We have to keep 2 aspects in mind when interpreting scriptures on salvation.
Works-based believers and those taught that one can lose salvation see the warning scriptures and "interpret" those to mean that one loses salvation as in going to be with the Lord for eternity. ( and we should be admonished to listen to these warning scriptures )
This type of mindset does not know the love and grace of God for people and thus they develop a fear based religion of works "to keep one saved".
1 John 4:18-19 (NASB)
[SUP]18 [/SUP] There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love.
[SUP]19 [/SUP] We love, because He first loved us.
Salvation manifests itself here in this earth and also for going to be with the Lord because we are in Christ - sealed by the Holy Spirit when we believed as Paul said in Eph. 1:13 ; 4:30.
Start shooting heroin in your arms today and you will NOT experience salvation - that is life and wholeness on this earth for very long.
Confuse the 2 and we will come up with all kinds of works-based salvationists views - like we lose our righteousness. We don't have our "own" righteousness. Christ Himself is our righteousness.
I believe we have to differentiate between "going to heaven to be with the Lord " salvation and - "being saved from the things that can destroy us here while being on this earth."
There are different manifestations of salvation in Christ - one is going to be with the Lord - the other is concerning the things of this life on earth.
The promised land is a type of being in Christ now - it is not a type of heaven as there will be no giants to fight in heaven.
Moses did not get to rest in what God had already provided for the Israelites - but yet Moses is with God now.
The promised land is a type of living here on this earth by believing in the promises of God. Only Caleb and Joshua were the ones that got to experience the promises of God in the promised land because they believed in what God had said.
We can inherit now in this life some things that are of the kingdom of God because the kingdom of God is within us...however if we don't have our minds renewed to the truth in Christ ( which includes living by the Spirit within us ) - we can not experience the things of the kingdom that are available to us believers.
Scripture uses the same Greek word - " salvation, saved " = wholeness, preservation, keep safe, deliverance, make well - for both being saved from things in this life and for going to be with the Lord for eternity.
If we don't understand this difference we will continually be mis-applying scriptures that talk about "being saved here in this life from things" and "going to be with the Lord".
There is eternal salvation and there is a manifestation of salvation from temporal things while on this earth. Confuse the two and we end up with a mixed up message of self-effort for going to heaven and only the blood of Jesus does that.
Jesus is either our Savior for going to be in heaven with Him or we are our own savior by helping Him. One is by grace through faith-righteousness - the other is works-righteousness.
Let's just rely on the Holy Spirit to reveal the things of Christ to us.
We are safe in the Lord Jesus Christ and we can trust Him to do what He has He will do and has already done for us.
We have a great salvation in Him! We can trust the Lord when He said "I will never leave you nor forsake you!"
The proper teaching of the gospel of Christ and what He has already done for us will provide the "nutrients" for the new creation in Christ which has been created in righteousness and holiness to manifest His life in and through us - and yes this also shows in our behavior.
As we have received Christ our Lord - so we walk in Him - and it is all by grace through faith. Col. 2:6
His love which is in us will come forth and bear much fruit. The behavior is a "fruit of salvation" - it does not produce salvation. Only Christ Himself is our true salvation - it is "in Him".
Works-based believers and those taught that one can lose salvation see the warning scriptures and "interpret" those to mean that one loses salvation as in going to be with the Lord for eternity. ( and we should be admonished to listen to these warning scriptures )
This type of mindset does not know the love and grace of God for people and thus they develop a fear based religion of works "to keep one saved".
1 John 4:18-19 (NASB)
[SUP]18 [/SUP] There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love.
[SUP]19 [/SUP] We love, because He first loved us.
Salvation manifests itself here in this earth and also for going to be with the Lord because we are in Christ - sealed by the Holy Spirit when we believed as Paul said in Eph. 1:13 ; 4:30.
Start shooting heroin in your arms today and you will NOT experience salvation - that is life and wholeness on this earth for very long.
Confuse the 2 and we will come up with all kinds of works-based salvationists views - like we lose our righteousness. We don't have our "own" righteousness. Christ Himself is our righteousness.
I believe we have to differentiate between "going to heaven to be with the Lord " salvation and - "being saved from the things that can destroy us here while being on this earth."
There are different manifestations of salvation in Christ - one is going to be with the Lord - the other is concerning the things of this life on earth.
The promised land is a type of being in Christ now - it is not a type of heaven as there will be no giants to fight in heaven.
Moses did not get to rest in what God had already provided for the Israelites - but yet Moses is with God now.
The promised land is a type of living here on this earth by believing in the promises of God. Only Caleb and Joshua were the ones that got to experience the promises of God in the promised land because they believed in what God had said.
We can inherit now in this life some things that are of the kingdom of God because the kingdom of God is within us...however if we don't have our minds renewed to the truth in Christ ( which includes living by the Spirit within us ) - we can not experience the things of the kingdom that are available to us believers.
Scripture uses the same Greek word - " salvation, saved " = wholeness, preservation, keep safe, deliverance, make well - for both being saved from things in this life and for going to be with the Lord for eternity.
If we don't understand this difference we will continually be mis-applying scriptures that talk about "being saved here in this life from things" and "going to be with the Lord".
There is eternal salvation and there is a manifestation of salvation from temporal things while on this earth. Confuse the two and we end up with a mixed up message of self-effort for going to heaven and only the blood of Jesus does that.
Jesus is either our Savior for going to be in heaven with Him or we are our own savior by helping Him. One is by grace through faith-righteousness - the other is works-righteousness.
Let's just rely on the Holy Spirit to reveal the things of Christ to us.
We are safe in the Lord Jesus Christ and we can trust Him to do what He has He will do and has already done for us.
We have a great salvation in Him! We can trust the Lord when He said "I will never leave you nor forsake you!"
The proper teaching of the gospel of Christ and what He has already done for us will provide the "nutrients" for the new creation in Christ which has been created in righteousness and holiness to manifest His life in and through us - and yes this also shows in our behavior.
As we have received Christ our Lord - so we walk in Him - and it is all by grace through faith. Col. 2:6
His love which is in us will come forth and bear much fruit. The behavior is a "fruit of salvation" - it does not produce salvation. Only Christ Himself is our true salvation - it is "in Him".