- Dec 11, 2010
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If you contribute nothing, then how do you expect to get something. It’s starts off with repentance, that’s one of the first thing Jesus says when he got started in his ministry, Jesus says in Luke 5:32 I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.Dear bro.tan,
The blood of Christ covers all our sins. To stay covered by Christ's blood, we only have to remain faithful - and to remain faithful, Christ must convert us into a child of God. It is His spiritual work which converts us. We contribute nothing. We are His workmanship. After we are converted, we will enter into the rest of Christ and will never fall from grace again.
Also, faith is believing and trusting what Christ has said He will do in scripture.
Now, Paul concerning the unchangeable Royal Law of God. In (Rom. 13:7-10) (v.7) Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour. (v.8) Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. That’s the biblical definition of love, the keeping of God’s law. And you thought love was kissing and hugging and rolling around in bed. (v.9) For this, THOU SHALT NOT COMMIT ADULTERY, THOU SHALT NOT KILL, THOU SHALT NOT BEAR FALSE WITNESS, THOU SHALT NOT COVET; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, THOU SHALT LOVE THY NEIGHBOUR AS THYSELF. (v.10) Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.
And that is what God’s holy commandments are all about; the first four tells you how to love God and the last six tells you how to love your neighbor. If you love your God you will not do any thing to offend him, like having other gods before him. You will do as he says like remember the sabbath day to keep it holy on the seventh day of the week. If you love him you will obey him when he tells you not to eat certain meats etc… And the same goes for your fellow man, if you love your neighbor you wouldn’t steal from him, you wouldn’t kill him, you wouldn’t try and sleep with his wife and so on and so forth. This is God’s definition of love and it is perfect in its ways. So if you say that you know God, but you don’t keep his commandments, let's see what the Lord had specially written for you. (See exodus 20: 1-17). (1John 2:3-4) (v.3) And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. (v.4) he that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
Yes.Do you believe these verses below?
The Bible talks about a lake of Fire in (Rev. 20:12-13) And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. Who are you allowing to teach you that you need not work to serve the Lord of this bible? (v.13) And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and dead and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. Don’t allow anyone to deceive you! You will be judged according to your works.1Tim 2:3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior; 4 who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; 6 who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.
Phi 2:10 That at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11 and that every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
1Cor 15:20 But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection from the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
2Pet 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
Dan 4:35 And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing; and he doeth according to his will in the army of the heavens, and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?
Job 23:13 But he is in one mind, and who can turn him? And what his soul desireth, that will he do.
Phil 2:13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
Prov 20:24 Man's goings are of the LORD; how can a man then understand his own way?
Jer 10:23 I know, Jehovah, that the way of man is not his own; it is not in a man that walketh to direct his steps.
Prov 16:1 The preparations of the heart in man, and the answer of the tongue, is from the LORD.
Do you believe that Christ will have His desire of saving 100% of mankind?
Not looking good for all of mankind.
If you don't believe these verses, your faith is lacking and you are not converted. You are still under the Law and not under Grace. It is not your fault to be lacking because mankind has no ability to remain faithful until AFTER Christ converts us. We don't even have the ability to decide when we will be saved. It is all up to Christ. Christ is the Savior and He is the ONLY one who can do the work of saving us.
As for keeping the commandants of God, we will do so only after we are converted. Conversion includes having our carnality completely destroyed by judgment so that we can walk by the Spirit. After we are converted, we will love God and love our neighbors. By doing this, we are keeping the commandants of God.
Mat 22:36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law? 37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. 40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
Rom 13:10 Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.
The remainder of the Law, which is not fulfilled by love, was fulfilled by the work of Christ at the cross. These commands of the Law are no longer necessary for us to follow.
Gal 5:3 For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law. Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.
When a believer thinks that they must do "works" (even just one) to earn their salvation or to maintain their salvation, they have fallen from grace and have become a debtor to keeping the whole Law which they will not be able to do. They will then die in their sins.
You said:
Again Paul says in (Heb. 3:14) For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast unto the end; You must believe in what you are doing that’s what faith is, you most be confident unto the end. You must keep God’s law until death or until the coming of the Lord, if you expect salvation.
Paul is talking about holding steadfast in our faith of trusting and believing Christ. When we do, we are "in Christ" (partakers of Christ) and are covered by His blood for any and all sins that we may ever do in this life. This will only happen after Christ converts us. Then, as we are judged, Christ will "increase" within us and our Old Man will "decrease".
John the Baptist is a "type" for the Old Man and he made this statement:
John 3:30 He must increase, but I must decrease.
When you say that we must keep God's Law to expect salvation, you are wrong. We can only keep God's Law after we have salvation and have been converted. Only then can we keep God's Law in the way Paul said: "love is the fulfilling of the law".
With your beliefs, you have no certainty of salvation because your salvation is dependent upon your own efforts of keeping the Law. You have fallen from grace and remain under the Law.
For a believer who has come under the New Covenant, they have complete certainty of salvation because they know that their salvation is only dependent upon the works of Christ who cannot fail. When a believer has this type of faith, they have entered into Christ's rest.
Heb 4:10 For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.
Joe