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Ephesians 2:8-9 and Titus 3:5 are talking about Initial Salvation (or Ultimate Salvation) (i.e. Justification) and they are not talking about Continued Salvation or Sanctification. The Bible also does teach about Sanctification and how it is also a part of the Salvation Process. To deny this is to deny the rest of Scripture. For James says, "Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only." (James 2:24). "Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone." (James 2:17). Paul says, "They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate." (Titus 1:16). The author Hebrews says, "And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;" (Hebrews 5:9). But what about salvation being a gift thru grace? Well, a person is initially saved by God's grace and not of themselves when they first come to Christ. A person is ultimately saved by God's grace as a gift because if they sin, they can get clean thru repentance (i.e. confessing their sin - See 1 John 2:1, and 1 John 1:9) and not by going out and doing another good work. That is why salvation is ultimately a gift. However, people are confused as to what the gift actually is. The gift from God is Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 9:15) (John 3:16). While Jesus can set us free by forgiving us of our past sins by His death and resurrection; Jesus also sets us free from being a slave to sin, too. For Jesus was manifested to destroy the works of the devil (1 John 3:8). Jesus will not only save a person initially by His work on the cross and by His resurrection, but Jesus can save a person from their life of sin, too. Regeneration is not a true regeneration if there is no spiritual transformation in a person's life.
For Jesus is in the life changing business. For Jesus has fixed up broken homes (or familes). Jesus has drawn the alcoholic away from the bottle. Jesus has helped the gambler to put down his cards and walk away from the game. Jesus has helped the drug addict from the power of the needle. Jesus has helped the harlot from being a slave to sexual sin and money. For Jesus Christ changes lives. Jesus changed my life and He continues to change lives today (Making them new creations in His image).
"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."
(2 Corinthians 5:17).
Anyways, we know that Sanctification is also a process of salvation, because the Scriptures also say,
1 John 3:7 says, "let no man deceive you: he that does righteousness is righteous,"
1 John 1:7 says, "But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin."
1 John 3:8 says, "he that commits sin is of the devil"
John 3:20 says, "For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved."
Hebrews 10:26 says, "For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins."
1 John 2:3-6 says,
3 "And by this we know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.
4 He that says, I know him, and keeps not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
5 But whoever keeps his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: by this we know that we are in him.
6 He that says he abides in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked."
1 John 5:12 says, "He that has the Son has life; and he that has not the Son of God has not life."
Romans 11:22 says, "Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off."
"....and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death." (Revelation 21:8).
"And cast the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth" (Matthew 25:30).
He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day. (Matthew 12:48).
"The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity."
(Matthew 13:41).
"And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, you that work iniquity."
(Matthew 7:23).
"Not every one that says unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that does the will of my Father [God] who is in heaven."
(Matthew 7:21).
"God's will is for you to be holy," (1 Thessalonians 4:3 NLT).
Without holiness no man shall see the Lord (Hebrews 12:14).
"26 And every one that hears these sayings of mine, and does them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, who built his house upon the sand:
27 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it."
(Matthew 7:26-27).
7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man sows, that shall he also reap.
8 For he that sows to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that sows to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.
9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.
(Galatians 6:7-9).
"If any speaks contrary to the words of Jesus Christ and the doctrine of Godliness, he is proud and he knows nothing"
(1 Timothy 6:3-4).
"God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble."
(James 4:6).
"but if you will enter into life, keep the commandments."
(Matthew 19:17).
"If you love me, keep my commandments."
(John 14:15).
"He that loves not knows not God; for God is love."
(1 John 4:8).
"Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him." (1 John 3:15).
"In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother." (1 John 3:10).
...
distorted excuse, waste of lengthy argument.
there is no 'initial' salvation. "you have been saved" is final and complete.
This "irreconcilable problem" is because they recognize "IMPUTED RIGHTEOUSNESS" which is only for the salvation of the spirit but they do not understand the imparted righteousness for the salvation of the soul.
So if you have been saved is final and complete, then why do you still need to confess of your sins so as to be forgiven of sin according to 1 John 1:9?
If you have been saved is final and complete, then why does 1 John 1:7 say that if we walk in the light as Christ is in the light, the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin?
If you have been saved is final and complete, then why does Hebrews 10:26 say that if we willfully sin after we received the knowledge of the truth, there remains no more sacrifice for sins?
If you have been saved is final and complete, then why does 1 John 3:15 say that if we hate our brother we are like a murderer and no eternal life is abiding in us?
