meaning of MAKE EVERY EFFORT (or strive) to enter in through the narrow gate.

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Jackson123

Senior Member
Feb 6, 2014
11,769
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#81
Yielding oneself to the Father's will is not equivalent to earning salvation.

Ephesians
2:4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
2:5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved
2:6 And hath raised [us] up together, and made [us] sit together in heavenly [places] in Christ Jesus:
2:7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in [his] kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: [it is] the gift of God:
2:9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Yep, salvation not require good work, but like I say, salvation produce good work, or loving work, because Jesus in us will produce loving work
Jesus is master of love, as soon as He dweel in us, our life change to be like Him, love other.
 

Jackson123

Senior Member
Feb 6, 2014
11,769
1,371
113
#82
Now believing is clearly not a work that merits salvation. Through believing, we are completely trusting in "Another's work," - Christ's finished work of redemption. (Romans 3:24-28)
And believe in Jesus mean believe His teaching and believe all His information.

He never lie, this is one of what He say

Matt 25

41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
42 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:
43 I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.
44 Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?

Ye cursed in to everlasting fire/hell?

Why?

Because not helping the poor?

Hmm, salvation by work or faith?

Seem to me salvation by faith, but real faith bear fruit, and the fruit of Holy Spirit is love and what Jesus say in Matt 25 :41-45 is the manifestation of hate, not love that why Jesus say to them to go to eternal fire.

That is how Jesus will judge, not me, I a man not the judge. If I were judge, I will make easier, no matter what you do, murder, robing the bank, not helping the poor as long you believe Jesus as God, you save.
But not depend on what I want, that is His way.
 

2ndTimothyGroup

Well-known member
Feb 20, 2021
5,883
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#83
That's just opportunity to be saved being enabled. You still haven't flipped the switch.


Simple. Disobey dear ole daddy.
I can't understand why @oyster67 would give this gem of a statement the "winner" status. The problem you two have is Scripture.

Romans 8:7-8 NLT - "For the sinful nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey God's laws, and it never will. 8 That's why those who are still under the control of their sinful nature can never please God."

I would recommend an actual Bible study for you two. In order to understand a book, we actually have to read it. Do it.
 
4

4ChristAlone

Guest
#84
I like Jesus' play on words in John 6:29 when he said, "This is the work (singular) of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent," when He answered the Jews (who were taking a legalistic approach) when they asked, "What shall we do, so that we may work the works (plural) of God?" So Jesus was not saying that believing is just another work in a series of works in a quest to receive salvation by works or else it would contradict Ephesians 2:8,9. *Note the distinction between faith "and" works - "saved through faith, not works."

We could never produce enough fruit to earn our salvation. All genuine believers are fruitful, yet not all are equally fruitful. (Matthew 13:23)

Your work of faith

1 Thes 1:3 Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father

The same three that remain, faith, hope and love there also
 

Jackson123

Senior Member
Feb 6, 2014
11,769
1,371
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#85
I ponder the teaching of Jesus about salvation by believe and the last judgement Jesus say, you don't need to murder, just not feed the hunger, enough make you to eternal fire. It is not easy for me. But in other side, I believe Jesus never lie, He is the judge and He will judge in the way He say.
I believe no body able to do it unles we really ask and seriously invite Him in to our heart, Love Him with all our strength

Mark 12
29 And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:
30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.
31 And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.
32 And the scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but he:
33 And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.

Love with all you heart, to me it is not easy. Not only love, but with all your heart

That mean love God more than money, your family and yourself.

My question is how about we love God but love money more than God, do we save?
 

JohnRH

Junior Member
Mar 5, 2018
683
330
63
#86
I can't understand why @oyster67 would give this gem of a statement the "winner" status. The problem you two have is Scripture.

Romans 8:7-8 NLT - "For the sinful nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey God's laws, and it never will. 8 That's why those who are still under the control of their sinful nature can never please God."

I would recommend an actual Bible study for you two. In order to understand a book, we actually have to read it. Do it.
Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. 8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. Romans 8:7-8 (KJV)

The saving gospel isn't the law of God, so that's a moot point. Subjecting yourself to the law of God isn't how you enter in at the strait gate.
Unsaved people can't please God by walking after the Spirit (context of Romans 8) because they don't have the indwelt Spirit to walk after. "Pleasing God" in Romans 8:8 is an entirely different matter from "getting saved", which Romans 8 isn't even addressing.
 

