J. Vernon McGee taught cheap grace

d taylor

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D. James Kennedy

Repentance and faith are inseparable in Scripture. There can be no genuine repentance without faith. And there is no genuine faith without repentance. The two go together as heads and tails on one coin.

The way I like to think about it is the motto "To be, rather than to seem". That's how I think of faith. Our hearts, minds and wills need to be engaged in our faith for it to be what it is. It is a show of commitment before there are any deeds that follow. That's why I don't see it as a work.

Well why i make the distinction with trust. Is a child believes in santa claus, they do not trust in santa claus. They may trust that santa claus will bring them something, but in that case it can also be exchanged with. They may believe santa claus will bring them something.

But i does not see the Bible stating trust in Jesus to receive Eternal Life.
 
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d taylor

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D. James Kennedy

Repentance and faith are inseparable in Scripture. There can be no genuine repentance without faith. And there is no genuine faith without repentance. The two go together as heads and tails on one coin.

I do believe they are, a person can simply believe in Jesus. To believe in Jesus, does not require a person to repent, to be able to believe.
 
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Well why i make the distinction with trust. Is a child believes in santa claus, they do not trust in santa claus. They may trust that santa claus will bring them something, but in that case it can also be exchanged with. They may believe santa claus will bring them something.

But i does not see the Bible stating trust in Jesus to receive Eternal Life.
What are your thoughts about this hymn? I'd like to know.
I do believe they are, a person can simply believe in Jesus. To believe in Jesus, does not require a person to repent, to be able to believe.
Before one is saved they are at enmity with God. “the mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God.” (Romans 8:7) Elsewhere we are told that unbelievers store up wrath on the day of wrath. "But in accordance with your hardness and your impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God," (Romans 2:5) This indicates that repentance is required because we have a sin nature.
 
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What are your thoughts about this hymn? I'd like to know.

Before one is saved they are at enmity with God. “the mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God.” (Romans 8:7) Elsewhere we are told that unbelievers store up wrath on the day of wrath. "But in accordance with your hardness and your impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God," (Romans 2:5) This indicates that repentance is required because we have a sin nature.

The Apostle, in Romans 2, isn't talking about unbelievers, but believers. He had been talking about unbelievers in the previous chapter, concerning the deeds of the pagans; but he has now shifted, moved, to address Christians living in Rome, "Who are you to pass judgment when you do the same things?"

Paul was using the unbelieving pagans to draw out a point to his readers, the point wasn't to say, "Look at how icky the pagans are" but rather to point out that we are all sinful.

It's possible that the Apostle is specifically addressing Jewish believers in Rome, given the theme(s) of the epistle. Talking about pagan idolatry and wickedness, but also will talk about how those to whom the Law was given (Jews) are in no better position before God than uncircumcised Gentile pagans. For the Apostle will go on to say, "All have sinned and fallen short", Jew and Gentile. The Jews are condemned under the Law because knowing it they disobey; and Gentiles are condemned by the Law for they still violate the Law. Thus the Law kills all, the Law cannot provide righteousness for anyone. Everyone is guilty, for sin came through Adam to all men--Jew and Gentile--so all are sinful. And so Christ has made righteous satisfaction justifying all (see Romans 5:18). Thus Paul appeals to before the giving of the Law, to Abraham, for whom "faith was credited as righteousness", for there is a righteousness apart from the Law, the righteousness which God gives and which is received, passively, through faith. So that God freely justifies us through faith, reckons us, declares us righteous on Christ's account which is given to us through faith.

Paul will go on to say that God's grace triumphs over our sin, "Where sin abounds, grace super-abounds", but that this is no excuse to keep on sinning, "Shall we go on sinning? No!" For, he says, if we have died with Christ in our baptism, then we have been raised with Christ to new life, a new life from God with God, and that we are to count ourselves dead to sin and alive to God, as slaves of righteousness.

God's grace is no excuse for sin, though God is always more gracious than we are sinful, but rather God's grace is occasion for what St. John the Baptist called "works worthy of repentance". So the Apostle will, elsewhere in Philippians 2, say, "Have this same disposition in you that was in Christ Jesus", and will even in Romans (chapter 12) write that we must submit ourselves as living sacrifices and to be transformed by the renewing of our mind (which, I would argue, is repentance, metanoia).

Repentance is the cross we carry as Jesus' disciples.

