Re: ANTINOMIANS ARE THE BAD GUYS
Andrew B. Chung, MD/PhD
GOD's love into their hearts, and now possess eternal life:
http://groups.google.com/group/sci.med.cardiology/msg/15fd908b7bd5e0cb?
They have become the brethren of Christ Jesus, doing the will of their
heavenly Father. GOD's love in their hearts compel them to obey the
two most important commandments issued by Jesus and in so doing, they
automatically and effortlessly abide by all the laws ever issued by
Moses and all the other prophets of GOD:
http://groups.google.com/group/sci.med.cardiology/msg/2826b67af6c5ecd9?
May GOD continue to heal our hearts with His living water, dear Donna
whom I love unconditionally.
Prayerfully in Christ's amazing love,
Andrew <><
--
Andrew B. Chung
Cardiologist, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
http://HeartMDPhD.com/HolySpirit
As for knowing who are the very elect, these you will know by the
unconditional love they have for everyone including their enemies
(Matthew 5:44-45, 1 Corinthians 13:3, James 2:14-17).
http://groups.google.com/group/sci.med.cardiology/msg/f4dad7fe68478acf?
Donna Kupp wrote:
> No one wants to be called an antinomian because
> antinomians are known as the bad guys of church history.
> Since only a few Christians know what an antinomian
> teaches, many will be shocked when they read the
> definition and discover that they are one.
>
> antinomian, (from Greek anti=against and nomos=law)
> "One who holds that, under the gospel dispensation, the
> moral law is of no use or obligation, faith alone being
> necessary to salvation." (Webster's Collegiate)
>
> The moral law is defined as:
>
> "The Decalogue [The ten commandments] and the moral
> maxims of the Mosaic law" (Webster's 20th Century)
>
> As you can see, the fact is that anyone who says that a
> Christian is under no obligation to obey the ten
> commandments for salvation is an antinomian teacher.
>
> Antinomianism is a spiritual cancer which has eaten away
> the heart of modern Christianity. All that is left is a weak
> and sickly counterfeit dressed in fine clothing. Unrepentant
> sinners love this sin-filled fake which softly promises that
> "faith alone is necessary to salvation". What a lie!
>
> Jesus said:
>
> "If you would enter life KEEP THE COMMANDMENTS"
> (Matthew 19:17)
>
> Only Satan, "the father of liars" would boldly contradict the
> very words of Christ and call it Christianity. The simple
> truth is that Jesus never said: "If you would enter life, have
> faith." He said - keep the commandments!.
>
> Down through the pages of history, the leaders and
> teachers in the true church have fought this doctrine of
> Antinomianism which teaches that a Christian can continue
> to commit sin and still inherit eternal life.
>
> >From the time of Adam and Eve, Satan's plan has always
> been to trick men and women into disobeying the laws of
> God. That is what makes him the enemy of God. Think
> about it, if Satan were to teach people that they must keep
> the ten commandments in order to inherit eternal life he
> would be saying the same thing as Jesus.
>
> On the contrary, Satan's "antinomian" teachers say that as
> far as salvation is concerned, Christians have no obligation
> to obey any of God's ten commandments. They insist that
> we are saved by grace --plus nothing.
>
> This lie of Satan can take many subtle forms and is
> sometimes difficult to pin down. But there is one question
> that will always expose the true source of someone's
> doctrine. If you are not exactly sure what a teacher believes
> about salvation, ask him this question:
>
> Can a Christian continue to deliberately break any of the ten
> commandments (including the sabbath) and still inherit eternal
> life?
>
> Anyone who says "Yes" is teaching antinomianism, whether
> he knows it or not. The truth is that Christians must cease
> from all willful sin in order to inherit eternal life. The good
> news is that through the power of the Holy Spirit, we can.
>
> Donna Kupp
>
> "And the dragon was wroth with the woman,
> and went to make war with the remnant of her seed,
> WHICH KEEP THE COMMANDMENTS OF GOD,
> AND HAVE THE TESTIMONY OF JESUS CHRIST." Rev 12:17 (KJV)
>
> The Seven Deadly Deceptions Of Counterfeit Christianity
> www.freetruth.info
Kurt Gavin
"Andrew B. Chung, MD/PhD" <lo...@thetruth.com> wrote in message
Hey, I got a book for you:
The End of Faith: Religion, Terror, and the Future of Reason (Paperback)
a.. Paperback: 224 pages
a.. Publisher: W. W. Norton; Reprint edition (October 10, 2005)
a.. Language: English
a.. ISBN: 0393327655
Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Sam Harris cranks out blunt, hard-hitting chapters to make his case for why
faith itself is the most dangerous element of modern life. And if the
devil's in the details, then you'll find Satan waiting at the back of the
book in the very substantial notes section where Harris saves his more
esoteric discussions to avoid sidetracking the urgency of his message.
