He who endures to the end will be saved!

[elvisman]

The Church being the Catholic Church is not mentioned.

**Neither are the words, Trinity or Bible, but you believe those things now, *don’t *you? ****These were words that came from the Catholic Church, which was already being called the Catholic Church in the 1st Century:

****"Where the bishop is to be seen, there let all his people be; just as, wherever Jesus Christ is present, there is the Catholic Church (Ignatius of Antioch, Letter to the Smyrneans 8:2 [A.D. 110]).

**Ummm, call me crazy, but I just don’t see, Baptist, Lutheran, Assemblies of God, Evangelical, Pentecostal or non-denominational in this or any other Early Church letter . . .

 

[tweetymom]

Neither are the words, Trinity or Bible, but you believe those things now, *don’t *you? These were words that came from the Catholic Church, which was already being called the Catholic Church in the 1st Century:

---

"Where the bishop is to be seen, there let all his people be; just as, wherever Jesus Christ is present, there is the Catholic Church (Ignatius of Antioch, Letter to the Smyrneans 8:2 [A.D. 110]).

Ummm, call me crazy, but I just don’t see, Baptist, Lutheran, Assemblies of God, Evangelical, Pentecostal or non-denominational in this or any other Early Church letter . . .

Sorry I have never seen Catholic Church mentioned.

 

[SHW]

Was Paul confident of His salvation before His death? How about the others who longed for His appearing?

No, Paul was not positive of his salvation.

1 Corinthians 9:27
But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.

He had hope of eternal life though, so he gives us all this advice:

Philippians 2:12
Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling;

Until our last sigh of life, Satan goes about like a roaring lion seeking to steal us away from our faith so that we will be his for eternity.

1 Peter 5:8
Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.

 

[elvisman]

Sorry I have never seen Catholic Church mentioned.

Ummm . . . I just showed you - in the Letter of Ignatius to the Smyrneans 8:2 . . .

 

[tweetymom]

Ummm . . . I just showed you - in the Letter of Ignatius to the Smyrneans 8:2 . . .

Ignatius is not in the Bible, He is just a man who had these thoughts. You know what elvis I respect you for what you think is true , But as for me I choose to believe the Bible period, not what ignatius wrote on what he thought or Joe Blow down the street. I do not critize you in you belief. I 100% believe the Bible and nowhere does it say Catholic. God Bless

 

[elvisman]

Ignatius is not in the Bible, He is just a man who had these thoughts. You know what elvis I respect you for what you think is true , But as for me I choose to believe the Bible period, not what ignatius wrote on what he thought or Joe Blow down the street. I do not critize you in you belief. I 100% believe the Bible and nowhere does it say Catholic. God Bless

Then read the following which explains the Greek-to-English of Acts 9:31.

---

**Acts 9:31 (Greek)
ἡ μεν ουν εκκλησια καθ᾽ὁλης της ιουδαιας και γαλιλαιας και σαμαρειας ειχεν ειρηνην οικοδομουμενη και πορευομενη τω φοβω του κυριου, και τη παρακλησει του ἁγιου πνευματος επληθυνοντο.

Act 9:31 (Transliteration)
aye men oon ekklaysiaye kath olays tays ioodayeas kaye galilayeas kaye samarayas aycon ayraynayn oikodomoomenaye kaye poryoomenaye tow fobow too kurioo kaye tay paraklaysay too agioo pnyoomatos eplaythunonto**
**
Acts 9:31
So the Church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace and was built up; and walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit it was multiplied.

The Greek word “kath olays” which is rendered into English as “Catholic”.**
"ekklaysiaye" is rendered to “ecclesia” in English, which is “church”.

Ummm - do you believe it now?

 

[elvisman]

But as for me I choose to believe the Bible period, not what ignatius wrote on what he thought or Joe Blow down the street.

Actually - you don’t.

You’ve illustrated time after time on this forum that you adhere to the traditions and precepts of men. That’s what ALL Protestants adhere to.
**The word of God comes to us through his Church. **
That’s where we got the Bible.

