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Saturday, August 10, 2013

If you claim you are already saved, that is pride.




Lutero said:
God says that we have been saved through faith. My faith rests in Christ alone for salvation. He gets ALL the credit for my salvation. I don't deserve salvation and I certainly have not earned it. That is certainly not saying that I'm faithful so God has to save me. If my salvation was based merely on my performance, then I would never make it. I am completely dependent on Christ to save me. This is not pride but humility.
If you claim you are already saved, that is pride. 


As I already explained, work out does not mean work for and earn your salvation by works.
As I already explained, it does not mean to earn your salvation, but it does mean to work in obedience of God so that you might be saved:

Philippians 2:12

King James Version (KJV)

12Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.

13For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.



This pertains to the process of ongoing sanctification for those who have been saved through faith. It's not an ongoing process to save yourself by works, as if you could do enough to earn your salvation. We are saved through faith, not works.
We are saved through a faith which works. Not through faith ALONE.


And who is it that obeys Him?
Those who love Him.


We obey Him by choosing to believe the gospel and becoming saved (Romans 1:16).
That is a strange way to put it. We first believe Him and then obey Him. And our obedience is proof of our belief.


Then those who are saved practice righteousness (1 John 3:10). In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother. By practicing righteousness and loving our brother, we are obeying Him, but our obedience is not sinless and perfect. Unbelievers don't obey Him because without faith it's impossible to please God so all of their so called obedience amounts to filthy rags, as it it all still stained with sin.
You keep forcing the cart in front of the horse. First one believes, then one obeys and then Christ judges them and saves them.


Hebrews 5:9 is not teaching that only believers who obey Him "enough" will receive salvation. That interpretation comes through the lens of works salvation.
No, it comes through the lens of salvation by faith. But not through the lenses of salvation by faith alone nor works alone.

Now tell me, how much faith is enough to receive salvation? How do you measure it? A cup? A quart?

Say that a man says, "I believe in Christ, but I won't be baptized because that is adding a supplement to Christ alone."

Or say that a man says, "I believe in Christ but I won't read the Bible because that is adding a supplement to Christ alone."

Or say that a man says, "I believe in Christ but I like my whiskey and my women, and keeping the Commandments is adding supplement to Christ alone."

Or say that a man says, "I believe in Christ but if you bug me I'll blow off your head, cause keeping the Commandment is adding a supplement to Christ alone anyway."

WHERE DO YOU DRAW THE LINE?

As for me, I let God draw my line. I rely upon Him. Not upon myself, my faith nor my works.


Romans 4:5,6 - But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness, just as David also describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works:
ASK YOURSELF. Did David work? Did David keep the Commandments? Then you will understand that David is speaking, not of faith alone, but of God's mercy which forgives you without your doing anything except repenting. 


Philippians 3:9 - and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith.
Keep reading:
17Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample.
18(For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ:


2 Corinthians 5:21 - For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. God's standard is sinless and perfect and that is found only in Christ. Who's righteousness is it then if it is not the righteousness of Christ? Only He lived a sinless perfect life.
It is Christ's righteousness, but it is not IMPUTED to you as though you simply snapped your fingers and tada! I have the righteousness of Christ. To have achieve the righteousness of Christ, you must allow Christ to work through you and continue in Christ's works patiently to the end.
Romans 2:7

King James Version (KJV)

7To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life:


He is the reason those who are saved obey. Our hope for salvation is not an uncertain "hope so." This hope is an expectation of what is sure (certain); hope. Faith is the substance of things HOPED for... (Hebrews 11:1). God clearly tells us that we have been saved through faith(Ephesians 2:8). Jesus said, He who believes in Him is not condemned, but he who does not believe is condemned already (John 3:18). These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life.. The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit thatwe are children of God (Romans 8:16). If your faith is not in Christ alone for salvation and you define faith as works, then you couldn't know for sure if you were saved because you would be basing your salvation on your works and you could never know for sure if you did enough works to merit your salvation. Which we can't do enough works to merit our salvation. That's the delusion.
The delusion is that you can know how much faith you have. You can't. The delusion is claiming you are saved. God knows. God saves.


Matthew 7:13-15
Exactly!


The straight gate is through faith in Jesus Christ. The broad way is every other way.
Agreed. Faith in Jesus Christ means obeying His Commands. It is written:
John 14:21

King James Version (KJV)

21He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.
22Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world?
23Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.
24He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me.



Sincerely,

De Maria

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