Not By Works

It’s not hard to find false teachers/unbelievers in the church (but not of the church) mixed in with believers. To the pure, all things are pure, but to those who are corrupted and do not believe, nothing is pure. In fact, both their minds and consciences are corrupted.

Nothing in the text implies that these corrupt unbelievers were previously pure believers. Such false teachers need to be rebuked of their errors with the goal for them to acknowledge the truth; that they may receive the sound doctrine of the Christian faith.

Yes, that's an extreme view on what John is saying. But at the same time it is true that unconfessed, unrepentant sin can harden the heart, to unbelief:

"12 See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. 13 But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness." - Hebrews 3:12-13

Praise God indeed.

Do you have to consciously continue to breathe to stay alive?

Mat 5:13 Ye (believers) are the salt of the earth: but if the salt (believers) have lost their savor, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out and trodden under foot of men.

2Pe 2:21 For it were better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, then, after knowing it, to turn back from the holy commandment delivered unto them.

2Pe 2:22 It has happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog turning to his own vomit again, and the sow that had washed to wallowing in the mire. Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.

1Co 10:12 The backslider (people do backslide) in heart shall be filled with his own ways;

Zep 1:4-6 I will reach out to punish Judah and Jerusalem— nothing will remain of the god Baal; nothing will be remembered of his pagan priests. Not a trace will be found of those who worship stars from their rooftops, or bow down to the god Milcom, while claiming loyalty to me, the LORD. Nothing will remain of anyone who has turned away and rejected me. (Backslidden Judah)

Please do not tell me people cannot backslide, because that is what backsliders would say.

Thanks Chris! Merry Christmas too you and yours as well, btw.

To continue on with what our Lord was quoting from Isaiah there: "But in vain do they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the precepts of men. Therefore, once more I will astound them with wonder upon wonder; the wisdom of the wise will perish, the intelligence of the intelligent will disappear."

Therefore, a response we have in these days as we "grieve and lament over all the detestable things that are done in it" (Ez.9) through all these false doctrines, is what we find in Hosea 6:1-3: "Come, let us return to the Lord. He has torn us to pieces but He will heal us; He has injured us but He will bind up our wounds. After 2 days He will revive us; on the 3rd day He will raise us up, that we may live in His presence. [there's an awesome, separate revelation there]

So let us know; let us press on to know the Lord. For as surely as the sun rises He will appear; He will come to us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth."

The church will not exit this age in a weaker state than it entered it in. The Holy Spirit will be poured out. We covered Isaiah 35 during family devotions this morning in connection with this. The eyes of the blind will be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. The glory departed, but the ministry of the Spirit will be even more glorious than the glory Moses reflected. We'll have some real oaks of righteousness in those days who will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated; they will renew the ruined cities that have been devastated for generations. Is.61:3,4 The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house. Hag.2:9

Where will the theologian be in those days? The scholar? He'll put his hand over his mouth. So let us press on to know Him.

I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in His suffering, becoming like Him in His death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection of the dead. Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. I do not consider myself to have yet taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. Amen.

To be honest, it did not take any effort at all for me to believe when I was raised from spiritual death. And it does not take effort for me to believe now. I just believe because I know whom I have believed

Coincidentally, here's what I had JUST put over in another place:

[quoting that post (excerpt)]


I believe they [/Israel] will "seek Him" BEFORE His actual "RETURN" to the earth (for at that point, it will be "too late," per what we see in the gospels and in the Olivet Discourse, etc); and

also based on the following passage (among others):


Hosea 5:15-6:3 -

15 Then I will return to My place until they [Israel] admit their guilt and seek My face; in their affliction [this is the "IN THE NIGHT" aspect (starting with the INITIAL "birth PANG [SINGULAR; 1Th5:2-3]")] they [Israel] will earnestly seek Me [some versions say, "in their affliction, they will seek Me EARLY"].”

6:1 Come, let us [Israel] return to the LORD.

For He has torn us [Israel] to pieces,

but He will heal us [Israel];

He has wounded us [Israel],

but He will bind up our [Israel's] wounds.

2 After two days He will revive us [Israel];

on/in the third day He will raise us [Israel] up,

that we [Israel] may live in His presence.

3 So let us know—

let us press on to know the LORD.

As surely as the sun rises,

He will appear;

He will come to us [Israel] like the rain,

like the spring showers [some versions add, 'and the fall rains'] that water the earth [/unto the earth].

[end quoting that excerpt from my post]



The CONTEXT being, "Then I will return to My place UNTIL..." and "in THEIR affliction" [Israel's, per CONTEXT here... not speaking HERE of "the Church WHICH IS HIS BODY"]

Amen.

No, which is probably why no one has to exhort me to continue to do that.

Hmm....no birth pangs.
That would explain your attraction to Calvin's teaching about this subject.

birth pangs in a spiritual resurrection?

The exhortations are the means which God uses. The body will not breathe without the brain, neither will the soul believe without the Spirit of Life. I am speaking of earthly things to explain heavenly things

the baby doesn't experience birth pangs, at least, not that I know of

I did experience what could metaphorically be called birth pangs, but that was after the new birth, when I was already alive, and were not overcome by conciously choosing to believe, but rather through abiding

hupomone is abiding under...

She has and let's be clear salvation loser... @Rosemaryx knows the truth and by faith is eternally saved!

I see the salvation losers and peddlers of Cainology red x'ed this truthful post....proves they are not of God, but rather enemies of Christ and the correct message!

And this scripture, should settle this whole matter, and this whole thread. Yet it continues.

Sin >>>> Unbelief >>>>> Turning away from God

Written to the Church.

Doesn't fit OSAS. So this scripture is also thrown out, or twisted.

Amen Rose.....it is such a blessing to see you mature and grow in Christ will standing against these enemies of Christ that devalue the truth and Jesus by the skewed false gospels they peddle.

@RebuildJesussChurch you can laugh all you want pal....make no mistake, your destiny is sealed to the pit unless you get right and accept the truth....make no mistake, by word you walk as an enemy of Christ!

written to the save saved -->where sin ABOUNDS, GRACE ABOUNDS THE MORE.....make no mistake pal, you skew the word constantly and walk as an enemy of Jesus....your time will come!