Falling Away from Grace?

By the way, here's my favorite Bible study web site. Do a search of the entire Bible on "Bema" and let me know what you find.

The ONE Judgement is described primarily in two places in the Bible, MA 25 and REV 20. The unBiblical characterization of one for believers and one for unbelievers and the designation of the third description as the "Bema Seat" Judgement is not found in the Bible and falls under what is termed adding to that book in REV. Look up what happens to those who do so.

 

StraightAndNarrow, When we are faithless, He is faithful. I have gone through periods in my life when I have not abided in Him, but this certainly does not mean that He no longer loved me.

It means I am not living a life that would please Him. Abide in Him means to live in Him.

His love is not conditional on my sinless perfection, thank His Holy name.

He died for us while we were still sinners, He will certainly not abandon us if we do not measure up a perfect standard.

The branches in the vineyard were pruned and thrown into the fire because they were of no use.
All the passage means is that unfruitful Christians are of no use to Him.

MR

 

This exchange brings to mind a woman in our church who expressed the belief one Wednesday night that God did not hear the prayers of sinful Christians.

She apparently considers herself sinless in spite of the fact that she is badly obese.

We always see everyone else's sin but not our own.

I have been a horrible sinner and I have experienced grace in a way that you "straight and narrow" types will never understand.

"He who is forgiven much will love much.
He who is forgiven little will love little."

IT IS YOU WHO HAVE FALLEN FROM GRACE, STRAIGHTANDNARROW!!!!

You have said so yourself. You must keep the commandments to be saved!? Why are you any different from the Pharisees?

"You who are seeking to be justified by the law{commandments}, YOU have fallen from grace.

MR

 

Thank you for rendering my eternal judgement but I'll wait for Christ to do that if you don't mind. I'm not talking about the law. I'm talking about maintaining a close relationship with the risen Christ (abiding in Him). If you chose, live a life life that of someone who never did know Him.

By the way, I did fall from Grace. I left the church and didn't give God a second thought for 20 years after growing up in a good Christian family and being very active in the church as a youth. I know what it means to walk with Him and what it means to reject Him. This is mainly the reason I feel so strongly about this question.

Will YOU be on Christ's RIGHT side or on His LEFT side after the Judgment? WHY?

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Mat 25:31 When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:
Mat 25:32 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth [his] sheep from the goats:
Mat 25:33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.
Mat 25:34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
Mat 25:35 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:
Mat 25:36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
Mat 25:37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed [thee]? or thirsty, and gave [thee] drink?
Mat 25:38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took [thee] in? or naked, and clothed [thee]?
Mat 25:39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
Mat 25:40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done [it] unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done [it] unto me.
Mat 25:41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
Mat 25:42 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:
Mat 25:43 I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.
Mat 25:44 Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?
Mat 25:45 Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did [it] not to one of the least of these, ye did [it] not to me.
Mat 25:46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.

 

No need for me to wait for Jesus to render my eternal judgement.
He has already declared that I am one of His.
I shall be on His right.

Even when you wandered away, you were still
saved.

You seem to be misunderstanding what a relationship with Jesus is.
Matthew 25 does not show a list of things you do or don't do to get into Heaven but the characteristics of people who have or do not have a relationship with Him.

Maybe we are agreeing and I am simply misunderstanding you.

There is another woman in our church who relishes pointing out all the righteous things she does and the sinful things she refrains from, but these things are simply a standard she has invented for herself that she is able to attain to and display for all to see.

She has probably not felt grace because she believes she is relatively sinless. {Really!}
I'm not saying she isn't saved but that she hasn't felt it like someone who is struggling with sin.

A convicted sinner can be in a much closer relationship with Jesus than someone who feels they have arrived at a point of growth where there is little room for improvement.

But perhaps I am misunderstanding you, Straight and Narrow.

MR

 

I think perhaps we do agree. All I'm saying is that there is no such thing as a carnal Christian. Will we continue to sin after we are saved? Yes. Should that bother us to the extent that we repent of that sin and reture to the "staight and narrow?" Absolutely.

A so-called Christian who continues in their sin for a long period of time without any remorse is again being controlled by their sin, not by their relationship with Christ. My perspective is that this can and will happen if we replace Jesus as the Lord of our lives with Satan again.

Why is it that both major descriptions of the Judgement (MA 25 and REV 20) describe a judgement based on the works of love we have done in His name? Yes, these should happen as a result of being born again. But what if we fall away and no longer love the Lord our God with all of our heart and our neighbors as Christ commanded? We will have fallen away from the faith perhaps becoming unfaithful like those in the Church at Sardis.


Rev 3:1 And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead.
Rev 3:2 Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God.
Rev 3:3 Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.
Rev 3:4 Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy.
Rev 3:5 He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.

The bottom line is found in verse 5. He that overcometh (the world's temptations and trials) will enter Heaven

 

BUMP