Not By Works

VCO · Mar 4, 2020

HERE is how you can KNOW:

Matthew 7:20-21 (HCSB)
20 So you’ll recognize them by their fruit.
21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord!’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but ⌊only⌋ the one who does the will of My Father in heaven.

That will is to be BORN AGAIN, I am convinced! Happens by repenting (mourning over your utter sinfullness), and receiving HIM out of Agape Love as LORD (Master) of your life. That is not works righteousness, it is the HOLY SPIRIT that brings to you, SAVING FAITH.

John 3:3-7 (HCSB)
3 Jesus replied, “I assure you: Unless someone is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
4 “But how can anyone be born when he is old?” Nicodemus asked Him. “Can he enter his mother’s womb a second time and be born?”
5 Jesus answered, “I assure you: Unless someone is born of water {natural child birth}
and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.
6 Whatever is born of the flesh is flesh, and whatever is born of the Spirit is spirit.
7 Do not be amazed that I told you that you must be born again.

1 Corinthians 12:3 (NASB77)
3 Therefore I make known to you, that no one speaking by the Spirit of God says, "Jesus is accursed";
and no one can say, "Jesus is Lord {as a confession}," except by the Holy Spirit.

Romans 10:9-10 (NASB77)
9 that if you confess {not just profess} with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved;
10 for with the heart {human spirit] man believes {not with the human brain}, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.

Romans 5:5 (NASB)
5 and hope does not disappoint, because the {Agape} love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

That GOD-ly LOVE will reproduces itself in the Heart or Human Spirit of Man!
And it will begin to produce life-style Characteristics or FRUITS in the life of one that is truly Born Again.

Galatians 5:22-26 (NASB)
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is {Agape} love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
24 Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.
26 Let us not become boastful, challenging one another, envying one another.

THAT IS HOW YOU WILL KNOW!

OneOfHis · Mar 4, 2020

@VCO

Happy birthday bro.😁

Hope this year is the best one yet.

OneOfHis · Mar 4, 2020

lightbearer said:

You believe salvation is a prize.

But in the verses you are trying to use to prove a point, there is no evidence the words mean what your understanding seems to imply.

First of all there is more than one incorruptible crown.

Secondly, salvation is not a prize or a reward but a gift.

Lastly, castaway being used here is

96. adokimos ►

Strong's Concordance

adokimos: failing to pass the test

Original Word: ἀδόκιμος, ον
Part of Speech: Adjective
Transliteration: adokimos
Phonetic Spelling: (ad-ok'-ee-mos)
Definition: Admin, an Israelite
Usage: failing to pass the test, unapproved, counterfeit.

This would be a moral failing, unapproved to recieve a reward.

This again, using proper context has nothing to do with how we recieve the GIFT of God.

1017. brabeion ►

Strong's Concordance

brabeion: a prize

Original Word: βραβεῖον, ου, τό
Part of Speech: Noun, Neuter
Transliteration: brabeion
Phonetic Spelling: (brab-i'-on)
Definition: a prize
Usage: a prize.
HELPS Word-studies
1017 brabeíon(from 1018 /brabeúō, "act as an umpire") – properly, the prize awarded to a victor, i.e. the reward (recognition) that follows triumph.

5486. charisma ►
Strong's Concordance

charisma: a gift of grace, a free gift

Original Word: χάρισμα, ατος, τό
Part of Speech: Noun, Neuter
Transliteration: charisma
Phonetic Spelling: (khar'-is-mah)
Definition: a gift of grace, a free gift
Usage: a gift of grace, an undeserved favor.

VCO · Mar 4, 2020

OneOfHis said:

When we hear the Trumpet and the Shout of the Archangel, THAT WILL BE THE BEST YEAR YET.

I hope and pray that I will still be alive then. THAT IS GOING TO BE SOMETHING!!

mailmandan · Mar 4, 2020

EleventhHour said:

Don't hold your breath.

EleventhHour · Mar 4, 2020

OneOfHis said:

You believe salvation is a prize.

But in the verses you are trying to use to prove a point, there is no evidence the words mean what your understanding seems to imply.

First of all there is more than one incorruptible crown.

Secondly, salvation is not a prize or a reward but a gift.

Lastly, castaway being used here is

96. adokimos ►

Strong's Concordance

adokimos: failing to pass the test

Original Word: ἀδόκιμος, ον
Part of Speech: Adjective
Transliteration: adokimos
Phonetic Spelling: (ad-ok'-ee-mos)
Definition: Admin, an Israelite
Usage: failing to pass the test, unapproved, counterfeit.

