He who endures to the end will be saved!

[graceandglory]

My friends have gone through similair conversions and were never baptized as an infant. You can pour water on people all day long using the right words, but if that person isn’t circumsized in the heart by the Spirit it is meaningless. Even those circumsized in Israel were not all chosen.

Yes, Rocketman, we don’t deny that. But we do believe that the grace that comes with the sacrament is efficaceous.

It’s God’s kindness that leads us to repentance.
No one can say “Jesus is Lord” except by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Infant Baptism
catholic.com/library/Infant_Baptism.asp

Fundamentalists often criticize the Catholic Church’s practice of baptizing infants. According to them, baptism is for adults and older children, because it is to be administered only after one has undergone a “born again” experience—that is, after one has “accepted Jesus Christ as his personal Lord and Savior.” At the instant of acceptance, when he is “born again,” the adult becomes a Christian, and his salvation is assured forever. Baptism follows, though it has no actual salvific value. In fact, one who dies before being baptized, but after “being saved,” goes to heaven anyway.

As Fundamentalists see it, baptism is not a sacrament (in the true sense of the word), but an ordinance. It does not in any way convey the grace it symbolizes; rather, it is merely a public manifestation of the person’s conversion. Since only an adult or older child can be converted, baptism is inappropriate for infants or for children who have not yet reached the age of reason (generally considered to be age seven). Most Fundamentalists say that during the years before they reach the age of reason infants and young children are automatically saved. Only once a person reaches the age of reason does he need to “accept Jesus” in order to reach heaven. …

Baptismal Grace

catholic.com/library/Baptismal_Grace.asp

Few truths are so clearly taught in the New Testament as the doctrine that in baptism God gives us grace. Again and again the sacred writers tell us that it is in baptism that we are saved, buried with Christ, incorporated into his body, washed of our sins, regenerated, cleansed, and so on (see Acts 2:38, 22:16; Rom. 6:1–4; 1 Cor. 6:11, 12:13; Gal. 3:26–27; Eph. 5:25-27; Col. 2:11–12; Titus 3:5; 1 Pet. 3:18–22). They are unanimous in speaking of baptism in invariably efficient terms, as really bringing about a spiritual effect.

Despite this wealth of evidence, Protestants are almost equally unanimous in rejecting this truth. In general Protestants regard baptism as something like an ordinance: an observance that does not itself bring about any spiritual effect but merely represents that effect. Its observance may be required by obedience, but it is not necessary in any further sense—certainly not for salvation. …

 

[MacDaddy]

The gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:

Some persons pluck three or four verses out of Scripture and claim that these explain the good news:

Jn 3:16
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

Rom 5:8
But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Jn 19:30
So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.

Acts 16:31
So they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.”

So, they think that when Jesus stated, “It is finished,” that He meant that He paid the price for every believer’s personal sins from their births to their deaths and that their own personal free will actions do not determine whether they inherit eternal life or not.

If Jesus did not pay the price with His death for all the sins of the believer, then who did? What do you have within you that deserves any merit with God? I have nothing.

 

[MacDaddy]

Continued:

Here is the Good News:

We no longer have to offer animal sacrifices to God in atonement for our own personal sins because we are no longer bound by the Law of Moses. We are now only bound by the Royal Law which is:

Luke 10:25-28
And behold, a certain lawyer stood up and tested Him, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”
26 He said to him, “What is written in the law? What is your reading of it?”
27 So he answered and said, “** ‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,’ and ‘your neighbor as yourself.’”**
28 And He said to him, “You have answered rightly; do this and you will live.” James 2:8

Matthew 19:16-19
Now a man came up to Jesus and asked, “**Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?” **
17"Why do you ask me about what is good?" Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, obey the commandments.”
18"Which ones?" the man inquired.
Jesus replied, " ‘Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, 19honor your father and mother,’ and ‘love your neighbor as yourself.’

John 15:10
If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.

This is the truth of Jesus’ gospel: We must obey His commandments if we desire to enter into eternal life.

What if we sin after we are baptized/justified?

1 John 2:1-3
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. 2 And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world. 3 Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. 4 He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5 But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. 6 He who says he abides in Him ought/must himself also to walk just as He walked. Hebrews 5:9

If we repent of our sins, then Jesus will forgive us. He will apply the merits of His own perpetual (once and for all) Blood sacrifice to His Father in atonement for our own personal sins each time we repent of them.