Interestingly, Harris is not just focused on debunking religious faith,
though he makes his compelling arguments with verve and intellectual
clarity. The End of Faith is also a bit of a philosophical Swiss Army knife.
Once he has presented his arguments on why, in an age of Weapons of Mass
Destruction, belief is now a hazard of great proportions, he focuses on
proposing alternate approaches to the mysteries of life. Harris recognizes
the truth of the human condition, that we fear death, and we often crave
"something more" we cannot easily define, and which is not met by
accumulating more material possessions. But by attempting to provide the
cure for the ills it defines, the book bites off a bit more than it can
comfortably chew in its modest page count (however the rich Bibliography
provides more than enough background for an intrigued reader to follow up
for months on any particular strand of the author' musings.)
Harris' heart is not as much in the latter chapters, though, but in
presenting his main premise. Simply stated, any belief system that speaks
with assurance about the hereafter has the potential to place far less value
on the here and now. And thus the corollary -- when death is simply a door
translating us from one existence to another, it loses its sting and
finality. Harris pointedly asks us to consider that those who do not fear
death for themselves, and who also revere ancient scriptures instructing
them to mete it out generously to others, may soon have these weapons in
their own hands. If thoughts along the same line haunt you, this is your
book.--Ed Dobeas --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
<snip bogus links>
Donna Kupp
placed their faith in LORD Jesus Christ, have received
GOD's love into their hearts, and now possess eternal life:"
Donna sez: The scriptures teach that our faith must be
tested and approved before we receive the "crown of life".
THE TESTING OF OUR FAITH
It is a tribute to the Serpent's cunning that this vital part
of salvation is so often ignored by modern Bible teachers.
And yet, from Genesis through Revelation, the Bible teaches
that God tests His people in order to determine their
faithfulness. In the book of Genesis, we see that God
tested Adam and Eve.
"And the Lord God COMMANDED the man, saying, Of
every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:
But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil,
THOU SHALT NOT EAT OF IT: for in the day that
thou eatest thereof THOU SHALT SURELY DIE."
(Genesis 2:15)
Through the experience of Adam and Eve we can gain
understanding on the subject of testing. From that
model we see that God tests His people by commanding
certain things and then warns them of the consequences.
God tested Abraham's faith by commanding him to sacrifice
that which was most precious to him. Abraham passed the
test and received God's blessing. Modern Christianity
teaches that Abraham was blessed because of his faith.
Nevertheless, the fact is that Abraham was not blessed
for his faith, but rather for **the obedience which his faith
produced.** The proof of that is seen in Genesis 22:18
when the angel of the Lord said to Abraham:
"...BECAUSE YOU HAVE DONE THIS, and have not
withheld your son ... I will indeed bless you, and I will
multiply your descendants as the stars of heaven...and by
your descendants shall all the nations bless themselves,
**BECAUSE** YOU HAVE OBEYED MY VOICE."
That is why James used the example of Abraham when he
insisted that faith without obedience is a dead faith, he said:
"But wilt thou know, O vain man,
that faith without works is DEAD?
Was not Abraham our father justified by works
WHEN he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?"
(James 2:20f)
James was careful to emphasize that Abraham was justified
WHEN he had offered Isaac. Yes, it is true that we are
justified by our faith, but as James points out, that faith must
be tested in order to receive eternal life. He wrote:
"Blessed is the man who ENDURES trial,
for when he has stood the TEST
he will receive the CROWN OF LIFE
which God has promised to those who LOVE HIM."
James l:12
That one sentence contains the three facts necessary to
understand the process of testing:
1. Christians must ENDURE TESTING.
2. Those who STAND THE TEST
receive the CROWN OF LIFE.
3. The crown of life is promised to those who LOVE GOD.
The apostle John defines how to LOVE God:
"For this is the love of God,
that we KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS." (1 John 5:3)
So, there it is, God's plan of testing for all who will accept the
testimony of scripture...
THE CROWN OF LIFE IS PROMISED TO THOSE
WHO KEEP THE COMMANDMENTS OF GOD.
As we continue to look through the scriptures we will
often see this concept of testing through obedience.
