pinoybaptist said:
There is a difference between salvation in the eternal sense, and salvation in the timely, or temporal sense, Claudia.
The eternal salvation of God's children is dependent entirely on the mercy of God, the atonement and the blood of Christ, and provided unconditionally by God to His people.
There is no requirement for church membership, no requirement for anything else, not even the knowledge of the Bible and what it commands.
It is something that God, entirely on His own decision and based on His mercy to whom He wants to be merciful, provided free.
That is why it is Grace.
One's obedience, or disobedience, one's holy living, or lack of it, does not take an iota out of, or away from, his eternal standing with God.
However, once a child of God hears the gospel, he is required to repent, having now been confronted with truth in this plane called time. He is now required, obligated, to gospel obedience. His gospel obedience naturally results in blessings and protection from his Savior and Lord. Obedience is not a requirement to obtain blessings. Blessings is the natural reaction of God to His child's obedience and submission. Just as curses and disease are the natural results of sin and disobedience.
The call to gospel obedience is something that the child of God, a fallen but redeemed sinner, can, and at times, do, resist. Sin is natural in this unredeemed body, and resistance to sin depends on the amount of spiritual food one feeds on.
Therefore, a saint can indeed be a saint of God, yet live and act in such a fashion so as to be indistinghuishable from the wicked. You have several examples in the Bible.
Samson, for one. Then, you have Lot. Nothing in the Bible says that Rahab ceased harlotry. Oh, sure, we can love to think she did, but if it is something the Bible did not state, then it is conjecture.
Vice versa, the wicked can live and act in such a fashion as to be indistinghuishable from the righteous (in Christ). Devout devotees of certain religions for example.
Pinoy,
I realize that Christians might fall, etc and so forth but I do not believe that we can be in the act of murder when we die and still go to heaven. Im sorry. David repented.
Galatians 5:19-21. Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
Ephesians 5:5-7. For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.
Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.
Be not ye therefore partakers with them.
1 Corinthians 6:9-10. Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,
Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.
1 Timothy 4:16. Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.
1 Timothy 5:11-12. But the younger widows refuse: for when they have begun to wax wanton against Christ, they will marry;
Having damnation, because they have cast off their first faith.
2 Peter 2:20. For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.
Romans 11:19-22. Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be graffed in.
Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear:
For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee.
Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shall be cut off.
Claudia
