CHRIST THE RECONCILER

[tsth]

And that brings us full circle back to mel's original post:

The word reconciliation means a change of relationship from hostility to harmony and peace, between two parties.

Paul is addressing believers, who truly believe that the blood of Jesus Christ has reconciled them to God. They know that before salvation they were enemies of God, alienated from God and in open rebellion against God. We understand from verse 22 that God has one great purpose in reconciliation, and that is to present the believer perfect, holy and without blemish before Himself. Verse 23 indicates a person can be moved away from the hope held out in the gospel. We need to ask ourselves, what then would move a person away from the hope found in the gospel? How about worldliness, lust, greed, comfort, friends, persecution, pride, fame, power, family, job, false teaching ect. May I say; it is not enough to profess Christ. A person must live for Christ. A person who professes Christ and does not live for Christ is living a lie. A person has to continue in the faith and grow to such a degree that he will never move away. If he moves away from Christ and stays moved away. He will have denied the faith. The believer must be so grounded in Christ that he can withstand the severest storms of life. Continuing strong in the faith is an absolute essential for the well being of the believer.

In His Love,

Suzanne

[Guest suzie]

When we are saved we are no longer of this world but are sealed to eternity. The Holy Spirit is the sign of our guarentee.  We no longer live, but Christ lives in us.  How do you walk away from  that? The only way you could is if you deny Christ in you.

[tsth]

When we are saved we are no longer of this world but are sealed to eternity. The Holy Spirit is the sign of our guarentee.  We no longer live, but Christ lives in us.  How do you walk away from  that? The only way you could is if you deny Christ in you.

Dear Suzie,

I'm afraid it is not me that you ask that of, but the Scriptures.  I would only add the following.  These things I post boldly, as they do not afford any confusion nor conflict for me.  I can't understand why it is something you will not embrace, if the Word says it.  Because I can understand your position of Scriptures along "with" what I post.  They go together, yet you want what you believe to stand alone without any other Scriptures.  They must go together.

1 John 2:24 Let that therefore abide in you, which ye have heard from the beginning. If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, ye also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father.

I cannot go into detail right now, but I would like to explain the above verse further later today, if you care to continue?

In His Love,

Suzanne

[Guest suzie]

Suzanne,

I too am confused that you do not have the assurance that eternal salvation brings.  I also speak from Scripture--  

The First Epistle of John is full of references to the outward evidence of the inward fact of the newly imparted divine life. 1John may be taken, in one sense, as an examination of the believer. "Hereby we know that we know him, if we keep his commandments" (there is no reference here to the commandments of Moses) ; "This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God(John 6:28-29); nor is anyone who does not love his brother."; "We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love our brothers"; "Anyone who does not do what is right is not of God, nor is anyone who does not love his brother"; "We know that we live in him and he in us, because he has given of his Spirit"; "Whoever does not love  does not know God; for God is love"; "And we have seen and testify that the Father sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him, and he in God" (1 Cor. 12:3).

This experience as is described by these passages may become clouded by sin or lost in the depression of some physical weakness, and if we were depending upon the experience as primary evidence that we are saved, all grounds of assurance would be swept away. The primary evidence is clearly stated in the same Epistle as the final word of testing here given and the final grounds of confidence: "We accept the man's testimony, but God's testimony is greater: because it is the testimony of God which he has given about his Son. Anyone who believes in the Son of God has this testimony in his heart: Anyone who does not believe God has made him out to be a liar; because he has not believed the testimony God has given of his Son. And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has the life; he who  does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things (about having the life) to you who believe in the name of the Son of God;so that you may know that you have eternal life. " (1 John 5:9-13). The possession of the indwelling Son of God is the abiding fact of the newly created life in Him, and should never be confused with some imperfect and changeable experience in the daily life. He is received by faith. His presence most naturally leads to blessed new realities in experience. Certainly experience never leads to the realities of the presence of the indwelling Son of God.

[tsth]

Dear Suzie,

In light of not wanting to create contention with you, I will just suffice to say that no more than I can presume to tell a man that he is, for sure not saved, even though he says he is, would I presume to tell a man that he is saved even though he walks as if he is not.  That would be spiritually fatal for him.  I know many who are walking right now, thinking that they are "ok", but they have not examined themselves to see whether or not they have fallen away from the seed of the word that they first received, simply because someone has told them, they cannot lose their salvation.  (Now I have a pretty good idea at this place is where we agree, because I think in essence you believe that a true saved person cannot lose his salvation, and I say we will know when we meet in eternity, but until that point, let's don't mislead someone who is seemingly not following Christ, to believe that he is "safe", for he may not be.)  Just as Paul spoke of enduring  and warned of falling away, Matt. 24:13, Mark 4:17, Mark 13:13, and spoke of "continuing in"

Acts 13:43 Now when the congregation was broken up, many of the Jews and religious proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas: who, speaking to them, persuaded them to continue in the grace of God.

Ac 14:22 -

Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.

Let's focus on finishing the race, not that the race is already over, for their are many who received the seed, but it has not taken root, so don't mislead them by telling them it has and all is done, it may not be, and who are you, or I, to tell them so?  We must continually heed the the fact that the words of warning and encouragement are there for a reason, and not to dismiss them.

1 Tim. 4:16 Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.

2 Cor. 13:5

Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?

If you have not ever done so, and are willing, take a look at all the Scriptures that speak of the word "continue", and you will better understand what I am speaking of.

In His Love,

Suzanne

[Guest suzie]

Suzanne-

I have read the Scriptures and have studied this subject with care since there seems to be those such as you, who read the Scriptures as saying that you can "fall away" from eternal salvation.  

If salvation depends in any degree on personal goodness, there could not be even a saved person in the world, and therefore no ground in it for assurance. Salvation is not offered to those who have purposed to be good, or religious, nor is it guaranteed to those who hope God will Himself be good and gracious in the end. It is offered to all meritless, helpless sinners who are willing to believe that God has already been good in that He has provided, in Christ, not only what they need now, but all they need in time and for eternity. This, too, is believed on no other evidence than that God has said it in His Word.

He has promised to save and keep all who put their trust in Him. Having put one's trust in Him for salvation, one must either believe Him to do what He has said, or in the measure in which one fails to do so suppose Him to be untrue

There is very much Scripture about the results that are sure to appear in a transformed life. True salvation must result in just such realities. It is inconceivable that Christ should come to live in a human heart and its experiences remain unchanged. There must be, under such conditions, a new and vital relationship to God the Father, to fellow Christians and to Christ Himself, a, new attitude toward prayer, toward the Word, toward sin and toward the unsaved. This is the viewpoint of the Apostle James when he contends so earnestly for works that" will justify. It must be remembered, however, that James is here concerned with the appearance our professions make to the outside world., rather than of our acceptance before God. Men can judge only by the outward appearance, and works alone can justify the Christian profession in their sight. God looks on the heart and before Him no works can avail. Before God man must be justified by faith alone. This, James clearly asserts to be true as illustrated in the case of Abraham (James 2:23).

Think about the phrase,

[mel]

Hi folks; I continue to be blessed by the discussions this post has generated. May I give you something new to think about?

Divine Sovereignty and human responsibility are integral and inseparable realities of salvation. Exactly how they operate together "ONLY" the infinite mind of God knows. Can one who is truely saved loose his salvation? I think not!