What required for going to Heaven?

[Classic Rider]

Thanks... I appreciate your remarks...

To me, humility means to agree with God regarding what He says about me. He says I am a sinner and can do nothing to save myself and I agree with that. I think that is the humility that is needed for salvation. I must say, however, that even that "humility" comes from the work of the Spirit and is not natural to the unconverted... because if one man was not humble and so wasn't saved and another man was humble and therefore was saved, then the man that was humble could brag (later on when he wasn't as humble) that the reason he was saved and the other man wasn't is because he was naturally humble whereas the other man is more sinful because he is naturally proud and pride is a sin.

So I am looking at it from a moderately Calvinistic perspective and thinking that first the Spirit has to quicken those who are dead in sin so that they awaken and see how sinful they are. When they see how sinful they are, they will agree with God that they are sinners who are unable to save themselves and that is the "humility" that is needed.
Anyway, the main point (whether you are coming from a somewhat Arminian perspective or a somewhat Calvinistic perspective is that the Gospel of Christ is "believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved" (KJV) Thanks.

 

[williemac]

Thanks... I appreciate your remarks...

To me, humility means to agree with God regarding what He says about me. He says I am a sinner and can do nothing to save myself and I agree with that. I think that is the humility that is needed for salvation. I must say, however, that even that "humility" comes from the work of the Spirit and is not natural to the unconverted... because if one man was not humble and so wasn't saved and another man was humble and therefore was saved, then the man that was humble could brag (later on when he wasn't as humble) that the reason he was saved and the other man wasn't is because he was naturally humble whereas the other man is more sinful because he is naturally proud and pride is a sin.

So I am looking at it from a moderately Calvinistic perspective and thinking that first the Spirit has to quicken those who are dead in sin so that they awaken and see how sinful they are. When they see how sinful they are, they will agree with God that they are sinners who are unable to save themselves and that is the "humility" that is needed.
Anyway, the main point (whether you are coming from a somewhat Arminian perspective or a somewhat Calvinistic perspective is that the Gospel of Christ is "believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved" (KJV) Thanks.

UHH, this is flawed logic. I appreciate what you are trying to say, but I think it undermines what God has revealed to us about humility. God gives grace to the humble. If He also made people humble so that He could give them grace, then this would be a redundant step. Think about this for a moment. If God were to give a person the gift of humility, there is only one way this could happen; by grace. Grace is the giving of a free gift. If humility was under the heading of a free gift from God, then it would have come through His grace. But He gives grace TO the humble. Humility comes first. Then grace. That is the order of the sentence...."give grace to the humble". If He were to make a person humble (by His grace, the only way it could come), then He is giving grace before one is humble. Get it?
It comes as no surprise to me that you cite Calvin as an influence in your belief on this. It should not surprise you then when I say that I oppose the conclusions of Calvinist style doctrines. In 2Cor.5:19,20, we find God pleading with the world to respond to His reconciliation.This cannot be taken in any stretch of the imagination that God is in control of a person's response.

Finally, my comment about flawed logic was in your mention of a person bragging. You are calling black, white in this instance. Paul said He would boast in His infirmities. He was making a play on words, but the point is made, that true humility in regards to the subject of justification has to do with recognizing one's inability to attain the righteousness required in the law. If there was anything God would want us to boast about is that we acknowledge His own insight into our unrighteousness. This is the humility that He gives grace to. When we agree with the fact that we are sinners in need of salvation. The boasting that you describe would go something like..."look at me, how wonderful I am that I agree with God that I am a sinner". Here's the point. One cannot say he is wonderful and a sinner in the same breath. He can only "boast" in his infirmities....a play on words.

The Holy Spirit was given to the world to convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment. Of sin ..."because they do not believe in Me". If anything, the gift of humility is given through the revelation of sin to the unbeliever. But there are no favorites, no flip of a coin, no eenie meenie. The conviction of sin goes out to the whole world, not just a select group. But God will resist the proud; that is the one who rejects this conviction one way or the other. If the whole world were to be considered depraved by pride, then God would do what the bible says and resist the proud; the whole world. Therefore the doctrine of depravity is, in its Calvinistic form, in error.

 

[Classic Rider]

I think that when it says that God gives grace to the humble it isn't really talking about saving grace or justifying grace but rather helping and protecting grace. Grace is used in various ways in the Bible.

