Since almost the beginning, all humans have been born with an inherited sin nature.
But, because of God’s great love and mercy, He devised a Plan to save some of them.
The Word (i.e. God) came down from heaven, and became flesh, and lived on the earth.
This “God-man”, the Messiah, came to die for the sins of the world and to redeem man.
Gabriel said to call Him “Jesus (Savior)”; He came to give mankind many spiritual truths.
Those who “believe”(?) in Jesus and His gospel (good news) message were to be saved.
They would be reconciled to God, justified, and receive Jesus’ imputed righteousness.
They would be sanctified (set apart) to be worked on by the Holy Spirit unto holiness.
God’s grace (unmerited favor) made eternal life possible for some … for it is conditional.
Jesus gave many instructions and commandments as part of His great gospel of salvation.
These were to be followed to the best of man’s ability because of the first commandment,
which says to love God with all of your heart, and all of your soul, and all of your mind.
Jesus said those who love Him will keep His commandments. Does anyone get to heaven
who does not love Jesus? Does anyone get to heaven who does not keep His commands?
Those who “know” Jesus keep His commandments; this “knowing” results in eternal life!
He who keeps Jesus’ commandments will bear fruit of eternal value, which will glorify the
Father, but he who does not bear fruit is cast out, taken away, thrown in the fire, burned.
Those who overcome “as I also overcame” will be allowed to be seated with Him in heaven.
Believers are called to be overcomers … they are to overcome sin, the devil, and the world.
All of this is about a continual action: a continuing belief-faith accompanied by obedience.
In all of the NT letters written to the churches, we see warnings about the need for this.
One of the warnings: believers must continue practicing/maintaining their righteousness
(which reminds some people of Jesus’ warnings about hating one’s life in order to save it).
Another continuous warnings to churches: habitual unrepentant sin leads to eternal death!
E.G. Habitual unrepentant sinners are not allowed to inherit/enter the kingdom of heaven.
And one’s belief-faith-trust-obedience must endure all the way until the end of one’s life!
Having a true saving belief-faith is all about having the correct heart attitude toward God,
and following through with obedience, for “he who does the will of God abides forever”.
• “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord’, shall enter the kingdom of heaven,
but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day,
‘Lord, Lord’ … And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me,
you who practice lawlessness!’ Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine,
and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock …”
(Jesus, Matthew 7:21-24)
Notice the contrast between doing God’s will vs. practicing lawlessness (sin).
Doing God’s will gets you into the kingdom of heaven.
Doing lawlessness (sin) gets you rejected by Jesus.
Whoever commits sin commits lawlessness; sin is lawlessness, as is all unrighteousness!
• “Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you,
will seek to enter and will not be able.” (Jesus, Luke 13:24)
Years ago, I used to think this was referring to the many people of other religions!
Now, I believe this “striving” refers to trying to obey the gospel and the commandments.
Paul often wrote about his struggle to run the race and his hope of salvation.
All of the above is Scriptural … if you would like a reference for something, please ask.
Is all of the above from the Scriptures a pile of nonsense?
Or perhaps you can see how it reconciles the whole of the New Testament?
But, because of God’s great love and mercy, He devised a Plan to save some of them.
The Word (i.e. God) came down from heaven, and became flesh, and lived on the earth.
This “God-man”, the Messiah, came to die for the sins of the world and to redeem man.
Gabriel said to call Him “Jesus (Savior)”; He came to give mankind many spiritual truths.
Those who “believe”(?) in Jesus and His gospel (good news) message were to be saved.
They would be reconciled to God, justified, and receive Jesus’ imputed righteousness.
They would be sanctified (set apart) to be worked on by the Holy Spirit unto holiness.
God’s grace (unmerited favor) made eternal life possible for some … for it is conditional.
Jesus gave many instructions and commandments as part of His great gospel of salvation.
These were to be followed to the best of man’s ability because of the first commandment,
which says to love God with all of your heart, and all of your soul, and all of your mind.
Jesus said those who love Him will keep His commandments. Does anyone get to heaven
who does not love Jesus? Does anyone get to heaven who does not keep His commands?
Those who “know” Jesus keep His commandments; this “knowing” results in eternal life!
He who keeps Jesus’ commandments will bear fruit of eternal value, which will glorify the
Father, but he who does not bear fruit is cast out, taken away, thrown in the fire, burned.
Those who overcome “as I also overcame” will be allowed to be seated with Him in heaven.
Believers are called to be overcomers … they are to overcome sin, the devil, and the world.
All of this is about a continual action: a continuing belief-faith accompanied by obedience.
In all of the NT letters written to the churches, we see warnings about the need for this.
One of the warnings: believers must continue practicing/maintaining their righteousness
(which reminds some people of Jesus’ warnings about hating one’s life in order to save it).
Another continuous warnings to churches: habitual unrepentant sin leads to eternal death!
E.G. Habitual unrepentant sinners are not allowed to inherit/enter the kingdom of heaven.
And one’s belief-faith-trust-obedience must endure all the way until the end of one’s life!
Having a true saving belief-faith is all about having the correct heart attitude toward God,
and following through with obedience, for “he who does the will of God abides forever”.
• “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord’, shall enter the kingdom of heaven,
but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day,
‘Lord, Lord’ … And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me,
you who practice lawlessness!’ Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine,
and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock …”
(Jesus, Matthew 7:21-24)
Notice the contrast between doing God’s will vs. practicing lawlessness (sin).
Doing God’s will gets you into the kingdom of heaven.
Doing lawlessness (sin) gets you rejected by Jesus.
Whoever commits sin commits lawlessness; sin is lawlessness, as is all unrighteousness!
• “Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you,
will seek to enter and will not be able.” (Jesus, Luke 13:24)
Years ago, I used to think this was referring to the many people of other religions!
Now, I believe this “striving” refers to trying to obey the gospel and the commandments.
Paul often wrote about his struggle to run the race and his hope of salvation.
All of the above is Scriptural … if you would like a reference for something, please ask.
Is all of the above from the Scriptures a pile of nonsense?
Or perhaps you can see how it reconciles the whole of the New Testament?
