God is very merciful, but not in cases where someone is able to do good works but refuses to, because of unrepentant laziness and wickedness (Matthew 25:26,30).
For example, John 15:2a refers to Christians, who are branches in the vine of Jesus Christ, wrongly employing their free will in such a way that they fail to produce good fruit, so that ultimately they are taken away from Jesus (John 15:2a), cut off from Him for their unrepentant laziness, to the ultimate loss of their salvation (Matthew 25:26,30).
Christians can also be ultimately cut off from Jesus Christ, cast away, and burned; they can ultimately lose their salvation, for not continuing to abide in Jesus (John 15:6), in the sense of committing apostasy (Hebrews 6:4-8; 1 Timothy 4:1; 2 Timothy 2:12b), or unrepentant sin (Hebrews 10:26-29, Luke 12:45-46; 1 Corinthians 9:27).
Jesus Christ gives each Christian his or her own spiritual work to do (Mark 13:34, Romans 12:6-8; 1 Corinthians 12:28-30; 1 Corinthians 12:8-10). And He gives different Christians different amounts of spiritual talents (Matthew 25:15). So it is not possible for all Christians to do the same spiritual work for Jesus, or to accomplish the same amount for Him. And so any one Christian should not (as sometimes happens) judge any other Christian for not doing the same spiritual work that he or she is doing, or for not accomplishing as much as he or she is accomplishing (Romans 14:4). Nor should any Christian think that the spiritual work which Jesus has given him or her is unnecessary and not a real part of the operation of the Church (1 Corinthians 12:14-30). But there is still no room for complacency, because for those Christians who have been given much spiritual talent by God, much will be required of them by God (Luke 12:48b). And for those Christians who have not been given as much spiritual talent by God, they are still expected to accomplish something for Him (Galatians 6:4-5), and not just to sit back and do nothing at all for Him (Matthew 25:26,30, John 15:2a, Romans 2:6-8).
Judaism believes, based on God not judging those under 20 in the Exodus account, that a person who is not an adult cannot be held responsible, because their ability to know good from evil is not fully developed. That's why the parents shift responsibility back to the son here:
John 9:20“We know he is our son,” the parents answered, “and we know he was born blind. 21But how he can see now, or who opened his eyes, we don’t know. Ask him. He is of age; he will speak for himself.” 22His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders, who already had decided that anyone who acknowledged that Jesus was the Messiah would be put out of the synagogue. 23That was why his parents said, “He is of age; ask him.”
Today scientists confirm that the part of the brain responsible for moral decisions isn't fully developed until a person reaches adulthood.
So you think God doesn't know the state of His own creature's brain?
They could become Jews (Numbers 9:14).
Your post is a sly attempt at misdirection. I did not ask how Gentiles could become a member of God's People, Jews, in my post:
In the Old Covenant, only Israel was clean, was eligible to be the People of God, Gentiles were unclean. In the new covenant, who are clean, eligible to be the people of God?
You are perfectly aware the answer to my actual question is that all nations are eligible. If all nations are clean, eligible, then no special nation, Israel , a people chosen because they are clean, exist. All are Israel.
This is not your first attempt at misdirection and if you continue, it means you are only interested in winning, not in teaching the truth. Another minus point for your credibility.
Only Christians are clean (1 Corinthians 6:11), coming from every nationality (Revelation 5:9), including Israel (Romans 11:1-7).
There is no group or nation called Christian which is a candidate to become a member of God’s People. Christ is God. His People are God's People, Christian. The question was which nations, Jewish or Gentile, is now considered clean, is Israel, is eligible to become a member of God's People, in the case of the New Covenant.
Acts 13:38“Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that through Him forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, 39and through Him everyone who believes is freed from all things, from which you could not be freed through the Law of Moses. 40“Therefore take heed, so that the thing spoken of in the Prophets may not come upon you:
41‘BEHOLD, YOU SCOFFERS, AND MARVEL, AND PERISH;
FOR I AM ACCOMPLISHING A WORK IN YOUR DAYS,
A WORK WHICH YOU WILL NEVER BELIEVE, THOUGH SOMEONE SHOULD DESCRIBE IT TO YOU.’”
42As Paul and Barnabas were going out, the people kept begging that these things might be spoken to them the next Sabbath. 43Now when the meeting of the synagogue had broken up, many of the Jews and of the God-fearing proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas, who, speaking to them, were urging them to continue in the grace of God.