This would be a moral failing, unapproved to recieve a reward.

This again, using proper context has nothing to do with how we recieve the GIFT of God.

1017. brabeion ►

Strong's Concordance

brabeion: a prize

Original Word: βραβεῖον, ου, τό
Part of Speech: Noun, Neuter
Transliteration: brabeion
Phonetic Spelling: (brab-i'-on)
Definition: a prize
Usage: a prize.
HELPS Word-studies
1017 brabeíon(from 1018 /brabeúō, "act as an umpire") – properly, the prize awarded to a victor, i.e. the reward (recognition) that follows triumph.

5486. charisma ►
Strong's Concordance

charisma: a gift of grace, a free gift

Original Word: χάρισμα, ατος, τό
Part of Speech: Noun, Neuter
Transliteration: charisma
Phonetic Spelling: (khar'-is-mah)
Definition: a gift of grace, a free gift
Usage: a gift of grace, an undeserved favor.

What say you @lightbearer.....can you admit your error?

eternally-gratefull · Mar 4, 2020

lightbearer · Mar 4, 2020

Lightskin said:

Let's take a look at the context.

Paul says through the Holy Spirit.

And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway (unqualified, rejected , a reprobate).

The Spirit through Paul said I therefore run, striving for mastery, temperate in all things, not as one that beateth the air, but with purpose. Keeping his body BRINGING it UNTO SUBJECTION; he makes it obey him. HE DOES HIS BEST NOT TO SIN. Lest he be found castaway (unqualified, therefore rejected , a reprobate).

Then THIS Keeping his body BRINGING it UNTO SUBJECTION; doing HIS BEST NOT TO SIN context continues in chapter ten. We know this because CHAPTER TEN starts with word "moreover".

Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; And did all eat the same spiritual meat; And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.

So In relation to this race that Paul says he brings his body into subjection; he makes it obey him, DOES HIS BEST TO NOT SIN lest he be found castaway (unqualified, therefore rejected , a reprobate). He Calls for us not to be ignorant. He says In relation to this race, the Gospel of Christ (1 Cor 9:12,18,23) Paul says that Israel ALSO PARTOOK OF SAME SPIRITUAL MEAT AND SAME SPIRITUAL DRINK OF THAT Spiritual Rock that followed them, Christ. Same race...WE KNOW THAT WHEN PAUL IS SPEAKING ABOUT KEEPING HIS BODY UNDER SUBJECTION HE IS REFERRING TO NOT SINNING, NOT LUSTING AFTER EVIL THINGS. BECAUSE PAUL THROUGH THE SPIRIT STARTS LISTING SINS.

But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness. Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted. Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play. Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand. Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents. Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer. Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.

Though they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ. God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness. They were not temperate, keeping their bodies unto subjection making it obey them. They lusted after evil things. Idolaters, fornicators, murmurers, tempting Christ. Let us not Tempt Christ as they did. For these things were written for ensamples for our admonition.

Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry.
(1Co 9:25-10:14 KJV)

Lightskin · Mar 4, 2020

lightbearer said:

Let's take a look at the context.

Paul says through the Holy Spirit.

And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway (unqualified, rejected , a reprobate).

The Spirit through Paul said I therefore run, striving for mastery, temperate in all things, not as one that beateth the air, but with purpose. Keeping his body BRINGING it UNTO SUBJECTION; he makes it obey him. HE DOES HIS BEST NOT TO SIN. Lest he be found castaway (unqualified, therefore rejected , a reprobate).

Then THIS Keeping his body BRINGING it UNTO SUBJECTION; doing HIS BEST NOT TO SIN context continues in chapter ten. We know this because CHAPTER TEN starts with word "moreover".

Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; And did all eat the same spiritual meat; And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.

So In relation to this race that Paul says he brings his body into subjection; he makes it obey him, DOES HIS BEST TO NOT SIN lest he be found castaway (unqualified, therefore rejected , a reprobate). He Calls for us not to be ignorant. He says In relation to this race, the Gospel of Christ (1 Cor 9:12,18,23) Paul says that Israel ALSO PARTOOK OF SAME SPIRITUAL MEAT AND SAME SPIRITUAL DRINK OF THAT Spiritual Rock that followed them, Christ. Same race...WE KNOW THAT WHEN PAUL IS SPEAKING ABOUT KEEPING HIS BODY UNDER SUBJECTION HE IS REFERRING TO NOT SINNING, NOT LUSTING AFTER EVIL THINGS. BECAUSE PAUL THROUGH THE SPIRIT STARTS LISTING SINS.

