I was recently discussing how salvation and forgiveness work with some friends on Facebook. Some of them say that when we get saved, God forgives all of our sins even our FUTURE sins that we haven't committed yet, which frees us up to do any sin. For example, I believe that if you become a Christian and repent of your sins and then turn around and kill somebody, then you need to repent again and ask God for forgiveness. If you don't, then you'll go to hell. They say that it's unnecessary to ask for forgiveness a second time, because God has already forgiven your future sins. In other words, a backslider is forgiven because he got saved previously. Once you get saved, it's like you get a never-expiring ticket to heaven. You can do anything you want, sin all you want, and you'll still go to heaven. This is so wrong.!
The first rule of bible interpretation is that the clear verses, which can only have one meaning, give meaning to the unclear verses, (those which can have multiple interpretations), NOT the other way around.
There is no ambiguity in these words. "He that believes in not condemned." "For by grace you have been saved, through faith, and that NOT of yourselves, it is the GIFT of God, NOT of works, lest any man should boast." "What then shall we say that Abraham our father has found according to the flesh? For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but NOT before God. For what does the Scripture say? �Abraham BELIEVED God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.� Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt. But to him who does not work but BELIEVES on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness, just as David also describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works: �Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; Blessed is the man to whom the Lord shall not impute sin.�
Blasphemy - From Thayer's Greek lexicon - specifically, impious and reproachful speech injurious to the divine majesty
Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost - A continuous and obstinate rejection of the Holy Spirit's testimony regarding the gospel of Jesus Christ, a refusal to believe in the name of the Son of God, and hence is an unpardonable sin, simply because as long as a sinner remains in unbelief he voluntarily excludes himself from pardon. (Matt. 12:31, 32; Mark 3:28, 29; Luke 12:10) Such a person refuses to change their thinking, i.e., repent (metanoeo Greek 3340, Short Definition: I repent, change my mind), and believe in Christ.
1 John is written to those who already are Christians, and confession is necessary to re-establish fellowship when the Christian has sinned. Positionally, all sin is forgiven all Christians, but in time forgiveness is not bestowed until it is requested. Each sin is to be confessed individually as you remember it before the Lord. At that time you are forgiven. If you doubt this look at 1 Corinthians 11 and what Paul wrote about those who were taking communion with unconfessed sin. They came in with a casual attitude, not humbling their own selves, and not asking for the sins they committed since their last confession before God. As noted in chapter 3, they suffer loss, but they themselves are saved.
"Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come from God and was going to God, rose from supper and laid aside His garments, took a towel and girded Himself. After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples� feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded. Then He came to Simon Peter. And Peter said to Him, �Lord, are You washing my feet?� Jesus answered and said to him, �What I am doing you do not understand now, but you will know after this.� 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.� Simon Peter said to Him, �Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head!� 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.� For He knew who would betray Him; therefore He said, �You are not all clean.�"
Jesus told Peter he didn't need to get saved, a whole cleansing, but needed the footwashing, cleansing of daily sin, to maintain fellowship. If I don't have my feet washed I have no part with Jesus until I do. This is about fellowship, just like 1 John 1:6-10 I'm surprised you didn't add this as yet another condition for salvation: "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." But it's a condition for fellowship, not salvation.
"For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another. But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, NOT by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. This is a faithful saying, and these things I want you to affirm constantly, that those who have believed in God should be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable TO MEN."
Do you really not see that a son, prodigal or otherwise, is ALWAYS a son? Go down to the courthouse and tell them you want to change your name. Spit on your parents grave. Deny you are a member of the family. Even kill your family members. Your heritage will NEVER change. You will always have the family DNA. Neither your outward conduct nor your inward beliefs will ever change the unchanging fact that your biological father and mother will always be your biological father and mother. Once born of the Spirit of Almighty God, that never changes either. You have ZERO control of that fact. A dog that acts like a cat is still a dog.
Matthew 6:15 - "If you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your ----->Father<----- forgive your trespasses." Again, this isn't about losing your place in the family, but fellowship. In hockey when you get a penalty, you go to the sin bin, to think about your cheating. Same with God, it's time away from the fellowship with others. The condition for getting out of the sin bin is confession. This is different than the condition for getting into the family in the first place, belief. "MY sheep hear MY voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father�s hand. I and My Father are one.�" Christ's sheep don't wander off. Your analogy is worthless. "Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour. 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. But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things."
"He who has the Son HAS life (ALREADY POSSESSES); he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that YOU HAVE eternal life (ALREADY POSSESS ETERNAL life), and that you may believe in the name of the Son of God." 1 John 5:12-13 If it can end for any reason, you cannot know that you already possess it, because it is not eternal, but conditional.
WOW. WOW. WOW. You're very-very misled. I went to your profile, and I am surprised to see that you say one of your interests is Biblical Counseling. A person like you who is so far off from the Biblical Truth should not be allowed to do counseling, man! And your denomination is "Private." Yeah, I thought so...
