Not By Works

So was the Great Commission in Matthew 28 also a command directed to the 11 apostles only? Why do so many of us automatically assumed its also directed to us as well?

I don’t want to derail this thread but just ask you a simple question. I don’t read the KJV because old English is too difficult for me to take in. What are your thoughts on the NKJV?

No. It was directed to any believer who desires to preach the gospel.

I don’t know one believer who thinks this way.

If this is true, then we must also heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons, etc.

Nope. Nobody has said this. But what you are advocating is that one can believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, become a new creature, circumcised from the body of flesh, sealed to the day of redemption, then one day turn away from the Lord and He rips you right out of His body, takes His Spirit away from you, you become the old creature again, attached back to the body of flesh, and never again able to call upon the name of the Lord for salvation because He’s not able to save you a second time. You’ve got one shot at this. Don’t mess it up. Is that pretty much what you believe? And you get this from Hebrews, a book written to the Jews in the last days.

No. It was directed to any believer who desires to preach the gospel.

Because, unlike the flood that came and went, the world has not ended yet and Jesus himself said I am with until the end of the world regarding the preaching/teaching of the gospel.

Beware that studying Dispensationalism hasn’t made you an example of Ecclesiastes 7:16; making yourself overwise destroying yourself.

About 15 years ago I was searching for a chat site and meant to type in Christian.com. I accidentally put an X in front of it and it turns out there was actually a site named XChristian.com.

It was a site dedicated to people who used to believe in Jesus Christ but no longer did so. Some folks were welcoming to Christians and desired raw, unadulterated, no holds bar communication. There were tears of pain and hearts that yearned for peace.

There were however other former believers who were downright demonic and darker than one can put into words. They cursed the Name of Jesus with the most vile insults I’ve ever encountered from hearts that were ruled with the essence of pure evil.

I used to think former believers could not possibly have salvation but CC has taught me a few things about God’s faithfulness and it gives me hope for those hateful people. Yet it is an honest question regarding how anyone with the Holy Spirit can curse our Lord and Savior.

I used to think former believers could not possibly have salvation but CC has taught me a few things about God’s faithfulness and it gives me hope for those hateful people. Yet it is an honest question regarding how anyone with the Holy Spirit can curse our Lord and Savior.

My question would be were they truly former believers, Or make believers who ended up hating God because he did not give them what they were looking for.

Just my musing here Light, but it's quite possible that some of those people were raised as Christians as children, they know the scriptures but have never been born again.

My friends two daughters were raised that way - one is marginal and the other went the other was when they left home - both very intelligent.

I personally knew a person who was on drugs and given to drunkenness; he was encouraged to seek Jesus and be saved.

You know what his response was?

[in drunken muttering he said]
“I was saved already; how many times do I need to be saved?!”

He was brought up in church going family in a staunch Once Saved, Always Saved church. I remember the pastor would occasionally point his finger to the assembly from the pulpit and vehemently declare “ONCE SAVED ALWAYS SAVED NO MATTER WHAT YOU DO!”

So I guess in this individual’s weak mind he was truly saved even while on drugs and drunkenness. This is why I despise the OSAS doctrine. Nothing personal.

Ask 11th hour.

This will never happen in these last days where faith lacks and false doctrines abound.

No argument with this. I have always stated in my posts no works can earn us salvation only faith in Christ Jesus. This is clearly scriptural. What I have statec in my posts is that belief in Christ has to be supported by works in demonstration of that faith or belief. I have also cited scriptures in support of this.

Yes, I also know a man who loved the Lord, served Him fervently through His church, then one day, his wife left him with his children. Do you know what he did? He hit the bottle...hard. He couldn’t get over his circumstances. It was a dark time in his life. He blamed God for allowing this to happen. Many years later, he met a nice Christian lady, who helped him get his life back in order, and he’s currently alcohol free serving the Lord again. Was he always saved? Absolutely! No matter the sin, you don’t stop being a son.

Unfortunately, the person I was speaking of DIED in this condition recently. That broke my heart.

Just come right out and make your accusation on what I believe.
Prove where I have ever told a single person or have ever made a statement it is okay to sin all we want.

Again you sir are very dishonest... is this willful on your part?

Is this willful dishonesty from you from a place of unbelief?

One guy was exactly as you describe, not getting what he wanted. I told him time and again he simply didn’t have the faith. I remember him telling me that he said to God, if you exist prove yourself to me. I told him that’s not a heart with true faithful desires, hence why God was silent.