Jesus, uses hyperbole to first get our attention, and secondly to make us think, and thirdly to drive us into the study of His word to find meaning to what He says. For example: Matthew 18:9 If your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out and throw it from you. It is better for you to enter life with one eye, than to have two eyes and be cast into the fiery hell. Exaggeration?- Yes. But what is the point He is making? If we study scripture we will see that first Jesus teaches that there is a hell to be feared by man. Secondly we see that He and scripture agree that sin does defile or offend us personally, but more importantly it offends God, and we see that sin not dealt with has consequences.
The ultimate consequence will cause loss of life–eternal life, and result in destruction in hell. Jesus said Matthew 10:28 Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
We live in a day when men no longer fear God. They do not see themselves as needing redemption, they know better than God how they are to live and relate in this life. Jesus teaches that if they don’t accept scriptures warnings, they will face God’s destruction of body and soul in hell, at the second resurrection of the unrighteous dead. The greatest thing that you can do for those you love, and even for those you find hard to love is to point them to Jesus– the Word of God as He is found in the Scriptures. Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God. Jesus placed greater importance on Spiritual food than on physical food– He taught them, then He fed them.
I have created this blog in order to offer you Spiritual food from our day where there seems to be little considered given to certain perspectives. Is my take concerning these subjects from scripture always 100% correct? I would doubt that, but if I drive even one soul to dig deeper into God’s word, I will have done what I am called to do.
Consider Jesus exaggeration in this parable. The eye nor the hand can be guilty of sin, it is us who are the guilty ones. We are the offenders, and unless we can die to self we will enter into Hell. Only in a commitment of our life to Christ can we escape this fate. He died to do for us what we cannot do for ourselves.
And Then Messiah Shall Come 
Good mornin, and think about this Jerry…
Have you considered that Jesus was speaking to some Jews who thought that they were keeping the law? And that He was showing them the true meaning of the law? And was showing them their sin, by showing them the true meaning of the law, (and their failure to genuinely comply to it)?
The law is holy, perfect, and good. And no one is able to comply to it, and no one is justified by works of the law, (by the do’s and don’ts). The do’s and don’ts must be kept perfectly (Galatians 3.10, James 2.10)
Think about it Jerry.
Have you or anyone you know ever accomplished that behavioral perfection? (Because that’s what’s required, not an earnest try at it).
Have you plucked out your eye because it caused you to sin?
Look please at the following wisdom from God please my friend…
Galatians 2.16
“Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.”
Galatians 3.26
“For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.”
Galatians 5.4,5
“Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.
5 For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.”
(And I could cite countless more similar verses).
It’s all about imputed righteousness Jerry, not works righteousness.
Please my friend, come back to grace where eternal life abides.
Your friend,
Lee
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Lee, I am missing the mark if I have lead you to think that I can justify myself in any other manner than to abide in (trust and have faith in) Christ and His finished work. I do not teach justification by works. No man can save himself, but man can lose what Christ has done for him, or walk away from it. Read my post on Can One Lose Salvation. It was posted one day this week.
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Hi Jerry, I read the post that you mentioned, and I was left with the feeling that you expressed in one sentence:
“we are not yet sons of God”
I’ve read your other posts over time, and that sentence seems to accurately express your beliefs about salvation.
Which seem to be a blend of calvinism (regarding their doctrine of perseverance), with the addition of armenianism, (their belief that someone can lose their salvation).
None of those however, are my beliefs.
One matter that makes our discussion on scripture difficult is that you use multiple bible translations, and I only use the KJV. So you choose which version that you like best I suppose, depending on what you want it to say, rather than believing that any one version is the pure word of God, and relying only on that version. And with that sort of hopskotching around the versions, you have no solid footing.
But still, when you distill the whole matter down to what’s really believed…
Is you believe that there is no eternal security in our mortal lives,
And I do believe in eternal security in our mortal lives.
(As we’ve discussed before, I believe that there are a lot of Christian posers out there, and their apostasy proves their fraudulent testimony).
But I rest in the finished work of Christ, and my Father has made me the righteousness of God, forgiven me of all of my sins, and loves me beyond measure.
