What does, “But the one who endures to the end will be saved” mean?
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The word "knows" (in these passages) is "PERFECT INDICATIVE"...
and the "PERFECT tense" means: "ACTION COMPLETED at a SPECIFIC POINT of TIME in PAST [.] with results CONTINUING into the PRESENT [.-->]. In certain contexts the results are PERMANENT."
However, not in ALL "contexts"... SOMETIMES that can CHANGE by the introduction of FURTHER INFORMATION which CHANGES that status!
And this is what I believe occurred FOLLOWING His "ascension," when Jesus AGAIN had perfect knowledge with the Father
(and God GAVE UNTO HIM TO SHOW UNTO His servants... this "further information" ...in the LATER writing of the Revelation [in 95ad setting, well after His ascension--which also agrees with the SEQUENCE issue being shown between Matt22:7's "70ad events" and Matt22:8's "THEN SAITH HE to his servants," which necessarily takes place FOLLOWING the 70ad events, and which fits the Rev1:1[7:3] text perfectly]).
In John 17:5 (just before He would go to the Cross), Jesus says,
Berean Study Bible
And now, Father, glorify Me in Your presence with the glory I had with You before the world existed.
Berean Literal Bible
And now glorify Me, You Father, with Yourself, with the glory that I had with You before the world existed.
King James Bible
And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.
Again, the text is not conveying that "no one WILL EVER know" nor "CAN EVER know"... (it pertained to "knows [perfect indicative]" [at the time spoken]... and the question then would become, is this a "PERMANENT" thing, or did LATER "further information" which was DISCLOSED in Scripture CHANGE that status? I say, yes, this is what Scripture indicates... per "[The] Revelation"... [which covers that very Subject])
and the "PERFECT tense" means: "ACTION COMPLETED at a SPECIFIC POINT of TIME in PAST [.] with results CONTINUING into the PRESENT [.-->]. In certain contexts the results are PERMANENT."
However, not in ALL "contexts"... SOMETIMES that can CHANGE by the introduction of FURTHER INFORMATION which CHANGES that status!
And this is what I believe occurred FOLLOWING His "ascension," when Jesus AGAIN had perfect knowledge with the Father
(and God GAVE UNTO HIM TO SHOW UNTO His servants... this "further information" ...in the LATER writing of the Revelation [in 95ad setting, well after His ascension--which also agrees with the SEQUENCE issue being shown between Matt22:7's "70ad events" and Matt22:8's "THEN SAITH HE to his servants," which necessarily takes place FOLLOWING the 70ad events, and which fits the Rev1:1[7:3] text perfectly]).
In John 17:5 (just before He would go to the Cross), Jesus says,
Berean Study Bible
And now, Father, glorify Me in Your presence with the glory I had with You before the world existed.
Berean Literal Bible
And now glorify Me, You Father, with Yourself, with the glory that I had with You before the world existed.
King James Bible
And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.
Again, the text is not conveying that "no one WILL EVER know" nor "CAN EVER know"... (it pertained to "knows [perfect indicative]" [at the time spoken]... and the question then would become, is this a "PERMANENT" thing, or did LATER "further information" which was DISCLOSED in Scripture CHANGE that status? I say, yes, this is what Scripture indicates... per "[The] Revelation"... [which covers that very Subject])
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Yes, works, good deeds, service to the kingdom, in related to our being Saved. Because those who are in the kingdom are called to serve the kingdom.
Works, good deeds, do not secure nor insure our Salvation. Unfortunately, there are teachings out there that claim just the opposite.
That a Christian isn't secure in their Salvation. And they have to work as if to later be approved according to their deeds so to find out if they did enough to warrant Salvation.
That's no way to live.
Works, good deeds, do not secure nor insure our Salvation. Unfortunately, there are teachings out there that claim just the opposite.
That a Christian isn't secure in their Salvation. And they have to work as if to later be approved according to their deeds so to find out if they did enough to warrant Salvation.
That's no way to live.