In other words, obviously you don't want to look at any of the verses I put forth because it conflicts with what you prefer to see and or believe. However, I am wondering; Do you believe in Mid Acts Dispensationalism that holds to the view that Jesus and Paul taught two different gospels or do you just simply ignore the many other verses that warn the believer that there are dire consequences to their souls in the afterlife if they sin?
...
The "SON" of the father in this parable, was just as much a 'SON' as the brother who never left. Their 'relationship' was never the issue of the father's lament. Because that relationship could never be lost. But the prodigal son was dead in soul fellowship with the father. When that SON returned fellowship was restored.
This "irreconcilable problem" is because they recognize "IMPUTED RIGHTEOUSNESS" which is only for the salvation of the spirit but they do not understand the imparted righteousness for the salvation of the soul.
The "SON" of the father in this parable, was just as much a 'SON' as the brother who never left. Their 'relationship' was never the issue of the father's lament. Because that relationship could never be lost. But the prodigal son was dead in soul fellowship with the father. When that SON returned fellowship was restored.
When your relationship with God is fixed by your spirits re-birth and salvation your spirit is OSAS. But now you must walk in 'conditional' fellowship with the Father to work out the 'conditional' salvation of your soul.
you have been long in this forum and yet until now you do not understand the gospel.
the tendency to sin is NOT the absence of salvation nor does it disqualify that a person is NOT righteous. we do not make ourselves righteous- we can't, we are MADE righteous (Rom5:19) because of Christ's righteousness.
Justification by Faith Alone: Martin Luther and Romans 1:17
No. It doesn't clear things up because you did not grow up in the Biblical Greek world to truly know how these words were truly used. You are going off what other scholars think it means based upon their biased presuppositions due to their belief in Once Saved Always Saved. You obviously do not like what the Bible says in English (because it condemns Eternal Security), so you are looking elsewhere to change the meaning of God's Word to fit your belief.
As for John 21:17:
Well, the difference between the words "Agape" and "Phileo" in John 21:17 is a matter of grammar and it not a significant change in meaning here. For do you honestly think Peter was confused as to what Jesus said in regards to the word "love"? For if Peter was thinking he was talking about friendship love, then the situation between Jesus and Peter would sound like this.
Jesus: Peter do you love me more than they do?
Peter: Lord you know I love you as a friend.
Jesus: No Peter. I am not talking about whether you love me as a friend.
I am talking about do you love me as the Son of God.
Peter: Oh, sorry, my Lord. Yes, yes. You know that I love you like that.
Jesus: Feed my lambs.
But did Jesus correct Peter on his use of the word "love"? No. Nor did Jesus make a point about Godly love vs. friendship love in this particular instance, either.
Side Note:
Also, it is ridiculous to assume that Peter is talking about a different kind of love than the love that Jesus is talking about. For example: Macho American Friends can hug each other and say things like, "I love you, bro." But we do not see anything like this in the text within John 21. Peter's love for Jesus was not some kind of straight bromance. Peter was not thinking of Jesus as being best buds here. Peter wanted to love Jesus as the Son of God because Peter himself had declared that Jesus was the Son of God at another point in time.
How does the verses I showed you even speak of "Once saved always saved"? I was clearly referring to Greek to English translation of words.
Now you're trying to "correct" God's word into what you believe it should have said if a certain meaning was meant to be conveyed. If you don't want to accept actual words that were used, then why should we accept your version of what was actually meant when it was actually spoken?
He implied it in the actual words He spoke.
Yes, he wanted to, but realized that he didn't/couldn't because he had just gone through denying Jesus.
But a better analogy about how a conversation about love being misinterpreted in modern times could go like this:
A gay man can ask a heterosexual guy, "Do you love me?" The straight guy could say, "Yes, I love love you". It would most likely be interpreted that they are in complete agreement. Now, if the same conversation was had in biblical times in ancient Greek, it could sound like this:
Gay man asks straight man: "Do you eros me?" The straight guy responds, "Yes, I phileo you". He corrected him and stated the way he actually loved him at the same time. See the difference, Jason? This isn't based on an OSAS bias. It is based on language.
The problem here is that there is no indication in the text of John that says Peter actually misunderstood Jesus on the word "love." That is something you have to invent in order to make your belief work here. There is such a thing called "synonyms." These are words that spelled differently and they are related to each other in the fact that they say either the same thing or a something similar. For example: Cathy was happy to return the cat to it's owners. When the cat had come home, it was full of joy to see everyone in the house.
The word "joy" is essentially saying the same thing as the word "happy." For one who is full of joy is happy.