And here’s some scripture that I rest in…
Galatians 3.26
“For ye are all the children of God by faithin Christ Jesus.”
Galatians 4.19-21
“My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you,
20 I desire to be present with you now, and to change my voice; for I stand in doubt of you.
21 Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law? ”
John 5.24
“Verily, verily, I say into you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.”
John 6.29
“Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent. ”
John 6.47
Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life. ”
1 Corinthians 1.18
“For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.”
Romans 5.1
“Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:”
Jerry, I beg of you. I beg of you to seek God’s help in helping you to truly understand Hebrews chapter 4.
Because when it’s all whittled down to the bare essentials, you’re trusting in your works, and not in the finished work of Christ. If you were, you would be resting in His righteousness.
I love you Jerry, and I genuinely want you to really be able to see what I’m talking about. 🙂
All glory to the risen Lord Jesus Christ.
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Lee, I don’t normally share this part of my testimony, but it taught me something that I hope that no other believer would ever need to experience. But unfortunately, I have seen others not make it back. And I won’t go into detail concerning the sin, except to say that while living in Delaware almost 40 years ago, our family was attending a large independent charismatic church. I was an instructor in their evangelism explosion program by James D Kennedy. I came under an attack of temptation unlike I had had before. One day I made the decision to give in. It was a conscious decision. When the decision was made it was at the moment like a load lifted. It was like God said ok I’ll let you see the power of deliberate sin for yourself. And I did. The moment I did the deed I fell into such bondage. It’s the only way I can explain it. But it was as if I was in a deep hole of depression, and I was crying out to God. But I’m getting somewhat ahead of myself, because early in the midst of this bondage I sat in church with my younger son. My wife Ellen was working — she is an RN. My older son was at his grandfathers So it was just the two of us, and in the middle of the pastor’s prayer, I’ll never forget this; he stopped speaking for a moment and then he said. “Oh my God, There is a man sitting here who if he continues on the road he is on he will lose his salvation and he may lose the salvation of his whole family”. As soon as he began saying this I knew that I was this man, and I began to weep and call on God for forgiveness. But like David, I paid a great price and it was Six months of torment before my freedom in Christ was beginning to be returned to me, but the decision to turn back to the way that is straight. You know that way and that gate that is narrow that leads to eternal life. I didn’t have to re-enter the gate, but I did have to return to the narrow way that leads to eternal life. That way is of course Jesus. No that one sin did not rob me of my salvation, but — Yes Lee, we are all sinners, and Yes those sins are all paid for, but there is a sin that leadeth unto death, and that sin cannot be forgiven. That sin is not the sin I committed but it could have led to it. For to walk away from Christ or to divorce yourself from Him is the unforgivable sin from which there is no return. To no longer abide in Him. One deliberate sin can take a man to a dangerous crossroad in his walk. You need to stay where you are in your trust of Him, and never cease to abide in Him.
As for the version of the word that you use. The KJV was not the original translation that men lost their lives for producing. The KJV is a great translation, but there are others some of which are equal to or better. The King James was produced for a king or at His demand, who broke away from the Catholic Church because of his adultery. That does not mean that God does not protect His word, but there are many Godly men who have worked on other translations. The NASB is in many of those men’s opinion a better version for our understanding of what was meant in the original.
And finally my trust is in Christ only for my salvation, but my calling is to warn those who might fall into that same pit that God allowed me to experience, and not be able to see and hear their way back. Without Him we are nothing. Sorry this is so long.
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Hi Jerry, I appreciate you taking the time to share what you did.
Based on what that preacher said, it is unclear to me what he meant. What I mean is, if he meant that if someone continued in deliberate sin…they (and potentially their family) would potentially lose their salvation. That is a faulty understanding of scripture on his part (if that’s what He meant).
Because the apostle Paul, (Romans 7.15-25) ,
me, you, and everybody else…commit willful sins every day.
I too was once EXTREMELY zealous when I was in a charismatic church back in the 1980s. I witnessed everywhere, protested a rock concert, read my (NAS) routinely, and was in general…very active in my faith.
And I too continued to allow my sin to escalate to the point where I abandoned everything Christian/church…for 25 years.
