As God's co- wórkers, we urge you NOT TO PUT GOD'S GRACE IN VAIN.
As God’s fellow workers we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain. 2 Corinthians 6:1
Who do you believe "receives God's grace in vain" and how exactly does someone receive God's grace in vain? Also, what do you believe the outcome is for such a person?
I noticed that whenever someone speaks or teach about obedience to God, you and the others who believe in OSAS would quickly say that they are working for their own salvation, call them Pharisees, sinless perfectionists and several other names for whatever reason or intent.
If someone teaches that we are saved "based on the merits of our obedience/works" then they are working for their salvation (salvation by works). I've noticed that whenever someone says they believe in OSAS others who strongly oppose OSAS quickly say such people are lawless and are teaching a license to sin. Both antinomianism and legalism are errant extremes.
What confuses me is when your group say that only genuine believers or born again will or can obey the commandments. If I obey the commandments and teach others to do so, am I not a genuine believer?
Have you perfectly obeyed ALL of God's commandments and do you consider that to be the "basis or means" by which you will receive eternal life?
Genuine believers "keep" (Greek word "tereo" - watch over, guard, keep intact) His commandments as the
demonstrative evidence of having come to know Him and not as the meritorious means of receiving eternal life. *In 1 John 2:3, we read - By this we
know that we have come to know Him, (demonstrative evidence) if we keep (watch over, guard, keep intact) His commandments. 4 The one who says, “I have come to know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
*Salvation is not obtained by sinless, perfect obedience to all of God's commandments. None of us have perfectly obeyed all of God's commandments - (Ecclesiastes 7:20; Romans 3:23; 1 John 1:8-10). Salvation is obtained through faith in Christ and is not based on the merits of our performance/obedience/works. (Romans 3:22-28; 4:4-6; Ephesians 2:8,9; Philippians 3:9; Titus 3:5; 2 Timothy 1:9)
Which would you prefer, to claim that you are saved forever by grace through faith ALONE or obey the commandments that God has given us to do which is to LOVE God and our brothers?
We are saved by grace through FAITH IN CHRIST ALONE and NOT BY WORKS (Romans 3:22-28; 4:4-6; Ephesians 2:8,9; Philippians 3:9; Titus 3:5; 2 Timothy 1:9 etc..).
I believe that the free gift is eternal life IN Jesus. (romans 6:23) We should be IN Christ Jesus to get eternal life.
...what good thing must I do to get eternal life?”
17 “Why do you ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. If you want to ENTER LIFE, obey the commandments.” matthew 19:16-17
Jesus is the LIFE that we must ENTER (john 14:6) and if we want to be IN Jesus we must obey the commandments.
Must or else"
obey the commandments and you claim not to teach salvation by works?
Ephesians 1:13 - In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the
gospel of your salvation—having also
believed, you were
sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise. If you want to be IN Christ you need to
believe the gospel. Everyone has failed to "perfectly obey" the commandments and that's not how we enter into the body of Christ.
I have often heard works-salvationists cite Matthew 19:16-17 (including Roman Catholics and Mormons) and imply that faith in Christ is insufficient to save and we MUST ALSO obey Him commandments in order to be
saved. In Matthew 19, Jesus showed the rich young man how short he falls of even keeping the first commandment (Exodus 20:3) which is the first of the two great commandments (Deuteronomy; Matthew 22:37). The rich young ruler confidently and (self righteously) declared that he has kept the commandments from his youth up and qualified for heaven under those terms. Yet Jesus knew the man's wealth had become his idolatrous god, which kept him from believing in Jesus. (John 3:18)
The rich young man
missed the point that Jesus was making, failed to place his faith in Jesus for salvation, and continued instead to trust in his riches (vs. 21-23). His face fell as he went away sad because he could not part from his great wealth, not even in exchange for eternal life through faith in Christ. If keeping the commandments is the basis or means by which we obtain eternal life, then why isn't this the pattern for all discussions concerning eternal life? Paul would have said to the jailer who asked, "what must I do to be saved?" by replying in Acts 16:31 - "keep the commandments and you will be saved," yet that's not what Paul said. Paul said,
"Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved.." Numerous times, Jesus said "BELIEVING IN HIM" is the basis or means by which we receive eternal life (John 3:15,16,18; 5:24; 6:29,40,47; 11:25,26). So which is it? You can't have it both ways.
