All About GOD - Growing Relationships with Jesus and Others
Salvation: Secure or Loseable? Works based or free?
So I'm going to offer another explanation, as my human nature is want to do, and would like some feedback on what these verses mean to others.
1 Corinthians 3:12-14 Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— each one's work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward.
Matthew 16:27 For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done. Matthew 5:19
“Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
Some believe in rewards in heaven. And judging from many scriptures such as these, they have good reason to. So here's just another belief if we truly need to explain God to ourselves. Why is it we believe we have to do this thing or that to get or keep salvation?
Look at what Jesus tells the sons of Zebedee:
Mark 10:39-40 ...And Jesus said unto them, Ye shall indeed drink of the cup that I drink of; and with the baptism that I am baptized withal shall ye be baptized: But to sit on my right hand and on my left hand is not mine to give; but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared.
They will be in heaven. They just don't get to choose where they sit or what their status is there.
Why are we intent on wondering what we have to do to make it to heaven? Doesn't it free us up more to show the love of God by not worrying constantly if we've done enough today, lived up to His expectations, did something to get us thrown out of the Kingdom, can never measure up to His standards, etc.?
Those are things that had me so bound up for so long and things I still struggle to stop worrying on. I've had to simply say I'll never be good enough if not for one thing...
John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
That's it for me. I have everlasting life. If I'm not the best Christian I could be, God knows my efforts and heart and will reward me on what I've done, what I've wanted and tried to do and perhaps what I had to work with or how well I used the talent I was given...starting with accepting Christ and working from there.
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by ScribeD on
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I have worshiped and studied under both groups. Armenian and Calvinist. Each takes their doctrine from Scripture; each argues their doctrine from specific teachings of the word. Therefore I have concluded that each is true in what they affirm, but wrong in what they deny.
They say that there cannot be both freewill and predestination. Yet, scripture makes the points to each. They are only apparent contradictions, because we are weak minded mortals who cannot understand that both things can be true, in God's view.
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Permalink Reply by Seek on
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This is actually something I have wondered about. If we know in part, what's to say that each of us knows in "part"...one a part of this, another a part of that, each making up one whole body? We can't all know everything, although some think they know it all. LOL But perhaps we each have something dear to our hearts and a seed planted in us to reach a specific group? It doesn't mean we deny the rest, but it may be that to come to unity is to come to an understanding that we all are serving Christ and that different beliefs apart from that, when we argue them, it may be what is preventing the unity. Aside from that, I'm going to post another discussion now, regarding the end times.
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Lol. No the part I said about unity did as we were recently discussing unity with regards to end times.
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Permalink Reply by thewatchman on
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Why are we intent on wondering what we have to do to make it to heaven? Doesn't it free us up more to show the love of God by not worrying constantly if we've done enough today, lived up to His expectations, did something to get us thrown out of the Kingdom, can never measure up to His standards, etc.?
I feel that's the first mistake we are making....and that is wondering what we have to do to make it to heaven. It's not about making it into heaven but being with our precious Savior forever and ever. I don't want to go to heaven if it is eternity without Him.
Let me give an example, please, a poor one I'm sure. I love my husband. I don't do things for him because I'm afraid he will leave me if I don't...I do things for him because I love him and it's a relationship. Just as surely as he surprises me with wonderful things he does for me. I don't make dinner for him based on the fact that he will leave me if I don't, it's done because I love him. I drop by the store, I see something he might like, I buy it, not because I think it will keep him married to me, but because I love and care about him.
So let's say I don't really care for my husband. I treated him badly, cheated on him, forgot about him, and kept telling him that I loved him tho...over and over again I'd tell him how much I loved him, but my actions spoke opposite, would he be confident of my love for him? I beg to say probably not.
This is not an abusive relationship....it's a loving one, one borne out of love, continued in love, and pursued for love. But without that love...there is no relationship, no care, no devotion, only a how much do I have to do for you question? If my husband were to ask me that, or I him....I think that we would be surprised by the question and pretty discouraged, it's not about how little we can do for one another, but how much.
It's not how much do I need to do for Christ Jesus, but how much can I do while I am alive. I WANT TO DO MORE, is the voice of a person in love with Jesus.
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Over in NET Prayers are prayers to save a marriage on AAG and one close to home, my coworker. Her husband told her this weekend that he's not in love anymore. To that I said that's the problem. We associate love with a feeling when it's actually a commitment. Sorry to say but when I got saved my life turned upside down and then some and I got mad at God, I thought I was being punished for something, thought I was cursed, He hated me, you name it. But I made a promise when I turned to Him. That was to promise I wouldn't quit and I wanted Him to change me. And hard times is where a lot of the changes have occurred. Even though I got angry, I still had that solid commitment that I wouldn't go back to what I'd been. Love is that commitment and not always a warm mushy feeling as feelings can be based on circumstances. I know. Prior to Christ, I based relationships on feel good feelings, on the moment. And they ended badly. But if the remaining years of my life are as bad as the last 4 1/2, I'm standing my ground. Because nothing can be as bad as what I think about how I used to live.
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