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.

Hevosmies

Well-known member
Sep 8, 2018
3,612
2,633
113
Although it is our responsibility to choose to believe in Christ unto salvation and we will be held accountable for unbelief, (John 3:18) saving belief/faith in Christ is never exclusively a matter of human decision. Unless the Father draws us and enables us, (John 6:44,65) we would NEVER come to believe in/place faith in Christ unto salvation all by ourselves. The approach of the soul to Christ is initiated by the Father, but He doesn't force us to choose Christ, we must choose Him. The impulse to faith in Christ comes from God. Until man gets to the end of the creature, he will not get to the beginning of the Creator.
Well you know where I stand on that!

But I agree, nobody is FORCED to choose Christ. Also the reformed dont teach that!

You are a cool guy Mailmandan always polite and write indepth responses. CLASS ACT alltogether! I got a lot to learn from you
 

VCO

Senior Member
Oct 14, 2013
11,995
4,615
113
So you don't know of anyone with a powerful testimony of when they were saved?

Oh YES, but it is not you.

Many on this board, and even me, but the WAY YOU CONTRADICT SCRIPTURE, tells me you follow A FALSE PROPHET.
 
E

eternally-gratefull

Guest
Oh YES, but it is not you.

Many on this board, and even me, but the WAY YOU CONTRADICT SCRIPTURE, tells me you follow A FALSE PROPHET.
Remember, the root of his argument is we do not believe in obedience, or preach it. We do not believe in changed lives, and an all powerful God who takes darkness and turns them into light. He is to busy try8ing to puff up how many great works he does and how righteous he is to even see what is really going on..

So he can not fathom that we have or know people who have powerful testimonies.. In fact, if we did, it would go against what he believes, so even if we say it, He will not believe it.
 

Argueless

Active member
Oct 21, 2018
658
161
43
You do a good job of boasting in yourself. As for me, I only boast in Christ. Galatians 6:14 - But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. (y)
]We can see and identify from these discussions who are the servants of God and who are not...who are righteous and who are wicked.

Jesus told His disciples to preach the Gospel unto all nations and teach them to OBEY HIS COMMANDMENTS. (Matthew 28:18-20)

Now those who adhere to the Lord's instructions are called "IDIOTIC", WORKS SALVATIONISTS, SINLESS PERFECTIONISTS, SALVATION LOSERS ETC. Insulting and mocking the idea of OBEDIENCE TO GOD as PART OF SALVATION. (See Hebrews 5:7-9)

They are calling evil GOOD and good EVIL. (Isaiah 5:20-24)

What is NOTICEABLE is how this people PROUDLY and CONTINUOUSLY calling themselves "SINNERS" even after claiming at the same time that they were BORN AGAIN of incorruptible seed.

(A double personality suffering from SCHIZOPHRENIA who love to DOUBLE TALK.)

I am not insulting or mocking anyone but just EXPOSING them to lead them to godly sorrow and somehow REPENT.

...When I say to a wicked man, ‘YOU WILL SURELY DIE,’ and you do not warn him or speak out to DISSUADE HIM FROM HIS EVIL WAYS in order TO SAVE HIS LIFE, that wicked man will die for his sin, and I will hold you ACCOUNTABLE for his blood. But if you do warn the wicked man and he does not turn from his wickedness or from his evil ways, he will die for his sin; but you will have saved yourself. “Again, when a righteous man turns from his righteousness and does evil, and I put a stumbling block before him, he will die. Since you did not warn him, he will die for his sin. The righteous things he did will not be remembered, and I will hold you accountable for his blood. But if you do WARN the righteous man not to sin and he does not sin, HE WILL SURELY LIVE because HE TOOK WARNING, and you will have saved yourself.” Ezekiel 3:18-21

... “Behold, I come like a thief! Blessed is he who stays awake and keeps his clothes with him, so that he may not go naked and be SHAMEFULLY EXPOSED.” Revelation 16:15