As for my point about OSAS Proponents looking to the Hebrew and Greek instead of the English: This again is a smoke screen. You cannot make the Bible say what you want it to say so as to defend OSAS in the English so you look to the Hebrew and Greek instead. That is the point I was making about OSAS Proponents looking to Bible scholars to get their understanding. I wasn't suggesting John 21:17 was an example relating to OSAS. I was speaking in general terms of why the OSAS Proponent looks to the Greek in the first place. For me, I just read my Bible plainly in my own language and believe it. It's not as complicated as you are making it out to be.
The error of claiming the original language says something different than the English can be seen in threads like these.
The Holy Spirit is Female - Get used to it.
....
Go back to the last 3 paragraphs of what I wrote as my example of what I'm talking about. Tell me how I'm wrong.
You need context, man!
That is what you do not have.
You need other words surrounding the word "phileo" to prove your case.
If not, you are just guessing that "phileo" means that in every case or usage.
...
Well you are certainly entitled to your beliefs. I do disagree. Can you say that you do not get angry? Didn't Jesus say that whoever calls his brother a fool is in danger of hell fire? So if you look up and are about to be in a very serious accident and think what an idiot this is for slamming on their brakes in front of you and slip into eternity then you're hell bound? I believe you are twisting salvation. When a person asks Jesus into their life as not only their personal Saviourbut as Lord of their life they receive the Holy Spirit and a desire to do what He leads them to do, say what they are lead to say. But in this flesh you think it's possible to live a sin free life? My brother only Jesus himself was capable of doing that. In this sin cursed flesh that we dwell in we fail constantly. That's the reality. I appreciate your time and effort with your post but also see that your interpretation is only that. YOUR interpretation. I have walked with Jesus now since 1995 and lean on Him for all my guidance and strength and wisdom and everything. But I still fail. And He still picks me up. Because I have been once saved and know that I am always saved.If "Once Saved Always Saved" was true, then God would have to agree with sin and that is not possible. For if God saves you automatically from your future sin that means God has to agree to reward you with Heaven despite what any evil you are going to do. The Jews slanderously thought Paul and the followers of Jesus Christ were not obeying God and that they were doing evil so that good may come. This is why Paul says,
"And not rather, (as we be slanderously reported, and as some affirm that we say,) Let us do evil, that good may come? whose damnation is just." (Romans 3:8).
Yet, this is exactly what Once Saved Always Saved is about. Let us do evil that good may come. I am Once Saved Always Saved and no amount of sin or evil can separate me from the good that will come upon me. I got my ticket to Heaven so I can keep on sinning (if I wanted to). But some will say that no true child of God will think like that. Then why do OSAS Proponents say that 1 John 1:8 is a declaration that the believer is always in sin or that they are always found as sinners according to Galatians 2:17?
Paul 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, ..." (1 Timothy 6:3-4).
So Paul says here that if any man speaks contrary to the words of Jesus and the doctrine according to Godliness is proud and knows nothing.
Godliness is righteous living. For he that does righteousness is righteous (1 John 3:7). If I can tell a person that they can sin and still be saved, they are not going to be led into Godliness or righteous living. They are going to think they have a license to sin (Whether I want that to happen or not).
Anyways, 1 Timothy 6:3-4 tells us that if any man speaks contrary to the doctrine of Godliness is proud. Can a person be proud and receive grace? Not according to God's Word.
"But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble." (James 4:6).
Did you catch that? It says God resists the proud and gives grace to the humble. Obviously those who think they can sin and still be saved are not acting humbly.
I am surprised Once Saved Always Saved Proponents still use this verse to defend their doctrine when the context clearly refutes them easily on this one.
27 "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand."
So clearly we see in the context of the type of sheep that will never perish or be plucked out of His hand are the type of sheep who FOLLOW Jesus. This is not talking about lazy or rebellious sheep (being dragged by their necks on leashes) here.
This is not talking about Justification with you having a belief on Jesus. This is talking about Sanctification with Jesus doing the good work in your life so as to help you to stop sinning. 1 John 3:8 says Jesus was manifested to destroy the works of the devil. 1 John 3:10 says, "In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother."
Anyways, when you read Philippians 1:6, you also have to read verse 11 that says, "Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God." (Philippians 1:11). In other words, the context is talking about being filled with the FRUITS of righteousness by Jesus Christ. This is not talking about a belief on Jesus alone with some kind of sin and still be saved kind of garbage going on here.
There are no verses that defend OSAS. OSAS is simply read into key select verses while the context goes ignored in favor of a belief that minimizes sin or treats sin no more dangerous as say a fluffy kitten.
No. Gnashing of teeth is what wolves do.