But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness. Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted. Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play. Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand. Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents. Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer. Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.

Though they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ. God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness. They were not temperate, keeping their bodies unto subjection making it obey them. They lusted after evil things. Idolaters, fornicators, murmurers, tempting Christ. Let us not Tempt Christ as they did. For these things were written for ensamples for our admonition.

Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry.
(1Co 9:25-10:14 KJV)

There is no way I can write this without seeming disrespectful and harsh but I promise you that is not my heart towards you.

Please answer my question with a one or two word sentence from your own heart. When you say finish the race do you mean performing works or not losing faith?

Micaiah-imla · Mar 4, 2020

Most professing believers seem to believe that the gift of Salvation works in this manner:

Man Teaches:
1. Sinner Hears the gospel.
2. Repents (change of mind only, not associated with sorrow or regret).
3. Believes the gospel.
4. Sins forgiven (past, present, future - no scripture).
5. He/She is now saved forever no matter what (a saved sinner - no scripture).
6. Is Baptized (show of obedience, but not required).

After reading the scriptures I see that the gift of Salvation works in this manner:

Scripture Teaches:
1. Sinner Hears the gospel.
2. Repents (a display of godly sorrow for one's past actions) Genesis 6:6; 2 Cor. 7:10; Judges 21: 2-6; Luke 17:3.
3. Believes the gospel/Is Baptized (Acts 2:28, 41; 8:12, 38; 9:18; 10:48).
4. Sins forgiven (Past, Rom 3:25; old sins, 2 Pet 1:19).
5. He/She is now saved if they continue in the faith (Col. 1:21-23; Rom. 2:7, 10:22; John 8:31; 1 Tim 4:16).
6. Willful sin is an affront to God and could cause you to not enter the holy city. (Num. 15:30; 1 Tim. 1:13; Heb. 10:26-29; Rev 21:8).

VCO · Mar 5, 2020

Micaiah-imla said:

4. How many of your sins were FUTURE, when CHRIST PAID FOR THEM ALL IN FULL on the Cross ? ? ?

Titus 3:5-7 (HCSB)
5 He saved us— not by works of righteousness that we had done, but according to His mercy, through the washing of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit.
6 He poured out this ⌊Spirit⌋ on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior,
7 so that having been justified by His grace, we may become heirs with the hope of eternal life.

2 Timothy 1:9 (HCSB)
9 He has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace, which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began.

Ephesians 4:30 (NKJV)
30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God,
by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
{There is a major OSAS VERSE!}

Ephesians 1:13-14 (HCSB)
13 When you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and when you believed in Him, you were also sealed with the promised Holy Spirit.
14 He is the down payment of our inheritance, for the redemption of the possession, to the praise of His glory.

Romans 5:8-11 (HCSB)
8 But God proves His own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us!
9 Much more then, since we have now been declared righteous by His blood, we will be saved through Him from wrath.
10 For if, while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, ⌊then how⌋ much more, having been reconciled, will we be saved by His life!
11 And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ. We have now received this reconciliation through Him.

Romans 11:6 (NASB)
6 But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works, otherwise grace is no longer grace.

5. Validation, that you WERE SAVED when you believed in Him, Eph 1:13, can be a reality, if you continue in the faith, AS LONG AS YOU UNDERSTAND, OBEDIENCE is an ACT of AGAPE LOVE, the same kind of LOVE HE had the Holy Spirit pour into your Heart or Human Spirit,
Rom. 5:5. Never has Obedience BEEN PART OF SALVATION or maintaining it.

Romans 4:5 (NET)
5 But to the one who does not work, but believes in the one who declares the ungodly righteous, his faith is credited as righteousness.

1 Peter 1:3-5 (HCSB)
3 Praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. According to His great mercy, He has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead
4 and into an inheritance that is imperishable, uncorrupted, and unfading, kept in heaven for you.
5 You are being protected by God’s power through faith for a salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.

John 10:27-28 (HCSB)
27 My sheep hear My voice, I know them, and they follow Me.
28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish—ever! No one will snatch them out of My hand.

Philippians 1:6 (HCSB)
6 I am sure of this, that He who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

3. CHRISTIAN WATER BAPTISM, has nothing to do with SALVATION, that is something you do AFTER you are SAVED. Obedience is a deed that we DO, ONLY BECAUSE WE AGAPE LOVE HIM. It is NEVER part of SALVATION, or maintaining IT. Those who HAVE BEEN BORN AGAIN, have their Newborn Spirit changed by the Holy Spirit, to want to obey him out OF AGAPE LOVE. No Agape LOVE, is a Characteristic of those who have Never Been Born Again. HERE IS THE BAPTISM THAT SAVES, and it involves the Holy Spirit Immersing our human spirit into the spiritual Body of CHRIST.