...“YOU HAVE SAID HARSH THINGS AGAINST ME,” says the Lord. “Yet you ask, ‘What have we said against you?’ “You have said, ‘IT IS FUTILE TO SERVE GOD. What did we gain by CARRYING OUT HIS REQUIREMENTS and going about like mourners before the Lord Almighty? But now we call the arrogant blessed. Certainly the evildoers prosper, and even those who challenge God escape.’” Then those who feared the Lord talked with each other, and the Lord listened and heard. A scroll of remembrance was written in his presence concerning those who feared the Lord and honored his name. “THEY WILL BE MINE,” says the Lord Almighty, “in the day when I make up my treasured possession. I WILL SPARE THEM, just as in compassion a man spares his son who serves him. And you will again see the distinction between THE RIGHTEOUS and THE WICKED, between THOSE WHO SERVE God and THOSE WHO DO NOT. Malachi 3:13-18

...I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me in LEADING THE GENTILES TO OBEY GOD BY WHAT I HAVE SAID AND DONE—
Romans 15:18

What are you teaching?

Aren't you leading believers to DISOBEY GOD?

It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the heathen, who do not know God; and that in this matter NO ONE SHOULD WRONG HIS BROTHER OR TAKE ADVANTAGE OF HIM. THE LORD WILL PUNISH MEN FOR ALL SUCH SINS, as we have already told you and WARNED YOU. FOR GOD DID NOT CALL US TO BE IMPURE, but to LIVE A HOLY LIFE. Therefore, HE WHO REJECTS THIS INSTRUCTION DOES NOT REJECT MAN BUT GOD, who gives you his Holy Spirit.
1 Thessalonians 4:3-8

...See to it that you DO NOT REFUSE HIM who speaks. IF THEY DID NOT ESCAPE when they refused him who warned them on earth, how much less will we, IF WE TURN AWAY FROM HIM WHO WARNS US FROM HEAVEN? Hebrews 12:25

...The Spirit clearly says that in later times some WILL ABANDON THE FAITH and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron. 1 Timothy 4:1-2

Those who will ABANDON THEIR FAITH are those who CLAIM to have FAITH but without works...DEAD...NO POWER...

...“WHY do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and DO NOT DO WHAT I SAY? I will show you what he is like who comes to me and HEARS MY WORDS and PUTS THEM INTO PRACTICE. He is like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. But the one who hears my words and DOES NOT PUT THEM INTO PRACTICE is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete.” Luke 6:46-49

..."FAITH WITHOUT WORKS IS DEAD."...James 2:26

...LET GOD BE TRUE...GOD CANNOT BE MOCKED...(Romans 3:3-4 & Galatians 6:7-10)

If you really are obedient to God then teach us to OBEY GOD...what hinders you to do so and would rather attack those who continue in His teachings?


...On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him.” Then Judas (not Judas Iscariot) said, “But, Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world?” Jesus replied, “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. He who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me. John 14:20-24

...Why do you call me "Lord, Lord", and do not do what I say?
 

VCO

Senior Member
Oct 14, 2013
11,995
4,615
113
I child is back with a new name, and still needing a good spanking.


Teach me to not type a post before I had my morning coffee. That should have been:

I see the child is back with a new name, and still needing a good spanking.
 