Of course if a person is genuinely saved, the salvation that is in them (the indwelling of the Holy Ghost) will motivate them to do good works.
However, in the case of a death-bed conversion; or as in the case of the thief on the Cross, salvation came to these people solely because of their faith in Jesus Christ, apart from works (Ephesians 2:8-9, Romans 4:1-8, Romans 11:5-6, Titus 3:4-7).
It has been said that we are saved by grace through faith alone, but that genuine faith is never alone.
This is where I stand on the subject.
In the case where no opportunity is presented to do any good works, a genuine faith alone will save; for man looks on the outward appearance but God looks on the heart. So, He knows whether or not someone's faith is genuine even if their faith is not accompanied by good works. Whereas Romans 4:2 tells us that we are justified before men by our works when compared to certain verses in James chapter 2.
However, in the case of a death-bed conversion; or as in the case of the thief on the Cross, salvation came to these people solely because of their faith in Jesus Christ, apart from works (Ephesians 2:8-9, Romans 4:1-8, Romans 11:5-6, Titus 3:4-7).
It has been said that we are saved by grace through faith alone, but that genuine faith is never alone.
This is where I stand on the subject.
In the case where no opportunity is presented to do any good works, a genuine faith alone will save; for man looks on the outward appearance but God looks on the heart. So, He knows whether or not someone's faith is genuine even if their faith is not accompanied by good works. Whereas Romans 4:2 tells us that we are justified before men by our works when compared to certain verses in James chapter 2.
I would disagree...with thief on the cross. We know not what his background was. Christ did.
However, I find it difficult and so far evasive to find a condition which would prevent one from doing works as a ambassador for Christ. Don't forget scripture...faith without works is dead. God would not give us a requirement and then allow us to be prevented from complying.
However, I find it difficult and so far evasive to find a condition which would prevent one from doing works as a ambassador for Christ. Don't forget scripture...faith without works is dead. God would not give us a requirement and then allow us to be prevented from complying.
If you do not have eternal life now, you are not spiritually alive. Adam died the moment that he disobeyed God. Yet he still walked and talked, chose and acted on his decisions. We would say that he was alive. But not to God.
We are born with soul-life, "psuche" in Greek. We get our word psychology from it. The life that Lord Jesus came to give is, in Greek, "Zoe". It is not the same. The word zoology is taken from zoe, but the true meaning is the Life that is of God. Lord Jesus is the way, the truth and the zoe. Now the Bible says that he who has the son has the zoe. So if you are born again, then you do have eternal life right now. In order to destroy my life, you would have to destroy Jesus. And Hebrews says His life is indestructible.
The question for the believer, is who is doing the living? If you live by rules and regulations, trying to obey God as best you can according to your interpretation of God's word, you will fail. You may achieve great things because you are naturally talented. But if it is not of God, it will be classed as dead works, fit only to be burned up. The "fire" is truth. God has graciously exposed many of my works as bonfire material. But He will give us His beauty if we will give Him our ashes.
If we will become disciples instead of just believers, we will learn to deny self, to deny the "psuche" life that is of the soul. We will instead learn to walk in the Spirit and live out of the "zoe" life that is ours in Christ. All who are born again have the potential to live from either soul or spirit. Those who are fruitful, who grow in Christ, who are kingdom people, are those who deny the demand of self. who carry the cross and live out of the spirit instead.
We need to know the difference between soul and spirit. You say that we are not complete. My bible says differently. Colossians 2:10,
This is where the salvation of the soul comes in. We have Lord Jesus living in us, in our spirit man. The soul is the means to express what is in our spirit man, and that is Lord Jesus. We are continually choosing, self or Lord Jesus. Our choices do not affect our eternal destination, but they surely affect our quality of life on earth, our value to the Kingdom of God and our future rewards in the next life.