2ndTimothyGroup

Well-known member
Feb 20, 2021
5,883
1,954
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#87
"Pleasing God" in Romans 8:8 is an entirely different matter from "getting saved", which Romans 8 isn't even addressing.
Incredible. And therefore, it is no wonder that you do not understand the things that I say.

Take care . . . I've seen enough of this thread.
 

Pilgrimshope

Well-known member
Sep 2, 2020
14,652
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#89
Mark 16:16 - He who believes and is baptized will be saved (general cases without making a qualification for the unusual case of someone who believes but is not baptized) but he who does not believe will be condemned. The omission of baptized with "does not believe" shows that Jesus does not make baptism absolutely necessary for salvation. Condemnation rests on unbelief, not on a lack of baptism. So salvation rests on belief. *NOWHERE does the Bible say "baptized or condemned."

If water baptism is absolutely required for salvation, then why did Jesus not mention it in the following verses? (3:15,16,18; 5:24; 6:29,40,47; 11:25,26). What is the one requirement that Jesus mentions nine different times in each of these complete statements? *BELIEVES. *What happened to baptism? *Hermeneutics.

*John 3:18 - He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who (is not water baptized? - NO) does not believe is condemned already, because he has not (been water baptized? - NO) because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

The gospel is the "good news" of the death, burial and resurrection of Christ (1 Corinthians 15:1-4) and is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that BELIEVES.. (Romans 1:16). To “believe” the gospel is to trust in the death, burial and resurrection of Christ as the ALL-sufficient means of our salvation.

The gospel is a message of grace to be received through faith. The gospel is not a set of rituals to perform, a code of laws to be obeyed or a check list of good works (including water baptism) to accomplish as a prerequisite for salvation.
baptism is an act of faith we do it because we believe what God said about being baptized . When a sinner hears that God said this

“Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.”
‭‭Acts‬ ‭2:38‬ ‭

the remission of sins is why we get baptized we only do it , if we believe that it means our sins will be remitted. That’s how faith works God established a process for us to believe if we believe what he said we will do it .

when we get baptized it should be a pledge from God that our sins are now remitted if a Christian believes baptism is about remission of thier sins they will be baptized , if we explain it doesn’t mean anything either way they won’t because their faith isn’t built on the word .


“The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ:”
‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭3:21‬ ‭KJV‬‬

in other words if we accept that God established that baptism is for remission of sins , and we obey this and donor because we believe . Then we have Gods pledge that we have done what he said would remit our sins .

faith is simple if God established anything and we believe it we will do it , if we don’t believe baptism is about remission of sins like Gods word actually teaches we aren’t going to bother it would be just a ritual at that point meaning nothing

but if we hear the word and believe what he said , it’s going to be Gods pledge of remission in christs death formoir sins

honestly I don’t think there’s any other purpose of getting baptized but what God said it’s for and I don’t see a reason to swerve around it

It’s orettt important stuff if we don’t do that

“Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭6:3-4‬ ‭KJV‬‬

I know we can argue about what we each think baptism Means or is but if we just accept that it’s for remission of sins we should be overjoyed to go get baptized and have Gods pledge that our sins are remitted

also there’s a lot of assurance as we read scripture so that if we have been baptized it offers comfort because there’s a lot of times we hear things like this

“For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.”
‭‭Galatians‬ ‭3:26-27‬ ‭KJV‬‬

I’m not sure why we would want to argue about the necessary of baptism but I don’t believe that Godnis wanting to throw us away because we didn’t understand baptism I’m not sure why you went to baptism but my own view and that’s all it is is above .

I think we need to learn to believe right because of we do we will begin to act right baptism is a simple offer from God that if you believe what he’s saying and act in that belief he will wash away your sins
 
Mar 4, 2020
8,614
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#90
You have asked the single most important question that one could ask. How does one become saved? I hope that what I am about to share with you blows your mind . . . it blew me away when I discovered this.

Above, it appears that you may have used the KJV translation, where it uses the phrase, "Ye workers of iniquity." Another translates this phrase as "lawbreakers." In order to make such a judgment, there must be a law that a person is able to assess and allocate the appropriate consequences. The only way to be called a "worker of iniquity" is if there is a standard by which to compare or gauge. I hope that makes sense. Well, the point is, is that Christ sets us free from the Law. How could a person be a "lawbreaker" if they have been set free from it? How could Christ refer to a person as a "worker of iniquity" if there were not a worldly law by which to make this statement?

Colossians 2:14 shows us that Jesus sets us free of worldly laws by which to be judged.

