bradsprojects

I just re-read the original post. I too have seen the video by Pastor Chan although I have to say I think he has it very wrong - The whole time I was watching I was thinking "This is all about works based salvation. This is all about what I must do to be saved." I'd like to write about some scripture that Ps Chan mentions, it's found in Matthew Chapter 19. This is where Jesus is speaking to the rich man. Basically the rich man has just said that he has done everything that the law commands of him then it continues: 21 Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me. 22 But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions. 23 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven. 24 And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. 25 When his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved? 26 But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible. In Jesus day, it was thought that those who were rich - were rich because God had blessed them. Therefor riches indicated favour with God and therefor riches indicated salvation for these people. So I guess it was quite shocking for this rich man to hear Jesus basically say "Oh by the way you know all those riches that you think symbolise that you have favour with God and that you think symbolise that you are saved - I want you to get rid of it all" I believe Jesus said this to get the rich man to realise "hang on a sec, if I don't have all of these riches, then that means that I am not favoured by God and then how could I be saved?" Jesus then goes on to say that it is impossible for a rich person to enter heaven, why - well I believe it's because of what I wrote in the previous paragraph - rich people in Jesus day believed that they were saved BECAUSE of their riches. But of course there is no salvation in riches at all! The disciples are then amazed and say "who then can be saved?" I believe they asked this because (once again) they thought that riches were a sign of salvation (and favour with God). Jesus then basically says "The only one who can save is God". So I guess to sum up here, I very much believe that this scripture geared very much for the people in Jesus' day (If you think about it, if Jesus were here today would he say that it would be impossible for a camel to fit through the eye of a needle or would he instead mention a bus or a truck? - he mentioned a camel because that was the biggest animal that was common in the area in the time of Jesus.) The big misconception in Jesus day was that riches were a sign of salvation. Jesus then said "Nope, salvation is not found in riches, but salvation is found in God". Hopefully that helps / makes sense.

I just happened to stumble upon this forum topic and thought i'd post some thoughts that I had written down in my Bible notes. Hopefully they will help you out. (Please note they were just my thoughts and possibly could have been written better for a forum) What about the Luke Warm Christian? There is actually no such thing as the luke warm Christian. People have just decided to add the word Christian to what this verse says: Revelation 3v15 “15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.” Jesus is saying here that he knows the works of the Laodicean church and that they are neither cold or hot but rather, they are lukewarm. Nowhere here does Jesus mention what HOT actually means or what COLD actually means. People then think that HOT is a person absolutely on fire for God, who does wonderful works in Jesus name (or for Jesus?) Then people say that cold means those who are non-Christians. They then mix the two and say that a Luke Warm Christian is a cross between a Christian and a non-believer. So I guess most people would say that a luke warm Christan is someone who does Christian things (like pray or go to church etc…) but they also do what non-christians would do like love possessions and go out to places that they perhaps shouldn’t. This is not what it is saying at all! It then goes onto say: Revelation 3v16 “16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.” Jesus hates it when we are lukewarm. It doesn’t make mention that we became lukewarm by being a mixture of HOT and COLD but rather, the very next verse tells us why we are lukewarm Revelation 3v17 “17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:” So there it is. This is the reason that we can be called lukewarm. This is the reason that Jesus would spit us out of his mouth. It is not because we are a ‘christian’ who also likes wordly pleasures. It is because we think that our riches can save us. We think that we have no need for Jesus because we have riches! Jesus words then show us that our riches are worthless. Jesus then continues in the next verse Revelation 3v18 “18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.” Jesus is telling us to come to Him. Salvation is in Christ and Christ alone. Our riches will not save us. In conclusion, if we are at a point where we think that our riches are all we need and that our riches can save us, then we are lukewarm.