Feel free to start with paragraph #1 and itemize the problems you see in it, and continue by numbering each successive paragraph and showing from scripture with clear verses how I have written something that is wrong.
The fact that you went to an attack on character instead of addressing the issue doesn't speak well of you. Stick to the issues. Allow the clear verses, those which can only have one meaning, to rule over those which seem to conflict with them. If a verse seems to conflict with a clear verse, it is because you're understanding of the unclear, and in your mind, apparently conflicting verses to overrule the clear teachings of verses like John 3:18.
So tell me, Did Jesus Christ say in John 3:18 that if you believe in Him, you are not condemned? Yes or No? If He did, was He telling the truth or lying? If He was telling the truth, why are you trying to contradict His clear statement? If He was telling the truth, why are you questioning His theology, and rejecting His words?
Further, does God not state with absolute clarity that we can know that we already possess eternal life? Yes or No? If it can be undone, how it is eternal, that is to say, without end? If it is eternal, how can it end?
The way you study the Bible is totally wrong! You can't pick and choose which verses you like. You ignored every single verse I mentioned, and you point me one verse that is your favorite verse and you like to exalt it above all else, and you want me to comment on it. No. You need to realize that there is more than one verse that deals with salvation. You need to read ALL of them and incorporate ALL of them into your doctrine, not just the ones you like. If you disregard the ones that seem to contradict your current views, that's how you end up with false doctrines. Right now you are very selective about which verses you believe. You don't believe all of the Bible. At least, you don't put Equal weight on all the verses that deal with salvation, because you try to highlight the ones you believe, and you just simply disregard the ones that seem to oppose what YOU are saying. It is a very convenient way to practice Christianity--you just believe what you believe, and everything else is non-existent.
"The first rule of bible interpretation is that the clear verses, which can only have one meaning, give meaning to the unclear verses, (those which can have multiple interpretations), NOT the other way around. ...There is no ambiguity in these words.",
and it was too mountainous for you to even respond in particular to even the first paragraph. Now you complain about me only giving you two verses? Did you miss the part where I invited you to go back to the prior post and give an actual answer instead of a rant?
And if you can't even come up with a simple answer to the questions related to John 3:18, why should anyone think you would be able to decipher the rest of scripture, much of which is not as direct.
So my suggestion to you is to buy several important books, such as:
KJV/KNJV Interlinear Reference Bible +
Greek New Testament +
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance +
The Interlinear Bible Greek/English by Jay P. Green Sr. (Hendrickson Publishers) +
Vine's New Testament Greek and Vine's Expository Dictionary Of Old Testament Words +
Mastering New Testament Greek by Mare +
New Testment Greek For Beginners by Machen +
Bible Doctrines by Dr. Mark Cambron (Zondervan Publishing House) +
Lectures In Systematic Theology by Theissen + or one by Hodge or Chafer, or Grudem, or Ryrie
Talk Thru The Bible by Wilkerson and Boa (Thomas Nelson Publishers) +
Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary On The Whole Bible +
Handbook Of Personal Evangelism by Dr. A Ray Stanford +
Personal Bible Study, by Wm C. Lincoln
Independent Bible Study, by Irving L. Jensen (Moody Press)
Knowing Scripture, by Dr. R. C. Sproul +
+ Denotes in my personal library
and learn how to study the bible. I suggest you not only read the whole bible repeatedly, but study each of the books in a formal setting, and memorize as much as possible. I also suggest you listen to entire bible repeatedly; both dramatized and not, and if you know any foreign languages, in those languages as well. And you might want to listen to one or more of the following regularly: Dr. J. Vernon McGee, Dr. Charles Swindoll, Dr. David Jeremiah, Dr. Voddie Baucham, Dr. Erwin Lutzer, Dr. Ravi Zacharias, Ron Moore, Alistair Begg
Anyone who thinks they can know the entire mind of another person by a few posts on a website is dangerous. My favorite verses are Ps 145:8,9. Prior to that, it was Joshua 1:8, "... that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it ...", because I'm all about the whole counsel of God. In short, you have no idea what you are talking about. That you think you are an authority on what or how I think is frightening. My cult evangelism professor tasked me with speaking to a church about Jim Jones and the massacre in Guyana. You show the same characteristics Jones displayed. Unable and unwilling to give a reasoned answer. Everyone else is wrong. My professor taught us a valuable lesson about dealing with cultists. Stay on point, and don't let them jump around. By doing this, their lack of understanding, and the falseness of their claims will be exposed.
Did Jesus Christ say in John 3:18 that if you believe in Him, you are not condemned? Yes or No?
If He did, was He telling the truth or lying?
If He was telling the truth, why are you trying to contradict His clear statement?
If He was telling the truth, why are you questioning His theology, and rejecting His words?