Colossians 2:14 KJV - "Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross . . ."

Romans 8:2 KJV - "For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death."
Romans 6:14-15 NLT - "Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God's grace. Well then, since God's grace has set us free from the law, does that mean we can go on sinning? Of course not!"

Why does Jesus set us apart from worldly laws? Because no Law, not even the Laws of Moses could Truly Redeem a person.

Acts 13:39 NIV - "Through him everyone who believes is set free from every sin, a justification you were not able to obtain under the law of Moses."

As said above, the Law of Moses could not remove the Curse of Adam and Eve . . . it did not relieve the problem of the Law of Sin and Death.

So how does God know if a person has received the Circumcision of Christ . . . the only act that separates a person apart from the Laws of this world, creating them to be an Alien in a strange land? A foreigner amongst those whom he once called "mother" and "father" - "sister" and "brother"? It is the Lord who searches our Hearts to verify that the Circumcision of Christ has taken place. And this act was a picture for us in the Old Testament in the acts of the Passover . . . the sprinkling of Blood that the Spirit of God searched for . . . and thus made His Holy Judgments upon the people.

Romans 8:27 NIV - "And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit because the Spirit intercedes for God's people in accordance with the will of God."

After Jesus cuts away the Sinful Nature from our now Purified Hearts, He sends the Free Gift of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, when the Lord searches the Hearts of human beings, He searches for the Mark of the Indwelling Holy Spirit; the Lord listens and knows the Holy Voice of His Indwelling Spirit . . . should they Indwell His Children or not. No one can possess a Holy Spirit unless their Hearts have first been Purified, for no Holy Spirit will share His House with any demon . . . impossible.

So, the reason why Jesus referred to these seemingly good and Righteous people as lawbreakers, or, workers of iniquity, is because they had yet to be freed from the Law. They may have appeared to be good people according to many of their works, but they did not Truly Turn to Christ for His Holy Circumcision, the lifting of the Curse that beset us all, apparently from birth. The Purpose of Christ is to become the remedy for the malady that occupies, or at one point, occupied our stony hearts. That stony heart must be cut out and removed, and until that happens, Hell is our destination and there is nothing that can be done about it.

Deuteronomy 30:6 NIV - "The LORD your God will circumcise your hearts and the hearts of your descendants, so that you may love him with all your heart and with all your soul, and live."

Deut 30:6 is a Keystone passage of the Bible. This shows us that it will be God who Circumcises our Hearts . . . not ourselves. And as the text shows, this Spiritual Circumcision of all that is ugly and evil must be done . . . don't miss this . . . "SO THAT . . . you may love him with all your heart and with all your soul, and live." - If this Circumcision does not take place, we cannot and will not Love Him with all our Heart and with all our soul, and live. It cannot and will not happen. Christ MUST Circumcise our hearts so that we will be set apart from the Law.

Romans 7:8 NKJV - "But sin, taking opportunity by the commandment, produced in me all [manner of evil] desire. For apart from the law sin was dead."

That's right . . . where there is no law to break, sin cannot live. Where there is no law, there can be no transgression, just as Paul teaches below:

Romans 4:14-15 NKJV - "For if those who are of the law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise made of no effect, 15 because the law brings about wrath; for where there is no law there is no transgression."

There is so much more that could be written, in fact, I could write a book on this single question that you have asked. The reason for why there could be so much more material given to you about this topic is because this topic is the Core Doctrine of the entire Bible. Hundreds of pages, this fictitious book would be . . .
Wow thanks for the thorough reply. Maybe you should write a book about this.
 

Pilgrimshope

Well-known member
Sep 2, 2020
14,652
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#91
Salvation not by work, but work out for your own salvation with fear?
interesting, how not by work than work out your own salvation?

But I understand salvation not by work, but salvation produce good work

Produce good work but not by good work, because salvation only happen if we invite Jesus in to our heart, and Jesus in our heart will bear the fruit and the fruit is love/loving work, not hate murder like murder or stealing
yes the simple equation is this in my own opinion , and that’s all it is just my own thoughts about it

I think this scripture

“For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;

Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.”
‭‭Titus‬ ‭2:11-14‬ ‭

Grave for Salvation is a call to repentance that we don’t refuse

I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”
‭‭Luke‬ ‭5:32‬ ‭KJV‬‬

we need to believe the gospel because it calls us out of sin
 

2ndTimothyGroup

Well-known member
Feb 20, 2021
5,883
1,954
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#93
Wow thanks for the thorough reply. Maybe you should write a book about this.
Well, thank you. After having read what I've written, I could have made things much clear, but I didn't even proofread it. Runningman, what I have written is at the very Heart of the entire Bible. I hope that it gave you some things to think about and consider. I want you to know that I am not a Prophet, but just a regular person that views himself as something like a Biblical Reporter. I have been studying, cataloging, and organizing the Word of God for years now. I am totally convinced that anyone who does what I have been blessed to do, they too, will come to the same conclusions.

