Hi haz,
haz, it really depends what you mean by 'believing on Jesus', whether you need be concerned that this refers to you. (And you don't need to be concerned if it doesn't.) And that reasonable concern you may have depends what kind of gospel was preached to you - whether it is the one in the Bible beginning with Abraham Gal 3:8 - or, it is
another gospel.... 2 Cor 11:4, Gal 1:6, which
is as good as 'fables'. I have used what you posted in reply to Kidron in
http://www.christian...are-born-again/ in more than one post, and you have not addressed any of the loopholes in the logic you used. This gives me the impression that you have no idea of the full gospel. But
if you have heard the whole truth and believed into Jesus Christ according to the gospel to Abraham, which Jesus Christ came to fulfil, then, you should have a testimony like Episkopos', and I would expect you to recognise him as a brother.
It's 'harder to attain' if no-one told you about being grafted into the death of Christ Rom 6:5
in reality. And if you think (as others seem to think) that you don't need to worry about sins
any more because Christ died for them, that is
only true
if you're planning to acknowledge every single one of them to Him, and be washed again in His blood in reality. A
better plan is, to walk in the
power of the
Holy Spirit,
and do not fulfil the lusts of the flesh.
Is this really news to you? You've never heard of it before? (Serious questions. Please answer.)
I think that
may be the construction you put upon what he said, rather than 'what he said'. You could always find and bring
that conversation, including your part in it, here as a quote, as you've mentioned it often. That would help readers understand what this discussion is about. (Many thanks if you do.)
Heb 8:10, - Rom 3:27, - Rom 6:22, - Rom 8:2 - - - - Rom 8:4,
James 2:8, - John 14:15, 16, 17, 18, - John 15:12, - 1 John 5:3.
Now, two questions for you.
Does 'keeping' these 'laws', strike you as 'works'? Please answer.
Or, is 'keeping' them the natural outworking of Rom 12:1 - 3? Please answer.
The first thing to say is that Christians don't (or shouldn't) fear death itself, because it should have no power over us any more
if we have been walking in the power of the Holy Spirit. Heb 2:15 Christians tend to shy away from your question, though, because who can know what has gone on between a man and God by the Spirit, in his dying moments? God knows with perfect precision what attitude a person's heart is holding, and whether there is anything He can hold against them. Not that He is trying to, but His justice is perfect too, and He has appropriate 'rewards' lined up for both good, and evil.
However, Ezekiel 18:24 comes to mind, as does the first part of Ezekiel 9, Romans 2, and
Heb 9:27 And as it is appointed to men once to die, but after this the judgment. While you're reading the Bible, you can gather how seriously God takes
unrepented sin and, and that's why a
Christian is held to a
much higher standard - because spiritually he normally dwells in that other realm, with God, knowing Him, communicating by the Holy Spirit. John 17:3.
What do
you think is the answer to your last question? Please answer.