However, we have to atone for them also. He atones for the blood sacrifice part. We must do works worthy of repentance in order to atone completely for our own personal part. Matthew 3:8

If not on earth, then in prison/purgatory because the last mite must be paid. All stain of sin must be purged from our souls before we are declared worthy and approved to inherit eternal life. Luke 12:58-59, 1 Corinthians 3:12-15, James 1:12

We must be perfected (made perfect) before we can enter heaven. Hebrews 12:22-24

This is why James states:

James 2:24
You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.

I believe you fail to see the gospel; not sure but here is why I think so. Who can obey the commandments of God? No one. This is why the merits of Christ are imputed to the Christian, so when God sees the Christian, He does not see the sinful mans unrighteousness, but the righteousness of Christ Jesus. Just as god saw my unrighteousness and poured out the due wrath and penalty onto Jesus, so God did not see Jesus on the cross but you and I. This is the whole purpose of the cross was to reconcile us to Himself because we are unable to do it because we are sinners and we sin every single day almost without exception. Either in thought, word or deed or lack of deed…everyday. The law is summed up in the two commandments that Jesus gave, just like the OT saints were unable to fulfill the law, neither are we able to fulfill what Jesus commanded, it can only point to our inability, this is why we need a savior and we come to trust Him on the basis of faith. You can do nothing to earn saving grace, you cannot cooperate enough with God to merit salvation; you can performing all the good in the world and it will not get you there. Jesus is the way, the truth and the life, no one come to the Father except through Him…period. It is a matter of dealing with your sin in total humility before Him and asking Him to forgive you in that total state of depravity, then He will forgive you if your heart is pure and the request sincere and then you receive the Holy Spirit, then He will sanctify you, then He will complete the work which He began to glorification in the day you meet the Lord before the undertaker gets you in the ground.

 

[Dancelittleewok]

I believe you fail to see the gospel; not sure but here is why I think so. Who can obey the commandments of God? No one. This is why the merits of Christ are imputed to the Christian, so when God sees the Christian, He does not see the sinful mans unrighteousness, but the righteousness of Christ Jesus. Just as god saw my unrighteousness and poured out the due wrath and penalty onto Jesus, so God did not see Jesus on the cross but you and I. This is the whole purpose of the cross was to reconcile us to Himself because we are unable to do it because we are sinners and we sin every single day almost without exception. Either in thought, word or deed or lack of deed…everyday. The law is summed up in the two commandments that Jesus gave, just like the OT saints were unable to fulfill the law, neither are we able to fulfill what Jesus commanded, it can only point to our inability, this is why we need a savior and we come to trust Him on the basis of faith. You can do nothing to earn saving grace, you cannot cooperate enough with God to merit salvation; you can performing all the good in the world and it will not get you there. Jesus is the way, the truth and the life, no one come to the Father except through Him…period. It is a matter of dealing with your sin in total humility before Him and asking Him to forgive you in that total state of depravity, then He will forgive you if your heart is pure and the request sincere and then you receive the Holy Spirit, then He will sanctify you, then He will complete the work which He began to glorification in the day you meet the Lord before the undertaker gets you in the ground.

Catholics don’t believe that you can earn your way to Heaven. Pelagianism has been condemned as heresy by Council of Ephesus and Council of Orange. You cannot say that the Church for the promulgating a teaching when in reality, this heresy has been condemned: you have a straw men.

If you will look back in SHW’s post, she (I’m assuming) has said with the Church that Jesus’ sacrifice is nothing we could do. We didn’t merit it. God could have left us in original sin but out of love, God the Son became Jesus Christ God Incarnate.

Why would God Himself say “If you love me, keep my commandments” if we are incapable of keeping that? By ourselves we can do nothing without him, it is the same with virtues and vices. Through His grace, we are enabled to keep His commandments yet we have free will and can choose not to respond to His grace.

 

[MacDaddy]

Catholics don’t believe that you can earn your way to Heaven. Pelagianism has been condemned as heresy by Council of Ephesus and Council of Orange. You cannot say that the Church for the promulgating a teaching when in reality, this heresy has been condemned: you have a straw men.

