A tension I am having problems with in Scripture, and maybe you all can lend some light on this, is that Jesus paid it all for our sins once for all time (Hebrews Chapter Nine) and so faith in Him ensures our salvation (Romans 10:9-10, Philippians 3:9, John 3:16, John 6:40, Acts 15:5-11). However, there are all these passages in the New Testament about if you practice sin, and it gives the lists numerous times (Revelation 21:8 is an example) that says if you keep practicing those sins you will not inherit the Kingdom of God. This is puzzling, because it places a Christian in a state of being like "well a bunch of Scriptures say its Faith without works (Ephensians 2:8-9), but then there are terrify ones that say I better not practice these sins or else I am going to be cast out of the Ecclesia.."
This tension of Grace and do not practice sin is why we have the Greasy Gracers and the Penitentialists extremes in churches.
So my question is, can you presume on the Blood of Christ? That is, do sin and be like "I know Jesus has this covered?" ("What Can Eash Away M I can hear Romans Chapter Six already in my head, but then there is also the words of Jesus in the Gospel of John, "My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.” (John 10:26-30).
I myself fall into the I am saved by Grace through Faith in Christ Alone camp, "I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose." (Galatians 2:21), "And if it is by grace, then it is no longer by works. Otherwise, grace would no longer be grace," (Romans 11:6), and "God made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God." (2 Corinthians 5:21).
And yet there is so many passages about not practicing sin:
"Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. You know that he appeared in order to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him. Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous. Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.." (1 John 3:4-11)
"But suppose that servant is wicked and says to himself, ‘My master is staying away a long time,’ 49 and he then begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards. The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. 51 He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." (Matthew 24:48-51)
I know that at one point Martin Luther was so exasperated by this tension he cut out The Book of James from New Testament, and Pelagius removed most of the New Testament. I am not suggesting that, just how do we find the answer with such divergent Scriptures, it seems inevitable you end up with the Gracers and Penitentialist sects.
This tension of Grace and do not practice sin is why we have the Greasy Gracers and the Penitentialists extremes in churches.
So my question is, can you presume on the Blood of Christ? That is, do sin and be like "I know Jesus has this covered?" ("What Can Eash Away M I can hear Romans Chapter Six already in my head, but then there is also the words of Jesus in the Gospel of John, "My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.” (John 10:26-30).
I myself fall into the I am saved by Grace through Faith in Christ Alone camp, "I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose." (Galatians 2:21), "And if it is by grace, then it is no longer by works. Otherwise, grace would no longer be grace," (Romans 11:6), and "God made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God." (2 Corinthians 5:21).
And yet there is so many passages about not practicing sin:
"Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. You know that he appeared in order to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him. Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous. Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.." (1 John 3:4-11)
"But suppose that servant is wicked and says to himself, ‘My master is staying away a long time,’ 49 and he then begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards. The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. 51 He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." (Matthew 24:48-51)
I know that at one point Martin Luther was so exasperated by this tension he cut out The Book of James from New Testament, and Pelagius removed most of the New Testament. I am not suggesting that, just how do we find the answer with such divergent Scriptures, it seems inevitable you end up with the Gracers and Penitentialist sects.
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