James is written to saved believers regarding living their faith out in action so that others can see their faith. James does not say we are justified before God by works, but before other people, who cannot see our hearts as God can.
No, that is not what James said. This is what James said:
4 You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. 25 And in the same way was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way?
We are saved by grace, through faith, and that not of ourselves, it is a gift of God, lest any man should boast.
Amen.
Absolutely. He is the only hope I have. Nothing I have done, am doing or will do will save me, only Christ's once for all and all sufficient sacrifice for sin will do so.
Uh huh. But you must trust Jesus. That is a verb, no matter how many word games and other semantics you try to play in order to deny the obvious fact that there is a condition for you to be saved. If there were no conditions, then every person on the earth from the believer to the rank atheist would be saved.
The wages of sin is death. I have yet to find a list of sins categorized from less severe to most severe. Or a list describing how Jesus died more for some sins than other less serious ones. The problem is that some just do not take sin seriously enough.
These sins are more serious:
18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. 19 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 21 envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
And can you please stop with the "nobody takes sin seriously enough" nonsense? Jesus suffered and died because of our sins, and the sins that you and I commit are the reasons why Jesus suffered and died. I take that seriously, OK?
Jesus said hate is as murder and looking with lust is as comitting adultery. How high do you think God's standard is?
Oh, his standards are very high. And so is his mercy towards those who have faith in his son.
As Paul was writing to a church of saved believers, what do you think he was referring to?
I think that John wrote that, and that he was referring to what we call venial sin - sin that does not lead to death.
Now, when St. Paul wrote
16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. 19 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 21 envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22"
he was also writing to a church of saved believers, now wasn't he?
And who was he writing about when he wrote:
17 But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, although a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing root of the olive tree, 18 do not be arrogant toward the branches. If you are, remember it is not you who support the root, but the root that supports you. 19 Then you will say, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” 20 That is true. They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand fast through faith. So do not become proud, but fear. 21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you. 22 Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God's kindness to you, provided you continue in his kindness. Otherwise you too will be cut off. 23 And even they, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God has the power to graft them in again. 24 For if you were cut from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and grafted, contrary to nature, into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, the natural branches, be grafted back into their own olive tree.
And who was the author referring to here:
26 For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, 27 but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries. 28 Anyone who has set aside the law of Moses dies without mercy on the evidence of two or three witnesses. 29 How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace? 30 For we know him who said, “Vengeance is mine; I will repay.” And again, “The Lord will judge his people.” 31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
Could it be in ALL of these instances the author is writing about non-believers? Or is it that you are looking past the obvious fact that believers are included among the people that those verses are directed to, in order to twist the Bible into conforming to your theology of "Once Saved Always Saved"?
If one is depending on their own obedience, they are indeed depending on that.
If I get a chance to speak at my day of judgment, I would like to say "For the sake of his sorrowful passion, have mercy on me." You seem to think that people will say "I did and did not do XYZ so I deserve to get in." That is ridiculous. Nobody believes that. And we have explained that to you numerous times. You are arguing against a straw man. It is disingenuous. Please stop it.
No, I said "When someone comes to save them", you reduced it to a lifesaver thrown to them.
Buddy, you created the analogy of someone about to drown at sea, and being needed to be brought to the shore. Now when someone is drowning at sea, they are typically saved by a lifesaver, a boat, etc. I stuck with YOUR analogy. You are being ridiculous in your attempts to slander me. Give it up already. You are being petty.
