The below is a comment from another blog:
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"Just because you accept the Lord does not mean that you will automatically make it into heaven. You cannot live your life any way you want to and make it into heaven. You can accept the Lord into your life at an early age, middle age, or old age but then backslide and have to come back and repent and get your life in right standing with Him. If it were as simple as just accepting Him at an early age then everyone would do it and just live how they want.
The Bible says to be either hot or cold and not lukewarm or else he will spue you out of his mouth. Rev. 3:16. You either live for Christ or you don't.
Yes, God is a God of grace but he is also a God of wrath. And everyone who says Lord, Lord will not make it into the kingdom of heaven, but only those who do the will of God. Matt 7:21.
I mean seriously, look at all Moses did as far as getting his people delivered from their oppressor and leading them out and to the promise land and because he smote the rock instead of speaking to it as God commanded him, he was not permitted to enter into the promise land. He was a great man of God and did so many things for his people through God, but that one little thing he did cost him to enter into the promise land. I mean does this not say anything about what you are speaking of.
I was very appalled when I read your blog. What I got was this if you accept Jesus then you automatically go to heaven, and this is not the case at all. You have to daily beat down your flesh, repent for your sins, and TURN from them.
Yes, Jesus died on the cross for us that we might have eternal life, but that cost comes with a price on our end to live our life like Christ, do the Father's will, and glorify Him in all we do."
The Bible says to be either hot or cold and not lukewarm or else he will spue you out of his mouth. Rev. 3:16. You either live for Christ or you don't.
Yes, God is a God of grace but he is also a God of wrath. And everyone who says Lord, Lord will not make it into the kingdom of heaven, but only those who do the will of God. Matt 7:21.
I mean seriously, look at all Moses did as far as getting his people delivered from their oppressor and leading them out and to the promise land and because he smote the rock instead of speaking to it as God commanded him, he was not permitted to enter into the promise land. He was a great man of God and did so many things for his people through God, but that one little thing he did cost him to enter into the promise land. I mean does this not say anything about what you are speaking of.
I was very appalled when I read your blog. What I got was this if you accept Jesus then you automatically go to heaven, and this is not the case at all. You have to daily beat down your flesh, repent for your sins, and TURN from them.
Yes, Jesus died on the cross for us that we might have eternal life, but that cost comes with a price on our end to live our life like Christ, do the Father's will, and glorify Him in all we do."
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Wrestling with the ideas of grace versus law is what I have spent most of my religious life doing. The problem with the thinking above is not the emphasis to live like Christ or for Christ. The problem is making salvation dependent on your performance and ability to live that way after your conversion. It takes salvation away from the blood of Jesus and places the burden on you. People who espouse the above view usually set the bar for acceptable performance just below their own performance. I think if they could see that God can only accept perfect righteousness, then they would abandon their argument. I think that almost everyone, even cuckoo religious people, realizes that they are not perfect.
What hurts my cranky old man heart is that so many Christians have been brainwashed into this performance-based, self-righteous version of Christianity. You'd think I would have more patience, since 10 years ago (or less) I would have written just what Brensey wrote. But now, I find myself wanting to walk away from all the Pharisees, and just speak to the honest sinners, who are, and have always been, more open to the message of Christ. Those who understand their helpless state, and instead of wanting to prove their own righteousness, receive the gift of Christ's righteousness gladly.
"God, have mercy on me, a sinner." Can anyone make a truer statement, or better plea than that? Just like the publican, we can be justified, thanks to Christ's obedience. He has done everything that is required. We must simply believe.
"What must I do to be saved?"
"BELIEVE on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved,"—Acts 16:30, 31
"BELIEVE on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved,"—Acts 16:30, 31
