Not By Works

  • Christian Chat is a moderated online Christian community allowing Christians around the world to fellowship with each other in real time chat via webcam, voice, and text, with the Christian Chat app. You can also start or participate in a Bible-based discussion here in the Christian Chat Forums, where members can also share with each other their own videos, pictures, or favorite Christian music.

    If you are a Christian and need encouragement and fellowship, we're here for you! If you are not a Christian but interested in knowing more about Jesus our Lord, you're also welcome! Want to know what the Bible says, and how you can apply it to your life? Join us!

    To make new Christian friends now around the world, click here to join Christian Chat.

ljs

Member
Jan 13, 2018
310
443
63
If you do not do ... insert whatever work you like .... you will not inherit Eternal Life

Ben , have you not realized YET , that eternal life is not granted based on what we do ??
 

benhur

Senior Member
Feb 8, 2018
1,534
121
63
A church is a local assembly, and need not be in 100% agreement with every other local assembly all around the world. Hey, I love my church, and the elders, and pastors, though I am not in 100% agreement with them on all points, either. There is no way I am going to leave over it. Your unsolicited advice is obviously not appreciated. Why don't you just leave it alone if you are so concerned about love and unity?

"In Essentials Unity, In Non-Essentials Liberty, In All Things Charity"
I was talking about VCO and decon, 2 very powerful and opinionated people. I was not talking about you. If you love your church that is wonderful, and stay with it. I did not give you unsolicited advice to change your church. I said that VCO would not accept decon as his pastor, nor would decon accept VCO as his pastor.

What I did not say is Magenta, you too are obviously disturbed with your church and I would suggest you leave it so you can find a church that is closer to what you believe in. This I did not say, which somehow you have got in your mind.

I am concerned with love and unity, so if you find love and unity in your church, by all means stay and be happy. If you disagree with what I say, you have the right to disagree, but do it in a way that will offend me the least, lest through your words I decide Christianity is not for me, and you get to account for my blood.

BTW, I enjoy your designs and your nice words too. Thank you.
 

Magenta

Senior Member
Jul 3, 2015
60,334
29,581
113
I was talking about VCO and decon, 2 very powerful and opinionated people. I was not talking about you. If you love your church that is wonderful, and stay with it. I did not give you unsolicited advice to change your church. I said that VCO would not accept decon as his pastor, nor would decon accept VCO as his pastor.

What I did not say is Magenta, you too are obviously disturbed with your church and I would suggest you leave it so you can find a church that is closer to what you believe in. This I did not say, which somehow you have got in your mind.

I am concerned with love and unity, so if you find love and unity in your church, by all means stay and be happy. If you disagree with what I say, you have the right to disagree, but do it in a way that will offend me the least, lest through your words I decide Christianity is not for me, and you get to account for my blood.

BTW, I enjoy your designs and your nice words too. Thank you.
I did not say you said any of that. However, you went after dcon and others after giving unsolicited advice. Generally speaking, unsolicited advice is not appreciated, especially when offered by one to another where contention already exists between the parties involved. Honestly, it just looks like one person trying to vaunt themselves above another, dressed up to look like something else. There is already too much of that sort of thing, here... what I would call a darker aspect of this community.

I am glad you appreciate my designs :) I feel very blessed in so many ways, because in a sense my whole life has prepared me for this type of endeavor, and it is a wonderful use of the creativity God has endowed upon me. Do you have a favorite verse?
 

benhur

Senior Member
Feb 8, 2018
1,534
121
63
If you do not do ... insert whatever work you like .... you will not inherit Eternal Life

Ben , have you not realized YET , that eternal life is not granted based on what we do ??
I hear what you are saying, but we do have to believe. That is something we must do or you will not have EL.
We must trust the Lord, or we will not have EL
We must have the baptism of the spirit or we will not have EL.
In my mind, we must be baptized by full immersion or we will not have EL.
We must have faith in the Lord, or we will not have EL.

When a person believes and is baptized of the spirit, and becomes a new person, then the HG brings out the best in that person and they start serving the Lord in ways they never would otherwise (doing good works). They do the works that the Lord has prepared for them to do. These good works for the Lord and his kingdom, are a sign that this person really believe, was baptized of the spirit and is a new person in Jesus Christ.

So there are a lot of things we must do in order to have EL, you must have just forgotten.
 

BillG

Senior Member
Feb 15, 2017
9,025
4,444
113
Hi Bill, I made sure that I made it clear that Christians will have many works so I am confused about what you disagree with, after that you lost me in your conversation I could not understand most of what you were saying.

Quote from my post: "True born again Christians will have plentiful works for their Savior." (I'm still not sure what I said that you disagree with sorry).

God bless!
Hi bro.

Thanks for responding.

Hopefully I can clarify what I was trying to say.

