Here is the best way to teach a Legalist or a New Christian how to understand WHY Demas is now in Heaven.
"when we were yet UNGODLY, Christ died for us..."
"to You that WORKETH NOT< but believeth on GOD who JUSTIFIES THE UNGODLY"....."your FAITH is COUNTED as GOD's Righteousness". This is the "Gift of Righteousness".
So, when God saved us, we were dead in sin, and unholy.
The Blood Atonement does not make later exceptions, once it has eternally redeemed a living Soul by the process of "new birth".
We are put into the Spirit of God, by "spiritual birth", not by performance. We the born again have become an "heir of God," and a "joint Heir of Jesus", not because we are good or bad, but because of Jesus's SACRIFICE of BLOOD and Death.
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Lets say you are born and you have a mother who birthed you into this world. Now,... go and rob banks, kill children, drink blood, worship Satan, and, then kill your parents.
So....did any of that behavior stop you from .. 1. Being Born? 2. Being your mother's Son?
And why? Its because your birth is not OF YOU.......so, what you do later with your LIFE/Behavior can't undo your BIRTH or your Status as "her son"
Likewise, your "new birth" "in Christ", is NOT of you. And you are IN God's family, NOT because of you.
You are a SON of GOD, by = NEW BIRTH thru CHRIST......... and so, you have the rest of your life to determine if you are a good Son of God or a very pathetic Son of God, but, a SON YOU WILL REMAIN, says the Blood Atonement.
Here is a final thought for you...
When God saved you, that day you were born again....> He knew already every sin you will commit AFTER you are born again, right until the day you die.....and YET< .. God saved you anyway. Notice that?
Zion, God saved you while KNOWING you would SIN MORE after He did........and He SAVED YOU ANYWAY.
And its the same with DEMAS and all the other Born Again.
"not by works of righteousness that we have done, but according to GOD'S MERCY, = HE SAVED US"..
"when we were yet UNGODLY, Christ died for us..."
"to You that WORKETH NOT< but believeth on GOD who JUSTIFIES THE UNGODLY"....."your FAITH is COUNTED as GOD's Righteousness". This is the "Gift of Righteousness".
So, when God saved us, we were dead in sin, and unholy.
The Blood Atonement does not make later exceptions, once it has eternally redeemed a living Soul by the process of "new birth".
We are put into the Spirit of God, by "spiritual birth", not by performance. We the born again have become an "heir of God," and a "joint Heir of Jesus", not because we are good or bad, but because of Jesus's SACRIFICE of BLOOD and Death.
-----
Lets say you are born and you have a mother who birthed you into this world. Now,... go and rob banks, kill children, drink blood, worship Satan, and, then kill your parents.
So....did any of that behavior stop you from .. 1. Being Born? 2. Being your mother's Son?
And why? Its because your birth is not OF YOU.......so, what you do later with your LIFE/Behavior can't undo your BIRTH or your Status as "her son"
Likewise, your "new birth" "in Christ", is NOT of you. And you are IN God's family, NOT because of you.
You are a SON of GOD, by = NEW BIRTH thru CHRIST......... and so, you have the rest of your life to determine if you are a good Son of God or a very pathetic Son of God, but, a SON YOU WILL REMAIN, says the Blood Atonement.
Here is a final thought for you...
When God saved you, that day you were born again....> He knew already every sin you will commit AFTER you are born again, right until the day you die.....and YET< .. God saved you anyway. Notice that?
Zion, God saved you while KNOWING you would SIN MORE after He did........and He SAVED YOU ANYWAY.
And its the same with DEMAS and all the other Born Again.
"not by works of righteousness that we have done, but according to GOD'S MERCY, = HE SAVED US"..