If you will look back in SHW’s post, she (I’m assuming) has said with the Church that Jesus’ sacrifice is nothing we could do. We didn’t merit it. God could have left us in original sin but out of love, God the Son became Jesus Christ God Incarnate.

Why would God Himself say “If you love me, keep my commandments” if we are incapable of keeping that? By ourselves we can do nothing without him, it is the same with virtues and vices. Through His grace, we are enabled to keep His commandments yet we have free will and can choose not to respond to His grace.

Show me just one that has and I will believe you besides Jesus. If what I said is not true, which is the gospel, then how does a Catholic get to heaven?

 

[Teneas]

Show me just one that has and I will believe you besides Jesus. If what I said is not true, which is the gospel, then how does a Catholic get to heaven?

Through Faith and works, as the bible teaches us. Through Christ’s own death for us, his sacrifice, along with what we are expected to do on this earth for him.

I want no part of a God that doesn’t love me enough to let me make my own choices. I am a father of two boys, the ultimate love is letting go to some extent and watching what you have created. Letting them make their own choices in life.

If God won’t allow me to do things out of free will, no matter what that is, I want no part of that. He doesn’t decide what I do at all times, because he granted me free will. If I don’t have free will, and I am saved from the moment of baptism, reciting the sinners prayer, or accepting Jesus Christ into my heart as my personal Lord and Savior, but yet have no influence there after of my life. Bah to that…

 

[SHW]

If Jesus did not pay the price with His death for all the sins of the believer, then who did? What do you have within you that deserves any merit with God? I have nothing.

Jesus already paid the blood price for our personal sins so that we no longer have to offer animal sacrifices for the forgiveness of our personal sins each time we sin. We must repent each time we sin in order to be forgiven each time we sin. However, we also must account for and atone for even every idle word that we speak Matthew 12:36. We each must do works/deeds/fruits worthy of repentance in order to atone for our personal sins EACH time that we sin and are forgiven. Matthew 3:8 Jesus paid the blood price for the forgiveness of our sins, but we must still atone for our own sins by doing works worthy of repentance.

We are each judged according to our own works on Judgment Day. 1 Peter 1:17, [Revelation 20:11-13, Romans 2:5-8](http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Revelation+20:11-13&version=NKJV)**

Romans 8:13
For if you live according to the flesh you will die (be damned); but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live (enter eternal life).

Romans 6:16
Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death (damnation), or of obedience leading to righteousness? (salvation)

Romans 6:22
But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life.**

He does not ask us if we believe in Him on Judgment Day. He rewards us after we die according to what we did in the body (while on earth). We are each known by and judged by our fruits/deeds/works on Judgment Day. Good works/fruits/deeds prove to everyone that we believed in Him (because we obeyed Him/kept His Word). Bad works/fruits/deeds prove to everyone that we believed Him to be a liar (since we did not obey Him/did not keep His Word). If you believe in Him, then you do what He commands. John 8:54-55

1 John 2:4
He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.

2 Corinthians 5:10
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.

Matthew 7:13-21
"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

15"Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. 16 By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.

21 "Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ 24"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.

False prophets are those people who tell you that you do not have to obey God’s commandments in order to enter into eternal life. 2 Peter 2:1

We can do nothing apart from the grace of God. Only God’s grace (Holy Spirit) dwelling within me saves me on Judgment Day. I cannot save myself. It is the Holy Spirit present in my soul at the time of my death Who guarantees my salvation. If He is not found present/abiding/dwelling within my soul at the time of my death because I chose to defile my temple with mortal sin and neglected to repent of my insult to Him the Spirit of Grace before my death, then He will damn me/destroy me after my death. 1 Corinthians 3:16-18, Hebrews 10:26-30 Mortal sin separates us from God.

