Not By Works

[dcontroversal]

For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

 

[dcontroversal]

Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation:
and thy right hand hath holden me up,
and thy gentleness hath made me great.
Thou hast enlarged my steps under me,
that my feet did not slip

 

[dcontroversal]

Although the fig tree shall not blossom,
neither shall fruit be in the vines;
the labour of the olive shall fail,
and the fields shall yield no meat;
the flock shall be cut off from the fold,
and there shall be no herd in the stalls:
Yet I will rejoice in the Lord,
I will joy in the God of my salvation.

 

[dcontroversal]

For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.

 

[dcontroversal]

For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.

 

[dcontroversal]

For so hath the Lord commanded us, saying, I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth.

 

[Gabriel2020]

Oh yes there are and was Hebrew Christians. You missed the book of Hebrews that was written to the Hebrew Christians. The Hebrews and the Israelites are related. Abraham was the first to become a Hebrew,because he settled in the land called Hebron. Sarai's handmaid had a son by Abraham, called Ismael,so that made Ismael a Hebrew because of his Father Abraham. When Jacob was born ,God changed his name to Israel,your first Israelite ,but Hebrew by the seed of Abraham. they are all related to each other.The Hebrews from Ishmael and the Israelites. COUSINS.

 

[Ariel82]

I believe God saved us by his grace when we believed. And we can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.

I also do not believe that the free gift in Eph 2.8-9 is the free gift of God or Jesus's saving faith. I believe the free gift in this verse is salvation. This will be met with resistance by some here, but I do not want it to be a source of contention. I believe saving faith is a form of personal faith.

Since I interpret that a measure of personal saving faith is required to be saved, I also believe that a personal saving faith can be shipwrecked through backsliding, falling out of relationship with Father, falling away due to deception, these are what I believe are by products of failing to abide with Christ and being one with him.

JJesus said in John 17.3-
[SUP]3 [/SUP]This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.

That word know means being intimate or to become one with another. It is actually the Greek word for sexual intercourse and it is the same in the Hebrew rendering.

Abiding is very central to the Gospel message and Jesus preached it extensively, abiding is not works we do or practical righteousness. Abiding is resting in what Jesus has done for you, period.

God offers me eternal covenant relationship.
God does not break covenant with me and I do not "lose" my salvation if I do not perform "works" or obey laws or commands, etc"
I stay in eternal covenant relationship with father, because of my love for him based on all that Jesus did for me and he did alone.
God's love keeps me in the relationship, I would never want to leave the love of Father,
God's side of the eternal covenant relationship never fails and is always there.
This is what I define "eternal security" to be.

I agree but folks tie up a lot more to those two words.

 

[dcontroversal]

That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

 

[dcontroversal]

And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. I and my Father are one.

 

[Ariel82]

Too many posts to catch up.., It was nice to read the Convo between EG, Fran and Meggido. Wish we had more civil and heartfelt conversations like that here on CC,

It seems to happen once a week or so,

Anyway, hope everyone has a blessed night. VBS went well for those interested,

 

[dcontroversal]

These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.

 

[dcontroversal]

For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord

 

[dcontroversal]

And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.

 

[dcontroversal]

Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting

 

[dcontroversal]

That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.

 

[dcontroversal]

Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them

 

[willybob]

they have worked very hard in the last 500 years, and especially in the last 50 years, to strip man of any ability too do anything...if one doesn't believe that Christ and Hid Spirit of grace can make him free from the bondage of iniquity, they never will be set free, they will only have an enigmas type view (virtual reality) of the blood atonement, never knowing of its cleansing power...

again; Cain was told he could rule over that man of sin seeking to rise up within his members, but the pundits say you can't do anything. Many childlike stories in the beginning of Genesis fall upon deaf ears...and the same old mantra has been spoken for 6000 years, (you can rebel and disobey God, and surely not die)...as Solomon said; there is nothing new under the sun

 

[willybob]

13,000 posts, and they are still here telling you can sin and surely not die. Amazing..

 

[willybob]

Hebrews 4, God is a rewarder of those that diligently seek Him...It sounds like works to me, and a life long journey at that....

again, the not of works gospel reminds me of the story of the little red hen...