Perplexed Protestant

[martino]

Socrates4Jesus:

Psalm45:9 & P90:

How do i know which one of you is correct?

BINGO! You just hit on the million dollar question. That is possibly the most important question you will ever ask and let me tell you why even though the answer is not really in line with this thread.

Answer: You don’t know which one of them is right. Without an authoritative Church to which we can bring our difficulties; we are left to fend for ourselves, and hope that by our own wits we may not make an error that could cost us our salvation. Without this authoritative Church we can never know for sure who is right among so many bad interpretations of Scripture. Why follow this one and not that one,? What proof can he show me that his belief is the correct one? AHHHH! Would God really leave us without a guide is such danerous and tumultuous waters?

 

[Philthy]

Socrates4Jesus:

Steve,

Thanks for harping! as i’m often slow to understand new ideas. The difficulty i have with your statement is that you describe eternal life as a reward & also as a gift, but i understand a gift to not be a reward & a reward to not be a gift. A reward is something one earns. If indeed eternal life were a reward, then God would be obligated to give it to us.

Hey Soc - I’m cruising through old posts looking for something and I came across this quote of yours. I haven’t actually read what leads up to this statement, but your bolded conclusion above is erroneous. Something can be both a gift and a reward! The first example that came to mind is a college degree. Say you can’t pay for it yourself and your parents pay your tuition - that’s a gift. But you still have to do the work and make the grades to earn the degree - that’s your reward. Gift and reward simultaneously! I believe our eternal salvation has elements of both: It’s by God’s Grace (total gift) and our cooperation with that gift (reward). Any questions!?

Phil