Acts 13:39 says those who are baptised into Christ, became Christians, can be freed from everything that they couldn't be freed from when they were baptized into Moses, became Jews. It doesn't say old covenant Jews need to become new covenant Jews. It says people who were in the synagogue, of Jewish and Gentile origin, had to be in the Church, become Christians, to be completely freed of their sins.
In other words, the choices are : remain Jews to be freed from some sins and escape wrath but die, not have eternal life, become blessings to the world, live as Gentiles amongst Gentiles or become Christians to be freed from all sins and become blessings to the world. The choices again, live as Gentiles amongst Gentiles, or become Christian, baptism into Moses, or into Christ:
1 Corinthians 10:2and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea;
Galatians 3:27For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.
Are you thinking of Galatians 4:7 and Romans 4:4?
If so, Galatians 4:7 means that Christians are not only God's servants, but are His children. For Christians are God's servants (Romans 6:22, Philippians 1:1; 2 Timothy 2:24). People can be both someone's child and his servant at the same time (Malachi 3:17, Exodus 4:23). The book of Revelation is given to the Church (Revelation 22:16), God's servants (Revelation 22:6, Revelation 1:1), who will forever serve God (Revelation 22:3), with His name written on their foreheads (Revelation 22:4, Revelation 3:12-13).
Also, Romans 4:4 does not apply to the ultimate salvation of those who are already Christians, for a master does not go into debt to his servant (Luke 17:10).
For Christians do not become the employees of Jesus Christ, but must become His willing servants/slaves (doulos: G1401) (Revelation 1:1), forsaking everything that they have (Luke 14:33).
Employees chosen by being suitable received wages only when they do all their work. Family receive love and gifts as long as they are recognisable as family.
Even under the New Covenant, people have to be doers of God's will if they want to obtain ultimate salvation (Matthew 7:21).
Wrong, they just have to have identified themselves as God’s sheep and stay identifiable. Sometimes the first act is the only act they can do and it's enough. Like the thief on the cross.
They could (Exodus 12:48).
Wrong. They had to be circumcised, become part of Israel, become clean, and then be baptised into Moses. God's People were Jews. Now they are Christians.
Romans 9:30-32 means that by the works of the letter of the Old Covenant Mosaic law, no one will be justified (Acts 13:39). Romans 9:30-32 is not contradicting that the people of Israel are also saved by grace (Romans 11:1-7).
The Old Covenant
Israel failed to become blessings to the world because they were not faithful, loyal to God. They only observed the minor parts of the law. They tried to force God to fulfill His unconditional promise to make Abraham's seed a blessing to the world. Unfortunately, Abraham's seed was identified by faith, loyalty, not circumcision. And it was not many seeds, but a single seed.
Gentiles did not become blessings to the world because they were not given hope, were not having a promise, a covenant.
The New Covenant
Israel failed to become blessings to the world because they were not faithful, loyal to God. They still taught that candidates became eligible for membership in the People of God, clean, by becoming members of Israel, by observing minor parts of the law, the requirement of the Old Covenant, even when God had declared all nations clean, had closed the Old Covenant. They were seeking to maintain a righteousness of Israel, Judaism, rather than the righteousness of God, Christianity. Israel wanted to stay in Moses, rather than move into Christ, the real destination, the real Rest. They wanted to stay Jews, rather than be Christians. Finally, those who wanted Jews to be the Rest were cut off. If there hadn't been some who also observed the more important parts of the law, justice, mercy and loyalty to God, Israel would have been removed from the face of the earth, like Sodom and Gomorrah. The requirements of the Old Covenant still protected, was still a guardian.
Gentiles became blessings to the world because they were not given hope, were not having a promise that they could be the seed of Abraham, the appearance of the true seed did not cause them to stumble, to transgress. They were not seeking a promise given to Gentiles, a righteousness of their own, but were seeking a righteousness of God, by being loyal. They had always done this, but did not have a covenant which promised a gift, until the New Covenant was given to them because Israel transgressed, by not believing the seed was Christ. Since entry into Christ was by faithfulness, loyalty, not by being an Israelite, observing the minor points of the law, they now could have the Covenant which those baptised into Christ had.
No, only the way of the Jew Jesus Christ is the right way (John 14:6).
The way of Judaism is by minor points of the law. The way of Christianity is by faith, loyalty.
The choice is to be baptised into Moses or into Christ.
Not Christian Israel (Hebrews 12:28).
No such thing. See above.
He did, de jure, as soon as he sold his birthright (Hebrews 12:16).
