We must be born again to be God's kingdom.

[Barrd]

Yea, rocket science is easy. You can keep launching rockets till you get it right, but you only have one life.

How does it work practically, and why is it that those who love Jesus do what he says? There can be many obstacles to overcome in order to conform to his will. Is that scripture helpful other than to reinforce the understanding that you must overcome?

Jesus is the Leader, we are followers. He is the One Who gives you eternal life, and that is enough reason to obey Him, isn't it?
Of course, there will be obstacles to overcome. Lust, greed, jealousy...to name just a few. Are you willing to put in the effort? If not what makes you think you're fit to live with Him in the first place?
It takes the power of the Holy Spirit within you...you absolutely can not do it on your own.

 

[ATP]

OSAS is only true if you respond to Jesus' love with love of your own...

No, OSAS becomes true when you believe.

John 3:14-15 NIV Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15 that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.

John 3:16 NIV For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

John 5:24 NIV “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life.

John 6:40 NIV For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.”

John 6:47 NIV I tell you the truth, he who believes has everlasting life.

Acts 13:46-48 NIV Then Paul and Barnabas answered them boldly: "We had to speak the word of God to you first. Since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles. 47 For this is what the Lord has commanded us: " 'I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.' " 48 When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and honored the word of the Lord; and all who were appointed for eternal life believed.

Eph 1:13-14 NIV And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.

Tit 3:7 NIV so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.

1 John 5:13-14 NIV I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. 14This is the confidence we have in approaching God:

 

[Joyful]

Yea, rocket science is easy. You can keep launching rockets till you get it right, but you only have one life.

How does it work practically, and why is it that those who love Jesus do what he says? There can be many obstacles to overcome in order to conform to his will. Is that scripture helpful other than to reinforce the understanding that you must overcome?

I don't understand why you are questioning Barrd's comment.

She did not say anything against Jesus' word. She has been consistent with all her comments.

She honors all Jesus' word. She has been encouraging to be faithful to Jesus in all her comments. That's what all Jesus' followers ought to do.

I know Jesus honors His followers who strive to be faithful to Jesus until the end.

Salvation is not one time confession.

blessings.

 

[ATP]

Salvation is not one time confession.

But it is, justification only comes once, "dear".

Rom 3:24 NIV and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.

Rom 3:28 NIV For we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law.

Rom 4:2 NIV If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about—but not before God.

Rom 5:1 NIV Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,

Rom 5:9 NIV Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him!

Rom 8:30 NIV And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.

Rom 10:9-10 NIV If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.

1 Cor 6:11 NIV And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

Gal 2:16-17 NIV know that a person is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith infn Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified. 17 “But if, in seeking to be justified in Christ, we Jews find ourselves also among the sinners, doesn't that mean that Christ promotes sin? Absolutely not!

Gal 3:11 NIV Clearly no one who relies on the law is justified before God, because “the righteous will live by faith.”

Gal 3:24 NIV So the law was our guardian until Christ came that we might be justified by faith.

Gal 5:4 NIV You who are trying to be justified by the law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace.

Tit 3:7 NIV so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.

 

[Joyful]

ATP,

You can quote the verses all you want. Even satan uses the scripture to attack Christianly.You are working against Jesus' word of being faithful to Him until the end. We are supposed to use the scripture to be godly and do the good works for the Lord.

What you are doing is trying to find loopholes to justify your own agenda.

Salvation is not one time confession.

 

[ATP]

ATP,

You can quote the verses all you want. Even satan uses the scripture to attack Christianly.You are working against Jesus' word of being faithful to Him until the end. We are supposed to use the scripture to be godly and do the good works for the Lord.

What you are doing is trying to find loopholes to justify your own agenda.

Salvation is not one time confession.

Justification comes once. It is with your heart that you believe and are justified. Do you believe with your heart Joyful?

Rom 10:9-10 NIV If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.

 

[Joyful]

Justification comes once. It is with your heart that you believe and are justified. Do you believe with your heart Joyful?

Rom 10:9-10 NIV If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.

Why are you fighting so hard against His followers who is encouraging people to be faithful to Jesus?

 

[ATP]

Why are you fighting so hard against His followers who is encouraging people to be faithful to Jesus?

Why are you fighting so hard against believing in what Jesus did on the cross for you?

 

[Barrd]

Why are you fighting so hard against believing in what Jesus did on the cross for you?

What did Jesus do on the cross for you, ATP?
If what you say is true, why couldn't He have just come to earth, done a few miracles...healed a few lepers, stopped a storm, fed a few thousand people, raised a few dead people...that sort of thing, said, "Look, guys, as long as you believe in Me, you can come live in My Heaven with me" and then go back home?
Why do you think He allowed Himself to be humiliated, and tortured, and crucified? What was the point of that?

 

[Barrd]

It's like this.
You tell your son, "Look, I have to go to work this afternoon. I want you to do your chores while I am gone."
Your son says, "Sure, Dad," but you know that the minute you turn your back, he's going to plop down on the couch and start playing video games.
So you tell him, "If you listen to me, I will buy you an ice cream cone."
You go to work, you come back, and of course, the kid hasn't done even one chore.
Your son says "Okay, Daddy, I listened to you. Now where is my ice cream?"

Do you:
a. take him out and buy him an ice cream cone?
or
b. tell him that, since he did not do what you asked, he will not get an ice cream cone?

