Featured Yes, it is possible to reconcile all of the New Testament Scriptures

It doesn't. The thing is I'm not going to spend my time with anyone who refuses to study this out for themselves, and instead only wants to argue. Simply looking at your responses shows you neither know the teaching nor do you desire to know them. That would take effort on your part.

 

Hi Browner, this post is in response to your opening post. I have not yet read any of the follow-up comments by others. As I was reading through your post, I extracted your questions, and then provided a brief anwer.



1) “and receive Jesus’ imputed righteousness” or were made righteous.


2) “Does anyone get to heaven who does not love Jesus?” Nope


3) “Does anyone get to heaven who does not keep His commands?” Here is a great question. When God puts us spiritually into Christ, we undergo the circumcision of Christ, where our sin burden (what God holds against us for our unholiness) is removed. We then arise in Christ a new creation, born anew, created for good works. But Christ’s cleansing, the washing of regeneration, continuously bathes us such that it is as if we keep all His commands, from God’s perspective. We, convicted by the Holy Spirit, are keenly aware of our shortcomings, we see that we do not keep all of His commands. But from God’s perspective, because we are continuously washed by the blood of the Lamb, we keep all His commands.


Another way this concept is explained is justification, when we are justified, even though we fall short, it is just as though we did not sin.


4) “Those who “know” Jesus keep His commandments; this “knowing” results in eternal life! Close. When God puts us spiritually in Him, and Him in us (indwelling of the Holy Spirit) then we “know” (have an intimate relationship with Christ) and Christ knows (has an intimate relationship) with us. So if “knows” is used to mean being spiritually in Christ, then yes, this results in eternal life.

5) “but he who does not bear fruit is cast out,” Jesus promised that those God puts in Him, He will never cast out, John 6:37. On the other had, if Christ abides in you (you are indwelt with the Holy Spirit) you will bear fruit. Tares, professing Christians who are not born anew, are cast out and burned up at the end of the age.

6) Those who overcome “as I also overcame” will be allowed to be seated with Him in heaven.” When we are born anew, placed in Christ, we become “overcomers,” for we have overcome, with the help of the blood of Christ, all that sin had over us. Our salvation is based on the blood of Christ, not our efforts to please God. Salvation is not of works.


Thus the whole NT gospel is consistent and in harmony.


Once we are saved, in Christ, born anew, indwelt, we strive to follow Christ (become more Christ-like) and to serve Him, carry out our measure of ministry, be it evangelizing, or raking leaves. As part of the body of Christ we have our jobs to do as we carry out the ministry of reconciliation. We can earn rewards as part of this salvation, but we can also loose rewards by engaging in ministry that produces wood and straw. So when you see verses talking about loss of salvation, read it carefully, the idea is always loss of rewards, but we still get to heaven as one escaping from a fire.

 

I believe my investigative questioning exposes errors in theologies. Thus the tuck and runs I often get. Actually, your response has served the purpose of my question. Smile

 

Hi Browner, lets go over these one by one:

1)"True believers are told to keep repenting" Yes, and I did not say otherwise. From our persective, we are convicted of our sins, which we are to confess and repent so as to strive to avoid in the future.

2) Yes, all born anew believers, continue to fall short and sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves.

3) All born anew believers still do sinful acts, but God does not count them against us, because we have been made perfect, flawless.

4) "Some true believers choose not to have an intimate relationship with the Father and Son. Utter nonsense.

5) When Paul and James speak of "faith" they are speaking of "faithful faith" the faith from which flow faithfulness. ​

Thus I do not see where I expressed any incorrect ideas.

Bottom line, Salvation is 100% of God, and is neither obtained through works or sustained through works. But our rewards for service are earned through works or lost through worthless works.

 

What part do you find laughable? That Jesus Christ is eternal life? Please be more specific so we can go to the scripture and see what God says about this.

 

Not sure how this answers why you laugh when I said Jesus Christ is eternal life?

 

Well you quoted me this post when you laughed....

"Eternal life/Jesus Christ is already possessed by the believer who has been born of God. So the narrow and difficult way is being in Jesus Christ."

I believe I understand perfectly well how Paul described being "in Jesus Christ"....

"But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his
And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you." (Ro8)

Do you have another pov of the Spirit of Christ dwelling in you?

"That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit" (Jo3)

So what is it you think I don't understand about being born of the Spirit having Christ in you?

 

Romans 8 makes it perfectly clear that "in the Spirit" means having the Spirit of Jesus Christ dwelling in you. Anyone not having the Spirit of Jesus Christ is "none of His". I presume you would confess that you have the Spirit of Christ dwelling in you, correct?

 

Browner, this statement is an oxymoron..."believers are not in the Spirit".

If one is a believer, one is in the Spirit. There is no such thing as a believer without the Spirit of Jesus Christ. One does not go in and out of Christ as they live their lives. Being born of God is a one time act of God placing one "in Christ". Afterwards comes a life of sanctification which can oftentimes look pretty messy.

 

If one is going to reconcile the NT scriptures, one must understand what it means to be in Christ.

One doesn't go in and out of Christ. One is either born again, which is being placed in Christ, or one has never been born-again.

What you are promoting is a person being born-again, then unborn, then born-again, then unborn, etc, as they have righteous deeds verses unrighteous deeds. This is ridiculous.

Browner,
This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?

You really need to meditate upon Gal 3.

 

I guess I should first know where you are coming from. Rather than me presume, tell me how you believe one is saved. Is it by faith? By faith plus works? By works?

Personally I believe I am saved by grace through faith and not of myself, not of any works. How do you believe you are saved?