org.uk says that their beliefs are in agreement with the 1689 London Baptist Confession of Faith, which has a whole section on sanctification, which talks of the importance of holy living for the Christian.

 

[GracePeace]

I feel I must say what I often say when I see the term "Free Grace." The phrase means different things depending on where you live. Here in the UK, for example, there are churches which have the words "Free Grace" in their church name, but that certainly does not mean that they believe they can fall away from the faith, and even go so far as to become a Satan worshipper, and they are still "saved." For example, there is Belvedere Free Grace Baptist Church in London. Their website http://free-grace.org.uk says that their beliefs are in agreement with the 1689 London Baptist Confession of Faith, which has a whole section on sanctification, which talks of the importance of holy living for the Christian.

Yes, I think "Free Grace" I'm referring to is a much more novel movement.