RE: "Good luck saving yourself."
REPLY:
No one can save himself by himself. We must cooperate with the Holy Spirit of Grace and obey Him if we want to inherit/enter into eternal life after we die. Acts 5:32, Hebrews 10:26-31
1 Timothy 4:16
Take heed to yourself and to your teaching; hold to that, for by so doing
you will save both yourself and your hearers. rsv
1 Timothy 2:15
Yet
woman will be saved through bearing children, if she continues in faith and love and holiness, with modesty. rsv
John 8:31
Jesus then said to the Jews who had believed in him, “
If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples, rsv
Acts 14:22
strengthening the souls of the disciples,
exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God. rsv
Jesus/God will not save us/approve us for eternal life without our cooperation with His grace. He meets us where we are, but He expects us to strive to become like Jesus Christ. If we do not do this, we will not be approved to enter into eternal life after we die.
Luke 13:23-27
And some one said to him, “Lord, will those who are saved be few?” And he said to them, 24 “Strive to enter by the narrow door; for many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able. 25 When once the householder has risen up and shut the door, you will begin to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, open to us.’ He will answer you, ‘I do not know where you come from.’ 26 Then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets.’ 27 But he will say, ‘I tell you, I do not know where you come from; depart from me, all you workers of iniquity!’ rsv
Matthew 7:20-23
Thus you will know them by their fruits. 21 “Not every one who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On 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?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you evildoers.’ rsv
1 John 2:3
And by this we may be sure that we know him, if we keep his commandments. rsv
1 John 1:8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. rsv
I don't know anyone who does not sin and that especially includes me. There is a remedy for our sins. We ask Jesus for forgiveness and we strive to not do the sin again.
1 John 2:1-3
My little children, I am writing this to you so that you may not sin; but if any one does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; 2 and he is the expiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. 3 And by this we may be sure that we know him, if we keep his commandments. rsv
We all make mistakes.
Regarding the Law of Moses for the New Covenant Christians:
Galatians 3:23-26
Now before faith (law of Christ) came, we were confined under the law (of Moses), kept under restraint until faith (law of Christ) should be revealed. 24 So that the law (of Moses) was our custodian until Christ came, that we might be justified by faith (law of Christ). 25 But now that faith (law of Christ) has come, we are no longer under a custodian (law of Moses); 26 for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. rsv
Christians are not bound by the letter of the Law of Moses which is its ceremonial/religious laws and dietary laws. Christians are bound by the spirit of the Law of Moses which is the commandments that were in place before the Law of Moses was put into effect: Mark 10:18-20, Romans 13:8-10, Galatians 5:13-15
John 5:28-29
Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice 29 and come forth, those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of judgment. rsv
2 Corinthians 3
Jesus initially saves us so that we may have the hope of (possibility of) inheriting/entering into eternal life after we die. How we respond to His gift of salvation during our lifetime is what actually determines if He will approve us worthy to inherit eternal life. His initial free gift of salvation is not a guarantee of our inheriting/entering into eternal life.
Titus 3:7
so that we might be justified by his grace and become heirs in
hope of eternal life. rsv
James 1:12
Blessed is the man who endures trial, for
when he has stood the test he will
receive the crown of life which
God has promised to those who love him. rsv
The test for eternal life that we must pass is this: Have we strived to be obedient to God's commandments? When we fail, do we then ask for forgiveness and strive to become the persons that God desires us to become?
2 Peter 1:3-11
His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, 4 by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, that through these you may escape from the corruption that is in the world because of passion, and become partakers of the divine nature. 5 For this very reason make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, 6 and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, 7 and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. 8 For if these things are yours and abound, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For whoever lacks these things is blind and shortsighted and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins. 10 Therefore, brethren, be the more zealous to confirm your call and election, for if you do this you will never fall; 11 so there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. rsv
