Simple question

[St_Worm2]

Mostly that unfeigned love is a commandment and is the uniform of those who are recognized as His. It can by no means be called a work even tho as Peter says there is a huge progression to be made before arriving at `brotherly love` nevermind loving your enemy.( But if someone is feeding the poor etc I don`t think they will progress far with the Lord if they are doing it to gain an advantage if it is self seeking as to gain a reward in this life.)

Hi again Cassia, all that I understand (and agree with for the most part), but I'm still trying to figure out how it relates to my post, which concerned coming to Christ or being saved, not obeying commandments, etc., which are things that accompany salvation (or are the result of it), yes? The possession of such a love made manifest towards others or towards God can only be true for those of us who are 'already' in Christ AND who are presently walking according to His Spirit, yes? ... or am I still missing your point (I'm often good at that I'm sorry to say, so thank you for your patience with me .. )

--David
p.s. - I must say that the wording of your 1st sentence (above) is superb .. Very well written. Thank you for that too ..

 

[seeking.IAM]

Hi seeking.IAM, so you are saying that our salvation isn't based upon our faith in Him and what 'He' did for us, it's based upon what we do and how well we do it instead ..

No need to answer this but, how many times do you believe you have 'truly' "loved your neighbor as yourself"?

Yours and His,
David

Sir, you have taken great liberty with my words and read into them something that simply is not there. I said:


I believe that all Christian groups are doing their best to be faithful as they understand it, but I suspect that all have a wrong understanding about something. I suspect we are all in for a surprise, some more so than others.

Secondly, my position is that Christian groups who act uncharitably toward their fellow man will be judged accordingly. The Bible says you will know them by their fruits.

I believe we will be held accountable for our behavior in a final judgment. "Grace" isn't a free ticket to act anyway we please.

 

[St_Worm2]

Sir, you have taken great liberty with my words and read into them something that simply is not there. I said:

I believe that all Christian groups are doing their best to be faithful as they understand it, but I suspect that all have a wrong understanding about something. I suspect we are all in for a surprise, some more so than others.

Secondly, my position is that Christian groups who act uncharitably toward their fellow man will be judged accordingly. The Bible says you will know them by their fruits.

I believe we will be held accountable for our behavior in a final judgment. "Grace" isn't a free ticket to act anyway we please.

Hi seeking.IAM, I'm sorry if I misunderstood you, and it was not my intention to read into your words something you did not mean, but your first post read differently to me than this explanation does. I can't say that I disagree with anything you've said here, so thanks for setting me straight ..

Yours and His,
David

 

[Mediaeval]

Please elaborate. Thanks!

Blessings to a few at first ultimately betoken blessings to many (Gen. 28:14).

 

[St_Worm2]

Blessings to a few at first ultimately betoken blessings to many (Gen. 28:14).

Still not gett'n it. Sorry brother. Maybe this will work:

First Fruits = Few = Christians
Full Harvest = Many = ?​

Or perhaps this might help me understand instead.

Redeemed Humanity consists of:

1) Christians
2) ?​

Thanks!

--David

 

[Mediaeval]

Still not gett'n it.

Israel, in contrast with the Gentiles, previously constituted the firstfruits of the Lord's increase (Jer. 2:3). The blessings enjoyed by Israel pointed forward to a time when the blessings would be extended to the Gentiles also. Analogously, the Church, in contrast with the world, now constitutes the Lord's firstfruits. As far as mankind in general goes, all have been redeemed, for the Lord is the Savior, not of a few, but of the world (John 4:42); therefore we can look forward to nothing less than a saved world. The promise to Abraham alluded to above reflects the same principle of expansion from a few to the many, where one elect family was blessed at first, but ultimately all families of the earth would be blessed.

 

[Optimax]

It is very simple.

One is either saved/born again (Rom 10:9) or they are not.

Those who are saved/born again (Rom 10:9) make heaven forever.

Those not saved/born again (Rom 10:9) make hell forever.

 

[St_Worm2]

Israel, in contrast with the Gentiles, previously constituted the firstfruits of the Lord's increase (Jer. 2:3). The blessings enjoyed by Israel pointed forward to a time when the blessings would be extended to the Gentiles also. Analogously, the Church, in contrast with the world, now constitutes the Lord's firstfruits. As far as mankind in general goes, all have been redeemed, for the Lord is the Savior, not of a few, but of the world (John 4:42); therefore we can look forward to nothing less than a saved world. The promise to Abraham alluded to above reflects the same principle of expansion from a few to the many, where one elect family was blessed at first, but ultimately all families of the earth would be blessed.

Got it. Don't agree with it, but I understand. Thanks!

 

[BobRyan]

7 billion people on earth, let's say that 6 billion have some level of identification with a faith of some kind. Obviously there are thousands of differences in these faiths.
What of those who have it wrong?
a billion Christians, almost a billion muslims. Assuming Christians have it right, what of the muslims. And what of Christians whose faith is wrong (WBC?)

Are the vast majority of all with faith looked upon favorably by God? or not so much?

