More Rhetoric From Agope!
More Rhetoric From Agope!
Agape,
Due to a technical glitch in my answering your post, I lost my entries. This is the best I could do in recovery. My answers are in bold.
Originally posted by JustAChristian
Romans 5:21 That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.
If eternal life is not potential then death due to sin is not realistic I believe it is for real ( Isaiah 59:1-2). Paul tells the Romans that sin has always been the cause of spiritual death, and will always be the case, even so grace will be present through righteousness as one goes forward to obtain eternal life.
Still wrongly dividing God's Word to MAKE IT FALSELY FIT YOUR THEORY. We have ALREADY OBTAINED ETERNAL LIFE THROUGH CHRIST. John 5:13; "...We KNOW WE HAVE ETERNAL LIFE." When we are saved and born again of God's incorruptible seed, there is no ifs, ands or buts...no guess work...works...WE HAVE ETERNAL LIFE ABIDING IN US. We DO NOT need to do anything to "obtain" eternal life...JESUS CHRIST DID IT FOR US. Praise God! You can NEVER obtain eternal life by works. I John 2:25 - "And this is THE PROMISE that HE HATH PROMISED US [EVEN] ETERNAL LIFE..
We ALREADY HAVE the PROMISE OF ETERNAL LIFE because WE HAVE ETERNAL LIFE ALREADY ABIDING IN US.
I know beyond a shadow of doubt that I HAVE ETERNAL LIFE...CHRIST IS IN ME, THE HOPE OF GLORY. I see my future now in the present because I know the promise of God made to me, which is ETERNAL LIFE. I KNOW, THAT I KNOW, THAT I KNOW, I HAVE ETERNAL LIFE. You are so off the Word of God, JAC...you teach the total opposite of the TRUTH...you teach a LIE.
John 5:39 Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.
Romans 5:16-21: And not as [it was] by one that sinned, [so is] the gift: for the judgment [was] by one to condemnation, but the free gift [is] of many offences unto justification. (17) For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.) (18) Therefore as by the offence of one [judgment came] upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one [the free gift came] upon all men unto justification of life. (19) For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. (20) Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: (21) That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.
Jesus Christ did what was required and necessary to make righteousness (justification) available for mankind, and thus God's grace may reign by means of righteousness resulting in eternal life by means of Jesus Christ our Lord and SAVIOR. Eternal LIFE - not death! This eternal life is holy spirit-life/seed in us which is available to men and women by means of Jesus Christ our Lord, (our Master). Let's see some twisting of God's Word, which you so easily do.
The Holy Spirit is in all that are forgiven of sins, but not to give them life. Only the word of God can give life. Its life comes by faithful obedience (1 Peter 1:21-22). If you can not easily see this, then really you don't have to worry about your soul. You'll get in with all the others that have no ability to rationalize.
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All these that John spoke to have died physically, therefore, they did not have eternal life.
With that ridiculous statement shows a lack of knowledge, on your part, concerning the Scriptures. We have eternal life abiding in us. We are not, and obviously so, at this present time IMMORTAL. When Christ returns for his Church at the appointed time God has set forth, the dead in Christ will rise up first and PUT ON INCORRUPTION. Those who are still alive at Christ's coming for his Church will PUT ON IMMORTALITY. There is no debating concerning eternal life. We as born-again believes immediately put on immortality at his coming when we shall meet him IN THE AIR. Romans 8:11 - But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. I Thessalonians 4:14-17: For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. (15) For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive [and] remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. (16) For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: (17) Then we which are alive [and] remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. We are ALREADY SPIRITUALLY SEATED with Christ in heavenly places.
Just like the man said in the movie... "...YOU CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH!!" Your references show nothing except what I have already said, eternal life is potential. There fact that people die proves that life is not eternal presently. Eternal life only comes after the resurrection. All other times it is potential.
Ephesians 2:4-9: But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, (5) Even when we were dead in sins, "HATH" QUICKENED US TOGETHER WITH CHRIST (BY GRACE YE ARE SAVED) (6) AND "HATH" [PAST TENSE] RAISED [US] UP TOGETHER, AND MADE [US] TO SIT TOGETHER IN HEAVENLY PLACES IN CHRIST JESUS: (7) That in the AGES TO COME he might SHEW THE "EXCEEDING RICHES" OF HIS GRACE IN [HIS] KINDNESS TOWARD US "THROUGH" CHRIST JESUS. (8) FOR BY "GRACE" ARE YE "SAVED THROUGH FAITH;" AND THAT "NOT OF YOURSELVES" [it is] THE "GIFT" OF GOD. (9) NOT OF WORKS, lest any man should boast.
This reference merely shows that God can forgive one of sins and make that one alive to righteousness in Christ. This is done by hearing and obeying the word (Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:16). If that person continues to walk in the light, he will continue to have fellowship with God showing eternal life is potential. Eternal life is conditional (Luke 18:22-30).
Can God make it any more PLAIN to the born-again believer?? Open your eyes, JAC...there is so much you are missing out on!
My answers to you have been scripturally sound. You give no evidence to us that the Holy Spirit cleanses of sin, yet you want all to accept this as fact. We are cleansed by the blood of Christ in baptism. (Acts 22:16). If you can show the contrary why don't you do so?