It is amazing, but I have found a way to make the Bible fully reasonable and rational . . . and I believe that these reasons and rationalities are at the True, Core, Heart of the Bible.
 
4

4ChristAlone

Guest
#96
They that are in the flesh cannot please God.

But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you.
Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

Being in Christ, is having His Spirit which we are to walk after. Having His Spirit means you are his

There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
 

2ndTimothyGroup

Well-known member
Feb 20, 2021
5,883
1,954
113
#97
They that are in the flesh cannot please God.

But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you.
Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

Being in Christ is having His Spirit which we are to walk after. Having His Spirit means you are his

There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
Nice Work! It's all as clear as a bell (to me). The problem that engulfs the ability to understand God's Holy Word, and I'll use myself as an example, is that I never understood the ultimate Purpose of the entire Bible . . . I hadn't a bloody clue, and why would I? I'd never read the Old Testament, though called myself a sort of "master" regarding certain doctrine. How pathetic was I? Here I was referring to myself as a "master" of Biblical concepts but hadn't even read the Old Testament. It's amazing that God didn't strike my crazy butt down! But the truth is this . . . I thoroughly believed in my Eternal Salvation, and that nothing could keep me from the Love of Christ. Nothing.

But when we understand even the Bigger Picture of the Mysterious Plan of God, as Paul outlines it in its most basic form in Ephesians chapters 2 and 3, the entire Bible becomes absolutely reasonable and rational in just about every way. The Core Doctrine that leads to all of these things? The Doctrine of Circumcised Hearts. I have a link to a video on these matters on Youtube. All are welcome to send me a private message for the link. It just might change a person's life.
 

Jackson123

Senior Member
Feb 6, 2014
11,769
1,371
113
#98
They that are in the flesh cannot please God.

But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you.
Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

Being in Christ, is having His Spirit which we are to walk after. Having His Spirit means you are his

There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
Not in the Spirit mean not His mean not save, am I correct?
 
4

4ChristAlone

Guest
#99
Nice Work! It's all as clear as a bell (to me). The problem that engulfs the ability to understand God's Holy Word, and I'll use myself as an example, is that I never understood the ultimate Purpose of the entire Bible . . . I hadn't a bloody clue, and why would I? I'd never read the Old Testament, though called myself a sort of "master" regarding certain doctrine. How pathetic was I? Here I was referring to myself as a "master" of Biblical concepts but hadn't even read the Old Testament. It's amazing that God didn't strike my crazy butt down! But the truth is this . . . I thoroughly believed in my Eternal Salvation, and that nothing could keep me from the Love of Christ. Nothing.

But when we understand even the Bigger Picture of the Mysterious Plan of God, as Paul outlines it in its most basic form in Ephesians chapters 2 and 3, the entire Bible becomes absolutely reasonable and rational in just about every way. The Core Doctrine that leads to all of these things? The Doctrine of Circumcised Hearts. I have a link to a video on these matters on Youtube. All are welcome to send me a private message for the link. It just might change a person's life.
Yes I agree with the circumcision of the heart

Deut 30:6 And the LORD thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live.

And circumcision is that of the heart (made without hands) and done in the spirit "TO love Him" . Its the love of God shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

Shows all of these and all the house of Isreal whether circumcised in the flesh or not are uncircumcised in heart.

Jeremiah 9:25-26 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will punish all them which are circumcised with the uncircumcised; Egypt, and Judah, and Edom, and the children of Ammon, and Moab, and all that are in the utmost corners, that dwell in the wilderness: for all these nations are uncircumcised, and all the house of Israel are uncircumcised in the heart.
 
4

4ChristAlone

Guest
Not in the Spirit mean not His mean not save, am I correct?
You can be in the flesh or in the Spirit, in the former you cannot please God. If we live by the Spirit we should walk by the Spirit and when you walk by the Spirit you will not fulfil the lusts of the flesh.

Romans 8:9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

The one without His Spirit is shown here as not belonging to Jesus Christ