So, in other words . Salvation ( as in being one with the Lord for eternity ) must be earned by what we do. That's a major violation of the gospel of the grace of God in Christ and it is called works-righteousness.
I see 2 aspects of "salvation' -
1) sealed with the Holy Spirit when we believe on Christ with our hearts - sealed until the day of redemption. Eph 1:13 and Eph. 4:30.
2) being saved from the things in this life that can occur - like not living or experiencing peace even though we have the peace of Christ. If we don't believe it or are taught wrong - then we will not experience the saving of our soul ( which means life ).
Does this mean we go to hell because we are not experiencing this life which is really ours in Christ? This is where the works of the flesh can wreck our lives while on this earth and there are many warnings about this.
I just cannot read scripture like you do highlighted in red. For when i see soul i do not take that as mortal life i see it as eternal life[
/QUOTE]
The Greek word for soul is used many times referring to life on this earth.
Here it is used speaking of Jesus's life. The Greek word "psuche" is used but translated as "life".
Matthew 2:20 (NASB)
[SUP]20 [/SUP] "Get up, take the Child and His mother, and go into the land of Israel; for those who sought the Child's life are dead."
Here Jesus Himself is using the Greek word for "soul" and meaning things pertaining to this life on earth.
Matthew 6:25 (NASB)
[SUP]25 [/SUP] "For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?
Here is another one pertaining to life here on this earth. There are many more so I'll stop here.
Mark 3:4 (NASB)
[SUP]4 [/SUP] And He *said to them, "Is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the Sabbath, to save a life or to kill?" But they kept silent.
/QUOTE]
The Greek word for soul is used many times referring to life on this earth.
Here it is used speaking of Jesus's life. The Greek word "psuche" is used but translated as "life".
Matthew 2:20 (NASB)
[SUP]20 [/SUP] "Get up, take the Child and His mother, and go into the land of Israel; for those who sought the Child's life are dead."
Here Jesus Himself is using the Greek word for "soul" and meaning things pertaining to this life on earth.
Matthew 6:25 (NASB)
[SUP]25 [/SUP] "For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?
Here is another one pertaining to life here on this earth. There are many more so I'll stop here.
Mark 3:4 (NASB)
[SUP]4 [/SUP] And He *said to them, "Is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the Sabbath, to save a life or to kill?" But they kept silent.
And im sorry i cannot swallow the Calvinist view that faith is also a work, since thats the only thing God commands us to have.
Once you do that then your basically saying we are just bodies of flesh going through life while some are chosen to be given faith and others are not.
Thats pre election of God choosing some.
Does evil still exist? If so, so does your free will.
Can the Devil still have influence on a believer? Yes of course and in that again proves we are still under free will to choose.