What must I do to be saved

Again, there is no such thing as in the scriptures as “continue to believe” Your “continue to believe” is to be found nowhere in the scriptures

...and has nothing to do to get salvation.

Yes. Joy is a fruit of the Holy Spirit. This is not the joy the Lord is referring to about the 2nd soil.

When they found out that Jesus wasn't a lottery ticket but a Way of Life, they said no thanks.

So they NEVER had Jesus, and were NEVER a born again new creation. They didn't lose Salvation because they NEVER had it to begin with.

How do you know it's not the joy of the Lord in them?



This is the famous circular reasoning of the 'once saved always saved' crowd I've been talking about: They didn't 'really' have the joy of the Lord in salvation because they fell away. That doesn't answer the question if real believers can fall away. You're using the question to answer the question. I see this in virtually every discussion about 'once saved always saved' I'm in.

Hear, believe, repent, confess, be baptised, obey, forgive, feed on the Word, partake of the Lords Supper upon the first day of the week in the assembly of christians, pray, try not to sin, remain faithful until you die.

That was a very well summarized and articulated portion of Scripture, I agree that everything you said is Biblical. The only question that remains is, what role does God play in all of this. Is He passive in this, does He make the rules and then leave each person to navigate their way through life and hopefully they all make the right decision to obey and gain salvation.

This question has divided the Church, because you could use the scriptures to support both positions.

Do you realize when you take the position that God chooses who will be saved, you are also taking the position that God also "chooses" who will not be saved?

So let's take your position a step further …

It is now judgment day and the unbeliever is standing before God to give an account.

He (or she) can tell God "Well God, You did not choose me and I did exactly as You "willed" for me in my life. Therefore, you cannot consign me to the lake of fire because I did Your "will" for me in my life."

Romans 1:18-20 states that those who suppress the truth in unrighteousness are without excuse.

But you give the unbeliever and excuse for his/her behavior.

There are many scriptures which support the view that we don't decide to believe in Christ, but faith in Christ is a gift that God gives only to His elect.

We (all mankind) are totally depraved because of the sin of Adam, and none of us are worthy of eternal life. I believe these people Paul is talking about, in Rom 1, not glorifying God, are children of God (that which is known of God ls manifest in them). 1 Cor 2:16 states that the natural man (not born again) can not know the things of God because they are spiritually discerned. These children of God were disobedient and were believing in themselves, and their own works, as do most of Gods children in this day and time.(Rom 1:25) Romans chapter 1 reflects God chastening his disobedient children. (Heb 12:6-8). God does not chasten those that are not his children (Psalms 73:5, Neither are they PLAGUED, Greek interpretation DIVINELY PUNISHED, like other men).

No need to get into personal attacks. Anyone who distorts the Gospel is indeed deceived by Satan.

So let me answer your question, and in turn you should abandon your false Calvinistic ideas. The world in John 3:17 (as in John 3:16, or in 1 John 2:2, or many other Scriptures) means "the whole world".

οὐ γὰρ ἀπέστειλεν ὁ θεὸς τὸν υἱὸν αὐτοῦ εἰς τὸν κόσμον ἵνα κρίνῃ τὸν κόσμον ἀλλ' ἵνα σωθῇ ὁ κόσμος δι' αὐτοῦ

For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

Strong's Concordance
kosmos: order, the world
Original Word: κόσμος, ου, ὁ
Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine
Transliteration: kosmos
Phonetic Spelling: (kos'-mos)
Short Definition: the world, universe
Definition: the world, universe; worldly affairs; the inhabitants of the world; adornment.

Thayer's Greek Lexicon
STRONGS NT 2889: κόσμος

5. the inhabitants of the world: θέατρονἐγενήθημεν τῷ κόσμῳ καί ἀγγέλοις καίἀνθρώποις, 1 Corinthians 4:9 (Winers Grammar, 127 (121)); particularly the inhabitants of the earth, men, the human race (first so in Sap. (e. g.) :.. John 3:17; John 10:36; John 17:18; 1 John 4:9;...

Thayer's definition - 2889 Kosmos, 8) a) used of believers only, John 1:29, 3:16, 3:17, 6:33, 12:47, 1 Cor 4:9, 2 Cor 5:19.

God, who “will render to each one according to his deeds”: eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality; Romans 2:6-7


This is who will receive eternal life on the Day of Judgement:

• eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality;

JPT

Since I quoted from Thayer's, this is bogus.