For example, in the book of Exodus we find that God
chose the Israelites and called them out of Egypt. After
they had crossed the Red Sea, God gave them
commandments in order to test them. All those over the
age of twenty failed the test and died in the wilderness
- except Joshua and Caleb - who through their faith
were obedient.
After forty years in the wilderness, as they were about
to enter the land of Canaan, Moses said to the new
generation of Israelites: "And you shall remember all
the way which the Lord your God has led you these
forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you,
TESTING YOU to know what was in your heart, whether
you would KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS, or not."
(Deuteronomy 8:2)
Repeatedly, we see God testing His people in order to
know what is in their hearts, and that test is whether
we will keep His commandments or not.
JESUS WAS TESTED!
In the New Testament we find this same principle of
testing. For example...
"Then was Jesus led up by the Spirit into the
wilderness to be tempted by the devil." (Matt 4:1)
In that lonely desert, Satan offered Jesus all the kingdoms
of the world if He would only bow down and worship him.
While most of us will never be offered kingdoms for our
disobedience, Satan does offer us worldly pleasures and
rewards if we will follow him and commit sin by disobeying
the commandments of God.
Just as God allowed Satan to test Jesus and Job, God also
allows Satan to test us in this world. One can easily
understand this concept if one sees the world system
with all its pleasures and rewards as the means by which
we are tested.
The scriptures say that "...the whole world is in the power
of the evil one." (1 John 5:19) and that Satan is "...the
god of this world." (2 Cor 4:4). As we go through our time
on earth, the world system under the power of Satan is
like an obstacle course for the Christian. Satan uses all
his power over the pleasures of this world in order to draw
us into disobedience.
The good news is that even though we may be tempted to
the limit of our strength, God does not permit Satan to
test us beyond our ability to resist. Paul wrote:
"God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted
beyond your strength, but with the temptation will also
provide the way of escape, that you may be able to
endure it." (1 Corinthians 10:13)
Since we cannot be tested beyond our God-given
ability to obey, if we disobey, our choice proves what
is in our hearts. If we love God "with all our heart, all
our mind and all our strength" we will choose to keep
His commandments. If we love the world more than
God we will choose to break God's commandments.
It is just that simple.
THE RICH YOUNG RULER'S CHOICE
Did Jesus teach that we must keep the Ten Commandments
in order to receive eternal life? Nothing could be clearer
than His words to the Rich Young Ruler who asked Jesus
"What good deed must I do, to have eternal life?" Jesus
answered him by saying:
"If you would enter life, keep the commandments...You
shall not kill, You shall not commit adultery, you shall
not steal, you shall not bear false witness etc."
(Matt 19:17f)
Jesus was not tricking that man, our Lord meant just what
He said! When Jesus commanded the man to "sell all
and give to the poor", He exposed the covetousness in
the Rich Young Ruler's heart. The young man chose
not to obey and failed the test.
OVERCOMERS RECEIVE ETERNAL LIFE
In His letters to the seven churches, Jesus refers to the
testing of our faith several times. The constant theme
is that the one who conquers or overcomes (Greek nikao)
is the one who receives the reward. In some letters the
reward promised has to do with eternal life, for example:
EPHESUS (Rev 2:7) "...To him who CONQUERS (nikao)
I will grant to eat of the tree of LIFE, which is in the paradise
of God."
SMYRNA (Rev 2:10) "...Be faithful unto death, and I will
give you the crown of LIFE...He who CONQUERS (nikao)
shall not be hurt by the second death."
Remember that in James 1:12, the "crown of life"
was the reward promised to those who love God
(i.e. keep His commandments.)
SARDIS (Rev 3:5) "He who CONQUERS (nikao) shall be
clad thus in white garments, and I will not blot his name
out of the book of LIFE."
The reader might well ask: "Does the word "conquer"
have anything to do with the believer overcoming the
world system controlled by Satan and his angels?
The answer to that question is found in the 1st Epistle
of John. In the fifth chapter, John uses the same Greek
word "nikao" (to conquer or overcome) three times in
describing the victory of the believer over the world. Not
only did he use the same word "nikao" - he tied it directly
to keeping the commandments of God...
"For this is the love of God, that we keep His command-
ments...for whatsoever is born of God OVERCOMETH
(nikao) the world: and this is the victory that
OVERCOMETH (nikao) the world, even our faith. Who is
he that OVERCOMETH (nikao) the world, but he that
believeth that Jesus is the Son of God." (1 John 5:3-5)
God allows Satan and his world system to test our faith.
