Dr. John Bergsma, author of "Jesus and the Dead Sea Scrolls", reflects on the mass readings for August 7, 2020. Jer 31:1-7 Jer 31:10, 11-12AB,13 LK 7:16 MT 15:21-28 Learn more about Dr. Bergsma's books at bit.ly/2ZXlJPQ
Thank you again Dr. Bergsma - the background and context on Assyria, and the way you explained it, was most helpful. We are so blessed to receive these daily reflections!
The free gift of salvation can't be earned by " works", but even a free gift must be recieved. The word " recieve", in the new testaments original Greek, means " to take hold of". We " take hold of" the free gift of salvation by obedience to the gospel plan of salvation spoken by Peter in Acts 2:38. Saving faith is faith demonstrated by obedience. Repentance is act of obedience that we must choose to do in order to be saved after we believe.
We are saved by Grace to perform good works. Ephesians 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for GOOD WORKs, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
So, what happens if we do not hold up our end of the bargain? How bad can a Christian be before their free gift of salvation is revoked, and they are no longer pardoned by the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross? (Isaiah 64:6) "all our righteousness is like a filthy rag". How many filfthy rags must we perform to "maintain" our salvation? How many good works must we perform so we will know that we have finally measured up? Remember that (1John 5:13) tells us that we can know for certain we have eternal life (salvation). How does the average Christian's works compare to Mother Teresa, a saint, or Jimmy Carter who has dedicated 50 years of his life to social justice, or Gandhi, the greatest do-gooder on planet earth? Can we be assured of eternal life as (1John 5:13) declares, when we do not even know the standard of works to maintain our salvation? The Bible is clear that salvation is a free gift. A works based salvation reduces a free gift to just a bargain at a reduced price, because, if there is any payback, then it is not free. We are all a filthy rag in the eyes of God, no matter how well we perform, no matter how many good works. That is why Jesus came. It was Christ's sacrifice on the cross that made us perfect like Him, because God demands perfection. (Romans 5:19) "we are made righteous by His obedience". (Romans 5:18) "...by the righteousness of one, the free gift (salvation) came upon all men". It was Christ's work on the cross, His sacrifice, not our works, that satisfies God's demand. After we accept His free gift, by faith, we do good works to honor His precious free miraculous gift, and preforming these works in His honor makes us effective Christians (Titus 3:8) (Ephesians 2:10). Works and salvation are clearly separate, although works are indeed important for obedience.
@@barbwire7449 Your question; "So, what happens if we do not hold up our end of the bargain?" If you willfully 'do not hold up to our end of the bargain', then you get to explain why to Jesus at your judgement and hopefully only extend your time in purgatory. Read Matthew 25:31-44 and ask yourself, are you a Sheep or a Goat? You really don't want to be a goat. Good luck and God Bless you.
@@johns1834 can you point to the exact verse in the Bible stating we get a second chance in purgatory? The Bible is clear in (1John 5:13) that we can "know" we have eternal life. We do not have to wait until we die and wake up in hell or purgatory to know we are saved. Either salvation is a free gift or it is not. Which is it? A free gift that can be revoked without the recipient being aware of permissible failures or violations is not a free gift. Even a parolee on probation is given strict guidelines of the violations that will revoke their parole. Jesus came because we could not save ourselves. He was perfect; we were filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6). If we could have saved ourselves by earning salvation, why the need for Jesus? If we were too unrighteous to save ourselves to begin with, what makes us think we can live perfectly enough to keep ourselves saved, especially when we have no standard of good works to "maintain" our salvation. Why settle for purgatory when John tells us we can know we are saved before we die. We absolutely can know that we have eternal life before we die. (John 6:40) "for this is the will of the father, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have eternal life, and I shall raise him on the last day".
Christians are commanded to love God above all and with all AND to love neighbour as you love yourself. To love is to take action and any act of love toward God or neighbour is a good work.
Great exegesis as I've never considered the Gospel passage of Matthew 16.24-27 as a proof against the heresy of faith alone (protestant sola fides vs. Catholic understanding supported by James 2.19 and Matthew 16.24-27!). On another topic, was there a specific verse or passage in Romans 8 that Dr. Bergsma was referring to (see 9:30).
Faith entails a lot of sacrifices in order to have salvation..we need to work on it, we need to follow God's will and His will is not that easy to do. So faith is nothing if not put into works ..God bless this channel and God bless us all🙏❤️😊✌️
So in the end Jesus died for nothing and salvation is about our obedience ? Repent and trust the blood of Christ for salvation. Either Jesus paid for our sins or he didn't. If you don't trust that Jesus paid for your sins, do you think you have salvation ?
