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-Removed-I am avoiding running off down your rabbit hole of something rather insignificant to the major theme of the thread.
Since the Reformation the doctrine of Assurance of salvation has been developed to the point that many think any reference to discipline towards those who are saved, after the second coming of Christ must prove one of two things.
1.) the verses are about false Christians
2.) the verses prove a Christian can lose eternal life.
If you are over enthusiastic about Calvinism you are likely to view loss of reward to mean the loser was not a genuine Christian.
If you are over influenced by Arminian theology you are likely to view loss of reward to mean loss of eternal life.
You want to milk the "blindness of Christians" statement for all the benefit you can get out of it to charge me with sectarian arrogance ?
You have no earthly idea how arrogant I can be.
I am really bad. Okay? But the brothers balance me well.
But you see Jesus didn't say "After you become perfect go fulfill the great commission." Nor did He say for me to make sure I measured up to your Unitarian standard for teaching them to observe all that He commanded.
Excuse me now as I go over some more precious concepts helpful to the matter of rewards.
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When it comes to the matter of the mercy of God's servants, I love to read about the man Joab. He was one of the faithful servants of God with David.
Joab is a real character study of a godly man who was selective in his devotion. And he could be quite cruel. His unmeriful ways exposed that his devotion was more opportunistic then anything else.
Remember how he cruelly killed Abner the rival general?
Remember his cruel execution of Absalom David's wayward son?
In the end David instructed his son Solomon to make sure that cruel Joab did not go to his grace peacefully. Joab years latter hung to the horns of the altar to receive mercy because of some discipline that was to come to him. The horns of the altar was a renown place someone went to request mercy.
Solomon had him dragged away and slain.
There was no mercy to the man who himself SHOWED no mercy. I think the lesson of the life of David's general Joab is a heads up example to New Testament saints.
We will reap what we sow if we are overly unmerciful towards others.
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Sometimes a Christian must beware that he has not enjoyed a superficial benefit prematurely. Christ said that certain people already had their reward.
The enjoyment of their un-transformed soul is a premature "reward" to the transformed soul of the kingdom.
" But take care that you do not do your righteousness before men in order to be gazed at by them, otherwise you have no REWARD with your Father who is in the heavens." (Matt. 6:1)
The fallen flesh likes to be gazed upon. Some of the disciples may find that in the kingdom age Christ will tell them that they already got their enjoyment of the fallen soul during the church age.
In the area of musical performance supposedly for worship, this can be a pitfall. Also in charitable giving with a motive to be noticed by people.
"Therefore when you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be glorified by men.
Truly I say to you, They have their reward in full." (Matt. 6:2)
This is not concerning eternal salvation but reward in the coming kingdom. Some places publicized who gave how much in order to satisfy the gaze [loving] fallen flesh.
Christ may tell such a one "You already had your reward when you were publicly exalted for your giving. I warned you to do your giving secretly, anonymously, and not for a showy benefit."
"But you, when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.
So that your alms may be in secret. and your Father who sees in secret will REPAY you." (vs.3,4)
The disciple's heart should be that he is living unto God's eyes and for God's pleasure. If he is noticed by men, that is secondary and not of his effort to be gazed upon.
He looks to the REWARD of the Father who sees all in secret, This requires Jesus Christ living in us.
Originally posted by @rajk999You have eyes to see but see not.
Lets see it then.
Me:
So you get saved. And you have the inner assurance of eternal life..
Rajk999:
Is there a bible reference for this statement?
Me;
"He who believes into the Son of God has the testimony in himself, ...
And this is the testimony, that God gave to us eternal life and this life is in His Son. " ( See the entire passage of First John 5:9-12
The testimony in himself that God has given to us eternal life.
You lack experience.
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Originally posted by @sonshipYou said this :So you get saved. And you have the inner assurance of eternal life..
You have eyes to see but see not.
.
I asked for a reference to support it.
Then you post a pile of meaningless insults.
But nothing to support your statement.
Why are you people like that?
You posted - Eternal life is in the Son of God Jesus Christ.
How does that support your assertion of assurance of salvation?
If you really care to read the truth about assurance of salvation?
Here it is :
My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish,
neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. (John 10:27-28 KJV)
You know that passage and that is the only assurrance a Chrsitian has
He must follow Chirst.and .. SHALL NEVER PERISH
You would not quote that because your doctrine preaches
that one MUST NOT FOLLOW CHRIST.
You have to gall to tell me that I lack experience.
You lack integrity and honesty.
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Originally posted by @rajk999You lack experience.
I think you lack experience with being born again.
I think you lack experience with following Christ.
I know you lack experience with the assurance of salvation.
And I think your spirit is yet in a dead state and you have not touched God yet nor realized that to touch the Lord Jesus is to know God.
I don't think you show signs of being joined to the Lord to be one spirit with the Lord.
"He who is joined to the Lord is one spirit." (1 Cor. 6:17)
Mostly though I think you have no agape love for the brotherhood anywhere in your heart. And love is evidence that we have passed out of spiritual death into spiritual life.
"We know that we have passed out of death into life because we love the brothers. He who does not love abides in death." (1 John 3:14)
I am not sure you have passed from death in your spirit to divine life in your spirit. There is no love for the Christian brotherhood.
But all this could be rectified. That's the good news.
It could be rectified by Jesus. With you in yourself there is no hope. But with God all things are possible.