Results 1 - 4 of 4
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Results from: Answered Bible Questions, Answers, Unanswered Bible Questions, Notes Ordered by Verse | ||||||
Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
1 | What is "persevering to the end?" | Matt 22:37 | Reformer Joe | 30216 | ||
Eagle: Take a look at what Dillow wrote here. Where is the refutation of the Reformed position on perseverance. I think that it is a pre-disposition toward easy-believism that causes many to interpret John's criteria as fellowship when we have clearly-worded verses like these: "If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin." --1 John 1:6-7 Fellowship is equated with the blood of Christ cleansing us from all sin. Either we walk in darkness and have no fellowship, or we walk in light and are cleansed by the blood of Christ. "By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. The one who says, "I have come to know Him," and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him" 1 John 2:3-4 Keeping Christ's commandments is the sign that we have come to know Him. If we claim to be Christians and exhibit no fruit of the Spirit at all, then we are liars. That is in keeping with John's observation of the heretics whose ideas he combats in his epistle. "No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God." --1 John 3:9 No one born of God practices sin. Isn't being "born of God" more than just fellowship? "We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love abides in death. Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer; and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him." --1 John 3:14-15 "Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love." --1 John 4:7-8 'We love, because He first loved us. If someone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen.' --1 John 4:19-20 How else can these verses be interpreted other than in the obvious way? It seems pretty clear to me that good works being the sign of a child of God is firmly established by this. The problem of the Ryrie/Hodges so-called "free grace" camp is that they must twist entire books like 1 John, ignoring the plain, clear message of the text in favor of any far-fetched explanation that will support their view that one can embrace Jesus as Savior but not necessarily as Lord. COmplete poppycock! True saving faith results in God-honoring works and in LOVE. If there are no works, there is no faith. John sums it up himself why the book was written: "These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life." --1 John 5:13 How will we know we have eternal life? Go read the book again, without the antinomianism you have been taught. --Joe! |
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2 | What is "persevering to the end?" | Matt 22:37 | Eagle One | 30243 | ||
Joe, I'm a little confused. I'm inserting a copy of your post below. You seem to be refuting yourself. Can you lose your salvation? Note Bible general Reformer Joe Fri 01/11/02, 4:17pm Mike: Thanks for your response again. You mentioned in your daily prayer that you confess all sins known and unknown. That is not too different from what I do. However, you said it is a daily prayer. What if you were to commit an unknown sin 10 minutes later and then died before reaching the next prayer time? Thsi may seem to be belaboring the point, but I am quite confident that such a scenario occurs all the time in our lives. In other words, our mouths simply cannot keep up with our sins. Also, I hope you have not come to the conclusion that I think that works are not a part of the Christian life. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Good (i.e. God-honoring) works are the evidence of God at work in us, making clear to us and others our justification. However, our justification was accomplished by Christ on the Cross 2000 years ago, not by us today (Romans 8:33). I also find it interesting that you differentiate the works of the believer from the works mentioned in the Old Testament. How are the Ten Commandments the "old law"? Is there no longer a prohibition against idolatry and murder and adultery and lying and stealing and coveting and disobedience to parents? Are we not to love God with all our heart, mind, and strength and love our neighbors as ourselves anymore? There is no question that we do not keep these completely, because we still sin. However, all of the New Testament works/commands are in keeping with the moral law of God which runs throughout all of Scripture. And the thing is that we STILL don't completely and unwaveringly keep those NT commandments that you mentioned. That is the thing about grace. If we look at the Ephesians 2 passage, we see God's grace applied to us through faith (all of this being the gift of God) apart from works (what is your basis for saying that the works are limited to the specifics of God's covenant with the nation of Israel, since Paul was writing to Gentiles who never were part of that covenant?). However, true saving faith results in works, as Ephesians 2:10. Note, however, that the works, like the grace and faith, are of God, prepared beforehand for us to walk in them. Grace leads to faith (which includes repentance), resulting in God-honoring works as the Holy Spirit empowers us to will and to work for His good pleasure (Philippians 2:13). However, it is God's grace that is the BASIS of our justification, faith being the MEANS, and works being the RESULT. All three are a part of the equation, but we must never get them out of order. --Joe! When I read the post above I thought I understood your scriptual stance. Your recent post to me seemed a bit aggressively slanted in the other direction. Eagle One |
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3 | What is "persevering to the end?" | Matt 22:37 | Reformer Joe | 30249 | ||
No, I am not contradicting myself. We are saved BY grace THROUGH faith in Christ UNTO good works. The works are the fruit that accompanies the sanctification of EVERY believer. If we hate our brothers and willfully continue sinning and deny that Christ came in the flesh, that is a sign of no real faith. --Joe! |
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4 | What is "persevering to the end?" | Matt 22:37 | kalos | 30289 | ||
You write: "If we hate our brothers and willfully continue sinning and deny that Christ came in the flesh, . . . " You mean like St. Judas of Iscariot, that noble defender of the faith? (Joe: I know you were not referring to Judas. I am just trying to make a point.) Grace to you, kalos |
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