Repentance isn't about our justification, but rather our sanctification.

God freely justifies us by His grace. Justification is God to man, unilaterally: God says we are forgiven and we are forgiven, God says we are righteous and so it is so; because it is a righteousness received, passively, through faith. It is Christ's own righteousness.

Justification is complete, perfect, finished--Christ rendered us justified on Mt. Calvary, and we receive it through faith. In Word and Sacrament God justifies us freely, as the perfect and finished work of Christ is declared to us, imputed to us.

Sanctification is incomplete, ongoing, it is the work-in-progress of our daily conversion, the daily continued work of God in us to conform us to the image of Christ, the good work which He began and says He will finish on the Last Day. To that end our sanctification means repentance, it means new obedience, it means taking up our cross and following Jesus.

It is not our sanctification that makes us right with God, but our justification.

We are right with God entirely by the finished and perfect work of Christ. Our sanctification is not about who we are before God (Coram Deo) but who we are before our fellow man (Coram Mundus). It is not God who needs our good works, but our neighbor.

Repentance, therefore, is not what justifies; but is part of sanctification. Though repentance does ready us to hear the Gospel, for the harshness of the Law which is set against us in the weakness and wretchedness of our sin declares us condemned sinners, storing up for ourselves wrath for the day of wrath (there's Romans 2:5); but the Good News of God is Jesus Christ and what He has done, who by His righteous obedience satisfying the entirety of the Law in order that we, through faith, should be reckoned righteous before God for Christ's sake.

Repentance therefore is the honest confession of who we are as we gaze upon the Law as a mirror, and we are struck by the contrition and grief of this brutal reality; and we fall to our knees naked and empty with nothing to offer God. But God, who is infinitely rich in mercy, grants to us the super-abundance of His riches of grace so that we are wealthy beyond measure in Christ through faith.

-CryptoLutheran
 
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d taylor

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What are your thoughts about this hymn? I'd like to know.

Before one is saved they are at enmity with God. “the mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God.” (Romans 8:7) Elsewhere we are told that unbelievers store up wrath on the day of wrath. "But in accordance with your hardness and your impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God," (Romans 2:5) This indicates that repentance is required because we have a sin nature.

Well i would not let hymn's decide my Bible beliefs. They may or may not be stating truth, because making a song work. Does not necessarily mean the writer is using correct Bible information.

Before a person come to believe in Jesus for Eternal Life they are an unbeliever. But God has made a major barrier break down, taking away the sin of the world.
 
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d taylor

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Before one is saved they are at enmity with God. “the mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God.” (Romans 8:7) Elsewhere we are told that unbelievers store up wrath on the day of wrath. "But in accordance with your hardness and your impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God," (Romans 2:5) This indicates that repentance is required because we have a sin nature.

A little more elaboration on this thought. What Romans (8) is making a case for is that being unbelievers and at enmity with God. The unbeliever is unable to live and up hold the law perfectly.

But also a believer living according to the flesh can also be at enmity with God.
 
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A little more elaboration on this thought. What Romans (8) is making a case for is that being unbelievers and at enmity with God. The unbeliever is unable to live and up hold the law perfectly.

But also a believer living according to the flesh can also be at enmity with God.
Well, I think God holds believers to a higher standard. Think about the sin of David and how he was told the sword will not depart from his house (2 Sam 12:10-11). Believers do not receive punitive wrath from the father, but corrective wrath.
The Apostle, in Romans 2, isn't talking about unbelievers, but believers. He had been talking about unbelievers in the previous chapter, concerning the deeds of the pagans; but he has now shifted, moved, to address Christians living in Rome, "Who are you to pass judgment when you do the same things?"

Paul was using the unbelieving pagans to draw out a point to his readers, the point wasn't to say, "Look at how icky the pagans are" but rather to point out that we are all sinful.

It's possible that the Apostle is specifically addressing Jewish believers in Rome, given the theme(s) of the epistle. Talking about pagan idolatry and wickedness, but also will talk about how those to whom the Law was given (Jews) are in no better position before God than uncircumcised Gentile pagans. For the Apostle will go on to say, "All have sinned and fallen short", Jew and Gentile. The Jews are condemned under the Law because knowing it they disobey; and Gentiles are condemned by the Law for they still violate the Law. Thus the Law kills all, the Law cannot provide righteousness for anyone. Everyone is guilty, for sin came through Adam to all men--Jew and Gentile--so all are sinful. And so Christ has made righteous satisfaction justifying all (see Romans 5:18). Thus Paul appeals to before the giving of the Law, to Abraham, for whom "faith was credited as righteousness", for there is a righteousness apart from the Law, the righteousness which God gives and which is received, passively, through faith. So that God freely justifies us through faith, reckons us, declares us righteous on Christ's account which is given to us through faith.