 

[tweetymom]

Then read the following which explains the Greek-to-English of Acts 9:31.

---

Acts 9:31 (Greek)
ἡ μεν ουν εκκλησια καθ᾽ὁλης της ιουδαιας και γαλιλαιας και σαμαρειας ειχεν ειρηνην οικοδομουμενη και πορευομενη τω φοβω του κυριου, και τη παρακλησει του ἁγιου πνευματος επληθυνοντο.

Act 9:31 (Transliteration)
aye men oon ekklaysiaye kath olays tays ioodayeas kaye galilayeas kaye samarayas aycon ayraynayn oikodomoomenaye kaye poryoomenaye tow fobow too kurioo kaye tay paraklaysay too agioo pnyoomatos eplaythunonto
**
Acts 9:31
**So the Church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace and was built up; and walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit it was multiplied.

The Greek word “kath olays” which is rendered into English as “Catholic”.
"ekklaysiaye" is rendered to “ecclesia” in English, which is “church”.

Ummm - do you believe it now?

Nope, but thanks anyway.

 

[tweetymom]

Actually - you don’t.

You’ve illustrated time after time on this forum that you adhere to the traditions and precepts of men. That’s what ALL Protestants adhere to.
**The word of God comes to us through his Church. **
That’s where we got the Bible.

And thank you again, I do not want to argue with you and will not. If you are happy with whatever or whoever you believe Gods grace be with you. If you tried a little harder you might be a likeable guy. May God’s grace shine on your journey with Christ, our Savior.

 

[Carlan]

Continued:

1 Corinthians 3:16-18
Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? 17** If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him.** For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.

The Holy Spirit makes our souls His temples when we are baptized. He moves in. His temple is defiled when we sin mortal sins. He then moves out. He cannot dwell in a defiled temple because He is Holy. He destroys (damns) our temples/souls if we commit mortal sins because we have defiled His temples. It is an abomination to defile His temple.

Exellent posts SHW, thank you! Carlan

 

[SHW]

Why He would do the first work (reconciliation) why we were yet His enemy and then not do the second work (save us) now that we are His children? Do you get the much more?

He first reconciled us to God as a free gift of His grace to us. This gives us hope of eternal life. What must we do then to inherit eternal life after we have been reconciled with God? Matthew 19:17, 1 John 2:4

We must imitate Him until death. (We literally follow Him when we obey God’s commandments and do the Will of His Father in heaven just as He did while He was on earth.)

1 Corinthians 11:1
Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ.

Romans 12:1
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.

It is reasonable for God to expect me to present my body as a living sacrifice, holy, and acceptable to Him since I desire to inherit eternal life.

This is how He saves us much more by His life. He is our example to follow so that we can learn how to inherit eternal life from Him. Adam was not a good example for us. He obeyed the commandments and did His Father’s Will for His whole life. John 5:30 We must do this also if we desire to enter eternal life and live with Him forever. Revelation 14:12

 

[Rocket_Man]

1 Peter 3:21
There is also an antitype which now saves us—**baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,
**
Baptism now saves us. The water of Baptism is not like bath water which cleanses only the dirt from our skin. Baptism is being “born again” by water and the Spirit. Being born again gives us a good conscience toward God because Baptism reconciles us to God. This is why we now have a good conscience. We have been spiritually regenerated by water Baptism.

John 3:5
Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.

John 3:7
Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’

We become born again by water and the spirit. Baptism is this water and the spirit.

Titus 3:4-5
But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, 5 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,

Baptism regenerates us spiritually.

Christ regenerates us spiritually. The Water Baptism is the external witness of what Christ has already accomplished and the joining to the Universal Church.

Through the baptism of Christ Jesus, a believers heart is changed, the law that was once carried in the Ark, is now written upon the new heart, the Holy Spirit is placed within, and He causes us to walk in His statues. This is a better covenant than the one He gave to the children of Israel as they always turned and looked back into Egypt. Through the blood and water that poured from His side at death we are sprinkled and made clean.

“Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.”

"Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD: But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more. "

 

[SHW]

Exellent posts SHW, thank you! Carlan

Thank you for your kind words. Much appreciated. I read and enjoy your posts also.

 

[Rocket_Man]

He first reconciled us to God as a free gift of His grace to us. This gives us hope of eternal life. What must we do then to inherit eternal life after we have been reconciled with God? Matthew 19:17, 1 John 2:4

This is how He saves us much more by His life. He is our example to follow so that we can learn how to inherit eternal life. He obeyed the commandments and did His Father’s Will for His whole life. John 5:30 We must do this also if we desire to enter eternal life and live with Him forever. Revelation 14:12

Respectfully you are missing the “Much More”

Wouldn’t it had been a waste of His precious blood to reconcile us to God and then not also save us. How much more will He save us that we are His children then when we were His enemies.

 

[Rocket_Man]

We must imitate Him until death.

Here is a better way to imitate Him don’t you think? Do you keep these commandments?

**But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you,

Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you.

And unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek offer also the other; and him that taketh away thy cloak forbid not to take thy coat also.

Give to every man that asketh of thee; and of him that taketh away thy goods ask them not again.

And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.

For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? for sinners also love those that love them.

And if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye? for sinners also do even the same.

And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye? for sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much again.

But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.

Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.

Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven:**

 

[SHW]

Christ regenerates us spiritually. The Water Baptism is the external witness of what Christ has already accomplished and the joining to the Universal Church.

It is the washing of the water by the Word (in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit) which sanctifies us. Matthew 28:19 Baptism makes us disciples of Christ.

Ephesians 5:26
that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word,

1 Corinthians 6:11
But you were washed (baptized), but you were sanctified (made holy by the Holy Spirit through baptism), but you were justified (by the application of the merits of Jesus’ blood sacrifice to our souls) in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.

Acts 22:16
And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.’

Through the baptism of Christ Jesus, a believers heart is changed, the law that was once carried in the Ark, is now written upon the new heart, the Holy Spirit is placed within, and He causes us to walk in His statues. This is a better covenant than the one He gave to the children of Israel as they always turned and looked back into Egypt. Through the blood and water that poured from His side at death we are sprinkled and made clean.

It is the Holy Spirit who sanctifies us through water baptism. How is this done? He applies the merits of Jesus’ blood sacrifice to our souls through the use of water. John 19:34

1 John 5:6
This is He who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ; not only by water, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who bears witness, because the Spirit is truth.

 

[Rocket_Man]

There is no Scripture that I am aware of that specifically states: The Holy Spirit moves out of the individual’s soul as a result of mortal sin.

This is why Jesus states:

Matthew 7:22-23
Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness (do evil)!’

When the Holy Spirit is no longer living within them because of their mortal sins, then Jesus cannot recognize them as His own on Judgment Day and He will therefore have no memory of having ever known them because they are dead spiritually. Since they are dead spiritually, He can not see nor remember any of their good deeds that they did while they were in the state of sanctifying grace. They are thrown into the fire and burned because they are worthless. Their flesh profits nothing without the Holy Spirit dwelling within their flesh in their souls/hearts. They receive God’s vengeance because they have insulted His grace.

“Many will say to Me in that day”…They are false prophets not Christians…back up a few verses in the scripture and read it entirely. "Beware of the…“false prophets”.

The Holy Spirit does not leave because the Christian has been sealed with the King’s ring. The temple within is Holy and remains Holy for it has been sancitified forever more by the blood of the lamb, Christ Jesus.

You may have heard the idiom, “When the cat’s away, the mice will play”. If the Holy Spirit had left us, we would not have a restrainer from future sin and the guide to lead us back to repentance. Instead the Spirit is actively uplifting and testifying Christ Jesus in our hearts bringing us back to cross. Like a loving Father who watches over His children, if we disobey, there are consequences and some lead to physical death. We are still governed in this life by the laws of sin and death, blood for blood and life for life, and ultimately we will all some day suffer the same consequence.