YourTruthGod

Active member
Mar 9, 2019
984
85
28
Will you consider something carefully I want to say to you about what you so nicely explained to me here? Please listen carefully...
Nobody is saying don't obey God
Many people here are saying it. Most say it is the way to get saved, and how obeying has nothing ever to do with our salvation after believing. Some even say that our believing didn't have anything to do with our getting saved (Calvinism). So please stop saying nobody is saying don't obey God. You are saying to believe and do not do anything else and that that is obeying.
or that we are saved by an empty profession of faith/dead faith that results in no obedience/works.
Faith without right action IS EMPTY no matter how strong and wonderful faith is. We are not saved by just faith and then a wait and see if that faith was a live saving faith if the person obeys later. I have actually had people argue that to me---they say, "faith alone to get saved and then after they are saved they will start to obey". Then I say what if they don't start obeying? The person said to me, "Then their faith was not real."
Did you hear that? That means then faith alone IS dead and cannot save---just like James says.
(James 2:14) Authentic faith in Christ results in obedience (Ephesians 2:5-10),
See! That is what you are saying too, just like I said you do, even though you deny it.
but we are still saved through faith in Christ and not by obedience/works which follow.
We are not saved through faith in Christ in the first place unless you do something, like humble yourself and repent of a sin and called on Jesus.
You just can't seem to get that through your head.
Believe me, I understand exactly what you are saying. You explain your beliefs well! It's just that you need to really consider harder what I am saying.
Prior to my conversion several years ago while still attending the Roman Catholic church, I couldn't get it through my head either. Been there, done that.
Catholics don't believe in faith alone, or works that Jesus tells us. Jesus says to humble yourself and repent; not, baptize babies who can do no such thing.
*BUT NOW I BELIEVE (Romans 1:16) and the blinders have been removed. (2 Corinthians 4:3,4) (y) Praise God! :)
I really do understand how hard it must be to think you finally see and have your eyes opened by God, but then have to give it up because it was false. I tell you though, the true light is better than that.
Let me give you an example from my own life. I have a powerful testimony of when I was saved. Even after this powerful salvation, confusion came when I joined a Christian discussion group and there were some people who took extra interest in me and started to convince me about Calvinism being truth. I just couldn't make any sense about what they said. I was so confused, but when I finally understood it, I thought it was God was opening my eyes to His truth. I wanted to learn more about it though and make sure, since I had been in false denominations before. I wanted to know the truth so bad that I hardly ate and sleep for the next couple of weeks while I studied; I even thought about it in my sleep. That's how important it was to me. I finally could see that Calvinism was false. But what would have been horrible is if I kept those false beliefs that I felt when I first 'got it'.
What I am trying to say is that just because you 'got it' concerning the faith alone doctrine, it doesn't mean it is the true light. KWIM?
 

YourTruthGod

Active member
Mar 9, 2019
984
85
28
Being saved is about passing from death to life, and haveing an eternal relationship with God,

But you have to get the “being saved part” right. If your not saved, You can do all the works you want. They will nto amount to anything but bloody rags.
I really do hear how badly you want me to understand, and it does mean so much to me that you care, as I think all of us do that are here. Think about it, we are here in a discussion group about God. We spend hours of our life here every day and would rather be talking about God more than anything else. But I tell you, the obeying Jesus part is salvation, it is how we don't accept false doctrines and end up in false denominations. It is how we enter salvation in the first place. I believed in Jesus since a very young child, and was not given the Holy Spirit and saved until I was much older, and it was only after I started to obey Jesus.
 

Budman

Senior Member
Mar 9, 2014
4,153
1,999
113
Being saved is about a personal relationship with Jesus. How do you get that doing everything that Jesus says, living to please him, is not about Him?

Three questions:

1. Is salvation a gift?

2. Is grace unmerited?

3. How many sins have yet to be atoned/paid for?


Answers:

1. Yes (Romans 4:4-6, 5:12-17, 6:23, John 4:10, 2 Corinthians 9:15, Ephesians 2:8-9, 3:7, 4:7-8, Acts 2:38)

2. Yes (2 Timothy 1:9, Romans 3:28, 11:5-6, John 3:16, 5:24, 6:28-29, 47, Galatians 3:8, 26)

3. ZERO (Romans 6:10, 1 John 1:7, 29, 2:2, Colossians 1:20, 22 2:13, Hebrews 10:14)

Case closed.
 

BillG

Senior Member
Feb 15, 2017
9,025
4,444
113
Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
Ooh don't forget the next verses

Romans 8:29-30 (NKJV)
29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. 30 Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.

I like the NLT

Romans 8:28-30 (NLT Study Bible Text,)
28 And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. 29 For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. 30 And having chosen them, he called them to come to him. And having called them, he gave them right standing with himself. And having given them right standing, he gave them his glory.

Anyway the point I want to make comes from V29, leading on from V28.

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God,

So to me God works in us in all things.
Our past, our present.
All hurts, pains and sins. He deals with us, heals, corrects, chastises us.
He doesn't make bad things good. He can't.

For the purpose of V29.

To conform us to the image of Jesus.
To become more Christlike.

Now that is really good news.
 

YourTruthGod

Active member
Mar 9, 2019
984
85
28
Boasting of the changed lives that occur to ALL people who are born of Christ.

Its not basting on each other doing all these good works.. Its boasting in Christ changing them. And all that comes from that. (The ahole package)

You focus to much on self my friend. And works. You miss most of the package.

Until you start to boast more in God and his promise and his power. You are not a speaker for Christ.. Your boasting in your own power and ability, Not Gods..
My own power? It is not hard to do what Jesus says to do.

