Eternal Life is both a Gift and a Reward
1 Timothy 6:12, 19,
- fight the good fight of faith, take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and you made that good confession in the presence of many witnesses
Here eternal life is a gift. Notice the gift is conditional. One must fight and one must make public confession with the mouth in the presence of others.
This verse does not suggest that salvation is a reward based on the merit of good works, but rather that faith in Christ leads to a life of striving and perseverance in one's Christian walk.
That is not belief only to obtain eternal life.
You will have to take that up with Jesus. (John 3:15,16,18; 5:24; 6:29; 40,47; 11:25,26) Nothing here about fighting hard enough to earn your salvation in addition to believing.
Eternal life is by Grace not earned but still one must fight. The fighting is not merit its faith moving one to obey God.
Salvation is by grace through faith, not works (Ephesians 2:8,9) The fighting is not salvation by works.
Dan is teaching once again he was supposedly saved by faith that did no works of obedience.
Straw man argument. I was saved by faith in Jesus Christ alone then my living faith went on to produce works of obedience, demonstrating that my faith is not an empty profession of faith/dead faith. The works of obedience which followed are the fruit of salvation but not the root of it.
He also teaches when saved by this belief with no obedient works one goes to heaven with no requirement by God to do good works.
I was saved for good works and not by good works. (Ephesians 2:8-10)
Paul teaches one must make public confession with the mouth. His confession of faith in Christ to obtain the gift of eternal life.
There's two conditions already to be saved:
Romans 10:9-10,
- that if(conditional grace) thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and(two things joined together) shalt believe in thy heart that God raised Him from the dead thou shalt be saved
- for with the heart man believeth unto righteousness and(two things as conditions) with the mouth confession is made unto salvation
The Greek word unto means movement towards in the future a goal or destination.
Confession with the mouth moves one towards the goal of salvation.
Believeth with the heart moves one towards the goal of righteousness.
Paul did not teach the moment one believes they are saved.
Belief moves you towards salvation.
Paul did not teach belief only to be saved.
Paul taught belief and public confession with the mouth leads to salvation.
Dan will claim they are the same thing.
This is his church's perversion to get around what Paul really teaches.
Believes unto righteousness = saved. (Romans 4:5; 10:10) I've heard certain people (particularly folks in the CoC) misinterpret Romans 10:9,10 in such a way that means we can believe unto righteousness today, but are still lost until we confess Christ to others, which may be next week and then we are finally saved next week, but that is not what Paul is talking about here. Also, someone who is mute (unable to speak) would remain lost according to that erroneous interpretation of Romans 10:9,10 for failing to
verbally "confess with their mouth."
Confession is a confirmation of faith (which is why we will be saved IF we confess) and is not a work for salvation that follows believing unto righteousness. Confessing with our mouth that Jesus is Lord and believing in our heart that God raised Him from the dead are
not two separate steps to salvation but are chronologically together. Romans 10:8 - But what does it say?
"The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart" (TOGETHER) that is, the
word of faith which we are preaching, (notice the reverse order from verse 9-10) - that if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; 10 for with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
Confess/believe; believe/confess.
1 Corinthians 12:3 - Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed, and
no one can say that Jesus is Lord except BY the Holy Spirit. There is divine influence or direct operation of the Holy Spirit in the heart of a person when confessing Jesus as Lord upon conversion and after. Now this confession is not just a simple acknowledgment that Jesus is the Lord (even the demons believe that), but is a deep, personal conviction from the heart that Jesus is that person's Lord and Savior.
Belief in Jesus and public confession with the mouth to be saved by Gods free gift.
True saving faith is never alone.
Faith that saves trusts in Jesus Christ alone for salvation, (Romans 4:5-6) yet this kind of faith does not remain alone. Again, confession with the mouth is a confirmation of faith (which is why we will be saved IF we confess) and is not a work for salvation that follows believing unto righteousness. Whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.
Here we have learned true saving faith confesses to be saved not because his belief alone already saved him.
Not as a work for salvation but as a confirmation of faith.
The work of confession is a work of trusting faith to obtain eternal life.
Confession is not a work for salvation. The word of faith is in our mouth and heart
together. (Romans 10:8) Not two separate steps to salvation but
chronologically together.
Faith without works is dead, James 2:24.
Faith that produces no works demonstrates that it's dead. We must be made alive together with Christ FIRST (saved by grace through faith, not works) then created in Christ Jesus unto good works. (Ephesians 2:5-10) So, "faith without works is dead" does not mean that faith is dead until it produces works and then it becomes a living faith or that works are the source of life in faith or that we are saved by works. That would be like saying that a tree is dead until it produces fruit and then it becomes a living tree, and the fruit is the source of life in the tree. James is simply saying faith that is not accompanied by evidential works
demonstrates that it's dead. If someone merely
says-claims they have faith, but lack
resulting evidential works, then they
demonstrate that they have an
empty profession of faith/dead faith and not authentic faith. (
James 2:14) Simple!
Dan is admitting here Paul must do good works after he is saved.
What if Paul goes against Gods will and does not do what Jesus commands him he must do.
It's not about must or else but will. Producing good works is not forced or legalistic for genuine believers.
Dan just completely contradicted the gospel he preaches.
Now he claims Paul must obey Gods commandments.
Titus reminds me of a crafty lawyer who is out to win his case at all costs. Regardless of how much scripture twisting, trickery, deceit and rhetoric that it takes.