In Acts 15:40 says " but Paul chose Silas and departed, being commended by the brethren to the grace of God." NKJV This doesn't mean the brethren wanted Paul to be saved and become a Christian. This evidently means that the brethren entrusted Paul and Silas to the undeserved care and protection of the Father. Paul was a believer but I am sure that many times he humbled himself and prayed so that he might recieve the grace (undeserved favor, care and protection) of God. NKJV
Again in 2nd Corinthians 12:8-9 we read, " Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. And He said to me, my grace is sufficient for you..." NKJV So here again we see that Paul humbly pleaded with the Lord to remove his thorn in the flesh and the Lord said my grace (undeserved favor, care and protection) is sufficient for you. So it is common in Scripture to use the word Grace in different ways. When it says that God gives grace to the humble it is just a general truth or principle that when the children of God desire grace (God's undeserved help and protection, etc.) they should ask for it humbly. It is not always about salvation or justification.

Now it seems to me that you have created a novel doctrine. The doctrine of justification by humility. Or we might say justification by faith born of our humility. You go to the book of Romans where Paul tells us how to be justified and read his teaching that we are "justified by faith". Then you pull out the verses from other parts of the Bible that say that God gives grace to the humble and you attempt to graft those verses into Paul's statements in Romans that we are justified by faith in order to come up with your doctrine of Justification by humility.

You seem to be adding a good work to faith. But sinners are not capable of doing anything spiritually good. As the Bible says, There is none that does good, no not one". (Romans 3:12) Is humility a good thing? Yes. Is Pride a bad thing? Yes. Pride is sinful and, thus, humility, it's opposite, is morally good.
Of course, like I said, it is ok to say that we have to have humility to be saved if all we mean by humility is simply that we believe what God says about our sinful condition. But that is still just believing. If you add anything more than bare belief to faith you are adding morality and works. You seem to accidentally be teaching that we are justified by faith, and faith is the product of our moral courage in being willing to be humble.... whereas others are not saved because they don't have the good hearts that produce humility like we do. There is no way to get around the fact that Pride is a sin and that humility is good and thus if you require humility for faith and justification you are attributing your goodness for why you are saved and others are not... Unless all you mean by humility is simply that you believe the gospel when it says that you are a sinner.
So when it comes to justification there is no requirement for humility unless by that you simply mean to believe. It seems really ironic to me to say, as you do, that people are tempted to add works to simple justification by faith and then you not only add humility (a good work) to the requirement but even go the extra step of saying that you produced it yourself instead of it being a Gift of the Spirit. Faith is the gift of God. As Jesus said "no one can come to me unless the Father who sent Me draws (greek Helkuse- drags) Him." NKJV

I hope you don't take any of this to be a personal attack on you, I just think that we shouldn't attribute anything that we do that is morally good to salvation... and to me humility is a morally good thing... unless you take my definition of just believing what God says.

 

[StanJ]

The Holy Spirit was given to the world to convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment.

John 14:26 disagrees with you here.

 

[Johnlove]

[SIZE=16pt]Jesus told us very out right what one has to do to enter the kingdom of heaven.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=16pt](Matthew 7:21-23) “[/SIZE][SIZE=16pt]It is not those who say to me, ‘Lord, Lord’, who will enter the kingdom of Heaven but the person who does the will of My Father in Heaven.[/SIZE][SIZE=16pt] [/SIZE][SIZE=16pt]When the day comes many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, cast out demons in your name, work many miracles in your name?’ Then I shall tell them to their faces: I have never known you; away from me, you evil men!”[/SIZE]

 

[Classic Rider]

Those who are saved by grace through faith alone in Christ alone are the only ones who can do God's will. All others serve God with wrong motives. Those who attempt to be saved by works do their works for selfish reasons... to save themselves. Those who have been saved by grace and not by works through bare faith alone do not have to do works to be saved, nevertheless, they do works for God because of sheer gratitude for the forgiveness and free salvation they have received. God sees that they do their works out of love and gratitude and so he is pleased. This is the will of God.... to work for Him purely out of gratitude and love. All others do not do the will of God no matter what they do. The scriptures say "The plowing of the wicked is sin". Proverbs 21:4 Until you get saved even doing your job is a sin because your motives aren't pure.
Besides the Pharisees believed in works salvation and so they asked Jesus what works they needed to do to obtain the eternal life Jesus spoke of and Jesus told them this in John 6...
28Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?”
29Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.” ( NIV)

When an unsaved person wants to know what works he needs to do the answer from Jesus is believe. That is God's will for him. We must not only say Lord Lord but must do what God's will is, and God's will for the unbeliever is to believe in Christ for salvation. To trust Christ to save them instead of looking to their works. After that they will do many things for God not to gain salvation but simply out of love and gratitude and on Judgement day they will have done the will of God. His will is to believe and get saved and then He will put his Spirit in you and you will start producing the fruit and works of the Spirit and God is pleased with that fruit because that is the fruit He himself has produced by His Spirit.

