God the author and finisher of all salvation?

God is but only if they are good enough to let Him.

 

What you describe is a pretty weak, wimpy God!

Thankfully that is not the God of scripture that is wholly omnipotent, sovereign and in charge of His universe and all that live therein! Ps.24:1
Ephesians describes how we are all dead in sin, walking about this world according to all the onther inhabitants in disobedience, being by our very nature the children of wrath,
BUT GOD, who is rich in mercy, for His great love wherewith His loved us, even when we were dead in sin, brought us to life in Christ only by His grace!Eph. 2:1-6

God saves sinners! He determined this in eternity past and in His time He touches and regenerates a heart, causing it to search and hunger for Him! He decides, He saves, He justifies, He sanctifies and He will glorify those He saved!

 

In defense of Alan, I think he was being sarcastic - right, Alan?

 

A better question would be why would you even ask. You don't believe that any Christians will be excluded from the kingdom. You don't want to believe any Christians are going to be excluded, so why would you want someone that believes this to further waste their time in explaining something to you that you don't want to and/or are not going to believe?

 

When you consider that Hebrews chapter 12 is talking about the kingdom, again, its kind of a silly question.

 

Of course I have an answer, but you really don't care, so why do I need to give you an answer when you don't want to hear it other than to argue about it.

That's what I don't understand about folks that rail against the Word of the Kingdom. All you seem to want to do is blast what we believe and yet you never want to answer any questions about what you believe and why you believe it. Yet you insist that we waste our time answering questions for you that's not going to make a hill of beans difference to you. Can you explain why that is? Do you just like to argue that much?

 

Can you or anyone else post a URL explaining MK salvation and how it differs from any other salvation? This is a totally new concept to me and I feel lost in the conversations about this.

 

It is basically just the teaching that believers will be held accountable for their works at the judgment seat of Christ, and that those believers whose works when tried are found lacking will not be given a place in Christ's coming kingdom.

There is a book by S.S. Craig called 'The Dualism of Eternal Life' that would explain much. It is freely available online here:
http://www.schoettlepublishing.com/booksonline/craig/eternallife.htm

 

Wow. He makes so many assumptions from so little evidence it's almost painful to read it.

 

Really? How so?

 

It used to be myself and Bartholomew. Now we are a crowd! Praise God!

Webdog, even God can't make applesauce from oranges. It defy's logic to expect him to hold the same principals, procedures, and standards for reward as he does for a gift. gift is gift and reward is reward. We are promised the free gift eternal salvation if we believe on the finished work of Jesus. We are promised reward if (and only if) we do something worthy of reward.

Lacy

 

And yet He can make wine from water?!

ANDY T.
Thank you, Yes it was sarcasism

 

silly me, I goofed

 

We have grown in number, must be a revival! raying:

 

Is entrance into the Kingdom the reward, or is ruling and reigning the reward?

 

Depends on who you ask. Some, like Joseph Dillow, believe that there is a place in the kingdom called outer darkness. I think outer darkness is hell. I personally don't see any saints in the kingdom who are not reigning, thus no distinction between entering and reigning. And I apologize if I misrepresent Jody Dillow, I've not read his book, but that is my understanding of his teaching.

 

Who are the saints reigning over?

 

Natural nations of people who are born, live and die, but are living in an age where the curse is all but lifted.

Isaiah 65:20-23
20 There shall be no more thence an infant of days, nor an old man that hath not filled his days: for the child shall die a hundred years old; but the sinner being a hundred years old shall be accursed.
21 And they shall build houses, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them.
22 They shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat: for as the days of a tree are the days of my people, and mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands.
23 They shall not labor in vain, nor bring forth for trouble; for they are the seed of the blessed of the LORD, and their offspring with them.

So they will live long and fruitful lives, but they are still natural beings. This is in contrast to the final eternal age when we see that there is no more sorrow, and no more death.