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Only Deity is eternal and this is what John refers to in 1 John 5:11.
I John 5:11-13: And this is the record, that GOD "HATH GIVEN" TO US ETERNAL LIFE, and THIS LIFE IS "IN" HIS SON. (12) HE THAT HATH THE SON HATH LIFE; [and] he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. (13) These things have I written unto YOU THAT BELIEVE ON THE NAME OF THE SON OF GOD; THAT YE MAY KNOW THAT YE HAVE ETERNAL LIFE, AND THEY YE MAY BELIEVE ON THE NAME OF THE SON OF GOD. Where's the so-called "only deity" is eternal?? I really don't know what you're talking about. I guess it's because you still keep making things up as you go.
Since man's life in heaven is conditional (1 John 1:7), failure to be obedient will cause the "once saved" to be lost. (1 Cor. 10:12).
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If we continue in Christ, when we are raised we will not come into condemnation but will pass from death into life eternal. (John 5:24).
Again you have TWISTED THE SCRIPTURES AROUND TO SAY AND MEAN SOMETHING IT DOES NOT. You took the piece of puzzle called "works" and you try to fit it into the GRACE of God and you have distorted the Word of Truth. Here is what John 5:24 is really saying: Verily, verily, I say unto you, HE THAT HEARETH MY WORD, and BELIEVETH ON HIM that sent me, HATH EVERLASTING LIFE, and SHALL NOT COME INTO CONDEMNATION; "BUT" is passed from death unto life. Where does it say "IF" we continue in Christ?? AND where does it say "when we are raised from the dead"??? See how he makes up his own verses...like the puzzle game I had mentioned? He obviously twisted it around to make it work in his favor. It says he that hears and believes on Him that sent me, HATH EVERLASTING LIFE., SHALL NOT COME INTO CONDEMNATION, BUT IS PASSED FROM DEATH TO LIFE. Sounds like the verse is teaching that WE HAVE ETERNAL LIFE for we HAVE ALREADY, SPIRITUALLY, PASSED FROM DEATH TO LIFE (ETERNAL). You subltly put in "IF" we continue in Christ. You purposely turned God's truth into a lie.
Where does it say "if"? The context of this verse parallels 1 John 1:7, which has "if" and which you can't handle. Salvation is contingent on "hearing God's words" , not like those in the "wayside" (Matthew 13:4, 19), but those which make up the "good ground" (Matthew 13:8, 23) and bring forth a "new crop". These are the ones that "believe on the Lord Jesus Christ by hearing and doing what He says. He says to be baptized for the remission of sins and they hear and do it. This makes all the difference. Hath Everlasting Life means that their soul will not come into condemnation if they continue to believe and serve the Lord until they die or until the Lord Jesus returns. They pass from their sinful state of death unto life in Jesus Christ. There is no death in Jesus Christ. They must remain there however to enter into eternal life. (John 8:31). The whole of anything is the sum of it's parts. When you join 1 John 1:7 and other verses that speak of the necessity of continuing in Christ with John 5:14, you will see the whole.
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Galatians 6:8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. Here we go again, trying to fit in works for salvation and eternal life. So now we need to sow eternal life in order to reap eternal life? How ridiculous. How does one "sow and reap" eternal life? What was Jesus Christ all about? Have we forgotten about him. What about John 3:16? All we are required to do to receive eternal life is TO BELEIVE IN CHRIST. We already know from God's Word including all the scriptures I have quoted to you thus far, prove that the only means whereby we can have eternal life is THROUGH CHRIST. So how can anyone "sow eternal life"?? You need to think about these things, JAC.
If you have a problem with what this inspired apostle has written, take it up with him on the judgement. I am just quoting what he said by inspiration. Do you understand what "sowing to the spirit" means? It doesn't seem like you do. Sowing to the spirit implies a faithfulness in spiritual things. If you are faithful in spiritual things you will reap eternal life. Reaping is the outcome of sowing. No one ever reaps a harvest the same time they sow the seed. As for John 3:16, ..."should not perish" is potential. Don't you know what potential means? That is the last verse I'd think you would try to use as a proof text.
All of us who are born again, have holy spirit-life within us, which is the spirit of Christ, which is eternal life. We are spiritually alive now, and in the future we will receive our spiritual bodies like the Lord Jesus Christ has already received from God. Any works we do into the spirit will remain, they will not be burned-up. If we sow "to the Spirit" in us, in manifestations, we will reap "life" everlasting. In other words, we will reap that which is incorruptible, will not burned.
I don't discount that the Spirit of God is within the "Born Again" (1 Cor. 6:19), but the Spirit will only dwell in a "temple" that is kept clean (1 Cor 3:17).