 

[SHW]

I believe you fail to see the gospel; not sure but here is why I think so. Who can obey the commandments of God? No one. This is why the merits of Christ are imputed to the Christian, so when God sees the Christian, He does not see the sinful mans unrighteousness, but the righteousness of Christ Jesus. Just as god saw my unrighteousness and poured out the due wrath and penalty onto Jesus, so God did not see Jesus on the cross but you and I. This is the whole purpose of the cross was to reconcile us to Himself because we are unable to do it because we are sinners and we sin every single day almost without exception. Either in thought, word or deed or lack of deed…everyday. The law is summed up in the two commandments that Jesus gave, just like the OT saints were unable to fulfill the law, neither are we able to fulfill what Jesus commanded, it can only point to our inability, this is why we need a savior and we come to trust Him on the basis of faith. You can do nothing to earn saving grace, you cannot cooperate enough with God to merit salvation; you can performing all the good in the world and it will not get you there. Jesus is the way, the truth and the life, no one come to the Father except through Him…period. It is a matter of dealing with your sin in total humility before Him and asking Him to forgive you in that total state of depravity, then He will forgive you if your heart is pure and the request sincere and then you receive the Holy Spirit, then He will sanctify you, then He will complete the work which He began to glorification in the day you meet the Lord before the undertaker gets you in the ground.

We will agree to disagree.

1 John 5:3
For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.
**
If you love God more than yourself**, which is what He commands of us in order for us to have the right to enter into eternal life, then you will choose to not sin against Him by breaking His commandments. 1 John 3:6

If we do not obey/keep His commandments, then we do not love Him.

John 14:21
He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.

We must be found worthy in order to have the right to enter into eternal life.

Revelation 3:4
You have a few names even in Sardis who have not defiled (by mortal sin) their garments (baptismal garments); and they shall walk with Me in white, for they are worthy.

Revelation 22:14
Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city.

Only those who are approved (as a result of Christ’s judgment) receive the crown of eternal life. Only those you love God are approved (those who show their love for Him by obedience to His commandments).

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 (obey Him).

 

[elvisman]

Matthew 12:36 But i say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgement.

Luke6:22 Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall seperate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man’s sake.

Luke :623 Rejoice in that day,and leap for joy: for behold, your reward is great in heaven: for in like manner did their fathers unto the prophets.

That’s all well and good – except for ONE thing:
**I don’t hate or dislike you. I don’t even know you – I only know the fruits of your anti-Catholicism. I only know your lack of understanding and knowledge of Scripture and the Body of Christ. **

---

No – I don’t hate you. On the contrary, I pray for you and all of the RCIA Catechumens that you have negatively influenced with your ignorance and spiritual pride.

 

[tweetymom]

That’s all well and good – except for ONE thing:
I don’t hate or dislike you. I don’t even know you – I only know the fruits of your anti-Catholicism. I only know your lack of understanding and knowledge of Scripture and the Body of Christ.

---

No – I don’t hate you. On the contrary, I pray for you and all of the RCIA Catechumens that you have negatively influenced with your ignorance and spiritual pride.

Thank you once again for yet another blessing. I have not influenced anyone in RCIA to anything but what the Church teaches. But since you are so great at being rude hope that you have a great blessing when you do.

 

[Hiskid1973]

influenced with your ignorance and spiritual pride.

…spiritual pride ???

 

[Carlan]

…spiritual pride ???

Hello Hiskid, As a confirmed Catholic not being able to accept with humility the teaching authority of the Church.(Sacred Tradition, Sacred Scripture and the Magisterium) Carlan

t, Gospel

 

[Hiskid1973]

Hello Hiskid, As a confirmed Catholic not being able to accept with humility the teaching authority of the Church.(Sacred Tradition, Sacred Scripture and the Magisterium) Carlan
t, Gospel

You guys seem to bite and devour your own camp more than us who chose to be non catholic…Just an observation from the short time I have been here…Believe it or not you can sense the maturity or lack of it as a believer in Christ by the words people write…peace to you…Just a comment…I’ll stay out of your family squabbles…

 

[tweetymom]

Hello Hiskid, As a confirmed Catholic not being able to accept with humility the teaching authority of the Church.(Sacred Tradition, Sacred Scripture and the Magisterium) Carlan

t, Gospel

Is that spiritual pride? God Bless

 

[Carlan]

***You guys seem to bite and devour your own camp more than us who chose to be non catholic…Just an observation from the short time I have ***been here…Believe it or not you can sense the maturity or lack of it as a believer in Christ by the words people write…peace to you…Just a comment…I’ll stay out of your family squabbles…

We as Christians should leave the judging to God.

When one of our own confirms error, we admonish. Especially when it happens in a public forum as it does here at CA. I do notice that you have just moved in. Perhaps if you were to check out all of the threads, you will get a better prospective. Thank you! Carlan

.

 

[Rocket_Man]

John 15:4-6
Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.
5 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide (remain/continue) in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.