 

[Johnlove]

Those who are saved by grace through faith alone in Christ alone are the only ones who can do God's will. All others serve God with wrong motives. Those who attempt to be saved by works do their works for selfish reasons... to save themselves. Those who have been saved by grace and not by works through bare faith alone do not have to do works to be saved, nevertheless, they do works for God because of sheer gratitude for the forgiveness and free salvation they have received. God sees that they do their works out of love and gratitude and so he is pleased. This is the will of God.... to work for Him purely out of gratitude and love. All others do not do the will of God no matter what they do. The scriptures say "The plowing of the wicked is sin". Proverbs 21:4 Until you get saved even doing your job is a sin because your motives aren't pure.
Besides the Pharisees believed in works salvation and so they asked Jesus what works they needed to do to obtain the eternal life Jesus spoke of and Jesus told them this in John 6...
28Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?”
29Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.” ( NIV)

When an unsaved person wants to know what works he needs to do the answer from Jesus is believe. That is God's will for him. We must not only say Lord Lord but must do what God's will is, and God's will for the unbeliever is to believe in Christ for salvation. To trust Christ to save them instead of looking to their works. After that they will do many things for God not to gain salvation but simply out of love and gratitude and on Judgement day they will have done the will of God. His will is to believe and get saved and then He will put his Spirit in you and you will start producing the fruit and works of the Spirit and God is pleased with that fruit because that is the fruit He himself has produced by His Spirit.

[SIZE=16pt]Yes and you believe it took God almost sixteen hundred years to bring the teaching you seem to believe, to his church. What you seem to believe was never accepted by the Christian Church before the Reformation.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=16pt]Jesus told us what we have to do to get to heaven, and all the Reformers just ignored what Jesus said, and believed their understanding of what Paul said.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=16pt](Matthew 7:21-23) “It is not those who say to me, ‘Lord, Lord’, who will enter the kingdom of Heaven but the person who does the will of My Father in Heaven. When the day comes many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, cast out demons in your name, work many miracles in your name?’ Then I shall tell them to their faces: I have never known you; away from me, you evil men!”[/SIZE]

 

[Classic Rider]

[SIZE=16pt]"What you seem to believe was never accepted by the Christian Church before the Reformation.[/SIZE]"

What you seem to believe was that the church was christian before the reformation.

There were probably thousands of illiterate pesants who were in that "church' who looked at the cross and believed that the person on that cross loved man and could save us and knowing their sinfulness they prayed to Jesus and put their hope in His mercy and were saved and justified. But the people in power in that institution were so busy burning thousands of believers at the stake that they didn't have time to be very "Christian".

 

[Johnlove]

[SIZE=16pt]"What you seem to believe was never accepted by the Christian Church before the Reformation.[/SIZE]"

What you seem to believe was that the church was christian before the reformation.

There were probably thousands of illiterate pesants who were in that "church' who looked at the cross and believed that the person on that cross loved man and could save us and knowing their sinfulness they prayed to Jesus and put their hope in His mercy and were saved and justified. But the people in power in that institution were so busy burning thousands of believers at the stake that they didn't have time to be very "Christian".