But buddy…back then I didn’t know grace as God has allowed me to know it today.
One night in 2012 or 2013, (I don’t remember the exact date) but one night in the cab of my truck…something clicked within me, that had me screaming in relief “I’M FORGIVEN!!! I’M FORGIVEN!!! I’M REALLY AND TRULY FORGIVEN!!! PRAISE GOD!!!” 😀👍🙏
That night I was genuinely born again, God quickened me, when it was just me and Him in that truck.
It was a quickening unlike anything in the religious system offered.
Now…(like any Christian)
I’m a sanctified saint, who’s the righteousness of God.
100% of it is a gift.
And I rest in that.
And I’ve never ever heard of anyone who has what I have, what I just now described…
To later say…”no thanks, You can have it back. I don’t want to be a saint who’s the righteousness of God anymore.”
Have you ever known anyone who’s ever done that Jerry?
All glory to the risen Lord Jesus Christ.
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Let me clarify something please
…
I didn’t mean that the apostle Paul currently sins, (I was referencing his mortal life, after he was born again. Not his current glorified state).
Also, I too recommend that everyone continually resist the sin of the flesh. Sin always has harmful consequences. No doubt about it.
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You and I agree on this point my brother.
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Lee, yes there are examples of men and women walking away. Scripture warns against it. Abide in Me He said. Those are not my words.
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Lee let me give one example of why we need more than one translation. And this passage just happens to fit our discussion. First read Exodus 4:21-26 from the KJV. This is the AMP
Then you shall say to Pharaoh, ‘Thus says the Lord, “Israel is My son, My firstborn.
So I say to you, ‘Let My son go so that he may serve Me’; and if you refuse to let him go, behold, I will kill your son, your firstborn.”’” Now it happened at the lodging place, that the Lord met Moses and sought to kill him [making him deathly ill because he had not circumcised one of his sons]. Then Zipporah took a flint knife and cut off the foreskin of her son and threw it at Moses’ feet, and said, “Indeed you are a husband of blood to me!” So He let Moses alone [to recover]. At that time Zipporah said, “ You are a husband of blood”—because of the circumcision.
Exodus 4:22-26 AMP
Now if we read this passage from KJV or from NASB IT MAKES NO SENSE. But the AMP allows us to see what is taking place. Apparently Moses has not obeyed God in the circumcision of His and Zipporah’s son. Reading between the lines it is entirely possible that the Son was not circumcised because Zipporah refused and Moses acquiesced. Zipporah only when she is faced with the truth of what obedience requires performs the circumcision herself and throws the foreskin at Moses feet.
Disobedience can lead to death even in Christ.
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Lee, I need to add one further comment or scripture.
for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “ Abba! Father!” The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.
Romans 8:13-17 NASB
So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh— for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live.
Romans 8:12-13
So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling;
Philippians 2:12
Salvation is a free gift that The Holy Spirit uses in your life to effect change. You have been given the power to become a child or son of God. Abide in Him, preserver, endure until the end. We are not justified by the law, but by following Christ, who said without Me you can do nothing.
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Nothing
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Good Morning Lee, and Jerry! I have read each post individually and would like to say something. Lee, I believe Jerry does not believe in Salvation by works. I believe Jerry believes in works because of Salvation. I could be wrong. I know that I believe that because of what I have been from or through (however that makes sense) because of the sins I have committed and the Lord saved me, then I can be a powerful witness for our Saviour. I try to witness to any and all who will listen. That is why I even started a blog to reach more people than my small world could reach.
Sometimes people will say something in writing that we read differently then what the writer meant. I have done that. I posted about the preacher’s wife that sent me a card. What she actually said and what I read. Had it not been a few years later that I found that card again I may have had hurt feelings for much longer time. The Lord was so gracious in showing me something,
God bless you both and I hope this helps.
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Thanks, Christian. You are right. I believe that Jesus is our only hope of eternal life. He paid it all. Obedience to Him in our walk is the only way we display our love for God. Our test is to obey and seek forgiveness when we don’t. And Satan wants to sift us as he did Peter. We are to know our place and remain in Him. Praise His holy name. Thanks for stopping by.
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