First, we become attached as a branches to the Vine/Christ through Baptism. We are now saved. We (branches) remain attached to the Vine (abide in the Vine) if we continue to obey Him. If we disobey His commandments, then He cuts us off the Vine and so we then are no longer attached to the Vine. We are no longer saved. Those not found attached to the Vine at their deaths will be thrown into hellfire and burned.

How can we test ourselves to see if we are abiding/remaining/continuing in Him?

1 John 3:24
Now he who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.

If we are keeping His commandments, then we know that we are abiding/remaining/continuing in Him.

If after committing adultery or any sin such as this 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, a person believes a spirit who tells him that he is still abiding in the Vine (Christ) after this mortal sin, then he is listening to the spirit of this world, Satan, who has now taken up residence in his soul Luke 11:24-26. The sin of adultery defiles the temple/soul of a person and the Holy Spirit does not ever reside/abide in a temple/soul defiled by mortal sin. 1 Corinthians 3:16-18. He destroys it with vengeance. Hebrews 10:26-30

Ephesians 2:2
according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience,

We will agree to disagree.

 

[Rocket_Man]

John 15:4-6
1 John 3:24
Now he who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.

If we are keeping His commandments, then we know that we are abiding/remaining/continuing in Him.

Ephesians 2:2
according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience,

Here is another misapplication of scripture above as you had inserted Ephesians 2:2 into your reply to support your doctrine. Let’s take a new look at the context including verse one.

“As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.”

The son’s of disobedience are those who do not desire to know God, who are dead in their transgressions and sins and following the ruler of this world. They are not Christians who sin. These are the same that do not come to the light because they love their sin more than God. I was one of these degenerates before I was reborn of Spirit and Truth. Believers come to the light that their sins may be exposed.

I sense that you may think that I am advocating that we can still habitually practice sin and be saved. This is absolutely counter to the ministry of Christ that lives in us and counter to the rebirth of His children. This is a new and better covenant then the one given to Israel in the wilderness. Everything that was carried with the ark, has now gone internal. The law has been written in our hearts to keep us, Aarons staff is placed within to guide us, and the shewbread, the bread of Christ’s sacrifice, Christ himself, to spiritually feed us.

Sin is completely counter to God’s work in us. Just as the works that Christ did here while on earth were a witness to Him being in the Father and Father in Him, our works are the witness to Christ abiding in us.

 

[Rocket_Man]

We will agree to disagree.

1 John 5:3
For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.
**
If you love God more than yourself**, which is what He commands of us in order for us to have the right to enter into eternal life, then you will choose to not sin against Him by breaking His commandments. 1 John 3:6

If we do not obey/keep His commandments, then we do not love Him.

John 14:21
He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.

We must be found worthy in order to have the right to enter into eternal life.

Revelation 3:4
You have a few names even in Sardis who have not defiled (by mortal sin) their garments (baptismal garments); and they shall walk with Me in white, for they are worthy.

Revelation 22:14
Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city.

Only those who are approved (as a result of Christ’s judgment) receive the crown of eternal life. Only those you love God are approved (those who show their love for Him by obedience to His commandments).

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 (obey Him).

All of these are true, and no one denies them. Where we disagree is the source of our love. Where you say, quote: (“those who show their love for Him by obedience to His commandments).” I say, those who don’t have never known Him. The love I have for Christ is completely foreign to me. The love I have for Him was given to me by Him. The love to follow His commandements are planted within me and I cannot any longer be married to sin because I am married to Christ.

“because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.”

 

[CHESTERTONRULES]

All of these are true, and no one denies them. Where we disagree is the source of our love. Where you say, quote: (“those who show their love for Him by obedience to His commandments).” I say, those who don’t have never known Him. .

How can you be cut from a vine to which you were never attached?

How can you shipwreck a faith that never existed?

How can we remain in the love of Jesus without ever having been there?

 

[Rocket_Man]

How can you be cut from a vine to which you were never attached?

How can you shipwreck a faith that never existed?

How can we remain in the love of Jesus without ever having been there?

When having been enlightened to the goodness of God given to us through Jesus Christ, His Son, turn away from the free gift, and with an unbelieving heart, begin to establish your own righteousness to stand before Him as a ransom for your sinful deeds.