Featured It's What You Do

Whether the verse is correct in it's statement or not is not the question, we know it is. What is in view is how one is able to have faith in Christ, and why those who are saved are able to love their brother.

It is because God first loved us.

He intervenes into our lives providing us with truth. Not the other way around, where, if we love our brother then we become loved by God.

This is true.

I do.

To soon to tell.

Again, I was speaking in a context of salvation, not generalities concerning forgiveness in the lives of believers. Unbelievers have not the forgiveness of sins, thus are not relevant in a context of loving and forgiving as it would relate to believers.


God bless.

 

Well, that's good because the Catholic catechism does teach fear.

http://www.usccb.org/beliefs-and-te...techism-of-the-catholic-church/epub/index.cfm

Not really. I care about why I love God and that is because He first loved me by having saved me. I love Him as my Savior that I am saved and thanks to Him, I love Him as my Good Shepherd to help me love others, even my enemies, because I can't do that without Him & His love in me.

You could not love Him unless He had loved you first. You said Amen and that this verse below is 100 % correct.

1 John 4:19 We love him, because he first loved us.

Now are you going to take His glory away by claiming you had loved Him first before He saved you so you can love Him?

1 Timothy 1:15 This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.

He loved you for free first. Trust Him on that.

Romans 11:5 Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace. 6 And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then it is no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.

John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

I believe you are saved, but I do not think you really trust Him on how you were saved. I am saved, and therefore I have joy as well as His love to share with others as He enables me to for Jesus Christ really is the Good News to man.

Catholicism makes God look like an Indian Giver in regards to salvation, and I know He is not. Catholicism places so much work to even perservering in loving others or else one is not saved and I do not see any difference with what you are saying that God offers salvation when you love others. You are still His even at that moment, you stop loving some one like an evil person breaking into your home and so forth. Sometimes believers draw strength and love from Him in handling the situation and and others forget because they are too traumatized to think of Him.

If you were ever to get Alzheimer's and stop loving people, because you are blanking out everything in not relating to the world, would you be concern? Or would you know that Jesus Christ is in you, and that you are loved by God, no matter what?

 

It's also in what you say, which goes to show how Billy Graham went astray long before erecting that memorial.

Billy's gospel message goes like this;

"It is not going to church every Sunday that is going to save you. It is not by keeping the ten commandments is what going to save you. It is all those that call upon the name of the Lord." ~~ paraphrased Billy Graham

Sounds good, right? Now comes the flip flop at the altar call.

"If you are not sure you are saved, come forward and make a commitment to follow Christ." ~~ Billy Graham

Say what? Why didn't he just say,"if you had called upon the name of the Lord, believe that you are saved." !!?!!

So now what? Are believers thinking they are gaining assurance for their salvation by keeping that commitment to follow Christ?

In an interview with Tony Snow, it is no wonder why Billy Graham doubted his own salvation because by the commitment to follow Christ is the knowledge of sin.

http://www.deceptioninthechurch.com/graham2.html

"SNOW: When you get to Heaven, who's going to speak first, you or God?

GRAHAM: When I get there, I'm sure that Jesus is going to say that he will welcome me. But I think that he's going to say: Well done, our good and faithful servant. Or he may say: You're in the wrong place.

SNOW: You really worry that you may be told you're in the wrong place?

GRAHAM: Yes, because I have not -- I'm not a righteous man. People put me up on a pedestal that I don't belong in my personal life. And they think that I'm better than I am. I'm not the good man that people think I am. Newspapers and magazines and television have made me out to be a saint. I'm not. I'm not a Mother Teresa. And I feel that very much."

This is why I say a believer's commitment speaks of himself and therefore it does not speak of his faith in Jesus Christ in trusting Him as his Good Shepherd to help him to follow Him without the deeds of the law.

Hebrews 11:6 Galatians 5:1 Galatians 5:5 Philippians 1:6 Philippians 1:11 1 John 3:3 1 John 3:8 Hebrews 4:1-16 2 Timothy 4:18

Jesus is able to set any repenting believer free from their religious bondages to rest in Him and His promises to us for living as His disciple.

1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

1 John 1:3 That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. 4 And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full. 5 This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

Thanks to Him, it is no wonder to me now why it is simply written that the just shall live by faith since this reconciled relationship can only be pleasing to God by trusting His Son to finish the race all the way Home.

John 6:28 Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? 29 Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.

 

I don't think any one really knew Mother Teresa. This article goes so far as to call her not a saint.

http://guardianlv.com/2013/10/mother-teresa-was-no-saint-says-study/

No one can say if a professing believer is unsaved or not.

As for abiding in Him as His disciple, Mother Teresa was not, unless something happened that led to her repentance before she had died, which we know not at this time, and Billy Graham is not, but again, unless something has happened that he has repented but has not shared with the world yet..... but if they had both believed in the Lord Jesus Christ and that God had raised Him from the dead, they are saved even if they know it not while on this earth.

Discipleship is separate from salvation. It has to be if it was by grace.

There is a consequence for not abiding in Him as His disciple and that is being denied entrance to the Marriage Supper at the pre trib rapture event, in which case, they shall be received later on after the great tribulation as vessels unto dishonor in His House.

So there is a necessity to look to the author& finisher of our faith for help in discerning good and evil in running that race to lay aside every weight and sin so that we may rest in Him in having us ready for the Bridegroom.

 

The sermon on the mount was to first time hearers, that's why it ends with them being astonished at his authority and doctrine.

 

Wait whats wrong with worshipping idols? Are you saying the GOOD WORK of worshipping God alone is a requirement of salvation?

How does worshipping idols make or break my salvation?

 

But I has faith alone......

 

That is for discerning false prophets, false apostles, and false teachers so that we know to avoid them. W are to mark them, but it is never taught in the N.T. that a professing believer that goes astray is not a brother or that he was never saved for us to judge as in to condemn in that way.