Paul will go on to say that God's grace triumphs over our sin, "Where sin abounds, grace super-abounds", but that this is no excuse to keep on sinning, "Shall we go on sinning? No!" For, he says, if we have died with Christ in our baptism, then we have been raised with Christ to new life, a new life from God with God, and that we are to count ourselves dead to sin and alive to God, as slaves of righteousness.

God's grace is no excuse for sin, though God is always more gracious than we are sinful, but rather God's grace is occasion for what St. John the Baptist called "works worthy of repentance". So the Apostle will, elsewhere in Philippians 2, say, "Have this same disposition in you that was in Christ Jesus", and will even in Romans (chapter 12) write that we must submit ourselves as living sacrifices and to be transformed by the renewing of our mind (which, I would argue, is repentance, metanoia).

Repentance is the cross we carry as Jesus' disciples.

Repentance isn't about our justification, but rather our sanctification.

God freely justifies us by His grace. Justification is God to man, unilaterally: God says we are forgiven and we are forgiven, God says we are righteous and so it is so; because it is a righteousness received, passively, through faith. It is Christ's own righteousness.

Justification is complete, perfect, finished--Christ rendered us justified on Mt. Calvary, and we receive it through faith. In Word and Sacrament God justifies us freely, as the perfect and finished work of Christ is declared to us, imputed to us.

Sanctification is incomplete, ongoing, it is the work-in-progress of our daily conversion, the daily continued work of God in us to conform us to the image of Christ, the good work which He began and says He will finish on the Last Day. To that end our sanctification means repentance, it means new obedience, it means taking up our cross and following Jesus.

It is not our sanctification that makes us right with God, but our justification.

We are right with God entirely by the finished and perfect work of Christ. Our sanctification is not about who we are before God (Coram Deo) but who we are before our fellow man (Coram Mundus). It is not God who needs our good works, but our neighbor.

Repentance, therefore, is not what justifies; but is part of sanctification. Though repentance does ready us to hear the Gospel, for the harshness of the Law which is set against us in the weakness and wretchedness of our sin declares us condemned sinners, storing up for ourselves wrath for the day of wrath (there's Romans 2:5); but the Good News of God is Jesus Christ and what He has done, who by His righteous obedience satisfying the entirety of the Law in order that we, through faith, should be reckoned righteous before God for Christ's sake.

Repentance therefore is the honest confession of who we are as we gaze upon the Law as a mirror, and we are struck by the contrition and grief of this brutal reality; and we fall to our knees naked and empty with nothing to offer God. But God, who is infinitely rich in mercy, grants to us the super-abundance of His riches of grace so that we are wealthy beyond measure in Christ through faith.

-CryptoLutheran
I think the point here is that all of us deserve God’s judgment whether the immoral pagan or outwardly moral person. The cure is the same which is God’s mercy by Christ’s righteousness by imputation, the protestant view. Believers are not under God’s wrath, but the message of Romans is still needed for the believer because for one it reminds us that we do not measure up under God’s law, keeping us humble, and his law tells us how we obey willingly out of a grateful heart. For the believer they are not under God’s law (Rom. 6:14), so they are free to make the law serve them.
 
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Well, I think God holds believers to a higher standard. Think about the sin of David and how he was told the sword will not depart from his house (2 Sam 12:10-11). Believers do not receive punitive wrath from the father, but corrective wrath.

I think the point here is that all of us deserve God’s judgment whether the immoral pagan or outwardly moral person. The cure is the same which is God’s mercy by Christ’s righteousness by imputation, the protestant view. Believers are not under God’s wrath, but the message of Romans is still needed for the believer because for one it reminds us that we do not measure up under God’s law, keeping us humble, and his law tells us how we obey willingly out of a grateful heart. For the believer they are not under God’s law (Rom. 6:14), so they are free to make the law serve them.

I think it's stronger than that. It concerns the Simul, that we are both saints and sinners, there is the new man and the old man--what the Apostle describes in Romans chapter 7.

