Featured Will God hold Christians accountable for their words and deeds?

This thread is NOT about believers losing their salvation.

Instead it is about whether Christians will recieve their reward according to their own labor, those with a foundation other than Christ being saved but only as one escaping a fire.



Now he who plants and he who waters are one; but each will receive his own reward according to his own labor.

The passages in question are Jesus' words in Matthew, Peter's words in 1 Peter, and Paul's words in Roman and Corinthians which warn believers that they will be judged according to their works and held accountable for their words and deeds.

@KenH challenged this, stating that we were forgiven centuries ago and should not be concerned (spiritually) about our actions or voice, that to be concerned with such things is "walking on egg shells". But I'll let Ken state and defend his own position.

 

Then state your position.

I said that God will hold us (Chriatians) a countable for our words and deeds, that we will not lose our salvation but may escape only with our life as one escaping a fire and will be held accountable for our actions.


If you disobey local laws not conflicting with God's Word (like speeding) will you have to account for your disobedience to God or is disobedience to God a minor thing for believers?

If a believer supports the DNC or GOP will God hold that believers accountable for his or her voice?

Or does God view obedience to His commands as forcing Christians to "walk on egg shells"?

 

Lol.....again you post foolishly because you did not read the post (or Scripture) before you replied.


Christians are never "bound for Hell".

God tells us in His Word that some will escape only with their lives - as one who escapes from a fire.

 

Per the OP we are not talking about salvation but about those who are saved being held accountable.

You do bring up a good question - how does God hold us acvountable for our words and deeds?

Part of this is positive - storing up rewards in Heaven. Part of this is negative - being held accountable for our words and actions. One issue is the foundation upon which we build (being burnt up or lasting). Another issue is forgiveness which Scripture describes on conditional terms (repent from the action, ask, forgive others).

What does being held accountable look like? What does being rewarded look like?

I do not know.

My position is that we will be called into account by God, who judges our actions, and we will be held accountable for our words and deeds. Some will be rewarded. Orders will escape with their lives, as one who escapes a fire. We should live this life knowing that God will judge our actions. But this does not mean a fear of losing our salvation. And it does not mean we cannot be forgiven.

 

This is a false statement.

You mean that you will not submit to God, because I merely repeated His Word.

You condemn God, not me. I was merely the messenger.

 

You, again, are wrong.

You post foolishness simply because you speak without knowledge - you ONCE AGAIN failed to read my post before responding.

Christians are saved from condemnation.
We are saved.
In Christ we escape the wrath to come.

BUT this does not mean, as you suggest, that Chriatians can be disobedient without consequence.

God tells us REPEATEDLY several things you reject -

1. Some who escape with their lives will do so as one who escapes from a fire.

2. God will hold Christians accountable for their words and deeds.

3. Our works will be judged.

4. If we do not forgive others we will not be forgiven.


You simply call God a Pharisee and a Liar.

I think the reason you dismiss God's Word on these topics is they do not fit into your theological position as you understand that position.


You are wrong because you have approached Scripture as a smorgasbord where you pick out what you like to create a faith.

We cannot do this. ALL of Scripture is God's Word. We do not get to pick and choose.

 

I believe that forgiveness is ongoing, and distinct from salvation (that we are saved but when we sin we need forgiveness).

Do you have an opinion about how these rewards look?

I ask because I don't.

I believe we lay treasures in Heaven, and that we will be judged according to our works, that we can "forfeit our prize" (as Paul states in 1 Cor. 9).

But I believe this because God says thus in His Word. I don't know how these rewards look.

On the other end, I do not know how one who is undaved can recieve greater condemnation than others who are lost.


It is difficult because modern Christianity often presents this as an "all or nothing" issue (with no difference between those those who "escape with their lives as one who escapes a fire" with their "straw" foundation destroyed and those whose works make it through the refining fire).

 

Members who desire to participate in threads:

Note @KenH 's mistake on this and other threads.

He posts strawman arguments because he did not bother to read the posts to which he replies. Doing so he makes emotional arguments that do not apply.

Don't be a Ken.

Discuss, argue, debate, defend....BUT ONLY AFTER YOU HAVE READ THE POST TO WHICH YOU ARE REPLYING.


On this thread the OP states that the discussion is not salvation (Christians are saved, we are not talking about experiencing "the wrath to come" as some will escape with their lives but as one who escapes a fire while others will have works that pass through the refining).

@KenH has ignored the OP and ignorantly created a strawman to "debate". There is no benefit to fighting windmills or beating at the wind.

Read the post. If you need to, read it again. THEN respond.

 

I agree. Christians standing before God being held accountable for their works is, IMHO, standing before this "refining fire".

I think of the refining of jewelry where impurities are destroyed. What is left? Only the "good works" which are rewarded.

I think this because God uses the illustration of some who have built a foundation of straw which is burnt up. They escape only with their lives, as one escapes a fire, while the works of others pass through the refining.

I'm just not sure how this looks. What are these "rewards"?


Reading 1 Peter we can't dismiss the idea of God judging our works, or of merely escaping as one who escapes a fire as being something very much not desired.

Paul even stated that he disciplines his body lest he forfeit the "prize".


Reading these passages, and all of the cautions given to Christians about their works, I think we may take this too lightly because we often focus on "getting in".

I do not understand how this will look.

 

The problem with this is the remainder of the verse - that those who build on wood, hay and stubble will escape with their lives, but only as one escapes from a fire.

I have heard those who believe in universal salvation use this passage to defend their position, but I believe we only escape destruction if we are saved.

 

I think it depends on the issue at hand.

If a Christian supports the DNC are they supporting evil? Yes. Is it a sin? Yes. Does this mean they are no longer saved? No.

If a Christian cheats on his or her taxes are they disobedient to God? Yes. Is it a sin? Yes. Do they lose their salvation? No.

If Paul did not discipline his body and he forfieted "the prize" woukd he also forfeit his salvation? I do not believe so.


I lean towards @Van 's view that we are talking about "rewards".

I do not believe this is about earning salvation through works but instead about "laying up treasures in Heaven".