I think "Pride" is another characteristic of someone who adds works to the finished work of our Savior. True born again Christians will have plentiful works for their Savior but they take their rightful place as a servant. It is the proud and self-serving worker's for salvation who think Jesus needs a little help saving their souls. Here is an insight from Charles Spurgeon that reveals the motive of the proud self-righteous workers for salvation.
What I was trying to say is that genuine believers can and do add works to keep their salvation or ensure it happens on the day of judgement.

They do so not of pride but out of insecurity.

They have been fed false doctrine and have started to build on the foundation of Jesus finished work.

Hence my quote "What a pitiful life"
Such people like I was starts quantifying and qualifying works needed in order to be saved.

And the truth is for such people who do not fully understand who they are in Jesus and what he has done and that he loves them so much, they can never do enough, walk around waiting for the 3 strikes and your out.

So what I was trying to say their works are not one of pride but one of insecurity.

Which is totally different from those because of their pride.
They exalt themselves above others and dare I say it above Jesus.
They look down on others, boast in their own works.
They consider themselves saved by works, when you ask them to quantify, qualify they can't. They only qualify the biggies but neglect the heart.
Such people build on the foundation of Jesus, and espouse that.
If you do this, don't do that then you will be saved.
By your fruits you will know them.
That fruit is their doctrine.
Sheep in wolves clothing, that is their fruit.

So I was trying to convey that those who genuinely love Jesus but add works as a caveat are not doing it out of pride but insecurity.

Does that make sense now?

If not let me know.

Bill
 
E

eternally-gratefull

Guest
I hear what you are saying, but we do have to believe. That is something we must do or you will not have EL.
We must trust the Lord, or we will not have EL
We must have the baptism of the spirit or we will not have EL.
In my mind, we must be baptized by full immersion or we will not have EL.
We must have faith in the Lord, or we will not have EL.

When a person believes and is baptized of the spirit, and becomes a new person, then the HG brings out the best in that person and they start serving the Lord in ways they never would otherwise (doing good works). They do the works that the Lord has prepared for them to do. These good works for the Lord and his kingdom, are a sign that this person really believe, was baptized of the spirit and is a new person in Jesus Christ.

So there are a lot of things we must do in order to have EL, you must have just forgotten.
And you can sit there and look in the mirror and say you do not teach one must earn their salvation by works?

Your only foolin gyourself my friend.
 
Sep 9, 2018
2,244
1,032
113
71
Illinois
Jesus did tell us that there is one work we must do to be saved . . . it is unavoidable - it is there.

"Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent" (John 6:28-29).

However, note the nuance of verse 28. The men wanted to know about the 'works' - Jesus corrected them by the use of 'work' . . . and what was it? - BELIEVE
 

BillG

Senior Member
Feb 15, 2017
9,025
4,444
113
So as you remember the scriptures, does Jesus say, love those that agree with you, but smash those that do not? So you can feel good about smashing people who disagree with you, I guess you do not believe in these words of Jesus:

Matthew 5:44 King James Version (KJV)
44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;

We really can have a church of unity, even though we disagree on or most of the doctrines of Christ, because we all believe in Christ, he is the center of our lives and our religions. We are all Christians, and must be able to love even though I am your enemy.
Or not, and that is your choice, but if you do not live the life of Matthew 5:44, I do not believe you will have EL. So lets think about that and be nice.
Thing is Ben.

Per your 2nd paragraph I do see what you are trying to get at.
Love unity and so on.

With regards to "Our religions" I have no idea what you mean.
It's plural and not singular.
There is only one single church and that is the Church Jesus established, through his death, burial and resurrection.
Faith saves when we confess that, and want to walk in it.
That's the foundation on which nothing can be built on.

Now what I find interesting is doctrine within churches as you say.
That's building on foundation of salvation as a result of faith given by grace.

Yet you have doctrine in your life that you are happy to promote, then if they disagree they are not saved and others who disagree with you say the same.

I don't play that game.
I leave that up to Jesus.
He will judge.
He sees the heart
 

TruthTalk

Senior Member
Jul 17, 2017
2,904
2,262
113
If you disagree with what I say, you have the right to disagree, but do it in a way that will offend me the least, lest through your words I decide Christianity is not for me, and you get to account for my blood.
Does everybody here what benher is saying;
we can disagree with him but if our words "offend" him and he decides, quote; "that Christianity is not for him", then you and I will give account for his blood.

Listen to that; if we "offend" benhur by what we say we are accountable for his blood, if he leaves Christianity; can you say "blackmale."

Benur wants the Church to heal our country of all its social ill's and that is what is called a "social gospel", a counterfeit gospel. Benhur is a "bleeding heart liberal", and does not understand what the "True Gospel" is.

And Jesus say's; For ye have the poor always with you; but me ye have not always. Matthew26:11

Benhur, repent and believe the "True Gospel" or you will die in your sin's; I will say again,

What Church are you affiliated with? Maybe the answer is NONE.
 

benhur

Senior Member
Feb 8, 2018
1,534
121
63
I did not say you said any of that. However, you went after dcon and others after giving unsolicited advice. Generally speaking, unsolicited advice is not appreciated, especially when offered by one to another where contention already exists between the parties involved. Honestly, it just looks like one person trying to vaunt themselves above another, dressed up to look like something else. There is already too much of that sort of thing, here... what I would call a darker aspect of this community.

