Law vs Grace & John 3:16-18

[ericc]

So a Pentecostal Pastor was preaching that once we believe in Christ, we no longer will sin because the Spirit lives in us. And that now that Mosaic Law has been fulfilled, Faith alone saves us. He went on to say that even if we were to commit murder that there is no condemnation (but also explained we wouldn’t because we are in Christ) and therefore would not go to Hell. And that the Church has been false teaching to millions of people because they believe they have to try to stay right with God and not sin but in reality (His argument) we don’t have to try because the Spirit leads ( which I think he was targeting the Catholic Church ) because he was saying that millions of people are being mislead and taught wrongly about traditions, sacraments, and etc. Any other views on this that I can present???

Ask him this:

1. When did you believe in Christ? Perhaps he will provide you with a date
2. Does the Spirit lives in you? I presume his answer will be a yes.
3. So you remain sinless after you believed in Christ? See how he wriggles out of this.

Even Paul did not dare to claim he is guaranteed a place in heaven. OSAS is a very dangerous idea that is definitely un-biblical. It lulls folks into a false sense of security.

 

[SoMissCatholic]

John 3:16 - 18 - 16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.

So a Pentecostal Pastor was preaching that once we believe in Christ, we no longer will sin because the Spirit lives in us. And that now that Mosaic Law has been fulfilled, Faith alone saves us. He went on to say that even if we were to commit murder that there is no condemnation (but also explained we wouldn’t because we are in Christ) and therefore would not go to Hell. And that the Church has been false teaching to millions of people because they believe they have to try to stay right with God and not sin but in reality (His argument) we don’t have to try because the Spirit leads ( which I think he was targeting the Catholic Church ) because he was saying that millions of people are being mislead and taught wrongly about traditions, sacraments, and etc. Any other views on this that I can present???

If he believes that those 3 verses tell us all we need to know to obtain salvation, then ask him why did God bother with writing the remainder of St. John’s Gospel . . . or the 3 synoptic Gospels . . . or the Acts of the Apostles . . . or the 21 epistles . . . or the Book of Revelation . . . or the Old Testament for that matter?

A good quote to remember when dealing with Protestant proof texts is “a text without a context is a pretext for a proof text,” meaning don’t ever take a proof text at face value. A Scripture passage must be read and understood in the context it was written, not only within the chapter and book in which it is found, but also in the context of the Bible as a whole and the story of salvation history that it unfolds for us. With a book that quite literally covers from the beginning of time to the end of time, pulling out a few lines of text and proclaiming that the meaning of said text is clear, apart from consideration of the remainder is mighty presumptuous IMO. Yet, we see it every day, hence the constantly growing number of protestant denominations. This is exactly why we need the authoritative Magisterium of the Church, and I for one am extremely glad we have it. :yup: