Karen,
That is very true. However, the question I had regarding the John and
Matthew scripture was one says quote, "whosoever believes shall have
eternal life", and the other spoke of "helping others which in essence is
helping Christ", which Jesus spoke himself. Those being on his left did
nothing to help his hurting people, and those on his right did. Those on
the left perished, and those on his right received eternal life. The point
I drew was that we can say we believe, but the proof is in the actions
behind it. This is what I believe Jesus was stating by the story he told,
as well what is actually in the context of the John 3:16 verse. . It is
not enough just to say one believes, it is by a truly changed heart in
which one will find it compelling to help others and feed God's people in
one way or the other. Paul also wrote in Timothy saying that if you see
someone in need, hungry and cold, and you say to him... "Be well and
warm", but do nothing to help him, what good is this man's faith anyway.
It is very clear that no, works in and of itself is just good works and
has nothing to do with salvation, but so is stating one believes and does
nothing to honor, prove, or live it, together they are a proof of a truly
changed heart. I was a huge, huge offender of, how shall we say, a very
colorful vocabulary before I followed Christ. I use to attend church
occasionally, I grew up in a parochial school, I had a basic belief that
we were created, and probably would have defended it had I been in a
position where it was challenged, but my heart was not changed. When I
came to Christ, that, quote, "colorful language" left me immediately. I
mean it was repulsive to me to think of sputtering such language, and when
others did, I nearly cringed, and I still have a hard time hearing it,
especially God's name in vain. That is proof to me of a changed heart in
one aspect. So you see by my works, a tangible visible change of heart, by
that change it is proof to God that I believe. Now just because someone
comes to Christ, that does not mean that they would immediately buy
clothes for the poor, or feed them, although if they have a heart and a
built in ministry gifting, they might, but many find the desire to be
obedient as Ned stated, once they read God's will concerning the matter,
but nonetheless their works in the world will change in one aspect or
another which proves their belief. Not the works by themselves. How
about a life application example. Let's say we go back 20 some years.
Here I am a 17 year old kid and just met the young girl who is now my
wife. If back then I told her I loved her, but spent my time with my
buddies, spent my money on my own things, didn't return her calls, as
oppose to spending much time with her, buying her a dinner or a few things
here or there and called her on my own? Which scenario speaks of my true
statement saying "I love you"? See we can give lip service to anything we
like, but as the old adage says, "Actions speak louder than words".
Brad
on 07:39 PM 4/9/2005, Karen Carter said:
--NextPart_Webmail_9m3u9jl4l_11663_1113093582_0
Content-Type: text/plain
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit
We are to believe and live our belief. When we are saved we are made
new. like Christ so we live like Christ and strive to be like
Christ. You cannot get to Heaven on good works but only throu the Son
Jesus. For non can enter in except throug me. John 14:6-7
--
Prayer is the bridge between panic and peace.
Karen Carter '74
-------------- Original message --------------
> Below are two sets of scriptures. One taken from John and the other
from
> Matthew. How do they compare to each other. One speaks of believing,
and
> the other speaks of doing, each one promising eternal life if you
follow
> them, and eternal hell if you do not. Is simpley believing not enough?
Or
> are we only insured eternity with god if we do the works? Why do these
> two scriptures seem to contradict each other.
>
> John 3:5-19
> 5 Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of
water
> and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
> 6 "That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of
the
> Spirit is spirit.
> 7 "Do not be amazed that I said to you, "You must be born again.'
> 8 "The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do
not
> know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is
born
> of the Spirit."
> 9 Nicodemus said to Him, "How can these things be?"
> 10 Jesus answered and said to him, "Are you the teacher of Israel and
do
> not understand these things?
> 11 "Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know and testify of
> what we have seen, and you do not accept our testimony.
> 12 "If I told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you
> believe if I tell you heavenly things?
> 13 "No one has ascended into heaven, but He who descended from heaven:
the
> Son of Man.
> 14 "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the
Son
> of Man be lifted up;
> 15 so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life.
> 16 "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son,
that
> whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.
> 17 "For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but
> that the world might be saved through Him.
> 18 "He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has
been
> judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only
> begotten Son of God.