@Texas Blues Are you saying you've kept the commandments perfectly ? Are you trusting in your ability to keep the commandments ? For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God
@Texas Blues I don't trust in my ability to follow His instructions perfectly. Only the blood of Christ can wash away my sins, there remains no other sacrifice.
The very definition of grace shows that salvation is free in and of itself. Grace translates to the Greek word CHARIS which means "unmeritted favor." This is why Paul says in ephesians "for by grace you have been saved (past tense) through faith and NOT OF YOURSELVES, it is a gift of God. Not of works so that no one may boast." This is also why in John's gospel (the one actually written to save the lost; see john 21:30-31) he gives the sole criteria to be saved which is to believe. This is also why Paul tells the church of Rome the difference between grace and works in Romans 11:7 "For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more."And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work." Believe the gospel performed on your behalf (the death, burial and resurrection) and recieve eternal life today. Jesus died to pay the penalty for your sin which is death. If he already payed your debt then there is only one place to go.
Yes, all that is in the gospel of your salvation: 1 Corinthians 15: 1-4 King James Version 15 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; 2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. 3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; 4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
@@mkovis8587 Christ be with you that not the Gospel that is just the first part of the Gospel previously delivered. Moreover, brethren, *I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received,* and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. *For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received,* how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: (1 Cor 15:1-4) Jesus gives us a more complete version saying, “The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.” And he said to all, *“If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.* (Luke 9:22-23) or would you call Jesus a liar Do you think you a can enter the resurrection without Picking up you cross and following him Do you know more than Jesus? Come to Christ
@@MrKev1664 So... Do you have the cross on your back right now ? How long are you planning to carry it before you let the unbelievers nail you onto it ?
@@mkovis8587 Christ be with you Is that your best answer to Christ: Sarcasm? I will carry my Cross as long as my God requires me to do so. I am his slave But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the return you get is sanctification and its end, eternal life. (rom 6:22) God bless you
For Everyone's Information... Spiritual "SALVATION" through the Faith in Christ by the Grace of God is a "PROCESS"... but How and Why?... According to Matt. 10:22/paraphrased... "And ye shall be hated of all men (hated by everyone) because of ME (in Christ Jesus' namesake), but whomsoever (any Christian) ENDURETH/HOLD ON (stand firm/not back down/never give up or quit) till the END will be SAVED.".... SALVATION is only given at the END, not at the beginning or along the way of our Life's journey on Earth... That is why, Spiritual SALVATION is a PROCESS... St. Paul said and wrote, "ALL RUNNER (Christians/Believers) must RUN (to Do the Charity of LOVE thru Good Works/Acts/Deeds based on Christ's Law) to the FULLEST (to the best possible we can do) and FINISH (stand firm/hold on/never quit or back down) the RACE."... why?... for NO PRIZE or REWARD will be given until we reach the Finish Line... So, no matter how you would want/like to call the Charity of Love thru Good Works/Deeds/Acts as the "WORK of Salvation"... or... "WORK of Faith in God's Grace"... at the end of the rainbow (figure of speech)... Christians/Believers need to WORK (Does the Will of God) and ENDURE/HOLD ON till the END... and will/shall be SAVED (Spiritual Salvation for the Physical body will be replaced with Immortal Body by God)... Facts and Truth, Biblically and logically speaking... Praise be to God in Christ... Amen.