There is no other scripture which will contradict what Jesus Christ, Almighty God in the flesh, said in John 3:18. If you reject His teaching in this verse, you reject the gospel. These are the very words of Almighty God. If you reject them you reject God Himself. You might want to take a moment in 1 Samuel 15 and see where God demonstrates what happens to the man who rejects His word. After that, you might want to read about Peter pointing to another person and saying what about him?, in John 21. God has no patience for either. You, are rejecting God's word and His truth contained in John 3:18. The Lord rebuke you.
There is no room for sin as a follower of Jesus Brother, a person is either a sinner of a saint. I thank God for he has cleansed my former sins and made me a saint. I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.(Ga 2:20)
The Light has no part with the darkness (Jn 1:5) and any that are doing wickedness will have no part with the light (Jn 3:19-21)
I am convicted by the Holy Spirit and am told in no uncertain way by the Word of God that;
...if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolator, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat.(1Co 5:11)
Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.(1Co 6:9,10)
As a saint of God I am thankful that he has put these sins of which I was once guilty as far from himself as the east is from the west (Ps 103:12). And I heed His Word in Ro 6, and sin no longer. Lest I crucify Jesus again by becoming a child of satan, I repeat, the light has no communion with the darkness (Ge 1:4, Is 5:20, Jn 8:12, Ro 13:12)
And this is not works, if we cannot make a differentiation between working to earn your salvation because you believe that only by your own works you can be saved AND pleasing and holy service to your God and creator because He commanded that you ought to be Holy as He is Holy, then there is a grave problem!
She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and SIN NO MORE. Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall NOT WALK IN DARKNESS, but shall have the light of life. (Jn 8:11,12)
"My LITTLE CHILDREN, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And IF ANYONE SINS, WE have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world. Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He who says, �I know Him,� and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.
Brethren, I write no new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which you heard from the beginning. Again, a new commandment I write to you, which thing is true in Him and in you, because the darkness is passing away, and the true light is already shining.
He who says he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in darkness until now. He who loves his brother abides in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him. But he who hates his brother is in darkness and walks in darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.
I write to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for His name�s sake. I write to you, fathers, because you have known Him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you have overcome the wicked one. I write to you, little children, because you have known the Father. I have written to you, fathers, because you have known Him who is from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the wicked one.
Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world�the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life�is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.
Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour. 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." 1 John 2:1-
There is a marked distinction by the apostle John between believers who sin on occasion, and unbelieving sinners who live a life of sin in this passage. Calling people "little children" is denoting that they are the believing children of God, and telling the little children that if they sin, means they can and do sin, but it is not sin unto eternal death. The sin unto death is unbelief/blaspheme of the Holy Spirit/refusal to changes one's thinking and accept Christ as Savior and Lord God Almighty (Revelation 1:8-18; Ephesians 4:5; Hebrews 1:1-9) John also denotes that if we sin, we have an advocate, which means the situation has to be addressed in real time, for our fellowship here on earth and with God in heaven.
Brother, 'believers who sin on occasion' What is this? Are we sinners or Saints?
Though you've ignored the scripture I gave to show that we cannot sin AT ALL, I will talk about the scripture you just used.
My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous (1Jn 2:1)
John makes it extremely clear in the very begining of the verse, that the whole purpose of his writing is that the readers do not sin. Just because he makes it clear that all is not lost because Christ can always forgive a sinner, we ought not make this an excuse to sin, to think it is okay to have sin in our lives. We know that Christ has power over all sin, but we are also told all the way through even this chapter that any who wilfully sin against Him are not IN Him.
Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time. They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.(Jn 2:18,19)
This is talking about the last days, now, about all those false teachers who don't even talk about sin and repentence, who teach only that Christ is there to give us all we desire in this present life. Many of these teachers know the majority of gospel message very very well simply because they used to be of Christ, but as john explains they 'went out from us'. Now they use a counterfiet gospel which is like rat poison (99.99% food + 00.01% poison). Though actually the percentages probably don't have to be quite so diverse.
It is very dangerous to excuse sin Brother, sin is wicked and is of satan, if we for a second excuse sin in the life of a believer, we open the floodgates, one sin excuses another and another and before we know it we are falling right back into the world.
Tell me the exact words you are reading which suggest I think it is okay to sin. Most of the post is a direct quote of scripture. There is a difference between excusing sin and recognizing sin for what it is. Are you suggesting the Apostle John was excusing sin with his words? Do you think that is God's intention? This is God's bible, not man's. His words that He chose.
MY LITTLE CHILDREN, these things I write to YOU, so that YOU MAY NOT SIN, ---->AND IF<---- ANYONE SINS ...
How is John suggesting we go out and sin with these words? Or me by quoting him? Good grief. How bizarre a reading of these words. And did not Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit say the same thing?
"And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ. I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able; for you are still carnal. ... For we are God�s fellow workers; you are God�s field, you are God�s building. 10 According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it. For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one�s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one�s work, of what sort it is. If anyone�s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone�s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire. Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are." 1 Corinthians 3
Is anyone fool enough to call these words of God a lie, and say Christians do not sin, when the who passage is a rebuke of Christians living in sin? And who will dare say that quoting God is an approval of sin? That is outrageous.