[SIZE=16pt]That is not true, and you can’t come forwarded with any Church history to prove what you say.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=16pt]Also it does not matter what you want to believe, because scripture tells us that the only way to enter the kingdom of heaven is by doing the father’s will and that is to obey the commandments of God. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=16pt](Matthew 7:21-23) “It is not those who say to me, ‘Lord, Lord’, who will enter the kingdom of Heaven but the person who does the will of My Father in Heaven. When the day comes many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, cast out demons in your name, work many miracles in your name?’ Then I shall tell them to their faces: I have never known you; away from me, you evil men!”[/SIZE]
[SIZE=16pt]Because one can’t trust what people have done with written history, I would like to share why I don’t believe any of the Christian Churches of today are of God.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=16pt]Paul told us that if anyone preaches a Word different then the apostles taught they are to be condemned/cursed. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=16pt]The Church does not preach what the apostles preached.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=16pt]Matthew 5:38-48) “You have learnt how it was said: Eye for eye and tooth for tooth. But I say this to you: offer the wicked man no resistance. -------------“[/SIZE]
[SIZE=16pt](1 John 3:9) “No one, who has been begotten by God sins; because God’s seed remains inside him, he cannot sin when he has been begotten by God.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=16pt] (Matthew 6:19) “Do not store up treasures for yourselves on earth, where moths and woodworms destroy them and thieves can break in and steal.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=16pt](Luke 12:33) “Sell your possessions and give alms. Get yourselves purses that do not wear out, treasure that will not fail you, in Heaven where no thief can reach it and no moth destroy it. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”[/SIZE]
[SIZE=16pt](Luke 14:33) “So in the same way, none of you can be my disciple unless he gives up all his possessions.”[/SIZE]
[SIZE=16pt]Jerusalem Bible[/SIZE]
[SIZE=16pt](Galatians 1:7-8) “Not that there can be more than one Good News; it is merely that some troublemakers among you want to change the Good News of Christ; and let me warn you that if anyone preaches a version of the Good News different from the one you have already heard, he is to be condemned.” [/SIZE]
[SIZE=16pt]New Jerusalem Bible [/SIZE]
[SIZE=16pt](Galatians 1:6-9) “I am astonished that you are so promptly turning away from the one who called you in the grace of Christ and are going over to a different gospel- not that it is another gospel; except that there are trouble-makers among you who are seeking to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we ourselves or an angel from heaven preaches to you a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let God's curse be on him. I repeat again what we declared before: anyone who preaches to you a gospel other than the one you were first given is to be under God's curse.”[/SIZE]

 

[Classic Rider]

Luke 18:9-14New King James Version (NKJV)

The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector
9 Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: 10 “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other men—extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.’ 13 And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’ 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”


The Pharisee was very religious and very strict and believed that he was keeping the commandments. Of course, everyone is a sinner and no one keeps the commandments perfectly. The Pharisee offered up his own works to God. Most likely, he felt that God should accept him because he was doing God's will. So he went home not justified.

The tax collector knew he had broken God's laws many times. He even admitted it and agreed with God that he was a sinner. So instead of trying to earn God's favor by doing good works He just believed in the mercy of God. So he went home justified. This is justification by faith alone not by works. The same thing happened to the theif on the cross. He told the other thief that they both deserved to die but that Jesus had done nothing wrong. So he admitted his sinfulness. He also knew he could never do any good works or deeds since he was about to die. So even though he had never done God's will and also could never do it in the future, He just looked to Jesus for mercy and trusted that Jesus could save him and he said "Lord remember me when you come into your kingdom. And Jesus said "Today you shall be with Me in paradise." That thief went to his heavenly home "justified" rather than the other one!

Now both the tax collector and the thief on the cross both got saved (justified) in a way that was not according to the teachings of the religious institution of their day. The Pharisees taught that you could be saved by keeping the commandments. That is true in theory if you could keep the commandments. But no one does, as Paul says "All have sinned..." Romans 3:23. But these men got saved anyway even though the entire dominant religion was teaching them wrongly. And the theif was saved just by looking at Jesus on the cross and believing! So I am sure that in the centuries before the Reformation thousands of people got saved in the same way. In fact, it was even easier for them because the Catholic church in those days preached in Latin so fortunately the illiterate poor people couldn't understand what they were saying. They didn't know enough "theology" to think that they had to earn their salvation by their self righteous attempts at keeping the Law. Now I am not saying that after you are saved you will never do God's will in many ways. Once we are forgiven and heaven is our home the Holy Spirit comes into us and leads us to do God's will. It's just that that is the result of being saved rather than the cause of being saved. When Jesus said whoever does the will of God enters the kingdom that is true. However, the reason they did God's will is because first they believed in Christ alone and were justified (that is the main thing God wants us to do) and then they served Him out of love and gratitude for the salvation they possessed... although it is true that some serve better than others.

