Jason0047 said:
Question #1. Can you be out of fellowship and still be saved?
(If you say "yes", then how is that not a condoning of sin?
Cuz you may be saved from eternal hell.......but not saved from being out of fellowship.
What kind of stupid question is that anyway?
Is that fact that you're out of fellowship, some given time, with your folks = condoning that?
Actually, there are several passages that tell us that you cannot be out of fellowship with God and be saved.
#1. 1 John 5:12 says He that has the Son has life and He that does not have the Son does not have life. Life is associated with eternal life or salvation.
#2. John 17:3 says eternal life is in knowing the one true God, Jesus Christ. Knowing implies a fellowship. So if you don't know Jesus, then you don't have life (Salvation).
#3. Romans 8:9 says if he a man does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to him.
#4. Psalm 73:27 says God will destroy all those who abandon Him (or go a whoring from Him).
#5. John 15:6 says if a man does not abide in Him, he is cast forth and burned.
#6. 1 John 1:7 says if we walk in the Light as He is in the Light, the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin.
#7. Romans 11:21-22 says if you do not continue in his goodness you will be cut off. For if God spared not the natural branches (i.e. the Jews), take heed that he can do the same to you (i.e. Gentile believers). The analogy here is that you are branch and Christ is the tree. We need to continue in Christ's righteousness or goodness, not our own righteousness or goodness, or we will be cut off because of unbelief.
However, you did not really answer my question. You never really explained to me how it is okay to be out of fellowship (no doubt because of sin) and still be saved. How exactly is that not a license to sin or God approving of your evil? How is it a good and moral thing for God to let you sin and still be saved?
Jason0047 said:
Question #2. Can you die in unrepentant sin (like lying, lusting, and hating) and still be saved?
(If you say "yes", how is that not a condoning of sin?).
flob said:
How do offenses (against your parents) = condoning offenses?
Jesus said,
"Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever commits sin is the servant of sin. And the servant [of sin] abides not in the house forever: but the Son abides ever.If the Son therefore shall make you free, you shall be free indeed." (John 8:34-36).
Free from what?
Being a servant of sin.
For Jesus said that he that sins is a slave (servant) of sin.
For the servant of sin shall not abide in the house forever. How do we know this, for sure?
Jesus says elswhere.
"The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. (Matthew 13:41-42).
But again, you did not really answer my question. How does dying in unrepentant sin such as lying, lusting, and hating make it okay enough with God to take you home despite such evils? Is God unrighteous? Can God condone a person's sin?
Jason0047 said:
Question #3. Was not the first lie in the Garden by the devil saying that Eve will not die similar to the OSAS proponent today saying they will not die? (If you disagree, please explain why).
flob said:
The first lie appears to be Satan's first sentence:[Did God really say, You shall not eat of any tree of the garden?
When did Eve die?
(Denying obab is one form of spiritual death)
God said in the day you eat thereof you shall die. Did Adam and Eve both die that day? No. They died spiritually and needed to be renewed and saved by God.
As for being born again: Actually, while it is true that a person cannot deny in being born again, we have to actually define what being born again means. It is admitting your sinner and being sorrowful over your sin and accepting Jesus Christ as your Savior with the intention that you do not want to sin against Him anymore. The Spirit will then transform or renew that person's heart and spirit and give them new desires (But their free will is still in existence). However, what follows the new birth? Is it a lifestyle of sin? Or is a life of holiness (Thereby showing that they have been born again and made into the new man?). A great verse that describes the new birth and the fruit that follows it is Ezekiel 36:26-27. For the LORD says,
"A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and you shall keep my judgments, and do them."
So here we see God giving a person a new heart and a new spirit and then the LORD Himself places His Spirit within them. This is the new birth (or being born again spiritually by which we are saved (Titus 3:5). However, as the passage states above, fruit will follow by the fact that the LORD will cause you to keep His laws and statutes. So it is the LORD who does the good work in you. Paul said know not your own selves. He said examine whether or not you be in Christ unless you be reprobate (2 Corinthians 13:5).
For sin is transgression of the Law (1 John 3:4); And the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:13).
For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, (Hebrews 10:26). Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him (Hebrews 10:38).
For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. (Romans 8:6-8).
Jason0047 said:
Question #4. How is saying you cannot stop sinning in line with Jesus telling the woman caught in the act of adultery, to: "Sin no more."?
flob said:
One is you talking, one is the Lord.
This again is not an answer to the question I asked. Please go back and answer it. Or do you believe that we as believers can stop sinning? I say this because if Jesus did tell the woman caught in the act of adultery to, "sin no more.": And yet Jesus secretly believed that she could not really, "sin no more" then how then would this not be deceptive or a lie on Jesus's part?
Jason0047 said:
Question #5. How can all future sin be forgiven you if you have to confess sin in order to be forgiven of sin?
(Where in the 1st epistle of John does it specifically state that 1 John 1:9 is not dealing with salvation?)
flob said:
The salvation for children of God differs from the (initial) salvation for nonchildren.
Does that help?
Meaning you may be saved from eternal damnation.............but not yet saved from your temper, or from the world,
in your experience.
Similar to how as a predestinated one-------------------you WILL receive the Lord,
so as a child of God (1 Jn 2:1)----------------------you will confess (Mt 18:34).
In fact, every knee will bow and confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.