1 Corinthians 12:13 (NRSV)
13 For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—
Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.

Romans 6:3 (NRSV)
3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus
were baptized into his death?

1 Peter 3:20-21 (YLT)
20 who sometime disbelieved, when once the long-suffering of God did wait, in days of Noah--an ark being preparing--in which few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water;
21 also to which an antitype doth now save us--baptism, (not a putting away of the filth of flesh, but the question of a good conscience in regard to God,) through the rising again of Jesus Christ,

John 14:15 (HCSB)
15 “If you love Me, you will keep My commands.

1 John 5:3 (HCSB)
3 For this is what love for God is: to keep His commands. Now His commands are not a burden,

Do you see it NOW ? ? ?

Agape LOVE for JESUS, and Agape LOVE for GOD will produce a life-style Characterized by striving to Obey Him. IT IS PART OF OUR AGAPE LOVE, and NEVER HAS BEEN PART OF SALVATION or maintaining it. And it is only not a burden, when it is done out of AGAPE LOVE.

Ephesians 2:8-9 (NJB)
8 Because it is by grace that you have been saved, through faith; not by anything of your own, but by a gift from God;
9 not by anything that you have done, so that nobody can claim the credit.

Micaiah-imla · Mar 5, 2020

VCO,

I appreciate your perspective on this issue.

How often do you read the scriptures and when was that last time you read the entire Bible?

My last completion (by the grace of God) was January this year. It took me 4 months (Started in September 2019).

I started again in January and as of today I am 45% complete. (I have been continually reading all the Bible independently for over a decade now).

Being in a constant state of Bible reading is the best way to guard against veering into error, even for the slightest bit. Because a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.

As the scripture says:
"he shall read therein all the days of his life: that he may learn to fear the LORD his God, to keep all the words...to do them. That his heart be not lifted up above his brethren, and that he turn not aside from the commandment, to the right hand, or to the left" Deuteronomy 17:19-20.

Are you confident that all that you have learned about Bible doctrine came solely from scripture reading?

lightbearer · Mar 5, 2020

Lightskin said:

Would not argue against that my friend.

The thing is this Incorruptible Crown has not been received yet according to the Holy Spirit through the sentence structure and grammar of the text.

They are striving for mastery, being temperate in all things TO OBTAIN the Incorruptible Crown. Then Paul through the Holy Spirit Starts verse 27 with the clause "I therefore SO RUN". In other words he runs TEMPERATE IN ALL THINGS TO OBTAIN THE INCORRUPTIBLE CROWN.

How so?

He keeps his body to bring it under subjection lest that by any means, when he have preached to others, he myself should be a castaway, rejected, not able to receive the Incorruptible Crown.

And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.
(1Co 9:25-27 KJV)

eternally-gratefull · Mar 5, 2020

Micaiah-imla said:

Your scripture list is wrong in a few areas

# 2 is seriously wrong, to repent is to change one mind or perspective from human perspective to Gods, it is to admit guilt, admit hopelessness, admit or confess we can not help ourselves we are sinners and as such, rightfully condemned, this leads us like the tax collector to turn to God

#3 adds the work of man to the gospel, and rejects the baptism of God Ie, it gives man credit for the work of God, which Jesus called blshemy of the spirit (it is the spirit who spiritually baptizes)

#4 condemns prety much every man woman and child who will ever live, if the cross only paid for past sin, and as the author of hebrews said, without the shedding of blood there can be no forgiveness, the first sin we commit after our so called salvation would doom us forever, unless Jesus died again,

#5 is spoken from a human view, it thinks like man, that we lose faith in people, well of course we can. People fail us all the time, and the more they fail us, the more we lose faith, until we wash our hands and walk away. Your relating this to,a God who never fails us, who promised to finish what he started, who perfected us while he is sanctifying us, and supplies us with all our needs, you only “lose faith” if you never experienced these things, and if you have not experienced them, there is a reason, as John said , they were never of us

#6 is a cop out it states your own personal sins are not willful (a lie of denial) and just shows a lack of knowledge of the law and sacrifices, and what happened on the day of atonement, and also states that there are sins Christ did not die for, well he said the only unforgivable sin is the sin of unbelief. I would go with what God said

eternally-gratefull · Mar 5, 2020

Micaiah-imla said:

VCO,

I appreciate your perspective on this issue.

