Not By Works
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Judas was hand picked out of complete sincerity of Jesus. Judas was given the power to raise the dead, preach the gospel, heal the sick, and cast out demons..a true friend of Jesus who went bad, it even grieved Jesus in the spirit. Judas sought repentance but could not find it....we know that Jesus does not give these powers to the unsaved..
N
maybe my words could have been chosen better
by grace Jesus was sent to be our savior
When i think grace
i think Gods mercy
like when i said Grace+faith=works till salvation
what i mean is
because of Gods mercy if we accept Jesus as our savior
we will follow him into eternal life
and following Jesus doesnt lead to sin
it leads to righteousness
a lot of what you said kinda went in one ear out the other like
"Therefore its God that finds us acceptable,ie (the worthy) not the other way around.."
what are you implying here
your wording confuses me
by grace Jesus was sent to be our savior
When i think grace
i think Gods mercy
like when i said Grace+faith=works till salvation
what i mean is
because of Gods mercy if we accept Jesus as our savior
we will follow him into eternal life
and following Jesus doesnt lead to sin
it leads to righteousness
a lot of what you said kinda went in one ear out the other like
"Therefore its God that finds us acceptable,ie (the worthy) not the other way around.."
what are you implying here
your wording confuses me
Abel had faith. Cain didn't. Evident by their offerings... Cain brought crops (his own works of self) whereas Abel brought a blood sacrifice as God had instructed. Cain didn't believe God and did his own thing. This same thing can be seen today... those who have faith in the blood of Jesus as atonement for their sins versus those with no faith, who depend on their own works for salvation!!
The whole of Jude speaks of apostates who don't have the Spirit (Jude 19) and likens them to Cain!
Jude 11...
"But I want to remind you, though you once knew this, that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe. And the angels who did not keep their proper domain, but left their own abode, He has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day; as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities around them in a similar manner to these, having given themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh, are set forth as an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.
Likewise also these dreamers defile the flesh, reject authority, and speak evil of dignitaries. Yet Michael the archangel, in contending with the devil, when he disputed about the body of Moses, dared not bring against him a reviling accusation, but said, “The Lord rebuke you!” But these speak evil of whatever they do not know; and whatever they know naturally, like brute beasts, in these things they corrupt themselves. Woe to them! For they have gone in the way of Cain, have run greedily in the error of Balaam for profit, and perished in the rebellion of Korah."
Hebrews 11:4: "By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and through it he being dead still speaks"
1 John 3:12: "...not as Cain, who was of the evil one and slew his brother. And for what reason did he slay him? Because his deeds were evil, and his brother’s were righteous"
Matthew 7:23: (judgment day) ".....depart from me, you workers of lawlessness"
John 8:44: "You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it"
Titus 2:11-15: "For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works. Speak these things, exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no one despise you"
Titus 3:1-8: "Remind them to be subject to rulers and authorities, to obey, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing all humility to all men. For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another. But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. This is a faithful saying, and these things I want you to affirm constantly, that those who have believed in God should be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable to men"
Salvation is a gift. Not earnt by us, so cannot be maintained by us either.
Jude 24: "Now unto Him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy"
The only way we could lose our salvation is if Jesus sinned (impossible!) He is the one that covers us with His perfect blood, so when God looks at us He sees the righteousness of Christ.
Jude 24: "Now unto Him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy"
The only way we could lose our salvation is if Jesus sinned (impossible!) He is the one that covers us with His perfect blood, so when God looks at us He sees the righteousness of Christ.
John 13:18 states - I do not speak concerning all of you. I know whom I have chosen; BUT that the Scripture may be fulfilled, 'He who eats bread with Me has lifted up his heel against Me.'
In Matthew 10:1, we read - Jesus summoned His twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every kind of disease and every kind of sickness. Does this mean that Judas was saved? NO. Does it mean that these many people in Matthew 7:22-23 were saved? NO.
Judas' true colors was that he was an unbelieving, unclean devil who would betray Jesus (John 6:64-71; 13:10-11).
In Matthew 10:1, we read - Jesus summoned His twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every kind of disease and every kind of sickness. Does this mean that Judas was saved? NO. Does it mean that these many people in Matthew 7:22-23 were saved? NO.
Judas' true colors was that he was an unbelieving, unclean devil who would betray Jesus (John 6:64-71; 13:10-11).
It is different. Believers are to work out (through the process of ongoing sanctification) the salvation they already have in Christ after having being justified by faith, not work for the salvation that they don't yet have through faith in Christ. Since Roman Catholicism confuses justification with sanctification and you have been indoctrinated into their belief system, this may be very difficult for you to grasp.
I see that the truth still is not sinking in yet for you and I did answer your question.
I'm amazed that you were unable to glean the answer to that question from my previous posts. Believers work out the salvation they already have in Christ (ongoing sanctification), not work for the salvation they don't yet have in Christ (justification). It's not that difficult to understand.
Apparently, it was clear to the nice folks who gave me likes, yet it seems to remain unclear to you.
I see that the truth still is not sinking in yet for you and I did answer your question.