It is amazing how the critics in the comments section have such limited understanding of Scripture related to their faith alone proposition. Don't let the ignorance of the critics burden you Dr. B. "Let us not grow tired of doing good, for in due time we shall reap our harvest, if we do not give up." Galatians 6:9
First, any time a PHD figure head claims scriptural understanding im reminded of how similar they sound to the very well educated pharisees in Jesus Day. They are well dress, intelligent, but blind to the nature and humility of who Jesus is and what he calls us to be in humility. Philippians 2:7 7Rather, he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, coming in human likeness;* and found human in appearance, 8he humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross.* You can know you are saved if you have placed faith in Jesus Christ. Romans 10:9-11 says, “If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. As Scripture says, ‘Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.’” The only requirement for salvation is faith in the work of Jesus’ death and resurrection (John 6:29). Nothing and no one else can save, not even our own good works (Acts 4:12; Ephesians 2:1-10). Once a person is saved by placing faith in Jesus, then he or she can be assured of salvation (John 10:28). This is the promise of God. To have faith in Jesus means to trust Him. We place our faith in Jesus when we recognize that we are separated from God and cannot resolve that problem ourselves, when we understand that God has provided the payment for our sins through Jesus’ death, and when we turn to Him in repentance and belief. Faith in Jesus is not simply intellectual assent to the facts of His existence, His deity, His death on the cross, or His bodily resurrection. Rather, faith in Jesus is a heart-level trust that He is who He says He is and that He has accomplished what He says He has accomplished. It is belief that salvation is by God’s grace; it is reliance on the risen Lord for that salvation. And Faith alone is exampled even in James 2:24. You see that a person is justified by what they DO and not by Faith alone. this is a classic Catholic trap that enslaves the reader in an incomplete picture of Context. If you back up a little bit and read before hand....verse 14 What good is it, my brothers, if someone "says" he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? the implication is someone who CLAIMS faith without the appearance of validation by works. Meaning works ALWAYS result from Faith. Faith is KEY. But if someone claims faith without works then their faith isn't real. Works are NOT parallel. You do not have faith then force your self to do works. no. Jesus Brings works from you that he prepared. Ephesians 2:10 says: For we are his handiwork, created in Christ Jesus for the good works that God has prepared in advance, that we should live in them. God Brings forth Love, kindness, compassion, patience, etc. from the true believer. the true believer need not worry about acting like that on their own. It is the true gift of Salvation that brings about these gifts. Jesus Does the work for those who have faith in him. It's not on you. focus on Jesus. the rest falls in place.
John 5:29/paraphrased..." those who did the Good DEEDS/WORKS/ACTS to a Resurrection of Life, and those committed the Bad Deeds/Works/Acts to a Resurrection of Judgment."... This means that Faith in Christ thru the Grace of God needs/requires good Deeds/Works/Acts (like the Acts of the Apostles) in order to be saved... Does Good Deeds/Works/Acts required in our Faith for Salvation... 100% YES... w/o good works/Deeds/Acts (Charity of Love to thy neighbors/foes alike), is just a Dead Faith or a Worthless/False Faith (James 2)... Amen.
Ephesians 2:8-9 [8]For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, [9]not of works, lest anyone should boast. Am i wrong to understand that this verses are telling that man was saved through FAITH? That salvation from sin is a gift and not a reward not of works. If i am wrong please explain to me these verses.
Indeed. You must put your trust in Jesus and the blood he shed to pay for you sins. To add works to it is not biblical. Galatians 2:21 I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.
28 BIBLICAL VERSES in the New Testament that support FAITH in Christ Jesus thru God's Grace needs/requires Good Works/Deeds/Acts of Charity of Love to thy neighbors/foes alike for our SALVATION: 1. Titus 1:16... "DISOBEDIENCE, disqualified for every good Works/Deeds/Acts." 2. Titus 2:7... "In all things, show yourself to be a pattern of Good Works/Deeds/Acts." 3. Titus 2:14... "And purify for Himself, His own special people, zealous for Good Works/Deeds/Acts." 4. Titus 3:1... "To obey to be ready for Good Works/Deeds/Acts." 5. Titus 3:8... " that those who have believed (Faith) in God should carefully maintain Good Works/Deeds/Acts." 6. Titus 3:14... " And let our People (Christians) learn to maintain Good Works/Deeds/Acts, to meet urgent needs, that they may not be unfaithful." 7. Ephesians 1:11... "in Him (Christ) we obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of Him, who WORKS all things according to the Council of HIS Will." 8. Ephesians 2:10... "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for Good Works/Deeds/Acts, that God prepared beforehand that we should walk with them (Works)." 9. 1 John 2:17... "the way of (good) Works/Deeds/Acts is the way of Life, He who DOETH (Works/Deeds) the will of God, abides forever." 10. Romans 2:28... " And we know that for those who love God, all things WORK together for good, for those who are called to his/her purpose." 11. Matthew 7:21-23... "Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord will enter the Kingdom of Heaven, but only those who DOETH (Works/Deeds) the WILL of my Father (God) in Heaven." 