What are you talking about Ralph? How is NOT having Jesus circular reasoning?
Jesus says they didn't have Him.

so, in other words, you monitor their behavior, and if it suits you, them you allow them to attend your church.

would not a much simpler solution be just to let everyone who wants to come in in, and then they can accept or reject what is being said.
personally, I think that many ( me being one ) would tell you to stick your arrogant , judgemental attitude somewhere I can't say on here, and leave , and find somewhere that actually cared about people.

Your continued reference to an unrelated passage of Scripture does not identify the sower in the parable of the sower.

What would be "fun" (to me) would be for you to let the words of Jesus stand with no input from you. Jesus does not need your help in interpreting the parable of the sower.

That may not be "fun" for you because you appear to hold yourself above the Lord Jesus Christ. Nothing but pride from your vain imagination. And since you like the epistle of 1 John so much, check out 1 John 2:16.





Respect from you?

I prefer to stand approved before God when it comes to rightly dividing the Word of Truth.





You're getting closer ...

I would say the "vessel specifically being used to sow" the seed (which you acknowledge we do not know) is the sower.

No need to go to another unrelated passage in order to bolster your pride in trying to identify that which remains unidentified in God's Word.





Right. That is not the point of the parable. That is why Jesus remained silent in that regard.





It is not meaningless, nor is it baseless, for me to strenuously implore that you not add to Scripture.





The point is the sower is sowing. You know the "vessel" who "does not even matter"? And who you agree we do not know "what vessel specifically is being used to sow"? That's the sower in the parable.

2 Pet 20-21, Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation, For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man; but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. I believe that the wording of the 1611 King James bible to be the only source of reference for the truth where all scriptures harmonize without any contradictions. There are many versions that have left out some of the original scriptures and have changed the wording of some of the scriptures to reflect the necessity of a mans work to get eternal life. For example "Gal 2:16 - Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith ( OF CHRIST, has been changed IN CHRIST), Which makes it man's faith that justifies himself instead of Christ"s faith. The Greek interpretation of the word SAVED is A DELIVERANCE. All of the actions of man that you have stated will "deliver" (save) him here in his life in this world, but they are not the cause of his eternal deliverance.

If you believe that our good deeds are the reason we get eternal life, then, how do you make that harmonize with Eph 2:8-9? Eph 2:10 we ( those who have been quickened "born again" )

No such thing.
Once you lose your salvation it's gone, baby. Gone. No one is allowed to re-crucify Christ. God doesn't allow that.

Interpretation of words is not all we have to go on. The physical representations of the old testament explain the spiritual meanings of the new testament. In the old testament a statue of a snake representing Jesus coming in the likeness of sinful man was lifted up in the desert. So that all who sinned and got a disease could come to it and be healed. It was put there for all who were afflicted, but those who did not go to utilise died.

In the same way, only Christ's blood saves from sin. And He was lifted up on the cross- for all to come to the cross and be saved. And even though it is for all, only those who come to the cross will be saved. This is not earning it, it is receiving it. God could choose to hand deliver to each person, but no, He decides they must come to Him with a humble and obedient heart. Do not get tripped up about that. Obedience cannot earn salvation- therefore God can have us obey all He wants and grace will still be a gift. He only gives grace to those who obey in such ways- hear, believe, repent, confess, baptized, remain faithful until death.

In 1 Cor 2:16 says " But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness unto him; neither can he know them,because they are spiritually discerned. Are you telling me that the natural man can hear spiritual things, believe spiritual things, repent because he is convicted by spiritual things, confess because he understands spiritual commandments, gets baptized and remains faithful unto his death, all because he received things of the Spirit of God? Is eternal salvation a free gift if we have to hear, repent,confess, be baptized? Would this not make man able to cause himself to be saved eternally? The Greek interpretation of "salvation" is "a deliverance". The born again person, if he follows God's commandments, as you have stated, can cause himself to be delivered (saved) from his former disobedience as he lives his life here, but obeying God's commandments can not save you eternally. You can never make the scriptures harmonize unless you keep the salvation (deliverance) scriptures in their context.

First of all I am not the author of Romans 2:7, which says -

• eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality;

Is this the truth or a lie?

It’s one or the other.

It’s the conclusion and end for this age of which God will judge each of us according to our deeds.

Please understand this very clear statement.

God will judge is and render to us according to our deeds.

Our deeds.

What He will render or give to us is either eternal life or indignation and wrath.

This is when we receive the salvation of our soul or not.

• receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls. 1 Peter 1:9

JPT