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You continue to try to use the Holy Spirit as the cleansing agent, but He is not. We are cleansed by the blood of Christ which takes place in the obedient act of being baptized for the remission of sins It takes place by being baptized in holy spirit...not in the old symbolic outward cleansing of water baptism, which showed a baptism would be necessary to "receive" remission of sin--"For John truly baptized with water; BUT ye shall be BAPTIZED WITH THE HOLY GHOST not many days hence." The blood of Jesus cleansed us from our sins; however, to receive the cleansing inwardly, one must be born of Spirit, born from above. Why would Jesus tells Nicodemus this if it were not necessary?? The Scriptures make it plain that in order for one to enter into the Kingdom of God he must be born of the Spirit, which is an INWARD cleansing of sin which we received through the blood of Christ. When we are born from above, we receive a NEW NATURE, which is God's Spirit and which is eternal life spirit.
Saying one thing and proving it is something else. You have never shown a verse to show the Holy Spirit as a cleansing agent. In fact, you can't even find "Holy Spirit baptism" as a term in the New Testament. There is many examples in the New Testament of Christians who never were overwhelmed with the Holy Spirit as was the apostles and the house of Cornelius, who were forgiven of sins and saved eternally. There were 3000 saved on Pentecost who never experience Holy Spirit baptism. The Ethiopian nobleman never experience Holy Spirit baptism. I could go on and on, but you know what I am saying is the truth, but "you can't handle the truth"!!!
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1 Peter 1:2 Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied. (Not baptized of the Holy Spirit) Again, you are stating just the opposite of what this verse is saying. It is most definitely to be "baptized in the holy spirit." He is talking to the elect. Their election and salvation in accordance to the foreknowledge of the Father "Through the sanctification of the Spirit" which one can only receive by baptism in holy spirit. We are sanctified, MADE holy, set apart from the world to love and service God UNTO obedience (belief of the truth), sealed by the blood of Christ. (See Exodus 24:3-8) II Thessalonians 2:13:
But we ought always to thank God for you, brothers loved by the Lord, because from the beginning God chose you to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth.
Have you ever see anyone "baptized in the Holy Spirit?" Tell us about it. What did it look like. How can you be sure of the conclusion? Tell us about it.
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Acts 2:38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. (Not baptized of the Holy Spirit)
?? The gift of the Holy Ghost IS to be baptized in the holy spirit!! He said AND BE BAPTIZED AND YE SHALL RECEIVE THE GIFT OF THE "HOLY GHOST/SPIRIT."
Are you asking me to define your premises?
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Acts 22:16 And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord. (Not baptized of the Holy Spirit).
It is referring to a spiritual INNER washing away of sins, calling on the name of the Lord. Definitely referring to BAPTIZED OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.
By Paul's believing of God's Word as he called upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ he received God's gift of holy spirit by means of the Lord Jesus Christ. Note: there was no mention of physical water because physical water bathing, washing or immersion was not and still is not needed nor is it required because it does not wash away any sins since the moment that baptism with holy spirit was established on the day of Pentecost! Again, you interject statements without basis. Jesus was the only one to baptize with the Holy Spirit, but Paul was baptized of Ananias. If Jesus intended to baptize Paul with the Holy Spirit, He could have done it on the road instead of telling (Saul) to go into the city and it will be told him what he MUST DO (Acts 9:6). Paul was later confronted by Ananias who told him that Jesus had selected him as a chosen vessel. He then had to be prepared for the mission through purification of the soul in obeying the truth (1 Peter 1:21-22). The Holy Spirit did not purify Paul's soul and no one else's. When you ever come to see this things will become much clearer to you.
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Not only does Christ declare that eternal life is to be received in the world to come
Only according to your private interpretation.
Mark 10:30 But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life.
Luke 18:30 Who shall not receive manifold more in this present time, and in the world to come life everlasting.
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his apostles clearly taught it. Hear what Paul further told the Roman church..."But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life." (Romans 6:22).
Again, according to your own private interpretation.
Mark 10:30 But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life.
Luke 18:30 Who shall not receive manifold more in this present time, and in the world to come life everlasting.
Romans 6:22,23:
But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.
Paul is addressing the born-again saints and tells that that now having been made free, set at liberty, away from sin - and instead, you have been become servants or made to be people who now serve God...At the actually present time you have your fruit/produce resulting in holiness, the ending issue or fulfillment, (you who are now freed from sin and are enslaved to God) is eternal life - everlasting, agelong spirit-life!
For the wagesof sin [is] death; BUT THE GIFT OF GOD IS ETERNAL LIFE THROUGH JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD.
The difference is very clear:
The wages (merited) proceeding from sin:
Gracious gift (unmerited) Proceeding from God
Death (spiritual death now because of the lack of holy spirit-life, plus death both physically and spiritually in the future)
Eternal life (spiritual life now because of having holy spirit-life, plus eternal life with a spiritual body in the future)
JAC, it really amazes me how every verse of scripture you have put out are the very verses that work against you and disproves your case each and every time!
You really need to do a long and hard study of the scriptures. Your mishandling of scripture, which you do consistently and continuously reflexs from you a low regard for the truth of God's Word and a disrespect to God Himself. I truly implore you to get spiritual guidance and to get help when working the Word of Truth.
Mark 10:30 But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life.
Luke 18:30 Who shall not receive manifold more in this present time, and in the world to come life everlasting.
And like I said before...Like I said before, "...you can't handle the truth!"
JustAChristian