The old man needs to be put to death daily, even as the new man needs to be fed and sustained. The old man is put to death by the Law, so when we read something like that we are storing up wrath that isn't some small trifle. Apart from Christ we'd have nothing, we truly would be in serious trouble.

Though I would want to point out that, as a Lutheran, my understanding of God's wrath is found within the Law-Gospel Dialectic, and that God's wrath is about His Hiddenness (Deus Absconditus). That is to say, the sinner beholds God's wrath in the Law, for God hidden in holiness and obscured by His glory is dreadful, terrible, terrifying, "No man can see Me and live" is what He says to Moses. God, hidden behind the glory and holiness of the Law is terrifying, He is good and we are sinful, and thus every condemnation is poured out against us.

That is the old man flees from God, the old man even hates God. That is why the old man must be daily put to death with repentance.

Humble, yes, certainly. But it's stronger than that: Us, without Jesus, are in a frightful place. Not because God is mean, not because God is some angry being distant and far removed, not because of any such petty thing like that. But because the naked truth of ourselves is awful, we are the very architects of our own damnation. Apart from God's abundant and good grace in Christ, we would choose hell a million times over, again and again.

God's intervention by His grace and love is great beyond measure.

-CryptoLutheran
 
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d taylor

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Well, I think God holds believers to a higher standard. Think about the sin of David and how he was told the sword will not depart from his house (2 Sam 12:10-11). Believers do not receive punitive wrath from the father, but corrective wrath.

I think the point here is that all of us deserve God’s judgment whether the immoral pagan or outwardly moral person. The cure is the same which is God’s mercy by Christ’s righteousness by imputation, the protestant view. Believers are not under God’s wrath, but the message of Romans is still needed for the believer because for one it reminds us that we do not measure up under God’s law, keeping us humble, and his law tells us how we obey willingly out of a grateful heart. For the believer they are not under God’s law (Rom. 6:14), so they are free to make the law serve them.


Yes God does hold born again children to more of an accountable life, Ananias and Sapphira are just one example of that.
 
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Yes God does hold born again children to more of an accountable life, Ananias and Sapphira are just one example of that.
I'm not so sure that counts because that wasn't corrective wrath or an opportunity to discipline them; they were struck down dead on the spot (Acts 5:1-11). You might say, what about Moses being told he will die before ever having a chance to step foot in the promised land. Only, we know Moses was a faithful servant of the Lord and he wasn't killed right away. He even lived a healthy life up to his ripe old age (Duet 34:7).
"God is so good that his wrath abides on sinners and if we stood in his presence his wrath would be manifest and damn us instantly like grease lightning because of his goodness" (Proverbs 16:6). "Moses said I want to see your glory and God said I'll hide you from my goodness" (Exodus 33:18-23). These quotes were from "Ray Comfort Gives the Audience an URGENT Warning" - YouTube
 
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d taylor

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I'm not so sure that counts because that wasn't corrective wrath or an opportunity to discipline them; they were struck down dead on the spot (Acts 5:1-11). You might say, what about Moses being told he will die before ever having a chance to step foot in the promised land. Only, we know Moses was a faithful servant of the Lord and he wasn't killed right away. He even lived a healthy life up to his ripe old age (Duet 34:7).
"God is so good that his wrath abides on sinners and if we stood in his presence his wrath would be manifest and damn us instantly like grease lightning because of his goodness" (Proverbs 16:6). "Moses said I want to see your glory and God said I'll hide you from my goodness" (Exodus 33:18-23). These quotes were from "Ray Comfort Gives the Audience an URGENT Warning" - YouTube

God handles each situation different or what is best for that particular purpose for His will.
It can alos be seen of believers dying at a Lords supper memorial in the New Testament or becoming sick.
 
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God handles each situation different or what is best for that particular purpose for His will.
It can alos be seen of believers dying at a Lords supper memorial in the New Testament or becoming sick.
Well I have to give you that one; you are right that sometimes God disciplines believers in death. What convinced me otherwise was reading something recently from GotQuestions, an article that suggested Ananias and Sapphira probably were believers. But it did make me wonder how that is corrective wrath and then it had this to say:

The sudden, dramatic deaths of Ananias and Sapphira served to purify and warn the church. “Great fear seized the whole church” (Acts 5:11).