I'm amazed that you were unable to glean the answer to that question from my previous posts. Believers work out the salvation they already have in Christ (ongoing sanctification), not work for the salvation they don't yet have in Christ (justification). It's not that difficult to understand.
Apparently, it was clear to the nice folks who gave me likes, yet it seems to remain unclear to you.
God working in us does not mean that He forces us to do everything. There is cooperation on our part. Philippians 2:13 says God works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure. Man still has free will to choose to submit to God's will and good pleasure or sin. God works right, man just does not always submit right.
Yet you still don't get it?
There is distinction between Justification and Sanctification, as I already explained.
I have studied it, as you can see from my previous posts.
As I already explained in post #9079, initial sanctification in which believers are made holy in standing before God postionally in Christ is a one time event, yet progressive (ongoing) sanctification in which the reality of that holiness becomes more and more evident in our actions, words, thoughts, attitudes, and motives is not a one time event.
The word "positionally" does not need to be specifically spelled out in the Bible in order to understand the concept of our positional standing in Christ, just as the word "Trinity" does not need to be specifically spelled out in the Bible in order to understand the concept of one God in three persons either.
Ongoing sanctification involves the work of the person, but it is still God working in the believer to produce more of a godly character and life in the person who has already been justified by faith. The justified person is actively involved in submitting to God's will, resisting sin, seeking holiness, and working to be more godly (1 Thessalonians 4:3,4; 5:14-18; James 4:7; Titus 2:12 etc..). Not in order to become or remain saved, but BECAUSE we already are saved. Once again, sanctification has no bearing on justification. That is, even if we don't live a sinless, perfect life (which we won't) we are still justified by faith in Christ (Romans 5:1).
Require works for what though? NOT to become saved but BECAUSE we already are saved. We are saved FOR good works and NOT BY good works (Ephesians 2:8-10). Big difference.
Without faith it's impossible to please God, so unsaved people do not do works for God. You can be "religious, but not right with God."
Faith that saves continues and is not some shallow, temporary belief that has no root, produces no fruit and withers away. Continuing in faith and working out our salvation with fear and trembling is the mark of a genuine believer.
Yet with Catholics, it's more of a maintenance program to maintain salvation by works, yet so many Roman Catholics don't understand what saving faith in Christ is in the first place. For them, it's a mixture of faith and works for salvation.
When I attended the Catholic church several years ago, they taught fear, but it was more of an unhealthy fear of God.
I'm 51 years old. I was baptized in Holy Cross Catholic church as an infant and attended there and Assumption Catholic church. I even attended a Catholic school for 5 years. I never once heard a clear gospel presentation in all the years that I attended the Roman Catholic church, but I heard all about salvation by works, purgatory, indulgences, false doctrine on Mary etc.. For me it was a cold, ritualistic church that left me empty and spiritually bankrupt.
There is distinction between Justification and Sanctification, as I already explained.
I have studied it, as you can see from my previous posts.
As I already explained in post #9079, initial sanctification in which believers are made holy in standing before God postionally in Christ is a one time event, yet progressive (ongoing) sanctification in which the reality of that holiness becomes more and more evident in our actions, words, thoughts, attitudes, and motives is not a one time event.
The word "positionally" does not need to be specifically spelled out in the Bible in order to understand the concept of our positional standing in Christ, just as the word "Trinity" does not need to be specifically spelled out in the Bible in order to understand the concept of one God in three persons either.
Ongoing sanctification involves the work of the person, but it is still God working in the believer to produce more of a godly character and life in the person who has already been justified by faith. The justified person is actively involved in submitting to God's will, resisting sin, seeking holiness, and working to be more godly (1 Thessalonians 4:3,4; 5:14-18; James 4:7; Titus 2:12 etc..). Not in order to become or remain saved, but BECAUSE we already are saved. Once again, sanctification has no bearing on justification. That is, even if we don't live a sinless, perfect life (which we won't) we are still justified by faith in Christ (Romans 5:1).
Require works for what though? NOT to become saved but BECAUSE we already are saved. We are saved FOR good works and NOT BY good works (Ephesians 2:8-10). Big difference.
Without faith it's impossible to please God, so unsaved people do not do works for God. You can be "religious, but not right with God."
Faith that saves continues and is not some shallow, temporary belief that has no root, produces no fruit and withers away. Continuing in faith and working out our salvation with fear and trembling is the mark of a genuine believer.
Yet with Catholics, it's more of a maintenance program to maintain salvation by works, yet so many Roman Catholics don't understand what saving faith in Christ is in the first place. For them, it's a mixture of faith and works for salvation.
When I attended the Catholic church several years ago, they taught fear, but it was more of an unhealthy fear of God.
I'm 51 years old. I was baptized in Holy Cross Catholic church as an infant and attended there and Assumption Catholic church. I even attended a Catholic school for 5 years. I never once heard a clear gospel presentation in all the years that I attended the Roman Catholic church, but I heard all about salvation by works, purgatory, indulgences, false doctrine on Mary etc.. For me it was a cold, ritualistic church that left me empty and spiritually bankrupt.
