Not By Works

Thank you brother, God used you today to help me more than you'll ever know. I sat in my vehicle for nearly two hours typing what little I did through tears

What a blessing that all your kids are believers. That is a testimony of good kids and good parents

I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.
3 John 1:4 KJV

We have 3 kids
Katelyn 19
Codey 20
Corey 9 going on 19 lol

I encouraged my daughter to write in a journal during there long stay at the hospital.......She said she looked over at my son and the dash was all around him and they were using the jaws of life to get him out and he had a woman by the hand and was praying for God to help the EMT's. Then he reached out to her hand and they prayed together.......man I could go on

Please pray for my daughter she fights a lot of guilt due to all this....but it has certainly brought them even closer than they were

Again.....thanks

Amen! Eternal life is a present possession for believers. John 5:24 - Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.

This hope we have is not some cross your fingers, uncertain kind of hope. Unlike the english word "hope," the N.T. word contains no uncertainty; it speaks of something that is certain. - Strong's #1680 elpís (from elpō, "to anticipate, welcome") – properly, expectation of what is sure (certain); hope. If we have saving faith in Christ, then we have this hope. Faith is the substance of things HOPED for.. (Hebrews 11:1). So that being justified by His grace we would be made heirs according to the HOPE of eternal life (Titus 3:7).

Those who have not placed their faith (belief, trust, reliance) in Jesus Christ alone for salvation do not have this certain hope and can only cross their fingers with an uncertain hope of being saved after death based on the merits of their performance, which is hopeless. Christ saves us through faith based on the merits of His finished work of redemption alone and not based on the merits of our works. Not hard to understand. Just hard for many people to ACCEPT.

The gifts and call of GOD are IRREVOCABLE

Salvation is a GIFT.....Look up the word IRREVOCABLE.........IT states it clearly if one is honest

dcon, i have a question concerning Judas

if the gifts and call of God are IRREVOCABLE (as you suggest)

the follow verses says that Jesus not only called Judas, but he also ordained him an Apostle to preach His gospel

was the call of Judas revoked?


Mark 3:13-15 (KJV)
13 And he goeth up into a mountain, and calleth unto him whom he would: and they came unto him.
14 And he ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach,
15 And to have power to heal sicknesses, and to cast out devils:

Hi forum, news update; "Kapow!" -- "God is Faithful", last Thursday I went to the ER, had emergency surgery and Praise Jesus I am now home and doing well, always trust in the Lord no matter what your circumstance and Praise His Name always.

Love to read your insightful posts -- I will jump back in the discussion when God permits,

Psalm 145:21
My mouth will speak in praise of the LORD. Let every creature praise his holy name for ever and ever

JUDAS was an unbeliever and a THIEF who only followed Jesus, because HE THOUGHT THERE WOULD BE BIG MONEY, when JESUS set up the KINGDOM. He had to settle for 30 pieces of silver, when he found out that JESUS was NOT GOING TO SET UP THE KINGDOM, right there at that time,

Matthew 10:4 (ASV)
4 Simon the Cananaean, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him.

John 12:4-6 (HCSB)
4 Then one of His disciples, Judas Iscariot (who was about to betray Him), said,
5 “Why wasn’t this fragrant oil sold for 300 denarii and given to the poor?”
6 He didn’t say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief. He was in charge of the money-bag and would steal part of what was put in it.


HE would STEAL from the Money BAG ALL THE TIME.

PROVED BY HIS ACTS that HE WAS NEVER BORN AGAIN.

And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease.

Jesus gave this power to all 12

Now the names of the twelve apostles are these; The first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; Philip, and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew the publican; James the son of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus; Simon the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him.
Matthew 10:1‭-‬4 KJV

Does the bible not say if you walk in the spirit you will not fulfill the lust of the flesh?

Does the bible not say that with every temptation he will provide a way of Escape?

dcon, i have a question concerning Judas

if the gifts and call of God are IRREVOCABLE (as you suggest)

the follow verses says that Jesus not only called Judas, but he also ordained him an Apostle to preach His gospel

was the call of Judas revoked?