Those who pass the test by keeping the commandments
of God are those who "conquer" the world, and according
to Jesus, those who conquer will be granted "to eat of the
tree of life which is in the paradise of God". With those
verses in mind, it is easy to understand what Jesus meant
when He told the Sadducees that only those who are
"accounted worthy" will be the sons of God. Jesus said:
"The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage;
but those who are ACCOUNTED WORTHY to attain to
that age and to the resurrection from the dead neither marry
nor are given in marriage, for they CANNOT DIE any more,
because they are equal to angels and are SONS OF
GOD, being sons of the resurrection." Luke 20:34
Only those who are "accounted worthy" will become the sons
of God and receive eternal life. That simple truth is far
different than what is being taught in the churches of
today, who say that those who just "believe" will have
eternal life. Listen to these sobering words of Jesus as
he promises life and sonship to those who conquer sin -
and death in the lake of fire to those who do not...
"...To the thirsty I will give from the fountain of the
water of LIFE without payment. He who CONQUERS
(nikao) shall have this heritage and I will be his God and
he shall be MY SON.
BUT as for the cowardly, the faithless, the polluted, as for
murderers, fornicators, sorcerers, idolators, and all liars,
their lot shall be in the lake that burns with fire and
sulphur, which is the second DEATH." Rev 21:6-8)
I pray that those words of Jesus will strike fear and dread
into the hearts of readers who have been told that they
are sons of God simply because they have "believed".
Only those believers whose faith has been tested by
the "fiery trials" will inherit eternal life. Peter had much
to say about these trials, he wrote:
"...though now for a little while you may have to suffer
various trials, so that the GENUINENESS OF YOUR
FAITH, more precious than gold which though
perishable is tested by fire, may redound to praise and
honor and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ...As the
outcome of your faith you obtain the
SALVATION OF YOUR SOULS."
(1 Peter 1:6-9)
Only "genuine" faith, tested by fire, will result in the
salvation of our souls. The authentic faith that saves
is a faith that suffers with Christ by ceasing from sin.
Peter wrote:
"Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm
yourselves with the same thought, for whoever has
suffered in the flesh HAS CEASED FROM SIN,"
(1 Peter 4:1)
Ceasing from sin causes the fiery trials which test
our faith. As we struggle against Satan we share in
the sufferings of Christ who overcame the Devil so
that we might also be able to overcome. This battle
against sin is the common heritage of all who follow
Christ. Peter said:
"Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal which
comes upon you TO PROVE YOU, as though
something strange were happening to you. But rejoice
in so far as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may
also rejoice and be glad when His glory is revealed."
(1 Peter 4:12-13)
If we want to be glorified with Christ then we must suffer with
Him. That is why Paul said that we were:
"...heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ,
PROVIDED WE SUFFER with Him in order that we
may also be glorified with Him." (Rom 8:17)
Did you see the phrase "provided we suffer"? Suffering
with Christ is the condition for becoming heirs of God!
Perhaps many of you have read that verse in Romans
without really understanding that to suffer with Christ
means ceasing from sin. Thus, if you have not ceased
from sin, you have not suffered with Christ, and if you
have not suffered with Christ, you will not be glorified
with Him.
As you can see, is not just those who "believe" who
will be saved, but rather, those who believe enough
to suffer by putting to death the deeds of the body
through obedience to God's law. That is why Paul
warned the Roman believers that:
"... if you live according to the flesh YOU WILL DIE,
But, IF by the Spirit you put to death
the deeds of the body, YOU WILL LIVE."
"For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God;
IT DOES NOT SUBMIT TO GOD'S LAW, indeed it
cannot; and those who are in the flesh cannot please God."
(Rom 8:7)
If anyone finds himself unable to submit to God's law
he may be certain that he does not possess the Holy
Spirit of God. For it is only "...by the Spirit" that we
are able to obey. Those who believe they have the
Holy Spirit but cannot "put to death the deeds of the
body" have been horribly deceived. Their end will be
destruction in the lake of fire.
THE FINAL WORD
For those who still doubt what I am saying, please
spend a few minutes in prayerful study of the very
last blessing promised by Jesus as He ended the
book of Revelation...
"Blessed are they that DO HIS COMMANDMENTS,
That they may have right to the tree of LIFE,
And may enter in through the gates into the city.
For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers,
and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth
and maketh a lie" Rev 22:14 KJV
>From the fall of Adam in the garden of Eden till the
time when New Jerusalem, the holy city descends
from God, the scriptures declare that only those who
keep the commandments of God will eat of the tree
of life.
