- Oct 2, 2020
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Several problems here on your interpretation of 1 Timothy 6:12.
Problem #1. - You are not reading and believing this verse at face value. It says FIGHT the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life. So think about the word “fight.” Does that sound like you do nothing? No. Of course not. We fight the good fight is tied to the truth that says: “we lay hold on eternal life.” Final eternal life in being “glorified” (i.e. being taken home to be with the Lord). For it is why a particular church was told to be faithful unto death and they would be given the crown of life (Revelation 2:10).
Problem #2. - You say that this is dealing with the context of pursuing riches of this world like false teachers. This is true. Paul says, “you, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.” (1 Timothy 6:11). So if “I flee chasing after riches and follow or chase after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, etc.” am I not doing something? Is not my fleeing riches and following after righteousness and godliness (holy living) an action in some way? Am I doing nothing by doing this? Surely not. So this is a part of the good fight of faith in laying hold on eternal life. I have to be faithful unto death so as to receive the crown of life. Faithful not in just in having a mental acknowledgement of the Savior. For even the demons believe and tremble (James 2:19). So your bringing in the context about riches only helps to prove my case by our obeying the Lord, and it does not prove your case in doing nothing.
Problem #3. - You also fail to look at the context of 1 Timothy 6:3-4. 1 Timothy 6:3-4 says, “If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness; He is proud, knowing nothing,...”;
Not sure if you caught it or not, but Paul is saying that if any man does not agree with the words of Jesus Christ and the doctrine according to godliness, he is proud and he knows nothing. Is a proud man saved? Well, according to James 4:6, it says: God resists the proud and He gives grace to the humble. Think about that for a moment. The person who does not agree with godly living according to God's Word knows nothing and they are proud. Is a person who thinks they can sin and still be saved agreeing with the doctrine of godliness or the words of Jesus Christ? Well, when I tell other Christians today about Matthew 5:28-30, Matthew 6:15, Matthew 12:37, Matthew 25:31-46, Luke 9:62, Luke 10:25-28, many of them say that those words do not exactly apply to them. In other words, they are not agreeing with the words of Jesus. Paul said that a man who does not agree with the words of Jesus and the doctrine according to godliness is proud and he knows nothing. Let that sink in, brother.
The problem is that when I say what most Christians say, that salvation is not earned though works and performance and that it's not a do-it-yourself thing... you misinterpret that as saying we don't have to do anything at all. That seems to be the crux of your lengthy lectures and numerous verses.
It seems to always come down to you having it stuck in your head that saying salvation isn't earned though works... is claiming that it's okay for Christians to be reprobate - which isn't the case.
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