How often do you read the scriptures and when was that last time you read the entire Bible?

My last completion (by the grace of God) was January this year. It took me 4 months (Started in September 2019).

I started again in January and as of today I am 45% complete. (I have been continually reading all the Bible independently for over a decade now).

Being in a constant state of Bible reading is the best way to guard against veering into error, even for the slightest bit. Because a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.

As the scripture says:
"he shall read therein all the days of his life: that he may learn to fear the LORD his God, to keep all the words...to do them. That his heart be not lifted up above his brethren, and that he turn not aside from the commandment, to the right hand, or to the left" Deuteronomy 17:19-20.

Are you confident that all that you have learned about Bible doctrine came solely from scripture reading?

The pharisee could quote the OT verbatim, they studied the word more often and deeper than almost anyone has

yet they rejected christ

just because you know what the Bible says and read it a lot, does not mean you have KNOWLEDGE of what the word says,

mailmandan · Mar 5, 2020

lightbearer said:

The Bible mentions 5 crowns. 1. The incorruptible crown. (1 Corinthians 9:25) 2. The crown of rejoicing. (1 Thessalonians 2:19) 3. The crown of righteousness. (2 Timothy 4:8) 4. The crown of glory. (1 Peter 5:4) 5. The crown of life. (Revelation 2:10) Do all of these crowns represent obtaining salvation by works to you? In Revelation 19:12, we read that when Jesus returns, on His head will be many crowns. What do those many crowns represent to you?

In 1 Corinthians 9:27, Paul said "disqualified for the prize," not disqualified for the gift of eternal life. During the Olympic games, runners all run, but only one receives the prize. What prize is that if only one receives it? Does that sound like a gold medal to you? What if the runners receive a silver medal or a bronze medal or no medal? Apparently, not all the runners in an Olympic race receive a perishable crown. Does this mean they are disqualified from the Olympics or from the prize?

mailmandan · Mar 5, 2020

VCO said:

Amen! Acts 13:39 - and by Him everyone who believes is justified from all things from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses.

eternally-gratefull · Mar 5, 2020

mailmandan said:

Amen

its amazing to proclaim God knows enough what sins we will commit before we confess him and call out, but is not smart enough to know the rest of the sins.

EleventhHour · Mar 5, 2020

mailmandan said:

The Bible mentions 5 crowns. 1. The incorruptible crown. (1 Corinthians 9:25) 2. The crown of rejoicing. (1 Thessalonians 2:19) 3. The crown of righteousness. (2 Timothy 4:8) 4. The crown of glory. (1 Peter 5:4) 5. The crown of life. (Revelation 2:10) Do all of these crowns represent obtaining salvation by works to you? In Revelation 19:12, we read that when Jesus returns, on His head will be many crowns. What do those many crowns represent to you?

In 1 Corinthians 9:27, Paul said "disqualified for the prize," not disqualified for the gift of eternal life. During the Olympic games, runners all run, but only one receives the prize. What prize is that if only one receives it? Does that sound like a gold medal to you? What if the runners receive a silver medal or a bronze medal or no medal? Apparently, not all the runners in an Olympic race receive a perishable crown. Does this mean they are disqualified from the Olympics or from the prize?

A thumbs down on this post

The choir ( us ) shine the light and sing in unison of the great truths in scripture, of the gift of salvation, eternal and secure ...never to be earned or reclaimed.

But some prefer self over Saviour.

EleventhHour · Mar 5, 2020

Micaiah-imla said:

VCO,

I appreciate your perspective on this issue.

How often do you read the scriptures and when was that last time you read the entire Bible?

My last completion (by the grace of God) was January this year. It took me 4 months (Started in September 2019).

I started again in January and as of today I am 45% complete. (I have been continually reading all the Bible independently for over a decade now).

Being in a constant state of Bible reading is the best way to guard against veering into error, even for the slightest bit. Because a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.

As the scripture says:
"he shall read therein all the days of his life: that he may learn to fear the LORD his God, to keep all the words...to do them. That his heart be not lifted up above his brethren, and that he turn not aside from the commandment, to the right hand, or to the left" Deuteronomy 17:19-20.

Are you confident that all that you have learned about Bible doctrine came solely from scripture reading?

You can read the Bible a thousand times but without the correct understanding of the gift of eternal secure life in Christ Jesus by faith alone, apart from any and all works, by the
Grace of God it is mostly wasted effort.

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