Service is visible, is either lip service or deeds. Esau did neither. In fact, Jacob was always in submission, was a servant, to Esau, even after Esau sold his birthright, but did not hand it over, to Jacob:
Genesis 32: 3Then Jacob sent messengers before him to his brother Esau in the land of Seir, the country of Edom. 4He also commanded them saying, “Thus you shall say to my lord Esau: ‘Thus says your servant Jacob, “I have sojourned with Laban, and stayed until now; 5I have oxen and donkeys and flocks and male and female servants; and I have sent to tell my lord, that I may find favor in your sight.”’”
Not in Malachi 1:3, where being hated results in being destroyed by God, as in Romans 9:22.
I don't care what it says in Malachi. In Romans 9:22 which is linked to Rebecca, God didn't hate Jacob, who became Israel, who became Ishmael, through the Sinaitic Covenant, Hagar, destined to be a vessel of dishonor because it had minor points of the law, which could be mistaken for identification marks of Abraham's seed, until the true seed caused Israel to stumble, because He had more identification marks.
Are you thinking of John 3:16?
If so, note that John 3:16 does not mean that God loves everyone in the world, for He hates nonelect people (Romans 9:11-22).
What John 3:16 says does not require that God loves everyone in the world, just as, for example, saying that a person loves TV does not require that that person loves every show on TV.
In the Bible, "the world" does not have to mean everyone in the world. Just as "the world" in John 15:18 and John 16:8-9,20 does not include Christians, so "the world" in John 3:16 does not include nonelect people (Romans 9:11-22). And in the case of, for example, John 18:20, it does not include the vast majority of the earth's inhabitants at that time, who did not hear Jesus Christ speak to them during His preaching before His arrest.
It's very clear that John 3:16 announces God’s intention to remove Israel's special status as His People.
We have to become grafted into Israel (Romans 11:17), the Jews' own tree (Romans 11:24), in order to be saved by the New Covenant (Matthew 26:28), which is made only with Israel (Jeremiah 31:31-34).
The House of Israel, which the Covenant is made with, became non Jewish, Gentiles. They worshipped on altars set up in high places, like other pagan nations.
Deuteronomy 12:5 But you shall seek the place that the LORD your God will choose out of all your tribes to put his name and make his habitation there. There you shall go, 6 and there you shall bring your burnt offerings and your sacrifices, your tithes and the contribution that you present, your vow offerings, your freewill offerings, and the firstborn of your herd and of your flock.
John 4:20“Our fathers worshiped in this mountain, and you people say that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.
That's right (Romans 5:19a), just as we die in Adam (1 Corinthians 15:22).
The death is spiritual, because Adam didn't die physically immediately after gaining knowledge of good and evil, but he did get separated from God, humanity lost union with God, which Christ restored.
The text says:
Romans 5:19 . . . by one man's disobedience many were made sinners . . .
But the doctrine of Original Sin depends on Romans 5:12, recorded historically as Augustine's reasoning, not on what you say.
All men will be resurrected in Christ (1 Corinthians 15:22), but the lost will be resurrected unto damnation (John 5:29), foretold even before Christ (Isaiah 66:24).
But what about those who do not belong to Christ, like Joshua, Caleb, Rehab, etc. who were baptized into Moses?
1 Corinthians 15:22For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. 23But each in turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him.
Christians become spiritually-circumcised Jews when they undergo the spiritual circumcision of water-immersion (burial) baptism into Jesus Christ (Romans 2:29, Philippians 3:3, Colossians 2:11-13).
But Judas, Simon the Sorcerer, Ananias and Sapphira were baptised. Yet they were not clean, considered God's People. Water baptism can't be spiritual circumcision.
The real can also be invisible (1 Timothy 1:17).
It also has to be see-able.
Hebrews 12:14Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord.
Dreams can't be seen. They can only be dreamt.
Not if it is a reasonable mistake.
For example, in the dim light of a restaurant, you could mistakenly give the waiter a tip of $1 instead of $10, because you thought that the one was a ten.
That thought isn't true. Therefore, it's nonsensical.
It makes sense if they look alike, even though it's mistaken.
That impression isn't a true impression. Therefore, it's nonsensical.
Hindu doctrine rejects Christian doctrine.
Hindu doctrine accepts Christian doctrine.
Christianity rejects all the other religions as cursed (Galatians 1:8-9).
That doctrine is also accepted by Hindus. They believe everyone has a right to believe whatever they want. The danger of Hinduism is that it doesn't fight, it destroys by absorbing and diluting.