A Reviler

So are you saying that we may lose our salvation if we cannot keep our tongue?

 

I've never heard of that being the Kingdom of God, James. Can you explain more about that please? Anyone who believes it's not what James says, feel free to also explain, but I'm not looking for an argument, simply to learn.

 

Premillennialism is the belief that there will be a literal 1000 year kingdom of God on this earth when Christ returns. To take the kingdom of God and make it mean eternity in heaven or a spiritual kingdom that we are all in now is to deny literal interpretation of scripture.

Jesus promised in John to resurrect those who would believe on Him, on the last day.
John 6:40 And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.

Here we see a promise based on belief, of being raised up on the last day. Compare this promise to this

2 Thessalonians 1:5 Which is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer:

2 Timothy 2:12
12 If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us:

here we see that reigning in the kingdom is something that we suffer for, that we must be counted worthy of. If reigning with Him is the same thing as being raised up on the last day, then there would seem to be a contradiction in the bible.

One way to reconcile this is to say 'well believe really means believe and suffer, work, etc...' so you must have works added to faith to obtain eternal salvation. Or you can say 'if you are really saved, you will automatically have works' which practically speaking is the same, if you don't suffer, your not saved.

I believe the truth is that eternal salvation is free, being born again by believing is a one time act that causes the eternal condemnation of sin to be removed from a man and be placed on Jesus, who bore our sin on the cross. Now you are a child of God. You will not perish, but you will be raised up on the last day. But God wants even more for us, He wants us to reign with Christ during the thousand year kingdom. This is a reward that he will bestow on those that will avail themselves of the grace that He has provided for us, through again the blood of Jesus, and overcome sin in this life. The millennium is a special time of rest, when the earth's natural kingdoms will be ruled by Jesus accompanied by His faithful servants from this age and those that were martyred for His cause. Other believers who were not willing to 'seek first the kingdom of God' will miss out on this blessed reward. But they will still be saved, just as Jesus promised.

 

I'm saying what Paul said. Sin is deceitful, therefore don't be deceived. Sinners will not enter the Kingdom of God.

Pretty basic stuff. And, I have no desire to turn this debate into a discussion of eschatology. The OP is excellent and we should be reminded of it periodically.