Not By Works

It is like a youngster being cleaned and told to stay clean, ignoring the advice and going out and doing
exactly the same things that caused them problems.

You NEED to read Matthew 7:13-20 FIRST, then read the rest. THAT IS MY WHOLE POINT.

It is Not THAT you KEEP doing the things he says, IT IS WHY YOU KEEP DOING THE THINGS HE SAYS. If it is not PURELY OUT OF LOVE FOR HIM, YOU DO NOT KNOW HIM.

NOTICE THE ONES WHO TRIED TO ENTER BASED ON THEIR WORKS, WITHOUT THE CORRECT MOTIVE:

Matthew 7:22 (HCSB)
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?’

WORKS WITHOUT THE CORRECT MOTIVE OF LOVE FOR HIM, ARE A BIG PILE OF FILTHY RAGS. And you do not want to know what the filth is on those rags.

That I NEVER KNEW YOU, is a reference to the inner, personal, LOVE, relationtionship, with the LORD meaning MASTER, that only comes through the BORN AGAIN relationship, where the Holy Spirit comes into you heart (human spirit) to birth your human spirit, bringing it into eternal life, pouring GOD's LOVE directly into your heart (Rom. 5:5) where your human spirit resides.

No amount of righteous Deeds can SAVE YOU, unless you willingly surrender to HIM first OUT OF LOVE FOR HIM, the ONLY pure MOTIVE that GOD VALUES. Therefore you are SAVED before the deeds of righteousness.


Isaiah 64:6 (NIV)
6 All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away.

1 Chronicles 28:9 (NIV)
9 "And you, my son Solomon, acknowledge the God of your father, and serve him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the LORD searches every heart and understands every motive behind the thoughts. If you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he will reject you forever.

1 Chronicles 29:17 (NJB)
17 ‘Knowing, my God, how you examine our motives and how you delight in integrity, with integrity of motive I have willingly given all this and have been overjoyed to see your people, now present here, willingly offering their gifts to you.

Romans 8:27 (NRSV)
27 And God, who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

Revelation 2:23 (ESV)
23 . . . And all the churches will know that I am he who searches mind and heart, and I will give to each of you according to your works.

2 Timothy 1:9 (CSBBible)
9 He has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began.


So do you serve the LORD out of a sense of Duty, Mat. 7:22;
OR,
Do you serve HIM purely because you LOVE HIM, because HE SAVED YOU ? ? ?

The problem is that if a believer who comes to Jesus has never experienced a loving relationship but one where false love is expressed and rewarded based on compliance then there is only one path they walk on.

I personally do not believe that genuine believers who fall foul of this are not saved.
They seek a relationship based on life experiences to earn love and acceptance. They just want to be loved and love.

That's different from those who never knew him.
They did not want to know him.

The problem is that if a believer who comes to Jesus has never experienced a loving relationship but one where false love is expressed and rewarded based on compliance then there is only one path they walk on.

I personally do not believe that genuine believers who fall foul of this are not saved.
They seek a relationship based on life experiences to earn love and acceptance. They just want to be loved and love.

That's different from those who never knew him.
They did not want to know him.

I love the image of Christ and the Dove you chose for this Picture.
Now Jesus was a Nazarene, do you know what a Nazarene Shepherd looks like?


So, how come every picture we see of Jesus is a white Caucasian ? Oh, yeah, because all the famous artists were from Europe, and had never seen a Nazarene.

Not understanding what true LOVE is, most definitely is not an excuse, because at the Beginning of true Faith, HE had the Holy Spirit POUR GOD's LOVE directly into our HEARTS (Human Spirit).

People are all going to hell, only Gods people have the light, and through their witness are people
brought into the Kingdom.

Sadly the idea there is a deep enemy who are snatching the saved to hell is just deception.
Those without the Holy Spirit are lost, without hope.

Our calling is to shine the light of Jesus's love to show others how He works in this world
through His people, and how His life is more precious than anything else anyone could ever have.
Amen, thank you Jesus.

It might take years for this truth of Gods love to penetrate and overtake those who are taught God as a judge without mercy.

1 John 2:6- He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.

1 John 4:17- Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.

Important Note- These are not talking about sinless perfection in walk, (an attribute that can only be said of Jesus' earthly walk), but Christlikeness in walk

yes, I agree.

but, follwingpeterjensteps says, or more specifically his silly church, with their man-made opinion of a creed state that one does not receive salvation UNTIL they walk just as He walked, thereby making salvation a destination to arrive at, rather than making making walking just as He walked a goal, which is what we should do,

yes, I agree.

but, follwingpeterjensteps says, or more specifically his silly church, with their man-made opinion of a creed state that one does not receive salvation UNTIL they walk just as He walked, thereby making salvation a destination to arrive at, rather than making making walking just as He walked a goal, which is what we should do,

AMEN bro...........salvation is given immediately upon belief....it is NOT something we GAIN over time.....

nor is it based upon our walk .....

end of story...

yes, I agree.

but, follwingpeterjensteps says, or more specifically his silly church, with their man-made opinion of a creed state that one does not receive salvation UNTIL they walk just as He walked, thereby making salvation a destination to arrive at, rather than making making walking just as He walked a goal, which is what we should do,

Not sure what you are saying here.

If we do not know true love then it will affect our relationship with God, no matter what the Bible says.

To me that's where healing and release comes in.

yes, I agree.

but, follwingpeterjensteps says, or more specifically his silly church, with their man-made opinion of a creed state that one does not receive salvation UNTIL they walk just as He walked, thereby making salvation a destination to arrive at, rather than making making walking just as He walked a goal, which is what we should do,

Does not foot washing apply here?
Not saying it does but asking.

Are we declared clean as a result of Jesus?
Are we not called to be like Jesus? (Rhetorical)
Yet we still get it wrong.

Hence foot washing.

John 13:8-11
8 Peter said to Him, “You shall never wash my feet!”
Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.”
9 Simon Peter said to Him, “Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head!”
10 Jesus said to him, “He who is bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all of you.” 11 For He knew who would betray Him; therefore He said, “You are not all clean.”

1 John 1:7-9
7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.
8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.


When we wash one another’s feet it’s us supporting each another in times of weakness and failure. We put our arm around a fallen brother and help him rise again. Is this not a sign of true spirituality and love?

You quote Peter, but is a true believer a dog or sow?

Will they stay clean?

I say no, but that is not a defeated attitude.
It's an attitude that realises we need to be on guard, seek God for help, stand firm.
Yet also acknowledge when we get it wrong fess it up straight away and ask for help.

Lots of belivers do not do that because they are waiting for the slap.
And do not realise that Jesus is interceding for them.

Amen and agreed.

Agreed, but faith will condition our walk; bringing it (our walk) into a desired (by God) state over time, that is, progressively.

or the beginning of a beautiful story of what God will do in our lives.

silly church - sounds like mockery, but without foundation.
The roman soldiers who wipped Jesus behaved in the same way, it is not unexpected from those
who neither understand love, sacrifice or forgiveness.

I agree we are to walk as Jesus walked, which is our communion with Him, but clearly you at
one point think you are attacking someone then at the next agreeing with them. That is not
understanding anothers position or even ones own, God bless you.

Thank you, VCO Many of the images I use depicting Jesus do not make Him look white/Caucasian. Plus, they are almost all certainly post-resurrection, so He is being shown in His glorified body. Do we know what that looked like? Those who knew Him best, the apostles... did not even recognize Him