12. 2 Thessalonians 2:15..." So then Brethren, Stand firm and Hold (Works/Deeds) to the tradition taught by us (Apostles/Disciples), either by spoken word (oral tradition) or by our letters." 13. 2 Thessalonians 3:10... "For even when we are with you, we commanded you this, that if anyone will not WORK (good Deeds), neither you should Eat (reap your labor of Salvation)." 14. 2 Thessalonians 3:16... "Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from any brethren who are Walking in Idleness (Lazy/No Works/Deeds) and not in accordance with the Tradition that you received from us (Apostles/Disciples).". 15. Ecclesiastes 9:10... "Whatever your hands find to DO (Works/Deeds), DOETH with your might, for there is no Work/Deed or Device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave that you are going." 16. Ecclesiastes 12:14... "For God will bring every Works/Deeds into Judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil." 17. 1 Corinthians 9:24... "Do you know in the race, all Runners (Believers/Christians) must RUN (do good Works/Deeds), but only one received the prize, so RUN in such a way to get a prize." 18. 2 Corinthians 5:10... "For we must all appear before the Judgement seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done (Work) in the body, according to what he has done (Work), whether good or bad." 19. James 1:22... "But be DOERS (Workers) of the Words, and not hearers only, deceiving yourself." 20. James 3:13... "Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his WORKS/DEEDS/ACTS are done in the Meekness of Wisdom." 21. James 2:14-26... "What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has FAITH but does not have WORKS/DEEDS/ACTS, can Faith save him? But do you want to know O' foolish man that Faith without WORKS/DEEDS is Dead?... Was not Abraham our Father not JUSTIFIED by Works/Deeds when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see then that a man is JUSTIFIED by Works/Deeds and not by Faith only? Likewise, was not RAHAB, the Harlot was she JUSTIFIED by her Works/Deeds when she received the messengers and send them out in another way? For as the Body without the Spirit is Dead, so Faith without Works/Deeds is Dead also." 22. John 5:29... "those who did the Good DEEDS (Works/Acts) to a Resurrection of Life, and those committed the Bad/Evil Deeds (Works/Acts) to a Resurrection of Judgment." 23. John 15:1... "I AM the real VINE (Christ), My Father is the Gardener (Vinedresser), HE breaks/cut-off any Branches (Believers/Christians) attached in the VINE that does not BEAR FRUITS (No Good Works/Deeds/Acts)." 24. 2 Timothy 3:17... "That the Man of God may be Perfect (Complete), thoroughly furnished/equipped (may be fully capable), unto ALL (every) GOOD WORK/DEED." 25. 2 Timothy 4:7... "I have fought a good fight, I have finished (Good Works/Deeds) my course/race, and I have kept the Faith." 26. Revelation 19:7-8... "His Wife (Bride/Church) has made herself ready, and to her was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean, and bright, for the Fine Linen is the Righteous of ACTS (Work/Deeds) of the Saints." 27. Revelation 20:12... Then I saw the dead, great and small standing before God's throne, the books were opened, then another book was opened, which is the Boof of Life/Living, and dead were judged according to their WORKS/DEEDS/ACTS, by the things which were written in the Books." 28. Revelation 22:12... "Behold, I am coming quickly, and MY (Christ) Rewards is with ME (Christ) to give to every one according to his/her WORKS/DEEDS/ACTS." In Conclusion... FAITH in Christ thru God's Grace must and should LEAD/BEAR Good Fruits/Works/Deeds/Acts of Charity of Love to thy neighbors/foes alike for our Salvation...
Salvation is a gift not something you work for. We do all these works because of the free gift of salvation not for salvation. Every verse above proclaims that we need to be active but none of those verses state you must do them to attain the gift of salvation.
@@brucewmclaughlin9072 After you receive your Faith thru God's grace, you are like a BRANCH attached to the VINE (Christ), you can not bear Fruits without the VINE, but even you are attached to the VINE after the Gardener had PRUNED the Branch and still does not bear fruits... the Gardener (God) will cut off the branch from the VINE that does not bear fruits and throw the branch into the fire, which means the person even have Faith is still not SAVE... Faith without Good works/acts/deeds based on Christ's teachings and commandments is DEAD FAITH... the VINE (Christ) can not cut off the Branches that do not bear fruits, but the Gardener (GOD the Father) can... Those who have Faith in God's grace, can not be taken away from Christ's Hands, but can be taken away from the Hands of Christ by/thru themselves and eventually by God can... Amen
@@brucewmclaughlin9072 SALVATION is free yet received at the end of each LIVING SAINTS lives... not at the beginning... St. Paul said, "All runners receive the PRIZE of Salvation at the Finish line,"... NO RUNNER receives the Prized of Salvation along the track of the game, that is why Paul said, "to Run to the fullest and finish the race."... Faith thru God's Grace is just the first step toward SALVATION... The Bible clearly said, anyone who Believes in Him (Christ), WILL BE SAVED and WILL HAVE ETERNAL LIFE (all future perfect tense not present tense) unless you are dying on your bed just like the Thief on the Cross... then you are SAVED... but not while you still have ample time to live and to do Good Works/Acts/Deeds (Bear Fruits)... If you do not Bear Fruits,... then, you are like a RUNNER who does not want to RUN nor does not want to play the rules of the game... at the end of the game, you won't receive any prize, not even a consolation prize... the same analogy...