 

[Johnlove]

[SIZE=16pt]Yes if one believe he or she have the ability to do God’s will because of their work, and abilities, then they will never be justified in God’s eyes.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=16pt]A Spiritual Christian know that it is God’s Work that is being done in and through him or her. A Spiritual Christians knows that there is no way to be righteous without having the indwelling of God.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=16pt]A Spiritual Christian could never believe him or herself to be anything then a humble servant of God.[/SIZE]

Luke 18:9-14New King James Version (NKJV) The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector
9 Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: 10 “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other men—extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.’ 13 And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’ 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”


The Pharisee was very religious and very strict and believed that he was keeping the commandments. Of course, everyone is a sinner and no one keeps the commandments perfectly. The Pharisee offered up his own works to God. Most likely, he felt that God should accept him because he was doing God's will. So he went home not justified.

The tax collector knew he had broken God's laws many times. He even admitted it and agreed with God that he was a sinner. So instead of trying to earn God's favor by doing good works He just believed in the mercy of God. So he went home justified. This is justification by faith alone not by works. The same thing happened to the theif on the cross. He told the other thief that they both deserved to die but that Jesus had done nothing wrong. So he admitted his sinfulness. He also knew he could never do any good works or deeds since he was about to die. So even though he had never done God's will and also could never do it in the future, He just looked to Jesus for mercy and trusted that Jesus could save him and he said "Lord remember me when you come into your kingdom. And Jesus said "Today you shall be with Me in paradise." That thief went to his heavenly home "justified" rather than the other one!

Now both the tax collector and the thief on the cross both got saved (justified) in a way that was not according to the teachings of the religious institution of their day. The Pharisees taught that you could be saved by keeping the commandments. That is true in theory if you could keep the commandments. But no one does, as Paul says "All have sinned..." Romans 3:23. But these men got saved anyway even though the entire dominant religion was teaching them wrongly. And the theif was saved just by looking at Jesus on the cross and believing! So I am sure that in the centuries before the Reformation thousands of people got saved in the same way. In fact, it was even easier for them because the Catholic church in those days preached in Latin so fortunately the illiterate poor people couldn't understand what they were saying. They didn't know enough "theology" to think that they had to earn their salvation by their self righteous attempts at keeping the Law. Now I am not saying that after you are saved you will never do God's will in many ways. Once we are forgiven and heaven is our home the Holy Spirit comes into us and leads us to do God's will. It's just that that is the result of being saved rather than the cause of being saved. When Jesus said whoever does the will of God enters the kingdom that is true. However, the reason they did God's will is because first they believed in Christ alone and were justified (that is the main thing God wants us to do) and then they served Him out of love and gratitude for the salvation they possessed... although it is true that some serve better than others.

[SIZE=16pt]Yes we all have sinned, but God gave us a way so we can defeat Satan/sin. A Spiritual does not sin. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=16pt](1 John 3:9) “No one, who has been begotten by God sins; because God’s seed remains inside him, he cannot sin when he has been begotten by God.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=16pt]In Romans eight Paul tells us how God made it so we would not sin, and obey his Commandments. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=16pt](Romans 8: 4) “He did this in order that the law’s just demands might be satisfied in us, who behave not as our unspiritual nature but as the Spirit dictates.”[/SIZE]

 

[Mr.Bride]

Only believe

 

[Johnlove]

Only believe

[SIZE=16pt]Yes and one knows he or she believes if they are living God’s Word.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=16pt]Satan believes, like most people believe. Satan is not going to enter the kingdom of heaven.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=16pt]If one truly believes then the fruits produced are good.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=16pt]If one believes like Satan believes then the fruits produced are rotten. Sin is rotten fruit. So one who sins does not believe like a Spiritual Christian believes.[/SIZE]

 

[Classic Rider]

In one sense Satan does believe... he believes that there is one God... in another sense he doesn't. He doesn't believe that Jesus died on the cross to pay for his sins (because Jesus didn't do that) and he doesn't trust Jesus to save him. Have a good day.

 

[Johnlove]

In one sense Satan does believe... he believes that there is one God... in another sense he doesn't. He doesn't believe that Jesus died on the cross to pay for his sins (because Jesus didn't do that) and he doesn't trust Jesus to save him. Have a good day.