We have to be born again even to see the kingdom of God. We must carry the cross, deny self and walk in the Spirit to experience kingdom life and work. It's not easy. Pleasing self is easy. Denying self is hard. Satan leaves self willed Christians alone. He attacks those who want to be disciples and kingdom people. But there will come a time when self will is crushed and you no longer heed it. And you will choose God's will continually and it will not be painful. God's grace will get us there. All He asks from us is to be willing. He will do the rest.
We are born with soul-life, "psuche" in Greek. We get our word psychology from it. The life that Lord Jesus came to give is, in Greek, "Zoe". It is not the same. The word zoology is taken from zoe, but the true meaning is the Life that is of God. Lord Jesus is the way, the truth and the zoe. Now the Bible says that he who has the son has the zoe. So if you are born again, then you do have eternal life right now. In order to destroy my life, you would have to destroy Jesus. And Hebrews says His life is indestructible.
The question for the believer, is who is doing the living? If you live by rules and regulations, trying to obey God as best you can according to your interpretation of God's word, you will fail. You may achieve great things because you are naturally talented. But if it is not of God, it will be classed as dead works, fit only to be burned up. The "fire" is truth. God has graciously exposed many of my works as bonfire material. But He will give us His beauty if we will give Him our ashes.
If we will become disciples instead of just believers, we will learn to deny self, to deny the "psuche" life that is of the soul. We will instead learn to walk in the Spirit and live out of the "zoe" life that is ours in Christ. All who are born again have the potential to live from either soul or spirit. Those who are fruitful, who grow in Christ, who are kingdom people, are those who deny the demand of self. who carry the cross and live out of the spirit instead.
We need to know the difference between soul and spirit. You say that we are not complete. My bible says differently. Colossians 2:10,
This is where the salvation of the soul comes in. We have Lord Jesus living in us, in our spirit man. The soul is the means to express what is in our spirit man, and that is Lord Jesus. We are continually choosing, self or Lord Jesus. Our choices do not affect our eternal destination, but they surely affect our quality of life on earth, our value to the Kingdom of God and our future rewards in the next life.
We have to be born again even to see the kingdom of God. We must carry the cross, deny self and walk in the Spirit to experience kingdom life and work. It's not easy. Pleasing self is easy. Denying self is hard. Satan leaves self willed Christians alone. He attacks those who want to be disciples and kingdom people. But there will come a time when self will is crushed and you no longer heed it. And you will choose God's will continually and it will not be painful. God's grace will get us there. All He asks from us is to be willing. He will do the rest.
We know of his background that he died on the cross for stealing in the Roman Empire.
So, he was there for a sin that he had committed.
Now the Bible says that a good tree cannot bear bad fruit and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit.
So, if the thief was a good tree, why did he steal?
I believe that before placing his faith in Christ while they were on the crosses, the thief was a bad tree.
He was regenerated and renewed when he placed his faith in Christ.
He was saved, "not by works of righteousness which he had done; but by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost" (Titus 3:5)
So, he was there for a sin that he had committed.
Now the Bible says that a good tree cannot bear bad fruit and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit.
So, if the thief was a good tree, why did he steal?
I believe that before placing his faith in Christ while they were on the crosses, the thief was a bad tree.
He was regenerated and renewed when he placed his faith in Christ.
He was saved, "not by works of righteousness which he had done; but by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost" (Titus 3:5)
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Not at all - By Grace we are saved thru faith - the man had heard of the wonderful things God did thru Christ and it was revealed to him that Christ was without fault and truly the Son of God = GRACE = the Holy Spirit working in his heart leading the man to repentance and the testimony of God came out of his mouth unto Salvation which FIRST began in his heart by GRACE.
Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance. Romans 2:4
The one thief on the Left despised the Riches of God's Goodness that was next to him.
The other thief on the Right was lead by the Holy Spirit unto repentance and Salvation.
Nobody comes to Christ except the Father draws them.
Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance. Romans 2:4
The one thief on the Left despised the Riches of God's Goodness that was next to him.
The other thief on the Right was lead by the Holy Spirit unto repentance and Salvation.
Nobody comes to Christ except the Father draws them.