- Mar 17, 2015
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I'm not sure I could totally agree with either option, as many pride themselves in the service of the Lord, not humbly. I've been around the block in some churches, and pride of service is always there with some members.
I kinda look at it like if God loves me then He may save me.
Christ tells us how to have assurance, but it's an if-then, both times:
For protection from the powers, the enemy:
22Then came the Festival of Dedication at Jerusalem. It was winter, 23and Jesus was in the temple courts walking in Solomon’s Colonnade. 24The Jews who were there gathered around him, saying, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.”
25Jesus answered, “I did tell you, but you do not believe. The works I do in my Father’s name testify about me, 26but you do not believe because you are not my sheep. 27My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. 28I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all ; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. 30I and the Father are one.”
John 10 NIV
The enemy cannot ever take us from God's hand -- cannot trick us (like the cheap-grace-no-fruit fake version of the gospel for instance) -- if we listen to Christ, keeping His words in us (as also said in John chapter 15), so that His words are part of how we experience and think, so that He remains in us, and we in Him (John chapter 15).
And if we then do His words, even the worst storms will not destory our faith:
21“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’ 24“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. 26And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”
Matthew 7 ESV
(Notice the connecting work 'therefore' or 'then' in various translations in verse 24, to help people realize He is continuing to speak here, connecting the sentences together.)
Those who refuse to listen to Him, or refuse to keep His words, will of course have the outcome He says will happen.
Those who do listen to Him and keep His words will have the outcome He says will happen.
He is the way, the truth, and the life, and there isn't another way to the Father that is different than His way that we are to "love one another" (John chapters 14 and 15), forgiving, and loving more than only those who already love us, but to love all our brothers and sisters. Those who don't, as John points out in 1rst John are not His (but could convert still). John chapter 15 is invaluable to us, because nothing we do on our own could be real fruit, but instead our fruit is if we remain in Him, so that He/His words remains in us. John 15 NIV
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