Those who really love Jesus prove it -- unto eternal life

[Zachary]

[SIZE=9pt]James 1:[/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]12 [/SIZE][SIZE=9pt]Blessed is the man who endures temptation; [/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of (eternal) life [/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.”[/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]Wow, this verse covers a lot of ground.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]Those who continually endure (pass) the test of being tempted to sin:[/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]-- are blessed[/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]-- will eventually be approved[/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]-- will have proved their love for the Lord[/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]-- will receive the promised crown of eternal life[/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]Matthew 7:[/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]21 [/SIZE][SIZE=9pt]Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, [/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]22 [/SIZE][SIZE=9pt]Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, [/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’[/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]23 [/SIZE][SIZE=9pt]And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you (Vine: approved of you); [/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’[/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]John 14:[/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]15 [/SIZE][SIZE=9pt]If you love Me[/SIZE][SIZE=9pt], keep My commandments. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]21 [/SIZE][SIZE=9pt]He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him …”[/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]23 [/SIZE][SIZE=9pt]If anyone loves Me[/SIZE][SIZE=9pt], he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, [/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]and We will come to him and make Our home with him.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]24 [/SIZE][SIZE=9pt]He who does not love Me[/SIZE][SIZE=9pt] does not keep My words …[/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]John 15:14 “You are My friends if you do whatever I command you.”[/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]Jesus and His friends love each other![/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]1 Corinthians 8:3 “But if anyone loves God, this one is known by Him.”[/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]If anyone loves God, he/she will be known (approved) by God through obedience. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]1 John 2:[/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]3 [/SIZE][SIZE=9pt]Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]4 [/SIZE][SIZE=9pt]He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, [/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]is a liar, and the truth is not in him. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]5 [/SIZE][SIZE=9pt]But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]By this we know that we are in Him. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]This what being “in Christ” is all about.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]James 1:[/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]12 [/SIZE][SIZE=9pt]Blessed is the man who endures temptation; [/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of (eternal) life [/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]13 [/SIZE][SIZE=9pt]Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; [/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]14 [/SIZE][SIZE=9pt]But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]15 [/SIZE][SIZE=9pt]Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; [/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth (eternal) death.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]The Lord doesn’t go around killing sinners with physical death;[/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]no, we’re talking about eternal death here! [/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]After sinning, you are hereby invited to have your sins washed away by Jesus’ blood:[/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]1 John 1:[/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]7 [/SIZE][SIZE=9pt]But if we walk in the light[/SIZE][SIZE=9pt] as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, [/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]and the blood [/SIZE]of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.
[SIZE=9pt]8 [/SIZE][SIZE=9pt]If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]9 [/SIZE][SIZE=9pt]If we confess our sins[/SIZE][SIZE=9pt], He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins [/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]10 [/SIZE][SIZE=9pt]If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]1 John 2:[/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]1 [/SIZE][SIZE=9pt]My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]And if anyone sins[/SIZE][SIZE=9pt], we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]2 [/SIZE][SIZE=9pt]And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, [/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]and not for ours only but also for the whole world.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]6 [/SIZE][SIZE=9pt]He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]Please notice (v.9) that you are NOT as righteous as you may think you are![/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]But, proper confessing of sin, i.e. sincere repentance, will remove your unrighteousness.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]This confessing of sins here is referring to sincere REPENTANCE,[/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]which is the sorrow over sins committed and the forsaking of them.[/SIZE]

 

[Chilehead]

Zachary,

I am so glad you posted this, as it is where I stand. Many I have come across have abused God's grace for their own ways of doing things. “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it” --Matt 7:13-14 This passage (like all others) are absolutely true and challenging. Much doctrine has been written on how grace covers all sin, but that is not the whole truth.