@@jvlp2046 Philippians 3:14 I keep running hard toward the finish line to get the prize that is mine because God has called me through Christ Jesus to life up there in heaven. The prize is not salvation which is a gift.1 Cor 3:10-15 is the prize or not according to what you have done building upon the foundation of Christ. Again as you sort of missed it , salvation is a gift Eph 2:9 points out it is not by what you have done. Titus 3:5 points that out as well!
@@jvlp2046 Ahhhhh the works based salvation , so that you can get to heaven because of what you have done ? Sorry but there is nothing we do that makes us clean enough for heaven. Jesus atones for all of our sins and we get the free gift of salvation , justification, sanctification and washed in the blood of the lamb. Eph 2:1-10 verse 1 says what? hmmmmn lets emphasize what you missed. As for you, you WERE dead in your transgressions and sins, 2 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. 3 All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh[a] and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we WERE by nature deserving of wrath. 4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 MADE US ALIVE with Christ even when we WERE dead in transgressions-it is by grace you HAVE BEEN saved. 6 And God raised us up with Christ and SEATED WITH US WITH HIM in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8 For it is by grace YOU HAVE BEEN saved, through faith-and this is NOT FROM YOURSELVES, it is THE GIFT of God- 9 NOT by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Those who have Faith in God's grace, can not be taken away from Christ's Hands, but can be taken away from the Hands of Christ by/thru themselves and eventually by God can If salvation was by works then your statement would be true but you have no verse saying you are powerful enough to pry the fingers of God apart to remove yourself rom where He placed you! If you do then by all means present it?
Dr. Hahn knows and shows the difference between the catholic view of faith alone ( fides caritate formata/ faith formed by Love) vs the protestant view of fiduciary faith ( trusting faith). The protestant idea of fiduciary faith does not teach a distinction between living faith and dead faith. For them faith is an instrument to recieve the righteousness of Christ. It is like a bucket collecting the righteousness of Christ. Catholics distinguish fides informis( dead intellectual only faith) vs living faith which has the divine nature (Love) as its soul. Fides formata. When.a catholic like Dr. Hahn teaches what Aquinas did that we are justified by faith alone, he means that we are saved through our true living relationship with Christ alone. It is a living, working faith. The protestant idea of faith alone doesn't necessarily teach the same thing . But for many reformed Christians it is actually closer than we think. When they says.we are justified by faith alone but never by a faith which is alone, then it's pretty close to fides formata
1 John 5:13 says we can know we are saved. So, where is the list of good works that will assure me I am saved? 1 Corinthians 15: 1-4 says we are saved by believing in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Salvation is a free gift from God, and if by grace, then there should be no strings attached. If I have to perform works to maintain my salvation, then it is not salvation; it is probation. Again, where is the list of good works that will finally get me paroled, so that I am assured I have eternal life, as promised in 1 John 5:13.
Matt 25:35-36 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.
@@tco13v Grace is the free and unmerited favor of God. If it is free and is unmerited, then grace has no payback. Faith is defined in (Hebrews 11:1) "now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen". The two are different. Some theologians claim that "faith" is also "works", because having faith actually requires work, but (Roman's 11:6) is clear that faith and works are not the same, "and if by grace, then it is no more works, otherwise grace is no more grace; otherwise work is no more work".
@@brucewmclaughlin9072 you're missing the bigger point if all you care is about who it's a dressing the bigger point is it saying that faith without works is dead meaning with real Faith comes real works not selfish works that's the point of the scripture it wasn't about who it's addressing
@@bobbyg8949 james doe s not promote a works based salvation , but he does point out that faith is not evidenced by doing nothing. We do all the works of God Eph 2:10 because of salvation that is given to us the moment we repent and call upon the Lord. We do not at any time do any works for salvation .
