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NASB | Matthew 22:11 ¶ "But when the king came in to look over the dinner guests, he saw a man there who was not dressed in wedding clothes, |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Matthew 22:11 ¶ "But when the king came in to see the dinner guests, he saw a man there who was not dressed [appropriately] in wedding clothes, |
Subject: The excluded man at the feast was saved |
Bible Note: You said: "I also believe that there are people who love the Lord but live undisciplined lives." Jesus said: "If you love Me, you will keep My commandments." --John 14:15 The apostle John wrote: '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 "The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever." --1 John 2:17 "If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone also who practices righteousness is born of Him." --John 2:29 True belief always results in sanctification by the Holy Spirit. Carnal Christianity is at worst a temporary state for those who truly believe in Christ. Paul never claimed that those who truly are His would live their entire lives without producing fruit, in a state of permanent carnality. Jesus himself said just the opposite: "Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for the tree is known by its fruit." --Matthew 12:33 Furthermore, only those who persevere to the end show themselves to be God's elect: "You will be hated by all because of My name, but it is the one who has endured to the end who will be saved." --Matthew 10:33 "Now Moses was faithful in all His house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken later; but Christ was faithful as a Son over His house--whose house we are, if we hold fast our confidence and the boast of our hope firm until the end." --Hebrews 3:5-6 God grants perseverance to those He saves. That is not sinlessness, but rather sanctification. Yes, people backslide, but those who are truly his will not have a life characterized by unrepentance. That notion is purely unbiblical. Unselfish good works, as you put them, are a result of the work of free grace of the Holy Spirit in the lives of those he has truly regenerated. We are not saved by our works, but true belief is inextricably linked to works that result from that true belief. Therefore, we cannot say that anyone loves God and does not live for God. I am glad that you are walking with him again, but you are absolutely correct that it is by God's grace that such is the case. You failed to address why Jesus would equate being in a secondary level of heaven to the pains and endless torture of hell. Doesn't make sense. --Joe! |