This is a no-brainer.
Or, for the sake of your kids, I hope it is.

 

[ATP]

Why do you think He allowed Himself to be humiliated, and tortured, and crucified? What was the point of that?

To give us eternal life Barrd.

 

[Barrd]

To give us eternal life Barrd.

He didn't have to suffer to do that.
You don't seem to understand that, when you sin, you have separated yourself from God.
There is a price to pay for sin...and that price is death.

Rom 6:23 For the wages of sin is death...

EACH of us has earned that death. No exceptions.
What Jesus was doing was paying our price.

What Jesus was doing on that cross was purchasing for us a great gift:

Rom 6:23 ...but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

So, you are right, as far as you've gone...except that you don't seem to understand that there is a penalty...a wage that is paid for sin. You understand the last bit of that beautiful verse...but you leave out the first bit.

Like the kid who expects to get his ice cream cone when Dad gets home from work, you listened...but you didn't hear...

 

[ATP]

He didn't have to suffer to do that.
You don't seem to understand that, when you sin, you have separated yourself from God.
There is a price to pay for sin...and that price is death.

Right, but Jesus is that bridge to God by the forgiveness of sins shed on the cross. God wants a relationship with us, but the end result is eternal life.

 

[lforrest]

I don't understand why you are questioning Barrd's comment.

She did not say anything against Jesus' word. She has been consistent with all her comments.

She honors all Jesus' word. She has been encouraging to be faithful to Jesus in all her comments. That's what all Jesus' followers ought to do.

I know Jesus honors His followers who strive to be faithful to Jesus until the end.

Salvation is not one time confession.

blessings.

I didn't mean to sound discouraging, I agree with Barrd and the scriptures concerning those who love Jesus doing his will. I want to point out that it isn't so simple to always do his will. People struggle with sin all the time, some struggle because they love Jesus.

This reminds me of Is 53:12, It is the strong with whom Jesus will share the spoils. Who are the strong, those who have the strength of will to overcome the flesh and live for Jesus? Can we agree that you must have willpower in order to overcome?

 

[Barrd]

I didn't mean to sound discouraging, I agree with Barrd and the scriptures concerning those who love Jesus doing his will. I want to point out that it isn't so simple to always do his will. People struggle with sin all the time, some struggle because they love Jesus.

This reminds me of Is 53:12, It is the strong with whom Jesus will share the spoils. Who are the strong, those who have the strength of will to overcome the flesh and live for Jesus? Can we agree that you must have willpower in order to overcome?

Yes, Iforrest, but willpower alone is not enough. Who, by their own power, can conquer sin within themselves?
But we can do it by the power of the Holy Spirit within us.
We can put on the whole armor of God!
And if God is for us, who can stand against us?

 

[ATP]

Who are the strong, those who have the strength of will to overcome the flesh and live for Jesus? Can we agree that you must have willpower in order to overcome?

I would disagree. Overcoming is through believing, not willpower.

1 John 5:4-5 NIV for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. 5Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.

 

[ATP]

Yes, Iforrest, but willpower alone is not enough. Who, by their own power, can conquer sin within themselves?
But we can do it by the power of the Holy Spirit within us.
We can put on the whole armor of God!
And if God is for us, who can stand against us?

Yes!

 

[Barrd]

Right, but Jesus is that bridge to God by the forgiveness of sins shed on the cross. God wants a relationship with us, but the end result is eternal life.

This is a repost, for your sake, ATP. I don't know if you have kids or not, but even if you don't, it shouldn't be too hard to understand.
Can you answer?

It's like this.
You tell your son, "Look, I have to go to work this afternoon. I want you to do your chores while I am gone."
Your son says, "Sure, Dad," but you know that the minute you turn your back, he's going to plop down on the couch and start playing video games.
So you tell him, "If you listen to me, I will buy you an ice cream cone."
You go to work, you come back, and of course, the kid hasn't done even one chore.
Your son says "Okay, Daddy, I listened to you. Now where is my ice cream?"

Do you:
a. take him out and buy him an ice cream cone?
or
b. tell him that, since he did not do what you asked, he will not get an ice cream cone?

This is a no-brainer.
Or, for the sake of your kids, I hope it is.

 

[Barrd]

Yes!

Whoa, there.
Before you holler, "yes", understand that I'm not saying that we need not conquer sin in ourselves.
We cannot go to heaven with deliberate, willfull, and unrepentant sin.
We must fight sin in ourselves...with the power of the Holy Spirit within us.
We must put on the whole armor of God....

 

[ATP]

We cannot go to heaven with deliberate, willfull, and unrepentant sin.

Incorrect. Jesus Christ died for all sins. Scripture plainly says once we believe we have eternal life. What are we believing in Barrd?

John 3:14-15 NIV Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15 that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.

John 3:16 NIV For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

John 5:24 NIV “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life.

John 6:40 NIV For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.”

John 6:47 NIV I tell you the truth, he who believes has everlasting life.

Acts 13:46-48 NIV Then Paul and Barnabas answered them boldly: "We had to speak the word of God to you first. Since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles. 47 For this is what the Lord has commanded us: " 'I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.' " 48 When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and honored the word of the Lord; and all who were appointed for eternal life believed.

Eph 1:13-14 NIV And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.

Tit 3:7 NIV so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.

1 John 5:13-14 NIV I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. 14This is the confidence we have in approaching God: