Not By Works

  • Christian Chat is a moderated online Christian community allowing Christians around the world to fellowship with each other in real time chat via webcam, voice, and text, with the Christian Chat app. You can also start or participate in a Bible-based discussion here in the Christian Chat Forums, where members can also share with each other their own videos, pictures, or favorite Christian music.

    If you are a Christian and need encouragement and fellowship, we're here for you! If you are not a Christian but interested in knowing more about Jesus our Lord, you're also welcome! Want to know what the Bible says, and how you can apply it to your life? Join us!

    To make new Christian friends now around the world, click here to join Christian Chat.
Discern said:
I was miraculously converted, but kind of fell into a way of thinking that my remaining in grace was in part conditioned on my continued obedience and works and was a hairs breadth away from perfectionism. . God corrected me. So, yes. I believe a believer can fall into error and be restored.

Did I lose my salvation? No. I lost peace and assurance and my fellowship with God was affected. I fell into bondage of sin again. I was unfruitful. I hurt myself and others. But I was restored.
Click to expand...
That sounds like the prodigal son who came back to the father and there was great rejoicing. I just worry about those who do not return to the Father.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Judges1318 and Discern
Discern said:
I know from experience that if you put yourself under a works based religion, you deprive yourself of the Power that produced godliness

You end up having a form of godliness, but deny the power thereof.

And a form of godliness is not the genuine article
Click to expand...
Sorry that does not make sense to me based on the question I asked you.
 
BillG said:
I don't believe a true believer can fall from grace.
But I do believe a believer can negate the working of grace in their lives.

We only need to look at the prodical son.
Still a son, yet ended up eating the food of pigs after peeing it up against the wall.
Miserable period of time.

Whilst doing that he could not experience the unmerited favour until he returned.
Yet we know he was still a son of the Father.
Being the son and walking with the Father.
Click to expand...

Being the son and walking with the Father.

But he left the Father.
 
BillG said:
Sorry that does not make sense to me based on the question I asked you.
Click to expand...

My point was there is much more involved than loss of rewards. There is a bondage and great loss of many things involved. But, yes. Since bondage thwarts fruit bearing to a large degree, there is a loss of reward based on the sad reality of missed opportunities

The reward that is most important are the words “well done” from Jesus. That is the greatest reward of all
 
  • Like
Reactions: eternally-gratefull and PS
BillG said:
I don't believe a true believer can fall from grace.
But I do believe a believer can negate the working of grace in their lives.

We only need to look at the prodical son.
Still a son, yet ended up eating the food of pigs after peeing it up against the wall.
Miserable period of time.

Whilst doing that he could not experience the unmerited favour until he returned.
Yet we know he was still a son of the Father.
Being the son and walking with the Father.
Click to expand...

Everything you said was true, except, I think “walking with the Father”. If there is one thing being a prodigal does, it harms our fellowship with the Father. That’s the biggest thing we miss out on as prodigals.

Sin affects fellowship. That’s why when we confess our sins, it is not to be saved again, (of course). It is to restore fellowship to the place where there is no thing that hinders our confidence towards God

I think confession is more to remove self imposed barriers of guilt and harm of our assurance, for us, barriers self imposed and maintained, not God imposed and maintained
 
  • Like
Reactions: eternally-gratefull
Discern said:
Very good post.

True submission is when we place ourselves under the mighty hand of God, and allow Him to deal with the root of our sin, which is an inclination towards unbelief, pride, and self idolatry, and progressively transform us to be inciined to faithfulness, humility, and God worship

It is a process of sanctification that begins but does not end at the new birth, although justification and positional sanctification are a completed work, this work is not completed until we are like Him when we see Him just as He is. At the second advent

This process is just as much a part of grace as justification and positional sanctification
Click to expand...

Being persuaded, convinced, convinced.. And taking a stand where God takes His stand is also the transforming power.
 
  • Like
Reactions: dcontroversal and Discern
BillG said:
I don't believe a true believer can fall from grace.
But I do believe a believer can negate the working of grace in their lives.

We only need to look at the prodical son.
Still a son, yet ended up eating the food of pigs after peeing it up against the wall.
Miserable period of time.

Whilst doing that he could not experience the unmerited favour until he returned.
Yet we know he was still a son of the Father.
Being the son and walking with the Father.
Click to expand...
Agree brother
 
  • Like
Reactions: BillG and PennEd
PS said:
That sounds like the prodigal son who came back to the father and there was great rejoicing. I just worry about those who do not return to the Father.
Click to expand...
1 John 2 19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out that they might be made manifest, that none of them were of us.

its simple
 
  • Like
Reactions: mailmandan and Discern
PS said:
Being the son and walking with the Father.

But he left the Father.
Click to expand...
Yet the father never left him

The fathers blood still flowed through his veins. Thats why when he returned, He was still his fathers son

He never stopped being a fathers son.
 
Discern said:
There is a reason we call Him Father. A father is so much more patient and long suffering towards a child than a master to his servant

but we do not want to take His grace for granted. We want to return to Him our love for His Grace. That is a reasonable service
Click to expand...

Grace that is experienced inwardly... by its very nature creates an outpouring back to the one who gave it.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Discern
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom
Back