Mark 3:13-15 (KJV)
13 And he goeth up into a mountain, and calleth unto him whom he would: and they came unto him.
14 And he ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach,
15 And to have power to heal sicknesses, and to cast out devils:

OKAY, lets put you to the TEST:


1 Peter 2:13-17 (NKJV)
13 Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake, whether to the king as supreme,
14 or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good.
15 For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men--
16 as free, yet not using liberty as a cloak for vice, but as bondservants of God.
17 Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king.

This is quite easy, pay the speeding ticket when you get caught. For years I would get 2 per year like clock work and I think 2 represented dualistic thinking, the fine for a divided spirit, the good and the bad has to pay as its all bad in God's eyes. Our self righteous and folly.

NOT SO, you FORGET THAT GOD SUBMIT, not VIOLATE AND PAY the FINE.

OH, HE DID PROVIDE A WAY OUT, mine is called CRUISE CONTROL.

It is Christ, the root that produces fruit in the branches


If you can answer the question, what is the difference in receiving something by grace and receiving something as a gift, then we can talk about the verses I gave, and then if you can show me that good works are not part of the grace of God bestowed on us, I will admit my error.

Ephesians 1:6- Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power.

Romans 12:6- Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith;

1 Corinthians 15:12-But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.

1 Corinthians 12:7 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.

I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might. And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.

So if you poses the spirit of wisdom and truth, and you are walking in the love for Christ, you will automatically be one that Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
Because that is the outcome when the spirit of wisdom and truth have revealed to you that Christ is your lord for a reason, and that reason is through Gods merciful will he died a horrible death to conquer what you could never conquer to give you eternal life with the one and only true God. Christ's father. Existences awesome creator. When you have the wisdom that paves the path with truth to allow a smooth flow of that love, you're existence is a good work that will shine. How can it be any other way.
You don't conjure and support your good works, for the will be plainly manifest in your daily existence.
Stop trying to manifest physical deeds that present a mock image of true, light shining, good works.

Hey, by the way, I'm starting a new thread concerning wisdom and it's underrated role in things pertaining to the subject matter of salvation/eternal life.
Im going to title it "Wisdom- The underrated attribute"
My pride says it would be nice to see a few familiar name's with the posts. (wink, wink, ...poke with elbow) 😀
God bless and keep each and every one of you.
Through the mighty grace of God bestowed upon me, I can say in truth , I love each and every one of you.

I Like your thinking as I have though of this before, but obviously Judas has no reward, not having fulfilled His calling, "Many are called but few are chosen." I compare the son of perdition: the lost son, to the first king Saul, He was changed to another man but remained divided because he loved the praise of the people, more than the praise of God. Before he died, he was told by Samuel that he would be with him the next day: Saul became corrupted by power because God appointed him king, somehow Saul knew he was not fit for the picture and hid. once he was appointed against his will he could not let it go: he became corrupted by power, and killed those who did not cooperate with him, a whole city of priests... yet he docent end up in hell but in paradise with Samuel in paradise, obviously without a crown of Life like Samuel and likely still awaiting the final Judgment. interestingly, Saul in the new covenant who became Paul was from the same tribe of Benjamin, who had been judged by the Lord to be destroyed, but Israel prayed that some would be spared. Obviously it doesn't look good for Judas and no one want to be in His sandals. We need to look at the picture without being Judges of evil thought: self righteous Judges condemning ourselves and allowing Buddhists to enter in ahead of us in the process, after all if we had the mind of Christ they would be evangelized.

OKAY, lets put you to the TEST:


1 Peter 2:13-17 (NKJV)
13 Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake, whether to the king as supreme,
14 or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good.
15 For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men--
16 as free, yet not using liberty as a cloak for vice, but as bondservants of God.
17 Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king.

Saying eternal life can be lost is not exactly a righteous thing, it takes credit and honor away from god and places it on self.
So sorry, but i can not agree here

That does not prove that Judas did any casting out of unclean spirits.