"Here is the endurance of the saints,
those who KEEP THE COMMANDMENTS OF GOD
**AND** the faith of Jesus." Rev 14:12
Donna Kupp
"And the dragon was wroth with the woman,
and went to make war with the remnant of her seed,
WHICH KEEP THE COMMANDMENTS OF GOD,
AND HAVE THE TESTIMONY OF JESUS CHRIST." Rev 12:17 (KJV)
The Seven Deadly Deceptions Of Counterfeit Christianity
www.freetruth.info
Donna Kupp
ACCORDING TO JESUS CHRIST
Antinomians say that faith renders the Christian free from
obligation to obey the Ten Commandments, and is in itself
sufficient for salvation. According to them, Jesus taught that
loving God and our neighbor replaces our duty to obey The
Ten Commandments.
This is the scripture that they use to support their heresy:
"Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a
question, tempting him, and saying, Master, which is the great
commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt
love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul,
and with all thy mind. This is the first and great
commandment.
And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour
as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and
the prophets." Matt 22:35-40
Jesus didn't replace The Ten Commandments with those two
precepts of love. With them, He established The Ten
Commandments as The Royal Law of God by which all men
will be judged. Friends, it is impossible to love God, or our
neighbour, without obeying The Ten Commandments!
Here, John tells us HOW to love God:
"For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments:
and his commandments are not grievous." I Jn 5:3
In his answer to the lawyer, Jesus quoted directly from Deut
6:5-6 where it tells us HOW MUCH we are to love God. We
read:
"And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart,
and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words
[The Ten Commandments], which I command thee this day,
shall be in thine heart ..."
Jesus is teaching us to obey The Ten Commandments with all
our hearts ... That is HOW MUCH we are to love God!
Now, let us consider the second precept of love "Thou shalt
love thy neighbor as thyself".
These commandments also show us our duty to God. They
pertain to our relationships with other people: Honor your
father and mother. Thou shalt not kill. Thou shalt not commit
adultery. Thou shalt not steal. Thou shalt not bear false
witness. Thou shalt not covet ...anything that is thy
neighbours.
Again, it is impossible to love our neighbor and disobey those
commandments. In his answer to the lawyer, Jesus establishes
The Ten Commandments by quoting from this Old
Testament Scripture:
"Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart: thou shalt in
any wise REBUKE thy neighbour, and not suffer SIN upon
him. Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the
children of thy people, BUT THOU SHALT LOVE THY
NEIGHBOUR AS THYSELF: I am the LORD.
Lev 19:17-18
Jesus is teaching us to correct the brother who is disobeying
The Ten Commandments -- That is the scriptural example of
"loving thy neighbour as thyself."
Donna Kupp
"And the dragon was wroth with the woman,
and went to make war with the remnant of her seed,
WHICH KEEP THE COMMANDMENTS OF GOD,
AND HAVE THE TESTIMONY OF JESUS CHRIST." Rev 12:17 (KJV)
The Seven Deadly Deceptions Of Counterfeit Christianity
www.freetruth.info
Andrew B. Chung, MD/PhD wrote:
Andrew B. Chung, MD/PhD
> Andrew, in the Holy Spirit, boldly wrote:
>
> "Those who have
> placed their faith in LORD Jesus Christ, have received
> GOD's love into their hearts, and now possess eternal life:"
>
Link restored:
http://groups.google.com/group/sci.med.cardiology/msg/15fd908b7bd5e0cb?
Many thanks, much praise, and all the glory to GOD for compelling you
to demonstrate that you lack the courage that comes from being in the
Holy Spirit.
Without GOD's love in your heart, you can never receive the guidance of
the Holy Spirit.
> Donna sez: The scriptures teach that our faith must be
> tested and approved before we receive the "crown of life".
That would be your erroneous interpretation without the counsel of the
Holy Spirit.
> THE TESTING OF OUR FAITH
>
> It is a tribute to the Serpent's cunning that this vital part
> of salvation is so often ignored by modern Bible teachers.
> And yet, from Genesis through Revelation, the Bible teaches
> that God tests His people in order to determine their
> faithfulness.
"When I test someone's faith, MY purpose is to strengthen it and not to
relearn what I already know." -- Holy Spirit
Amen ! Laus Deo ! ! ! !
GOD is amazing ! ! ! ! ! !
> In the book of Genesis, we see that God
> tested Adam and Eve.
