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NASB | Ephesians 2:8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Ephesians 2:8 For it is by grace [God's remarkable compassion and favor drawing you to Christ] that you have been saved [actually delivered from judgment and given eternal life] through faith. And this [salvation] is not of yourselves [not through your own effort], but it is the [undeserved, gracious] gift of God; |
Subject: Saved or hoping to be saved? |
Bible Note: Greetings Rowdy! Thanks for the response my friend! Allow me to touch upon a couple of points from your post. 1) You wrote: "BUT although we can KNOW we are saved it's a growth process, one in which we mature, we are refined by the trials and tribulations of this world." Obviously, Christian can grow and mature in their faith. But, is a less mature Christian any LESS SAVED than a more mature Christian? No! Our salvation is complete in Him. This is why 1 Peter uses the aorist participle to describe the new birth. We HAVE BEEN born again, not 'we will be' born again. Thus, our works do not earn us salvation, nor do they 'keep' us saved. Now, you accept that 'works' cannot earn our salvation. Yet, when you insist that we MUST be fruitful to remain saved, isn't that just another way of saying that we must earn our salvation? 2) Concerning James 2: I wasn't aware that this was a 'special' interpretation. The Greek word has two meanings. This is clear from the fact that the same word is used of God in Rom. 3:4. Would you contend that God had some sin from which He needed to be saved? Obviously, the answer is 'No!'. This word can also mean 'proven right', or 'demonstrated to be righteous'. I think that it is perfectly clear from Eph. 2:8-9 that this the meaning James intended in James 2. 3) Concerning Matt. 25: I'm assuming you made a type here and instead meant to refer to the vine and the branches passage in John 15. The Bible Knowledge commentary lists three possible meanings of the branches who were cut off: ************************************* These words have been interpreted in at least three ways: (1) The “burned” branches are Christians who have lost their salvation. (But this contradicts many passages, e.g., 3:16, 36; 5:24; 10:28-29; Rom. 8:1.) (2) The “burned” branches represent Christians who will lose rewards but not salvation at the judgment seat of Christ (1 Cor. 3:15). (But Jesus spoke here of dead branches; such a branch is thrown away and withers.) (3) The “burned” branches refer to professing Christians who, like Judas, are not genuinely saved and therefore are judged. Like a dead branch, a person without Christ is spiritually dead and therefore will be punished in eternal fire (cf. Matt. 25:46). Judas was with Jesus; he seemed like a “branch.” But he did not have God’s life in him; therefore he departed; his destiny was like that of a dead branch." ************************************** I am not a believer in eternal security. I do not believe that a believer can 'lose' his salvation, but I do believe that he can reject his salvation. Either way, John 15 does not mention 'hell' fires. The fires are part of the word picture. Further, v. 4 makes it clear that the 'fruit' comes from the vine, not the branches. Therefore, the 'cutting off' is not the result of being unfruitful, but of not being part of the vine. Your Brother in Christ, Tim Moran |