 

[SHW]

Respectfully you are missing the “Much More”

Wouldn’t it had been a waste of His precious blood to reconcile us to God and then not also save us. How much more will He save us that we are His children then when we were His enemies.

Jesus will not save us without our cooperation. He gave us free will. He will not force any of us to be saved. He will not force any of us to be lost. Only persons who obey Him actually love Him and so only these persons inherit eternal life. Hebrews 5:9

James 1:12
Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.

Only those persons who obey Him/love Him are actually approved to receive the crown of eternal life. He only promised the crown of eternal life to those who actually love Him. John 14:21

The angels got only one chance. One-third of them chose to not follow Him and so they were not saved.

Adam got only one chance. His chose to disobey and he sinned one sin and this one sin alienated all of his descendants from God and thereby made it impossible for us to inherit eternal life.

Jesus loves His creation and so He decides to give us another chance. So, Jesus redeemed the whole world from Adam’s Sin by sacrificing Himself for our redemption! As a result of this, Jesus now gives each of us an opportunity to inherit eternal life. He never gave the angels a second chance. Whether we choose to inherit eternal life is our own choice. Of course, the only other choice is the lake of fire for eternity.

He gives us the Holy Spirit to help us to follow Christ, but if we refuse His help and we choose to sin instead, then it is our own fault that we do not inherit eternal life.

1 John 3:3
And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.

Everyone who has **hope of **inheriting eternal life takes care to purify himself so that he will actually make eternal life a reality. Hebrews 6:11

We must make ourselves into worthy vessels in order to inherit eternal life. Colossians 1:10

Galatians 6:8
For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.

 

[Rocket_Man]

Jesus will not save us without our cooperation. He gave us free will. He will not force any of us to be saved. He will not force any of us to be lost. Only persons who obey Him actually love Him and so only these persons inherit eternal life. Hebrews 5:9

I gave up my will and cooperated completely with Him when I came to the foot of His alter and cried out. “Lord, have mercy on me a Sinner !” And it wasn’t just words coming from my lips but words spoken from the inner depth’s of my being.

And because I did, I’ve entered into God’s rest. Because everything I never had before He has given me, including the will to endure until the end.

 

[SHW]

“Many will say to Me in that day”…They are false prophets not Christians…back up a few verses in the scripture and read it entirely. "Beware of the…“false prophets”.

The Holy Spirit does not leave because the Christian has been sealed with the King’s ring. The temple within is Holy and remains Holy for it has been sancitified forever more by the blood of the lamb, Christ Jesus.

You may have heard the idiom, “When the cat’s away, the mice will play”. If the Holy Spirit had left us, we would not have a restrainer from future sin and the guide to lead us back to repentance. Instead the Spirit is actively uplifting and testifying Christ Jesus in our hearts bringing us back to cross. Like a loving Father who watches over His children, if we disobey, there are consequences and some lead to physical death. We are still ruled in this life by the laws of sin and death, blood for blood and life for life, and ultimately we will all some day suffer the same consequence.

False prophets and false teachers are also persons who teach a different gospel than His one gospel. They are heretics. Heretics are accursed. Galatians 1:9 Heretics actually believe that they are correct in their own interpretations of Scripture and in their own teachings. They call themselves Christians and they believe themselves to be Christians while denouncing others who do not believe as they do.

This is why it is so important to be able to discern which Church is the true Church of Christ. Jesus promises to be with/guide His one Church (the one with Peter’s successor who alone holds the keys to the kingdom of heaven) until the end of the age (until He returns at His Second Coming). He promised His one Church that it would be prevented from teaching error (the gates of Hades will never prevail against it).

Galatians 5:19-21
Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 21 envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

2 Peter 2:1-3
But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction. 2 And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed. 3 By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words; for a long time their judgment has not been idle, and their destruction does not slumber.