Dead and Stinking

[LifeHiscost]

Quote:

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So your quote taken within the context of Paul’s theme simply means that

God will only save those who have the faith of Abraham. Works will not buy the heavenly Canaan….That’s Paul’s whole point!

Therefore, some will be lost....

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Robert, the greatest legalists are the ones who make every effort possible to destroy that which is good and promotes the greatest amount of liberty for everyone concerned. How much liberty would you have if when I met you I decided the situation you were living in deserved my ignoring all the principles of the Ten Commandments, and proceeded to insure you received proper redress? And you of course would have the free will to defend yourself in retaliation since the commands (instructions) were to be ignored since they were presumed to be a curse.

[:"red"] "O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day. " [/] Psalm 119:97 KJV

[:"red"] "But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does" [/] James 1:25 NKJV

The people who hold up their works as reason to be saved are not condemned for doing the works. They are rejected for not accepting the Lord of Glory as the motivating power in their lives, through the Holy Spirit, to accomplish whatever.

[:"red"] "“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ " [/] Matt 7:21-23

[:"red"] "...apart from Me you can do nothing" [/]

John 15:5

Accepting the glory of work well done, as if it were of our own volition, is to do the same thing Lucifer did in believing he could be a god in his own right.

[:"red"] " I will ascend above the tops of the clouds;

I will make myself like the Most High."

But you are brought down to the grave,

to the depths of the pit." [/] Isaiah 14:14,15

It takes the faith of Abraham not to give excuses for shoddy living, as it points directly to God as one asking something of His children, then not providing the wherewithal to accomplish what He asks. The believing disciple claims the promise that what God asks of us, He promises to accomplish through us. Not fully attained until we receive our change, but fully within God's power to bring to pass at God's command, just as Abraham saw the fulfillment of righteousness through God's promises and power.

[:"red"] "For what does the Scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness." [/] Romans 4:3 NKJV

[:"red"] "And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise. " [/] Galatians 3:29 KJV

Lift Jesus up!!

[DaveM1936]

Life, I based my opinion on the following quote from EGW.

God now calls upon you to repent, to be zealous in the work. Your eternal happiness will be determined by the course you now pursue. Can you reject the invitations of mercy now offered? Can you choose your own way? Will you cherish pride and vanity, and lose your soul at last? The word of God plainly tells us that few will be saved and that the greater number of those, even, who are called will prove themselves unworthy of everlasting life. They will have no part in heaven, but will have their portion with Satan, and experience the second death. {2T 293.3}

It can be balanced by such statements as these:

As we work with all the strength that God grants us, and in humility of heart, putting our entire trust in Him, our labors will not be without fruit. Our determined efforts to bring souls to a knowledge of the truth for this time will be seconded by holy angels, and mamy souls will be saved many souls will be saved. The Lord never forsakes His faithful messengers. He sends to their aid heavenly agencies and accompanies their labors with the power of His Holy Spirit to convince and to convert. All heaven will endorse your appeals. {Ev 38.1}

If there are 4 billion people on earth today and only 4 million are saved, that would be few in comparison with the total number of people on earth.

Your friend,

Dave m