2 Thessalonians 3: 1 Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified, even as it is with you: 2 And that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men: for all men have not faith. 3 But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil. 4 And we have confidence in the Lord touching you, that ye both do and will do the things which we command you. 5 And the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ. 6 Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us. 7 For yourselves know how ye ought to follow us: for we behaved not ourselves disorderly among you;....14 And if any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed. 15 Yet count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.

If you consider the professing believer as not "abiding in Him" as His disciple, what are you left to do with in ministry? Keep preaching the gospel to him when he already knows it? No. He already knows it. So then as He enables us to, you apply the gospel to reprove the works of darkness so that God may help him to see that it is not of the gospel.

The same with a brother living in sin. You do not waste time preaching the gospel to him when he already knows it. It is by applying the scripture in reproving him that he has been bought with a price and Christ is in Him as well as warning him of the consequence of not abiding in Him as His disciple which is to be left behind at the pre trib rapture event from attending the Marriage Supper to face the coming fire on the earth and the subsequence great tribulation as a result.

As it is, we cannot judge a professing believer as not a believer, but we can judge the works that the professing believers are in to be of iniquity which they need to repent with His help of because the Bridegroom is coming soon for the abiding bride of Christ.

 

The good work of worshipping God alone is a result of salvation (Ezekiel. 36:27; Ephesians 2:10). If God saves someone out of idolatry, he will not continue with it (Hosea 14:8). If he does, he is not truly saved (2 Peter 2:22).

You ask what is wrong with worshipping idols. It is against the commandments of God, and not only to worship them but also to make them or bow down to them and then claim its not really worship (Deuteronomy 5:8-10). So why are you still doing it?

 

John 10th chapter is a good one about how those that did not follow His voice, Christ still acknowledges them still as His sheep.

John 10:14 I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. 15 As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.

That is why God is judging His House first at the pre trib rapture event when He receives His disciples found abiding in Him as following Him, where He acknowledges those astray that did not follow His voice BUT YET these were the other sheep that He has as He MUST bring them as they will be made to hear His voice and be of the one fold and one shepherd.

I see John 10:1-5 as all those believers that went astray seeking tongues for a sign for receiving the Holy Spirit again apart from salvation. They ask for this evidence of tongues by addressing the Holy Spirit to come down and fall in them or pray to the Holy Spirit to receive this tongue which comes with no interpretation which is the stranger's voice ( John 10:5 ) for going around Jesus in prayer ( John 10:1 & John 14:6 ) because only Jesus answers prayers ( John 14:13-14 ) This is the falling away from the faith spoken of ( 1 Timothy 4:1-2 ) and since Jesus will lose nothing of all the Father has given Him ( John 6:39 ) that is why God is judging His House first ( 1 Peter 4:17 ) where those not found abiding in Him that get left behind, we can trust the Lord in being our faithful Creator in keeping their souls while they suffer the fire coming on the earth and the subsequent great tribulation.

It is too bad that they did not heed this warning from Jesus.

Luke 6:26 Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! for so did their fathers to the false prophets.

I agree that they are astray, but it is another to say that they are not saved. Let God judge that.

They are not Christ's sheep that follow His voice in being His disciples, but that as far as I can go scripturally since I have shared why they are still His, and why comeuppance is coming from God the Father Hebrews 12:1-29 as they will be left behind with the unbelievers to receive stripes but still called His servants ( Luke 12:40-49 ) unless they repent by His help and by His grace before the Bridegroom comes.

 

These are rather obviously the Gentiles.

 

Can you elaborate?

Are you saying that the sheep that followed His voice are the believers in Christ from the Jewish background, and the sheep that had followed the stranger's voice are the believers from the Gentiles background?

Anyway, do you understand the P.O.V. where the sheep that followed His voice are the believers abiding in Him as His disciples as opposed to the believers that are following a stranger's voice because they went astray by going around Jesus to the "Holy Spirit" to come and fall on them to get tongues that comes with no interpretation?

Since believers are prophesied to fall away from the faith in giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils ( 1 Timothy 4:1-2 ), then this would be why Jesus MUST bring them too ( John 10:16 ) because they are His sheep and He will lose nothing of all the Father has given Him. John 6:39 and they will be made to hear His voice being the King of kings coming back for them after the great tribulation, and be of the one fold and one shepherd.

That said, His disciples found abiding in Him by His grace and by His help, in following His voice, will be received by the Bridegroom at the pre trib raptured event, but those astray that followed the stranger's voice that gets left behind, will one day be of the one fold and one shepherd following His voice and no longer following a stranger's voice.

 

John 10:16. "And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd."

Certainly.

Not at all. Our Lord's sheep are a special breed. They are distinguished by their ears and their feet. They hear the Shepherd's voice and they follow Him (John 10:27). Anyone who does not hear His voice and rejects the Gospel is not of His sheep QED. The Lord Jesus spent all His life on earth in Israel, preaching almost exclusively to the Jews. "I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel" (Matt. 15:24). Therefore the sheep 'not of this fold' are the Gentiles who have not yet heard the Shepherd's voice. The Lord Jesus would bring these in also, not in Person, but through His disciples. Therefore He bids them, "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations....." (Matt. 28:19). As I said, I think this is quite clear and rather obvious.

I understand it, but I don't agree with it. The sheep follow the Shepherd's voice. Anyone who has repented of His sins and is trusting (present tense) in Christ alone for salvation is part of Christ's flock. I am not by any means a charismatic, but if charismatics are trusting in Christ alone for salvation, then they are part of Christ's flock and my brothers and sisters in Him.

 

Matt. 5:1-2. '.....And when He was seated, His disciples came to Him. Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying.......'