It is true we cannot earn salvation as Jesus had to take the wrath of his Father to pay the price for sin, but over and over the scriptures show God reaching out and imploring people to come to him, and when they refused his mercy it is often recorded he was saddened. The Lord says:
- "Tell them, 'As certainly as I'm alive and living,' declares the Lord GOD, 'I receive no pleasure in the death of the wicked. Instead, my pleasure is that the wicked repent from their behavior and live. Turn back! Turn back, all of you, from your wicked behavior! Why do you have to die, you house of Israel?'" Ezekiel 33:11 ISV
The Lord Jesus Christ did not come to die for a bride that does not willingly accept his pardon of sin and submit to Jesus being their savior and Lord. The scriptures appear to tell us that even after we come to him in this time period, we can still choose to leave him. I take those warnings as such and they drive me to the side of the lover of my soul, Jesus the Messiah who is God. Where else can we go? He has the words of Eternal Life!!
2 Peter 1 ISV
To: Those who have received faith that is as valuable as ours through the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus the Messiah.e
2May grace and peace be yours in abundance through full knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord!
3His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through the full knowledge of the one who called us by his own glory and excellence. 4Through these he has given us his precious and wonderful promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, seeing that you have escaped the corruption that is in the world caused by evil desires.
5For this very reason, you must make every effort to
- supplement your faith with moral character,
- your moral character with knowledge,
- 6your knowledge with self-control,
- your self-control with endurance,
- your endurance with godliness,
- 7your godliness with brotherly kindness,
- and your brotherly kindness with love.
9For the person who lacks these qualities is blind and shortsighted, and has forgotten the cleansing that he has received from his past sins.
10So then, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election certain, for if you keep on doing this you will never fail. 11For in this way you will be generously granted entry into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus, the Messiah.g
Note above that we are responsible to make our calling and election certain. We would not be told to do something we cannot do. We should not stop until we see Christ's face!
12Therefore, I intend to keep on reminding you about these things, even though you already know them and are firmly established in the truth that you now have. 13Yet I think it is right to refresh your memory as long as I am living in this bodily tent, 14because I know that the removal of my bodily tent will come soon, as indeed our Lord Jesus, the Messiah,h has shown me. 15And I will make every effort to see that you will always remember these things after I am gone.
Higher Ground
"Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus? Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?
ReplyDeleteAmen! And the same awesome God who wrote that said in Ezeliel 18:30 “Therefore, Israel, I’m going to judge you according to the behavior of each and every one of you,” declares the Lord GOD. “So repent and turn from all your sins so that sin won’t keep on being a stumbling block for you. 31Stop your transgressing—the deeds by which you’ve rebelled—and then make for yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. Why should you die, you house of Israel? 32I don’t take pleasure in the death of anyone who dies,” declares the LORD. “So repent, so you may live!”
ReplyDeleteI think we would agree that it is not a question of "pleasure" but one of justice. Would we then agree that it is God who leads man to repentance (Rom 2:4)? Is there anything good in the flesh whereas man might repent and of his own accord? (John 6:63)
ReplyDeleteRomans 2:4 ISV is priceless! "Or are you unaware of his rich kindness, forbearance, and patience, that it is God’s kindness that is leading you to repent?" But throughout the scriptures God makes it clear that "The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance." 2 Peter 3:9 ISV Repenting is not a work of the flesh. It is the acknowledging that we have nothing good in our selves, as the thief on the cross said. And "3For by the grace given to me I ask every one of you not to think of yourself more highly than you should think, rather to think of yourself with sober judgment on the measure of faith that God has assigned each of you." Romans 12 ISV Thank you for your comments! on Eagerly Make Your Calling & Election Sure
ReplyDeleteThank you for interacting! I see that we are far apart in the meaning of Scriptures you provide. I would submit that we left Genesis 3 with different understanding of the two seeds. If you would rather correspond by email, I would be happy to send my address to you.
ReplyDeleteThank you again for your time.
In many areas I just wait for further revelation over time. Many things will become more clear as the Lord's appearing draws near. I do not break fellowship over such things and it appears you do not either! wmcgrew@theroofingprofessor.com cell 678-525591
ReplyDelete