See this image here by clicking on the following spoiler button:
These are the kind of words used by Stephen's accusers before they stoned him. They were mad at him. This is what unprofitable servants will do to God when they are faced with the final Judgment of being erased from existence with the Lake of Fire. They will gnash their teeth at God or be angry with Him. Others will weep and wished they had chosen to believe the right way by standing up for what they know to be good and right.
Also, the Parable of the Unprofitable Servant is followed by the Sheep and Goats Parable which is also unmistakeable of the fate of those believers who believe they do not have to help the poor in this life and also say they are lovers of God. This is not to say that works in and of themselves alone saves us. This is merely saying that Jesus (who is the source of our salvation - 1 John 5:12) does the good work thru you. For if Jesus lives in you, then good fruit and not bad fruit will be evident in your life.
"And cast the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth" (Matthew 25:30).
He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day. (Matthew 12:48).
"The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity."
(Matthew 13:41).
"And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, you that work iniquity."
(Matthew 7:23).
"Not every one that says unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that does the will of my Father [God] who is in heaven."
(Matthew 7:21).
"God's will is for you to be holy," (1 Thessalonians 4:3 NLT).
Without holiness no man shall see the Lord (Hebrews 12:14).
"26 And every one that hears these sayings of mine, and does them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, who built his house upon the sand:
27 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it."
(Matthew 7:26-27).
7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man sows, that shall he also reap.
8 For he that sows to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that sows to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.
9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.
(Galatians 6:7-9).
"but if you will enter into life, keep the commandments."
(Matthew 19:17).
"If you love me, keep my commandments."
(John 14:15).
"He that loves not knows not God; for God is love."
(1 John 4:8).
"He that has the Son has life; and he that has not the Son of God has not life."
(1 John 5:12).
1 John 2:3-6 says,
3 "And by this we know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.
4 He that says, I know him, and keeps not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
5 But whoever keeps his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: by this we know that we are in him.
6 He that says he abides in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked."
Not sure what you are talking about, my friend; But I created an extensive End Times Chronology (Including the Pre-Trib Rapture, the 7 Year Tribulation, the Millennium, the Judgment, and the Final New Earth). If you are interested, just click on the following link here:
End Times Chronology
The Least in the Kingdom of Heaven is the greatest within Matthew 11:11. For the Least in Matthew 11:11 is the one who accepts, loves, and ministers to all people including children and they are a servant (i.e. least) to all people in humbleness. Those who behave as though they are lesser or least in the Kingdom are ACTUALLY the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven (By being servant to all). For those who serve in God’s Kingdom in the New Covenant by loving others is better than the greatest of the prophets such as John the Baptist. For John followed the Old Covenant ways. For John was the last of the Old Testament prophets. Yet, the New Covenant believer is greater than John because the New Covenant saint (who is least) is a servant to all men.
However, the "Least" in Matthew 5:19 are those who break God’s commands and teach others are Least in a bad way.
How so? The rest of Scripture gives us the testimony that breaking God’s Commandments is bad and not good.
John says,
“He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him” (1 John 2:4).
"For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved" (John 3:20).
"He that committeth sin is of the devil." (1 John 3:8).
As for the pillars in Revelation 3:
Well, we also to realize that Jesus says to another church,
"So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth" (Revelation 3:16).
I cannot imagine a person being saved and yet spit out of Jesus's mouth. That does not add up.
Anyways, I hope you pray over the verses I provided here.
And ask God to show you the truth on this matter some more.
Peace be unto you.
And God bless you.
...
Well you are certainly entitled to your beliefs. I do disagree. Can you say that you do not get angry? Didn't Jesus say that whoever calls his brother a fool is in danger of hell fire? So if you look up and are about to be in a very serious accident and think what an idiot this is for slamming on their brakes in front of you and slip into eternity then you're hell bound? I believe you are twisting salvation. When a person asks Jesus into their life as not only their personal Saviourbut as Lord of their life they receive the Holy Spirit and a desire to do what He leads them to do, say what they are lead to say. But in this flesh you think it's possible to live a sin free life? My brother only Jesus himself was capable of doing that. In this sin cursed flesh that we dwell in we fail constantly. That's the reality. I appreciate your time and effort with your post but also see that your interpretation is only that. YOUR interpretation. I have walked with Jesus now since 1995 and lean on Him for all my guidance and strength and wisdom and everything. But I still fail. And He still picks me up. Because I have been once saved and know that I am always saved.