>
> Matthew 25:31-46
> 31 "But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the
> angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. 32
> "All the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will
> separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the
> sheep from the goats; 33 and He will put the sheep on His
> right, and the goats on the left. 34 "Then the King will say to
> those on His right, 'Come, you who are blessed of My Father,
> inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the
> world. 35 '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; 36 naked, and you clothed Me;
> I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to
> Me.' 37 "Then the righteous will answer Him, 'Lord, when did we
> see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something
> to drink? 38 'And when did we see You a stranger, and invite
> You in, or naked, and clothe You? 39 'When did we see You sick,
> or in prison, and come to You?' 40 "The King will answer and
> say to them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it
> to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you
> did it to Me.' 41 "Then He will also say to those on His left,
> 'Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has
> been prepared for the devil and his angels; 42 for I was
> hungry, and you gave Me nothing to eat; I was thirsty, and you
> gave Me nothing to drink; 43 I was a stranger, and you did not
> invite Me in; naked, and you did not clothe Me; sick, and in
> prison, and you did not visit Me.' 44 "Then they themselves
> also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty,
> or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not take
> care of You?' 45 "Then He will answer them, 'Truly I say to
> you, to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of
> these, you did not do it to Me.' 46 "These will go away into
> eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."
--NextPart_Webmail_9m3u9jl4l_11663_1113093582_0
Content-Type: text/html
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit
We are to believe and live our belief. When we are saved we are made
new. like Christ so we live like Christ and strive to be like
Christ. You cannot get to Heaven on good works but only throu the Son
Jesus. For non can enter in except throug me. John 14:6-7
--
Prayer is the bridge between panic and peace.
Karen Carter '74
-------------- Original message --------------
> Below are two sets of scriptures. One taken from John and the other
from
> Matthew. How do they compare to each other. One speaks of believing,
and
> the other speaks of doing, each one promising eternal life if you
follow
> them, and eternal hell if you do not. Is simpley believing not enough?
Or
> are we only insured eternity with god if we do the works? Why do these
> two scriptures seem to contradict each other.
>
> John 3:5-19
> 5 Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of
water
> and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
> 6 "That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of
the
> Spirit is spirit.
> 7 "Do not be amazed that I said to you, "You must be born again.'
> 8 "The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do
not
> know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is
born
> of the Spirit."
> 9 Nicodemus said to Him, "How can these things be?"
> 10 Jesus answered and said to him, "Are you the teacher of Israel and
do
> not understand these things?
> 11 "Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know and testify of
> what we have seen, and you do not accept our testimony.
> 12 "If I told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you
> believe if I tell you heavenly things?
> 13 "No one has ascended into heaven, but He who descended from heaven:
the
> Son of Man.
> 14 "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the
Son
> of Man be lifted up;
> 15 so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life.
> 16 "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son,
that
> whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but ! have ete rnal life.
> 17 "For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but
> that the world might be saved through Him.
> 18 "He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has
been
> judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only
> begotten Son of God.
>
> Matthew 25:31-46
> 31 "But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the
> angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. 32
> "All the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will
> separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the
> sheep from the goats; 33 and He will put the sheep on His
> right, and the goats on the left. 34 "Then the King will say to
> those on His right, 'Come, you who are blessed of My Father,
> inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the
> world. 35 '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; 36 naked, and you clothed Me;
> I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to
> Me.' 37 "Then the righteous will answer Him, 'Lord, when did we
> see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something
> to drink? 38 'And when did we see You a stranger, and invite
> You in, or naked, and clothe You? 39 'When did we see You sick,
> or in prison, and come to You?' 40 "The King will answer and
> say to them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it
> to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you
> did it to Me.' 41 "Then He will also say to those on His left,
> 'Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has
> been prepared for the devil and his angels; 42 for I was
> hungry, and you gave Me nothing to eat; I was thirsty, and you
> gave Me nothing to drink; 4! 3 I was a stranger, and you did not
> invite Me in; naked, and you did not clothe Me; sick, and in
> prison, and you did not visit Me.' 44 "Then they themselves
> also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty,
> or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not take
> care of You?' 45 "Then He will answer them, 'Truly I say to
> you, to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of
> these, you did not do it to Me.' 46 "These will go away into
> eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."
--NextPart_Webmail_9m3u9jl4l_11663_1113093582_0--
|
