I Never Knew You

[dwight92070]

Notice what Jesus said to the five foolish virgins in Matthew 25:1: "I never knew you." He did not say that they never verbally confessed Jesus as Lord. Also He did not say that they never got baptized - because neither of these were required by Him to be saved. The truth is that they could have done BOTH of these things and still not know Him - many will say Lord, Lord, and many will get baptized without knowing Him. They're just going through the motions (works), without any change of heart. (faith)
In Matthew 25:31 Jesus speaks of the works that please Him AFTER one is saved - i.e. they know Him, they have a repentant heart and a faith in His blood shed for their sins:

These are the works of "the sheep", that is, the saved, those who KNOW Jesus:
Feeding the hungry
Giving drink to the thirsty
Inviting strangers in
Clothing the naked
Visiting the sick
Visiting the prisoners

Notice that even though Jesus wants us to confess Him as our Lord and He wants us to be baptized after salvation, yet He doesn't mention the LACK of doing EITHER of these, as grounds to send us to eternal punishment. The Church of Christ and Doug, on the other hand, are quick to assign eternal punishment to those who do not do BOTH of these things in order to even get saved.
They do not have the Bible on their side.

 

[dwight92070]

Mark 16:16 "He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned." Apparently Jesus forgot about the "requirement" - given to us by the Church of Christ and Doug and others on this forum - to confess Him as Lord to be saved.

Notice in the verse that it is disbelief that brings condemnation, not the absence of baptism.

Romans 10:9-10 "that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

Here, apparently, Paul forgot about the "requirement" - given to us by the Church of Christ and Doug and others on this forum - to be baptized to be saved.

Notice the context of this passage in verse 5 "For Moses writes that the man who PRACTICES the righteousness which is based on law shall live by that righteousness."

Verse 6 BUT THE RIGHTEOUSNESS BASED ON FAITH SPEAKS AS FOLLOWS: ..."

BOTH of the men in verses 5 and 6 are ALREADY BELIEVERS, they BOTH KNOW GOD.

So we see that confessing Jesus as Lord, and believing in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, (EXACTLY AS WE SEE IN JAMES 2) are SIGNS OF A TRUE BELIEVER, just as getting baptized (if one truly believes) is a SIGN of someone who HAS BELIEVED.

I confess Jesus as my Lord. I believe in my heart that God raised Him from the dead. Why? Because I BELIEVE IN AND KNOW JESUS. BEFORE I BELIEVED, I DID NOT CONFESS JESUS AS LORD AND I DID NOT BELIEVE (OR UNDERSTAND) THAT GOD RAISED HIM FROM THE DEAD.

In Romans 10:11-13, Paul gives us the TRUE REQUIREMENT FOR SALVATION - Believing in HIm and calling on the name of the Lord - this does not have to be verbal - just as believing is not verbal. Calling on the name of the Lord occurs in our heart.

Remember the thief on the cross. It is obvious that he had a change of heart toward Jesus BEFORE he called out "Jesus, remember me when you come into Your kingdom." Luke 23:42 So even the sincere calling on the name of the Lord occurs in the heart BEFORE it is spoken.

 

[dwight92070]

How many times did Jesus tell someone who He had healed, "your faith has saved you". Why didn't He say, your faith has healed you? It appears that Jesus knew that more than a physical healing had taken place. Salvation in their hearts had also occurred. Remember when he told several people, "your sins are forgiven"? He knew they had been saved.

But He never said, your sins are forgiven, IF you get baptized - or your faith has saved you, IF you confess me as Lord. Remember that new believers WERE BAPTIZED by Jesus' disciples, when salvation had occurred. John 4:1

 

[dwight92070]

Notice what Jesus said to the five foolish virgins in Matthew 25:1: "I never knew you." He did not say that they never verbally confessed Jesus as Lord. Also He did not say that they never got baptized - because neither of these were required by Him to be saved. The truth is that they could have done BOTH of these things and still not know Him - many will say Lord, Lord, and many will get baptized without knowing Him. They're just going through the motions (works), without any change of heart. (faith)
In Matthew 25:31 Jesus speaks of the works that please Him AFTER one is saved - i.e. they know Him, they have a repentant heart and a faith in His blood shed for their sins:

These are the works of "the sheep", that is, the saved, those who KNOW Jesus:
Feeding the hungry
Giving drink to the thirsty
Inviting strangers in
Clothing the naked
Visiting the sick
Visiting the prisoners

Notice that even though Jesus wants us to confess Him as our Lord and He wants us to be baptized after salvation, yet He doesn't mention the LACK of doing EITHER of these, as grounds to send us to eternal punishment. The Church of Christ and Doug, on the other hand, are quick to assign eternal punishment to those who do not do BOTH of these things in order to even get saved.
They do not have the Bible on their side.