Jesus' words are powerful.

When he says humble yourself to enter, I believe it!

When he says forgive others or you are not forgiven, I believe it!

When he says repent or perish, I trust him that it is true.
 

Budman

Senior Member
Mar 9, 2014
4,153
1,999
113
My own power? It is not hard to do what Jesus says to do.

Jesus' words are powerful.

When he says humble yourself to enter, I believe it!

When he says forgive others or you are not forgiven, I believe it!

When he says repent or perish, I trust him that it is true.

What happens if a Christian dies with unconfessed sin?

Do you believe a Christian can lose salvation? If so, how many unconfessed sins can a Christian have before they lose salvation?
 

FollowHisSteps

Well-known member
Feb 15, 2019
3,674
1,201
113
What happens if a Christian dies with unconfessed sin?

Do you believe a Christian can lose salvation? If so, how many unconfessed sins can a Christian have before they lose salvation?
The Lord knows. We walk in grace, learning how to follow after our Lord.
Do those who follow not weep when sin encrouches on their life or just
say so what?

It seems some teach believe through sin that everything in Christ is ok.
It is like a horror film, waking up with a knife in your hand dripping blood,
it is not your fault, it is your flesh that will be dumped for a perfect version
that does not have these sinful problems, so no worries.

Bit of a shock when the junked body comes with a junked spirit, bit late
then, opps.....:cry:
 
E

eternally-gratefull

Guest
I really do hear how badly you want me to understand, and it does mean so much to me that you care, as I think all of us do that are here. Think about it, we are here in a discussion group about God. We spend hours of our life here every day and would rather be talking about God more than anything else. But I tell you, the obeying Jesus part is salvation, it is how we don't accept false doctrines and end up in false denominations. It is how we enter salvation in the first place. I believed in Jesus since a very young child, and was not given the Holy Spirit and saved until I was much older, and it was only after I started to obey Jesus.
You miss the whole point of the gspel

We OBEY BECAUSE we have been saved.

We are SAVED because we CAN”T obey

You keep putting the cart before the horse.
 
E

eternally-gratefull

Guest
My own power? It is not hard to do what Jesus says to do.

Jesus' words are powerful.

When he says humble yourself to enter, I believe it!

When he says forgive others or you are not forgiven, I believe it!

When he says repent or perish, I trust him that it is true.
If its not hrd to do what God told us to do. We would have obeyed God and jesus could have stayed in heaven instead of enduring the cross.

Yes, it is all about you!
 

YourTruthGod

Active member
Mar 9, 2019
984
85
28
You turn boasting in the cross into boasting in self. :cautious:
Believing is like drinking his blood. We have to do more than just believe. Obeying is like eating his flesh. After we drink his blood and eat his flesh, he gives us pure water to drink, the Holy Spirit.
 

YourTruthGod

Active member
Mar 9, 2019
984
85
28
He also adde3d to th eword. Paul never said those things, He said he boasted IN CHRIST.
Are you kidding? Read what Paul is boasting about:

2 Corinthians 1:12 Now this is our boast: Our conscience testifies that we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially in our relations with you, with integrity and godly sincerity. We have done so, relying not on worldly wisdom but on God's grace.

Did you read that?
Paul says this is our boast: the way they conducted themselves.

Read this scripture:

2 Corinthians 7:14 I had boasted to him about you, and you have not embarrassed me. But just as everything we said to you was true, so our boasting about you to Titus has proved to be true as well.

What is Paul boasting in? He is boasting in the conduct of another person!
 

FollowHisSteps

Well-known member
Feb 15, 2019
3,674
1,201
113
Yeah How can a dead faith be powerful??
The more he talks. The more unbelievable he becomes
A faith with no power is a faith that does not produce believers with a desire to
be like Jesus because they do not love Him or His walk.

The lie is when believers who think sinning is acceptable, and the way of love
is the way of death and judgement.

But then if unbeleivers claim to know Jesus yet have no ability to walk like
Jesus, this is the best comprise they can come up with.

But His sheep know His voice, listen and follow. So Praise God there is not
defeat or failure, just sadness that people could come so close and yet not
believe the creator of the world came with a promise of freedom and transformation.