Believing/trusting in your "best efforts to obey the commandments" as the meritorious means of obtaining eternal life is not believing/trusting in Jesus Christ as the ALL-sufficient means of your salvation (John 3:16; Acts 10:43; 16:31), but is believing/trusting in WORKS for salvation. Jesus knows the hearts of all men and has responded to individuals in the Bible a little differently because He knows where their need is. Jesus didn't respond to the woman at the well, or to Nicodemus or to the rich young man in the exact same manner, yet the consistent pattern in Scripture is salvation through faith, NOT WORKS (Romans 3:22-28; 4:4-6; Ephesians 2:8,9; Titus 3:5; Philippians 3:9; 2 Timothy 1:9 etc..).
How would we know we are IN Jesus?
This is how we know we are in him: 6 Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did. (1 john 2:1-6)
The preceeding verses makes it clear that to WALK as Jesus did means OBEDIENCE TO HIS COMMANDMENTS.
Everything with you is about "obedience to His commandments" and is "must or else." It certainly appears that you are trusting in WORKS for salvation and have not yet placed your faith (belief, trust, reliance) in JESUS CHRIST ALONE for salvation.
1 John 2:3 - By this
we know that we have come to know Him, (demonstrative evidence) if we "keep" (watch over, guard, keep intact) His commandments. 4 The one who says, “I have come to know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; 5 but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him: 6 the one who says he abides in Him
ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked. (NASB) Numerous translations say
ought or should, but it's always "must or else" with you. *Obedience is not forced or legalistic for those who have come to know Him/those who are born of God.
Jesus is the author of eternal salvation for those who OBEY Him.
...and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him hebrews 5:7-10
Hebrews 5:9 is another favorite verse of works-salvationists who use it to teach "salvation by faith + obedience/works" by writing a blank check with the word "obey" then filling out whatever amount of works they feel are necessary to obtain eternal life.
In Hebrews 5:9, who obeys Him? The saved or the lost? *Only believers have
obeyed Him by choosing to believe the gospel (Romans 1:16)
in order to become saved, and
only believers obey Him after they have been saved through faith by "keeping" (Greek word "tereo" - guarding, observing, watching over) His commandments and practicing righteousness and not sin (1 John 2:3; 3:9,10).
*In either sense, only believers obey Him.
Unbelievers have not obeyed Him by refusing to believe the gospel (Romans 10:16; 1:16) and
without faith its impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6), so
unbelievers do not obey Him no matter how much "so called" obedience that they attempt to conjure up through the flesh in a vain effort to obtain salvation by works.
*So in either sense, unbelievers do not obey Him.
FAITH AND OBEDIENCE ARE BOTH ESSENTIAL TO SALVATION.
So how much obedience does it take? How much obedience must we accomplish and "add" as a supplement to Christ's finished work of redemption in order to "help" Him save us?
*Christ's finished work of redemption is sufficient and complete to save believers. *No supplements needed. (Romans 3:22-28)
...And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.hebrews 11:6
How do you "define" faith? Faith + obedience/works?
...As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead. james 2:26
In James 2:26, the comparison of the human spirit and faith converges around their modes of operation. The spirit (Greek pneuma) may also be translated "breath." As a breathless body emits no indication of life, so fruitless faith exhibits no indication of life. The source of the life in faith is not works; rather, life in faith is the source of works (Ephesians 2:5-10).
Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are IN Christ Jesus, Romans 8:1
*See Ephesians 1:13; 1 Corinthians 12:13.