I am glad you appreciate my designs :) I feel very blessed in so many ways, because in a sense my whole life has prepared me for this type of endeavor, and it is a wonderful use of the creativity God has endowed upon me. Do you have a favorite verse?
I went after VCO and decon for being so negative towards each other. Let us all get along even with our differences is what I am saying.

Yes, I do have a favorite verse:
John 17:21 King James Version (KJV)
21 That they (all believers) may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.

*I added the parenthesis.
 
Sep 9, 2018
2,244
1,032
113
71
Illinois
benhur will go wherever he chooses to go . . . and God is powerless to intervene one way or the other. He has given us free will, anything less would be we are nothing more than puppets.
 

benhur

Senior Member
Feb 8, 2018
1,534
121
63
Thing is Ben.

Per your 2nd paragraph I do see what you are trying to get at.
Love unity and so on.

With regards to "Our religions" I have no idea what you mean.
It's plural and not singular.
There is only one single church and that is the Church Jesus established, through his death, burial and resurrection.
Faith saves when we confess that, and want to walk in it.
That's the foundation on which nothing can be built on.

Now what I find interesting is doctrine within churches as you say.
That's building on foundation of salvation as a result of faith given by grace.

Yet you have doctrine in your life that you are happy to promote, then if they disagree they are not saved and others who disagree with you say the same.

I don't play that game.
I leave that up to Jesus.
He will judge.
He sees the heart
I have an opinion about what it takes to be saved, and I will tell people that opinion. If they decide it is true, great, and about 1/2 of the Christian people agree with me. The other half do not, but I will take communion with them any time, because we all believe in Jesus and you are right, Jesus knows our hearts. So I can be a friend of decon or TT. But I do not think they would be my friends, ask them.
 

BillG

Senior Member
Feb 15, 2017
9,025
4,444
113
I have an opinion about what it takes to be saved, and I will tell people that opinion. If they decide it is true, great, and about 1/2 of the Christian people agree with me. The other half do not, but I will take communion with them any time, because we all believe in Jesus and you are right, Jesus knows our hearts. So I can be a friend of decon or TT. But I do not think they would be my friends, ask them.
And the other half who do not?
To be honest I would take communion with someone who places genuine faith in Jesus.

Communion is not to be taken lightly.

With regards to DC & TT you ask them
 

TruthTalk

Senior Member
Jul 17, 2017
2,904
2,262
113
So as you remember the scriptures, does Jesus say, love those that agree with you, but smash those that do not? So you can feel good about smashing people who disagree with you, I guess you do not believe in these words of Jesus:

Matthew 5:44 King James Version (KJV)
44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;

We really can have a church of unity, even though we disagree on or most of the doctrines of Christ, because we all believe in Christ, he is the center of our lives and our religions. We are all Christians, and must be able to love even though I am your enemy.
Or not, and that is your choice, but if you do not live the life of Matthew 5:44, I do not believe you will have EL. So lets think about that and be nice.
When you speak of unity, God know's who true believers are and who the pretenders are. There is a movement called, "The Ecumenical Movement" read about it; Its goal is to have all Churches under the leadership of the Catholic Church. What do you think about that benher is that what you call unity, is this a good idea to you?

If there is false doctrine being taught there is no unity

We are disagreeing not "smashing people."
 

TruthTalk

Senior Member
Jul 17, 2017
2,904
2,262
113
Benhur, why won"t you tell us what Church you are affiliated with. You are calling for us to come together as one body or the unity of Christianity. How on earth can we be one Church body if you will not even begin by telling us what Church you are affiliated with? Do you think we are fools?

First tell us; "What Church are you affiliated with." then we can talk being one body and not until.
 

VCO

Senior Member
Oct 14, 2013
11,995
4,615
113
If you do not do ... insert whatever work you like .... you will not inherit Eternal Life

Ben , have you not realized YET , that eternal life is not granted based on what we do ??

No he has not. SAD:

Romans 11:6 (HCSB)
6 Now if by grace, then it is not by works; otherwise grace ceases to be grace.

Romans 4:4-5 (HCSB)
4 Now to the one who works, pay is not considered as a gift, but as something owed.
5 But to the one who does not work, but believes on Him who declares the ungodly to be righteous, his faith is credited for righteousness.

Titus 3:5-8 (HCSB)
5 He saved usnot by works of righteousness that we had done, but according to His mercy, through the washing of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit.
6 He poured out this ⌊Spirit⌋ on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior,
7 so that having been justified by His grace, we may become heirs with the hope of eternal life.
8 This saying is trustworthy. I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed God might be careful to devote themselves to good works. These are good and profitable for everyone.


No matter how many times I have posted those Scriptures to him, he turns a blind eye, and goes down the wrong road.