Christ is speaking to His own followers in Matt 7 when He says that it is the "wide road" this is not going to make it. AND MANY are one it who like the example He gives will say 'Lord Lord did not we not do...this and this...inn YOUR name?"

 

[BobRyan]

John 9:41 "IF you were blind you would have no sin - but you say 'we SEE' therefore your sin remains"

John 3 "men chose darkness because their deeds were evil".

John 1:11 "He came to His OWN and His OWN received Him not"

1 John 4:17 "to him that knows to do right and does it not - to him it is sin".

2Thess 2 they "perish who did not receive a LOVE of the truth so as to be saved".

John 6 the Holy Spirit "Convicts the WORLD of sin and righteousness and judgment"

Romans 1 "they are without excuse for the invisible attributes of God...are clearly SEEN through the things that have been MADE".

It is not how much truth we have that condemns us - it is what we do with it, whether we welcome new - "inconvenient" truth that cuts across the grain of our prior traditions and preferences.

In that group that chooses light instead of darkness - there are but "few" according to Christ in Matt 7.

in Christ,

Bob

 

[ViaCrucis]

God has told us where salvation is found, it's found in His Son.

You, believe the good news, put your faith in Christ who saves you. Let God worry about those who don't believe.

-CryptoLutheran

 

[com7fy8]

Faith in a group's beliefs and practices is not the same as "faith working through love" (Galatians 5:6), I would say.

Also, faith in your own free will's ability to choose God (Romans 9:16) is not the same as faith in God's goodness and ability.

So, when ones say their "faith" is Christian, what does each one really mean?

 

[Albion]

7 billion people on earth, let's say that 6 billion have some level of identification with a faith of some kind. Obviously there are thousands of differences in these faiths.
What of those who have it wrong?
a billion Christians, almost a billion muslims. Assuming Christians have it right, what of the muslims. And what of Christians whose faith is wrong (WBC?)

Are the vast majority of all with faith looked upon favorably by God? or not so much?

I think that the best way, and perhaps the only way, to answer this kind of question is to say that the Bible--which is the basis of our faith--gives us no information that would enable us to say that non-believers in Christ have any way of having their sins forgiven.

It might be that there is something that we haven't been given to know in this life, but we are not in a position here and now to say that non-believers, or devotees of a different God, can be saved.

 

[LittleLambofJesus]

7 billion people on earth, let's say that 6 billion have some level of identification with a faith of some kind. Obviously there are thousands of differences in these faiths.
What of those who have it wrong?
a billion Christians, almost a billion muslims. Assuming Christians have it right, what of the muslims. And what of Christians whose faith is wrong (WBC?)

Are the vast majority of all with faith looked upon favorably by God? or not so much?

Hmmm, good questions.

Muslims, Christians, Jews, Buddhists, Hindus, etc all have faith in a supreme being [or more than 1] Christianity is unique in that it believes in Yahweh, Jesus and the Holy Spirit of the Christian bible, as do I.

Kindgdom Bible Studies Savior of the World Series Part 1
[FONT=&quot]The Savior of the World[/FONT][FONT=&quot]
[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]It is estimated today that the world's population is over seven billion, and it is a fact that considerably more than one-half - nearly two-thirds - are still TOTALLY HEATHEN, and the remainder are mostly either followers of Mohammed or members of those great apostate Churches whose religion is practically a Christianized idolatry, and who can scarcely be said to hold or teach the Gospel of Christ.

[/FONT] [FONT=&quot]The most populous lands are China, India, and other parts of Asia, and in spite of missionaries from the West, actually more than half of all people on the earth have never so much as heard the ONLY NAME BY WHICH MEN MAY BE SAVED - the name of JESUS CHRIST! For your Bible says....... "there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved" (Acts 4:12). This means that billions of people here on this earth have lived, and died, without having known anything about God's provision of salvation - without saving knowledge - neither having heard the only name by which men may be saved!

Now think what that means. If all unsaved are eternally lost, then more than HALF the people who have ever lived on this earth have been consigned to eternal hell without ever having been given so much as a chance to escape it![/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]What about the millions of people living now in the modern nations of Red China where the Gospel is suppressed? Those people did not choose to be born into these godless nations. Are they lost forever because they never heard the true message of God's love in Christ? Is this their only day of salvation? Are they eternally doomed when they die? Will a just God and Saviour condemn to eternal damnation those people who died before the true Gospel was ever brought to them? Is God about to "shut the door" of mercy in their face?[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]
We hear much today about evangelizing and saving the world in one generation. The preachers tell us this mission must be accomplished before Christ can return, and it must be done in this generation. We hear of glorious revival at home and abroad, of fresh missionary efforts in various directions, of great Crusades attended by tens and sometimes hundreds of thousands, of radio and television beamed by satellite to all the nations of earth, and of large sums being devoted to these endeavors: and we get the idea that adequate efforts are being made for the evangelization of the nations of the earth.

[/FONT]






[FONT=&quot].
[/FONT]

 

[James Is Back]

God has told us where salvation is found, it's found in His Son.

You, believe the good news, put your faith in Christ who saves you. Let God worry about those who don't believe.

-CryptoLutheran