@@brucewmclaughlin9072 you understand you but I never said that works would be salvation I said with real Faith comes real works there is a difference on doing things to try to get your spot in the heaven which is impossible because your works won't be yourself salvation but real Faith comes real works not done for selfish reasons
26 For if we SIN WILLFULLY after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there NO longer remains a SACRIFICE for (such)sins, 27 but a certain fearful expectation of JUDGEMENT and fiery indignation which will devour the ADVERSARIES. 28 Anyone who has rejected Moses’ law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. 29 Of how much WORSE PUNISHMENT, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy WHO HAS TRAMPLED the SON OF GOD underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and INSULTED THE SPIRIT OF GRACE (Holy Spirit)? Hebrews 10:26-29 32 Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but WHOEVER SPEAKS AGAINST the HOLY SPIRIT, it WILL NOT be FORGIVEN him, either in this age or in the age to come. Matthew 12:32 My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment. James 3:1 But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea. Mark 9:42
Is that not a warning to the Jews who rejected the blood of christ for salvation ? Warning for the tribulation times when Jesus has picked up the Church and Jews are left behind to survive 7 years and if they willfully sin/willfully take the mark of the beast they are doomed.
Scripture says that God saves us (or we have been saved by Him) through faith (Eph. 2:8) and through sanctification (2 Thes. 2:13). Faith alone salvation is not biblical!
Just from catholic , we are saved grace through faith not of your self, it is a gift of God ; not of works or you may boast . Eph. 2 : 8 - 9 ; 2 Thess . 2 : 13 ; We are sanctified by the spirit so how do you get the spirit of God in you to set you apart ? By believing on the lord Jesus by faith there is no other way . you are like most Catholics , you never read and study the scriptures you are ignorant of the spiritual truth of the scriptures . tell me why faith and believing in Christ does not give salvation .John 3 :16 ; John 5 : 24 ; John 6 : 40 ; John 6 : 47 ; Eph 2 : 8 - 9 ; Are you saved ? is your faith in Christ or in your own works ?
@@donaldcooley897 Catholics DO believe that we are saved by GRACE through FAITH (Eph. 2:8) AND through SANCTIFICATION (2 Thes. 2:13). Salvation, according to Scripture, is a process, not one-time event as wrongly taught by the Reformers. Catholics do NOT believe that our works save us - this is common myth. We can do good works only by grace, not by our own efforts.
@@justfromcatholic No where in the scriptures does it say salvation is a progress . if it is a progress then you are working toward completing you salvation . John 5 : 24 by believing we have everlasting life and have passed from death to life . when we by faith in Christ become born again and we become a new creature because we have been born from above . and we who were dead in sins have been quicken by the spirit or made alive it is not a process life is instant and death is instant and our spiritual birth is instant God Bless
@@donaldcooley897 Sorry my earlier reply was somehow cut-off. 2 Thes 2;13 says (RSV): "But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God chose you from the beginning TO BE SAVED THROUGH SANCTIFICATION by the Spirit AND BELIEF in the truth". Scripture says salvation comes through sanctification and sanctification is a process, not one time event. Salvation is NOT through faith alone.
ANALOGY... Just because somebody gave us a FREE AIRLINE TICKET to see the Whole World without engaging in any "Paid Lottery" that we deserve to win... it does not mean we do nothing at all (stop doing work), we do not pack our bags, not go to the airport at least 3 hours before the flight, check-in our luggage, get a boarding pass to know which gate to enter, go thru standard airport security protocol search, and wait at the boarding lounge for the right TIME to board the plane, etc... then at the end... we LOST our chance to use our FREE AIRLINE TICKET to see the whole world that someone had freely gave us... the same analogy to our free SALVATION by doing NOTHING (No Work) for our neighbors and foes alike just as we love ourself... it is a LOST SALVATION at the end of our life's journey on Earth... In conclusion, "SALVATION is FREE" to those who receive their FAITH in Christ by God's Grace, called in the Parable as the BRANCHES which are attached to the VINE (Christ)... NO ONE can produce or bear FRUITS without the VINE (Christ)... even the Branches are attached to the VINE but do not produce/bear FRUITS after being pruned, the GARDENER (God the Father) will cut off the Branches and throw them into the FIRE (Lost Salvation even if it is free)... Nothing can remove us from the Hands of Christ, but thru our own selves by DOING NOTHING (No Work based on Christ's Law) after receiving their FAITH in Christ by God's Grace... FAITH without Good WORKS (Acts/Deed of Charity of Love toward our neighbors and foes alike) is a DEAD FAITH... Christ said, "Let the DEAD, bury their own DEAD."... Praise be to God in Christ... Amen.