This proves commandment keeping after one is saved is BINDING, ESSENTIAL, REQUIRED, NESSARY, NON- NEGOTIABLE, NOT OPTIONAL.
SALVATION BY WORKS.
Dan continues to argue without realizing he's already admitted Paul had to be water baptized as that was one of the must do's Jesus commanded him to do.
False. Suffering for the Lord (for His name's sake) as a chosen vessel to bear His name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel is what Paul must do. (Acts 9:15-16)
Dan will now after I post this contradict himself again and claim Paul does not need to be water baptized to be saved.
Even though he already admitted Paul must be baptized as Jesus bound baptism and preaching the gospel on Paul!!!
More blatant dishonesty.
Just wait, I'll post again His complete 180 reversal on what he already admitted that Jesus bound baptism and preaching the gospel on Paul.
Dan will now claim even though Jesus commanded Paul to be baptized and preach if he chose not to work Gods commandments he still would be saved.
Ananias was commanded by Jesus to tell Paul what he must do.
Acts 9:6; 15,
- and Saul/Paul trembling and astonished said, Lord what wilt thou have me to do
- and Jesus answered and said, Arise and go into the city and it shall be told thee what thou
must do
- but the Lord said unto Ananias Go thy way for he(Paul) is a chosen vessel unto Me, to bear My Name(preach the gospel) before the gentiles and kings, and the children of Israel
Jesus used the Greek word must.
It means:
- Direct command
- it is nessary
- one must
- it is binding
- it is a necessity by the decree of God
- it is Gods will
This doing is Paul's obedience.
Therefore Paul had no choice but to obey Jesus by doing working His will, commandments.
Jesus bound obedience as a requirement for Paul.
Listen to what Jesus commanded Ananias to tell Paul what he must do.
Again, suffering for the Lord (for His name's sake) as a chosen vessel to bear His name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel is what Paul must do. (Acts 9:15-16) Not as a work for salvation but as his duty of being a chosen vessel of the Lord.
Acts 22:16,
- and now why tarriest thou, arise and be baptized and wash away thy sins calling on the name of the Lord.
Jesus gave Paul a direct command to be water baptized to wash away His sins.
Failure for Paul not to do what God ordered him to do would be disobedience to Gods will
The language in
Acts 22:16 is similar to the statement of Christ when He took the bread and said, "This is my body." (
Matthew 26:26) The bread was only the emblem of His body. Baptism is the emblem of the washing away of sins by the blood of Christ. Every time a believer is immersed he washes away his sins in the same sense Paul did: not literally, but ceremonially, pointing to the blood of Christ by which sins are actually washed away. (Ephesians
1:7; Colossians 1:14;
Revelation 1:5)
Jamison, Fausset, and Brown Commentary makes not of the importance of the Greek in Ananias' statement. When Ananias tells Paul to "arise, be baptized, wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord," the tense of the last command is literally "having called" (aorist middle participle). "Calling on [epikalesamenos] --- 'having (that is, after having) called on,' referring the confession of Christ which preceded baptism." [Jamison, Fausset, and Brown Commentary, vol. 3 pg. 160].
Kenneth Wuest picks up on this Greek nuance and translates the verse as follows: "And now, why are you delaying? Having arisen, be baptized and wash away your sins, having previously called upon His Name."
*Excellent article on
Acts 22:16 -
https://kentbrandenburg.blogspot.com/2015/03/acts-2216-baptism-essential-for.html
Listen to Dan's religion try to explain all this away when he responds to this post.
You should have your own podcast. It's obvious that you love to hear yourself talk.
Matthew 7:21,
- not every one that saith unto Me Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven but he that doeth the will of My Father which is in heaven
John 6:40 - For
my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and
believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day. You need to stop confusing God's will for us TO BECOME SAVED with God's will for us AFTER we have been saved. Your error culminates in salvation by works/works righteousness.
Dan already admitted Paul must obey Jesus by preaching the gospel.
Dan will contradict himself now and claim Paul did not have to obey Jesus commandments like baptism and preaching the gospel to be saved or to stay saved.
Stay saved? Type 2 works salvation. Being water baptized is a command for believers AFTER they have been saved. (Acts 10:47) Salvation by works and maintaining salvation by works is a false gospel that is also taught by Roman Catholics.
As I've already proven with Dan's faith alone and no obedient works to be saved gospel.
It is a gospel of salvation by belief alone and disobedience to Gods will.
The only thing that you have proved is that you teach a works based false gospel and that you stubbornly refuse to believe the gospel. (Romans 1:16; 1 Corinthians 1:18-21; 2 Corinthians 4:3,4)
Dan will teach Paul did not have to work by preaching and baptism to obtain eternal life.
Paul made it crystal clear what man must to obtain eternal life.
Romans 1:16 - For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the
power of God to salvation for everyone who
believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.
Acts 16:30 - And he brought them out and said,
“Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” 31 So they said,
“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.”
Romans 4:4 - Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt. 5 But to him who
does not work but
believes on Him who justifies the ungodly,
his faith is accounted for righteousness, 6 just as David also describes the blessedness of the man to whom
God imputes righteousness apart from works: Your works cannot save you Titus.
Ephesians 2:8 - 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. There will be no boasting for you Titus.
So, why do folks promote a works based false gospel and refuse to believe the gospel?
1 Corinthians 1:18 - For the
preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. 20 Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? 21 For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God,
it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.
2 Corinthians 4:3 - But if our
gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: 4 In whom the
god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
Let me know when you are ready to believe the gospel. 