[SIZE=16pt]Do you have any Scripture to confirm what you believe Satan knows/believes?[/SIZE]
[SIZE=16pt]Jesus told us what it takes for one to enter the kingdom of heaven, and it was not belief.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=16pt](Matthew 7:21-23) “It is not those who say to me, ‘Lord, Lord’, who will enter the kingdom of Heaven but the person who does the will of My Father in Heaven. When the day comes many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, cast out demons in your name, work many miracles in your name?’ Then I shall tell them to their faces: I have never known you; away from me, you evil men!”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=16pt]The above is what Jesus taught.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=16pt]All man needs to do to get to heaven is believe is what man has taught. [/SIZE]

 

[Classic Rider]

[SIZE=16pt] [/SIZE][SIZE=16pt](Matthew 7:21-23) “It is not those who say to me, ‘Lord, Lord’, who will enter the kingdom of Heaven but the person who does the will of My Father in Heaven. When the day comes many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, cast out demons in your name, work many miracles in your name?’ Then I shall tell them to their faces: I have never known you; away from me, you evil men!”[/SIZE]

So here we see a group of people who speak of Christ as Lord and who offer up their works done for Jesus as the reason for why they should be saved. Naturally, that is Lordship salvation and so, of course, they are turned away. Instead the only ones who enter in will be those who do God's will... and His will is that we believe in Jesus for salvation. His will is that we admit that we are sinners and do not trust in our works for Jesus but rather, believe in His death on the cross as the sufficient payment for our sins. In John 6:47 Jesus says, "... he who believes in Me HAS everlasting life." Has means already possesses. When we believe in Jesus' blood alone to cover our sins and do not turst in ourselves at all we already possess everlasting life. If we possess eternal life already then we are known by Jesus and He can never say "I never knew you." Notice that the Lordship people in that passage didn't lose their salvation... they never had it. Jesus said 'I never knew you".
So I ask you a question. Are you like the people in this group? Do you depend on your ability to follow Jesus as Lord to get you into heaven? Are you trusting in all the works you are doing for Jesus to get you into the kingdom? I hope not because if so you are depending on works for salvation. If you do you won't get saved and your sins won't be covered by His blood. If you sins aren't covered by His blood then He will see them and consider you a worker of iniquity.

 

[Johnlove]

[SIZE=16pt] [/SIZE][SIZE=16pt](Matthew 7:21-23) “It is not those who say to me, ‘Lord, Lord’, who will enter the kingdom of Heaven but the person who does the will of My Father in Heaven. When the day comes many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, cast out demons in your name, work many miracles in your name?’ Then I shall tell them to their faces: I have never known you; away from me, you evil men!”[/SIZE]

So here we see a group of people who speak of Christ as Lord and who offer up their works done for Jesus as the reason for why they should be saved. Naturally, that is Lordship salvation and so, of course, they are turned away. Instead the only ones who enter in will be those who do God's will... and His will is that we believe in Jesus for salvation. His will is that we admit that we are sinners and do not trust in our works for Jesus but rather, believe in His death on the cross as the sufficient payment for our sins. In John 6:47 Jesus says, "... he who believes in Me HAS everlasting life." Has means already possesses. When we believe in Jesus' blood alone to cover our sins and do not turst in ourselves at all we already possess everlasting life. If we possess eternal life already then we are known by Jesus and He can never say "I never knew you." Notice that the Lordship people in that passage didn't lose their salvation... they never had it. Jesus said 'I never knew you".
So I ask you a question. Are you like the people in this group? Do you depend on your ability to follow Jesus as Lord to get you into heaven? Are you trusting in all the works you are doing for Jesus to get you into the kingdom? I hope not because if so you are depending on works for salvation. If you do you won't get saved and your sins won't be covered by His blood. If you sins aren't covered by His blood then He will see them and consider you a worker of iniquity.

[SIZE=16pt]If you had understood Paul’s teaching then you would never have asked what you did of me.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=16pt]Paul understood and so did his readers that it was not a Spiritual Christian’s works that made it so he or she could enter the kingdom of God. No it is God’s work in and through a person that mean he or she will enter the kingdom of God.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=16pt]The evidence that it is God in one is the good fruit that is produced.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=16pt]The evidence that it is the devil in one is sin, and that is rotten fruit.’ [/SIZE]
[SIZE=16pt](1 John 3:8) “He who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's work” [/SIZE]
[SIZE=16pt]Notice that the reason Jesus came was to destroy the devil’s work/sin.[/SIZE]