="VCO, post: 3705293, member: 178202"]
Those who think this justifies SALVATION by works, are a fool. It is talking about Heavenly Rewards, AND Salvation is not a reward. Look at those in Mat. 7, who ALL thought they earned SALVATION by they Works:
I have never suggested I can save myself. That is a myth you created. I simply posted what the Christ inspired Paul to write. I wasn't addressing you, I'm sorry these scriptures stung you.
20 So you’ll recognize them by their fruit.
21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord!’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but ⌊only⌋ the one who does the will of My Father in heaven.
22 On that day many will say to Me, ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in Your name, drive out demons in Your name, and do many miracles in Your name?’
23 Then I will announce to them, 'I never knew you! Depart from Me, you lawbreakers!’
The Primary Spiritual Fruit is LOVE, they mistakenly did those WORKS to earn favor from GOD, which is the WRONG MOTIVE. IT HAS TO BE OUT OF LOVE FOR HIM AND OTHERS.
Man's Love is as a filthy rag. Man believes they can replace God's Love with their own and get to heaven this way. Those in the verses you posted found out they couldn't "go in" on their own Love, but needed God's Love.
1 john 5:
3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.
14 We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers.
Anyone who does not love remains in death.
Again, as my post said, calling a brother names and telling him he has fallen from Grace because he listens and strives to do what the Master instructs is not now, nor has it ever been God's Love.
Should we not strive to be in God's Love, and not our own?
The Heavenly Rewards that he is Talking about in Rom. 2, have NOTHING TO DO WITH SALVATION. They are Crowns like the Crown of Life, or Crown of Righteousness, or Crown of Glory, etc. They are not the crown that a King wears, they are the Victor's Crown, such as in an Olympic style of games:
Size of leaves and fullness of leaves MAY be what it means by:
Romans 2:6 (NIV)
6 God "
will give to each person according to what he has done."
But here is a serious warning to those who Compete without
LOVE.
WHAT???????
2 Timothy 2:5 (NIV)
5 Similarly, if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not receive the victor's crown unless he competes according to the rules.
And the RULES are YOU MUST HAVE THE MOTIVE OF SINCERE LOVE.
Now this is the VERSE you have MISINTERPRETED that it supports your erroneous THEORY that Salvation includes Works.
So I must compete according to the rules or I won't receive the crown. But if I follow the rules, I'm trying to saved by MY works?
OK VCO, it's your religion.
7 eternal life to those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor, and immortality;
That verse is NOT BECAUSE THEY DID THE WORKS, but BECAUSE they Proved their SALVATION was REAL by lovingly doing those kind of things out of SINCERE LOVE. Your MOTIVE has to BE BECAUSE YOU LOVE HIM AND OTHERS, and every other MOTIVE is pure wood, hay, and stubble, or Filthy Rags, ESPECIALLY Trying in VANE to be GOOD ENOUGH TO EARN SALVATION.
But shouldn't a person who the Messiah died for listen to the Messiah? What do you have against God's Love that you would reject it and replace it with your own?
3 Though I should give away to the poor all that I possess, and even give up my body to be burned—
if I am without love, it will do me no good whatever
.
Whose Love?
LOVE comes FIRST, and Obedience spawns from LOVE, and it has NOTHING TO DO WITH SALVATION, which happened the first Day that YOU FIRST BELIEVED, as a FREE GIFT FROM GOD.
Your erroneous theory, only creates all kinds of CONTRADICTIONS in the Bible. My bible is without Contradictions. I have heard this before, years before I had my first computers, "So what, the Bible is full of Contradictions." Are you saying that is your theory too
No, I don't believe my Bible has contradictions at all. It says the same in the beginning as it does in the end.
Gen. 4:
7 If thou doest well,
shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee
shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.
Gen. 26:
4 And I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these countries; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed;
5 Because that
Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.
Ex. 20:
6 And shewing mercy unto thousands of them
that love me,
and keep my commandments.
Is. 56:
1 Thus saith the LORD, Keep ye judgment, and do justice: for my salvation
is near to come, and my righteousness to be revealed.
2 Blessed is the man that doeth this, and the son of man that layeth hold on it; that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and keepeth his hand from doing any evil.
3 Neither let the son of the stranger, that hath joined himself to the LORD, speak, saying, The LORD hath utterly separated me from his people: neither let the eunuch say, Behold, I
am a dry tree.
4 For thus saith the LORD unto the eunuchs that keep my sabbaths, and choose
the things that please me, and take hold of my covenant;
Matt. 19:
17 And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good?
there is none good but one,
that is, God:
but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.
John 14:
21 He 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.
Rom. 2:
13 (For not the hearers of the law
are just before God,
but the doers of the law shall be justified.
1 Cor. 7:
19 Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing,
but the keeping of the commandments of God.
Eph. 2:
8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves:
it is the gift of God:
9 Not of (mans) works, lest
any man should boast.
10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus
unto good works,
which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. (Like Abraham)
Acts 24:
14 But this I confess unto thee, that after the way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers,
believing all things which are written in the law and in the prophets:
Rev. 14:
12 Here is the patience of the saints: here
are they that
keep the commandments of God,
and the faith of Jesus.
To keep the post short and forgo the scorn of others I only posted a few of the scriptures which show the Theme of the Bible from the beginning to the end.
"Many" who come in Christ's Name, will use a few verses out of context to destroy all this evidence of the "Will of God" for His people.
But I believe we should follow the Messiah and His instructions.
"Man shall not live by bread alone, but by "EVERY" Word of God."
"As I have Loved you, so love ye one another".
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