We do need to look at each situation carefully and discern when, how and why God displays his wrath, like Herod being eaten by worms (12:23). But my point still stands because God holds believers to a higher standard, and the reason why is because the believer ought to know better. Why? because if they commit themselves to the Lord upon conversion, then it makes sense why God deals with his own in that way.
 
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d taylor

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Well I have to give you that one; you are right that sometimes God disciplines believers in death. What convinced me otherwise was reading something recently from GotQuestions, an article that suggested Ananias and Sapphira probably were believers. But it did make me wonder how that is corrective wrath and then it had this to say:

The sudden, dramatic deaths of Ananias and Sapphira served to purify and warn the church. “Great fear seized the whole church” (Acts 5:11).

We do need to look at each situation carefully and discern when, how and why God displays his wrath, like Herod being eaten by worms (12:23). But my point still stands because God holds believers to a higher standard, and the reason why is because the believer ought to know better. Why? because if they commit themselves to the Lord upon conversion, then it makes sense why God deals with his own in that way.
What is not taught much or at best taught correctly is that believers should not be obedient to God as part of receiving God's free gift of Eternal Life. the obedient part of a believers life should be lived in an effort in gaining eternal rewards. that is what happened to Ananias and Sapphira their earthly life was cut short by God and ending any chance for these two believes to build up eternal rewards. Which will be a great loss to the believer in the next part of life as this loss is loss of everlasting rewards for the believer.
 
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What is not taught much or at best taught correctly is that believers should not be obedient to God as part of receiving God's free gift of Eternal Life. the obedient part of a believers life should be lived in an effort in gaining eternal rewards. that is what happened to Ananias and Sapphira their earthly life was cut short by God and ending any chance for these two believes to build up eternal rewards. Which will be a great loss to the believer in the next part of life as this loss is loss of everlasting rewards for the believer.
Now, it seems to be assumed that Ananias and Sapphira were not committed to God in any way because of their failure to commit in one particular way. I made this assumption myself but came to a different conclusion. I assumed they were false converts. But you have assumed something along the lines that their heavenly experience is not received so well. This is the strange teaching that free grace theology (easy believism) affirms. They say that some believers’ joy is dampened such that the only joy they experience is meager and they can at least be thankful they’re not in hell. I don’t buy that. While I do believe there are degrees of the heavenly experience or degrees of torment in hell, I don’t think anyone in heaven will feel like poor citizens.
 
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Now, it seems to be assumed that Ananias and Sapphira were not committed to God in any way because of their failure to commit in one particular way. I made this assumption myself but came to a different conclusion. I assumed they were false converts. But you have assumed something along the lines that their heavenly experience is not received so well. This is the strange teaching that free grace theology (easy believism) affirms. They say that some believers’ joy is dampened such that the only joy they experience is meager and they can at least be thankful they’re not in hell. I don’t buy that. While I do believe there are degrees of the heavenly experience or degrees of torment in hell, I don’t think anyone in heaven will feel like poor citizens.

The Outer Darkness Is Not the Lake of Fire – Grace Evangelical Society
 
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This is such a sad interpretation of the parable of the talents. Let’s just take a look at the arguments 5 and 6 from the article you shared:



  1. The third servant in the Parable of the Talents is at the Judgment Seat of Christ with two other servants who are rewarded believers. If he is not a believer, why is he at the Bema? And what would it mean to say that each servant was given a sum to invest “according to his own ability” (Matt 25:15). Do unbelievers have spiritual gifts and abilities? Are unbelievers given a stewardship by the Lord? The parable shows that the third servant knows the Lord. He knows the Lord would hold him accountable. He responds by doing nothing, evidently thinking he is taking the safe route. But the idea that he does not know the Lord is contrary to the passage.
  2. The most natural explanation of these texts is the outer darkness is a figure for shame and sadness at the Bema. It does not refer to a literal place. It certainly doesn’t refer to Hades or to the lake of fire.




How I make sense of the lesson in this parable is understanding what the third servant thought of the master, not merely that he knew him to be his master. Think of it like this, would any believer not truly want Jesus to be his master? Perhaps he wouldn’t believe it is true then. Why would anyone believe Jesus is master if he doesn’t want him to be master? There are plenty of people who do in fact think that way. But the the third servant maligns his master’s character by calling him a hard man, as a cruel and ruthless opportunist. Does this sound like someone who has true knowledge of the master?
 