Why do you keep trying to convince me or anyone that you're right and everyone else is wrong? You sound pretty arrogant and ignorant. I never said nor implied willful sin. Why do you attempt to make this sound like I am? And why do you keep referring to links you created? Kinda reminds me of like a Jim Jones and the Guyana tragedy. No koolaid for me, thanks anyway!You describe something that is not a reality for a believer in Jesus Christ. There is no such thing as a sinning saint anymore than there is a righteous unbeliever. There are many verses in the Bible that support how the believer can overcome their sin with Jesus's help. Now, can believer's sin? Yes. But they do not stay down for the count and they confess and forsake their sins (1 John 1:9) (1 John 1:7). Also, their comes a time when they walk uprightly with their Lord. How so?
First, here is a thread I created on the many verses that support Sinless Perfectionism (Which is denied by the majority of churches today).
A Biblical Defense of Sinless Perfectionism.
Second, I believe there are different ways to overcome sin by God's Word and with the help of Jesus.
- Remove yourself from sinful environments (if possible) and or get rid of things that cause you to sin. In Genesis: Joseph had literally ran away from the temptation of sexual sin.
- Pray to God so as not to be tempted. It is part of the Lord’s prayer for you to pray so as not to be tempted into sin. God will guide and protect you if you are serious in praying for this. In fact, fasting will help you with this, as well.
- Obey God’s righteous ways. The more you love God and love others and obey His Word and stay in His Word and pray, the more you will not even have a chance to sin or do the wrong thing. But the more you walk in God's Word by the Spirit you will not fulfill the lusts of flesh.
- When you are tempted, quote Scripture. When Jesus was tempted by the devil, He quoted Scripture to defeat the devil. So when some specific sin is bothering you, find all the verses you can that are victory verses over that particular sin. A good general verse is, “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.” You can say these verses to yourself silently under your breath (with nobody hearing).
- Ask for prayer from other God fearing Christians or Godly Christians to help you to overcome certain sins. The Scriptures say, bear ye one another's burdens and thus fulfill the Law of Christ. So seek true fellowship and ask for their help.
- Hide God’s Word in your heart. Memorize Scripture. David said he hid God’s Word within his heart so that he may not sin against the Lord.
- Confess of your sins. 1 John 1:9 says if we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Note: If you struggle with sins that are serious (like the ones described in Galatians 5:19-21, Revelation 21:8, etc.), you do have to repent of them (i.e. confess and forsake them). But victory will not be yours unless you completely sell out to Jesus. Worship the Lord. Pray to Him. Help the poor. Love your enemies. Do good unto those that do bad to you. Forgive everyone. For when we have one foot in the world and one foot in God’s kingdom, it is hard to overcome sin because the world’s influence is still upon us. But if we remove ourselves from the things of this world, and vow only to put good things within us, then good will come out of us. Ask God to also change and renew your heart if you feel the need to do so, as well. Ask Him to transform you so as to obey Him and His Word. But in time, the need for confessing sin will not be needed because you will one day find yourself walking uprightly in the Lord. It just first takes a major committment on your part. Dedicate your life to Jesus in all you do. Sell yourself out to Him. Then and only then will you see success in crucifying the affections and lusts (Galatians 5:24).
...
Romans 8.38-39 is a great promise!Thank you for your honesty and openness with this post. I too believe in once saved always saved. Jesus gives a few accounts of it, no man can pluck them out of my hand, no man can pluck them out of my fathers hand, being confident of this very thing that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ, and many others. I know of some, for example that use like the parable of the talents as a message that one can fall from GOD's grace. This parable, and this is as I believe, is written to three servants. It doesn't differ them in any way but what they do with their free gift. Two multiply their masters investment and one hid it. The two that multiplied were rewarded with entering into the joy of the Lord while the one that buried his was cast into outer darkness and gnashing of teeth. Is this hell eternal? I do not believe so. I believe these are three of the same type of people, three christians. Jesus himself warns his disciples in the gospel of Peter when asked of the signs of the times that they should pray that they would be counted worthy to escape all these things when they come to pass. Can anyone show me in the Bible where Jesus saves us from the tribulation period? And if so who are those entering heaven after the rapture that John described in the Revelation? And yes, I am a pre-tribulation guy but that's a whole new direction. But I believe Jesus is our Saviour that saves us from the devils hell. I do believe obedience to the Holy Spirit and living by GOD's inerrant word is what saves us from the tribulatory period. Have you ever read in the Revelation that there seems to be a social structure in Heaven? Jesus labels some as greater and having a new name that they may enter the temple day or night and refers to them as pillars. He also said about John the Baptist that there was no greater than he born of woman but he was lesser than the least in the kingdom of Heaven.
One of many! Praise my GOD for all His abundant blessings that I do not deserve.Romans 8.38-39 is a great promise!![]()
As you say on your profile also: "He that hath begun a good work in you, will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ." (Philippians 1.6)One of many! Praise my GOD for all His abundant blessings that I do not deserve.