Okay, from my understanding, you believe a child of God will always confess? If this is the case, then who was Jesus speaking to in Matthew 6:15 when he said if you do not forgive, you will not be forgiven? I say this because it would do no good for an unbeliever to forgive everyone in their life. The unbeliever will still be unforgiven if they refuse to repent of their sins and accept Jesus Christ. So Matthew 6:15 is talking to saved believers and not unbelievers. This lets us know that a believer can be unforgiven by the Father if they do not forgive others (Because Jesus was talking to believers). So the notion or idea that believers will automatically confess because they are a child of God (is just not true). Believers still have free will to choose God or not to choose God every day. It is why the Scriptures say, choose this day in whom ye will serve. It is why Jesus says you cannot serve two masters. For you will hate the one and love the other.
But again, you did not answer my question. 1 John 1:9 specifically says I am forgiven of sin if I confess sin. This flies in direct contradiction of OSAS Proponents claiming that future sin is forgiven me. For there would be no point in confessing sin so as to be forgiven of sin if all future sin was forgiven me. Also, if 1 John 1:9 is not dealing with salvation (As some OSAS proponents claim), then you need to show me specifically where that is the case. I say this because 1 John 3:15 does in fact deal with the topic of eternal life (And no apparent shift or change between the topic of "life and death" has changed between chapter 1 and chapter 3 within the 1st epistle of John).
Jason0047 said:
Question #6. Do you believe the good fruit of the believer is from God or of the believer?
(If you believe it is from God and another believer believes the same thing, then how can you accuse them of Works Salvationism when they do not believe that?).
flob said:
The good fruit from God goes thru the believer. In other words, it requires cooperation. That is not works of law, that is grace. And that is also obedience and works of faith. It sounds like you might be suffering that accusation because you suggest people can lose their birth identity.
Yes, a son can go prodigal. In the Parable of the Prodigal Son, do you know that the father said twice that his son was "
dead" and is "
alive again"? This is speaking in spiritual terms of course. For when did Jesus not speak in spiritual terms when he spoke about his parables? But again, I do not believe we earn our salvation, but I believe God does the work in the believer when we surrender our life to Him. A man of God cannot serve both God and the devil. For he that sins is of the devil (1 John 3:8). He that is born of God does righteousness (1 John 2:29). This is how we know the true believer from the false believer (1 John 3:10) (1 John 2:3-4).
Jason0047 said:
Question #7. What is better? To do good or to do evil? Do you think God wants us to live Holy as an example of being good?
flob said:
Unbelievers and religious generally may think and want the same thing.
Wow. Really? Do you think God is against wanting His people to live righteously and holy?
Hebrews 12:14 says without holiness no man shall see the LORD.
Paul essentially says if any man speaks contrary to the words of Jesus Christ and the doctrine of Godliness is proud and knows nothing (1 Timothy 6:3-4).
Jesus said if you love Him, you will keep His commandments (John 14:15).
Jesus said, "
Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled." (Matthew 5:6).
Paul says,
"Owe no man anything, but to love one another: for he that loves another has fulfilled the law. For this, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not kill, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness, You shall not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is summed up in this saying, namely,You shall love your neighbor as yourself. Love works no ill to his neighbor: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. (Romans 13:8-10).
Paul also says,
"This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart: Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. But ye have not so learned Christ; If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus: That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another. Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: Neither give place to the devil." (Ephesians 4:17-27).
Jason0047 said:
Question #8. How do you uphold goodness or morality with your belief in OSAS? Do you believe the Prodigal Son was still saved when he went Prodigal?
flob said:
That's an illustration of those already lost------------even though he is called a 'son,' the theme of those three parables is the lost becoming redeemed. (Though believers often may have similar experiences as believers.)
It's only God who is good. And only God who is the father of Life. Let Him worry about upholding goodness and morality. That's not your responsibility.
Woah! Are you saying I do not have to uphold goodness and morality? If that is the case, then this is just wrong on soooo many levels.
Peter says that there are false prophets who promise liberty but in fact they are the servants of corruption. For Peter says it would have been better for them to not have known the way of righteousness. But they are like dogs returning again to their own vomit.
"These are wells without water, clouds that are carried with a tempest; to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever. For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error. While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage. For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire. (2 Peter 2:17-22).
These false believers (mentioned above) are also described as having eyes full of adultery and who cannot cease from sin (2 Peter 2:1, 14).
Jason0047 said:
Question #9. How can God being our Father condone his children to sin if you would not condone or allow your child to sin?
flob said:
That sounds almost like Satan the serpent's first question to Eve. God didn't say they couldn't eat from most of the trees.
Who but you or Satan would suggest God condones sin?
You mean the fact that sin exists means God condones sin?
Is that your reasoning?
Do all things without murmurings and reasonings..
No. I did not say that the existence of sin in general is the equivalent of God condoning sin. Nowhere did I ever say that? God has already judged sin and wickedness in this world and it has it's end result with the Final Judgment. So nobody is going to get away with anything. What I am saying is that the OSAS Proponent is into the false belief that they can sin and think they can still be saved (As if God cannot judge their evil or sin somehow).
However, God cannot approve of anyone doing sin. God is Holy and just. A mere sacrifice is not going to take away rebellion in man. If that was the case, then everyone would be saved. In other words, it is as if you think God's people are above goodness and morality. But the Scriptures do not teach that.
Jason0047 said:
Question #10. How can a believer be truly born again, changed, and different if they are not really changed and different from the world?
flob said:
If you're not changed, you may not be a believer. If you are changed, you know it........... If you're not changed completely,
Jason........you may know that too
Now, you are being double minded. You are jumping over the white line and claiming to be on the good guy's side now. What all the talk before of how you said we do not have to uphold morality or goodness? For if one is born again spiritually they are changed whereby they will uphold God's goodness and morality.