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This is such a sad interpretation of the parable of the talents. Let’s just take a look at the arguments 5 and 6 from the article you shared:



  1. The third servant in the Parable of the Talents is at the Judgment Seat of Christ with two other servants who are rewarded believers. If he is not a believer, why is he at the Bema? And what would it mean to say that each servant was given a sum to invest “according to his own ability” (Matt 25:15). Do unbelievers have spiritual gifts and abilities? Are unbelievers given a stewardship by the Lord? The parable shows that the third servant knows the Lord. He knows the Lord would hold him accountable. He responds by doing nothing, evidently thinking he is taking the safe route. But the idea that he does not know the Lord is contrary to the passage.
  2. The most natural explanation of these texts is the outer darkness is a figure for shame and sadness at the Bema. It does not refer to a literal place. It certainly doesn’t refer to Hades or to the lake of fire.




How I make sense of the lesson in this parable is understanding what the third servant thought of the master, not merely that he knew him to be his master. Think of it like this, would any believer not truly want Jesus to be his master? Perhaps he wouldn’t believe it is true then. Why would anyone believe Jesus is master if he doesn’t want him to be master? There are plenty of people who do in fact think that way. But the the third servant maligns his master’s character by calling him a hard man, as a cruel and ruthless opportunist. Does this sound like someone who has true knowledge of the master?

There are a lot of believers that would fit the Jesus is not my master type of believer. Just look at the many that Paul is always writing to. For an example the ones that he wrote about that have became sick or have fallen asleep (died) from worldly conduct at the last supper memorials.

But where does the actual idea that the third servant does not want Jesus to be his master come from. It is not in the parable.

There are simply believers who fail in living like Christ or even representing Jesus proudly
 
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There are a lot of believers that would fit the Jesus is not my master type of believer. Just look at the many that Paul is always writing to. For an example the ones that he wrote about that have became sick or have fallen asleep (died) from worldly conduct at the last supper memorials.

But where does the actual idea that the third servant does not want Jesus to be his master come from. It is not in the parable.

There are simply believers who fail in living like Christ or even representing Jesus proudly
That is simply a false dichotomy. You cannot know Jesus as savior apart from Jesus as master. Believers who fail to confess and forsake their sins or have secret sins and consequently get sick and die, do not deny that Jesus is their master or have no understanding of this relation. Yes, we all fail to love God perfectly, but a believer does not show hatred for God. Hatred towards God is characteristic of unbelievers. Believers understand that God has real and delegated authority over their lives. If you are in Christ, your body is not your own but belongs to the faithful savior; “the author and finisher of our faith”. Someone who openly hates God fails to confess their sins because they have no desire to obey God. A believer who fails to confess their sins may still have some desire to obey God but is doing a poor job of showing it—that is not the same thing as being completely obstinate and showing open hatred for God.



But I may specify that any act of disobedience is showing a failure to love God. You might say any failure to love God is hatred towards God. But I specify that showing no desire whatever to be committed to God is open hatred towards God and not characteristic of believers—ever.



The third servant does not represent a genuine believer because in his slothfulness, he maligns his mater's character. He thinks of his master as cruel and ruthless which is not representative of a believer.
 
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d taylor

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That is simply a false dichotomy. You cannot know Jesus as savior apart from Jesus as master. Believers who fail to confess and forsake their sins or have secret sins and consequently get sick and die, do not deny that Jesus is their master or have no understanding of this relation. Yes, we all fail to love God perfectly, but a believer does not show hatred for God. Hatred towards God is characteristic of unbelievers. Believers understand that God has real and delegated authority over their lives. If you are in Christ, your body is not your own but belongs to the faithful savior; “the author and finisher of our faith”. Someone who openly hates God fails to confess their sins because they have no desire to obey God. A believer who fails to confess their sins may still have some desire to obey God but is doing a poor job of showing it—that is not the same thing as being completely obstinate and showing open hatred for God.



But I may specify that any act of disobedience is showing a failure to love God. You might say any failure to love God is hatred towards God. But I specify that showing no desire whatever to be committed to God is open hatred towards God and not characteristic of believers—ever.



The third servant does not represent a genuine believer because in his slothfulness, he maligns his mater's character. He thinks of his master as cruel and ruthless which is not representative of a believer.

Well really no use continuing on with any more back a forth post. As i completely reject the Lordship salvation approach to Biblical Soteriology, so we have come to an impasse.
 
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