>
> "And the Lord God COMMANDED the man, saying, Of
> every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:
>
> But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil,
> THOU SHALT NOT EAT OF IT: for in the day that
> thou eatest thereof THOU SHALT SURELY DIE."
> (Genesis 2:15)
>
> Through the experience of Adam and Eve we can gain
> understanding on the subject of testing.
This was not a test of their faith in GOD but simply a commandment
issued by GOD to reveal sin as soon as sin entered into the garden of
Eden. LORD GOD Almighty foreknew that sin would enter the garden
through Eve and Adam.
> From that
> model we see that God tests His people by commanding
> certain things and then warns them of the consequences.
These commandments and laws serve not to test HIS people but to convict
them of their sin.
> God tested Abraham's faith by commanding him to sacrifice
> that which was most precious to him.
Actually, GOD tested Abraham's love here.
> Abraham passed the
> test and received God's blessing.
Actually, Abraham's love for GOD was strengthened by the test. Abraham
had GOD's blessing from the outset even **before** obeying GOD's
command to offer up Isaac, when he was blessed by Melchizedek, King of
Salem and High Priest of GOD (Genesis 14:18-20).
> Modern Christianity
> teaches that Abraham was blessed because of his faith.
Christianity is not a religion but a relationship with the risen Christ
Jesus.
HE teaches HIS brethren that Abraham is blessed because he loves GOD
with all his heart, soul, mind, and strength.
> Nevertheless, the fact is that Abraham was not blessed
> for his faith, but rather for **the obedience which his faith
> produced.** The proof of that is seen in Genesis 22:18
> when the angel of the Lord said to Abraham:
>
> "...BECAUSE YOU HAVE DONE THIS, and have not
> withheld your son ... I will indeed bless you, and I will
> multiply your descendants as the stars of heaven...and by
> your descendants shall all the nations bless themselves,
> **BECAUSE** YOU HAVE OBEYED MY VOICE."
>From GOD's generous gift of free will there is the possibility of
**both** love and obedience.
Again, Abraham is blessed because he loves GOD with all his heart,
soul, mind, and strength. The latter is proven by his willingness to
offer up his one and only begotten son with Sarah to GOD in sacrifice.
This willingness reminds Jesus' brethren of GOD's love for us (John
3:16).
> That is why James used the example of Abraham when he
> insisted that faith without obedience is a dead faith, he said:
>
> "But wilt thou know, O vain man,
> that faith without works is DEAD?
>
> Was not Abraham our father justified by works
> WHEN he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?"
> (James 2:20f)
>
> James was careful to emphasize that Abraham was justified
> WHEN he had offered Isaac. Yes, it is true that we are
> justified by our faith, but as James points out, that faith must
> be tested in order to receive eternal life. He wrote:
>
> "Blessed is the man who ENDURES trial,
> for when he has stood the TEST
> he will receive the CROWN OF LIFE
> which God has promised to those who LOVE HIM."
> James l:12
Note that the keyword here is LOVE and not faith.
Many thanks, much praise, and all the glory to GOD for compelling you
to cite James 1:12 to prove that indeed love is greater than either
hope or faith, which in turn are both greater than works.
> That one sentence contains the three facts necessary to
> understand the process of testing:
>
> 1. Christians must ENDURE TESTING.
Actually, what is written is that a man is blessed when he endures
trial.
> 2. Those who STAND THE TEST
> receive the CROWN OF LIFE.
Actually, what is written is that the trial is an opportunity (to stand
the test) to receive GOD's love (crown of life) into ones heart.
> 3. The crown of life is promised to those who LOVE GOD.
The crown of life is GOD's love.
Though HIS love is infinite, it is conditional:
http://groups.google.com/group/sci.med.cardiology/msg/a77da2d26da0ab97?
> The apostle John defines how to LOVE God:
>
> "For this is the love of God,
> that we KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS." (1 John 5:3)
Actually, this verse you cite does not define "how to love GOD" but
rather characterizes those who love GOD as those who "keep HIS
commandments."
One simply loves GOD by choosing to love HIM via the free will that HE
has generously given all souls including those belonging to even fig
trees (Mark 11:12-14, 20):
http://groups.google.com/group/sci.med.cardiology/msg/76c0d6d2aa5eed2f?
> So, there it is, God's plan of testing for all who will accept the
> testimony of scripture...
>
> THE CROWN OF LIFE IS PROMISED TO THOSE
> WHO KEEP THE COMMANDMENTS OF GOD.
This is your erroneous conclusion reached by misinterpreting Scripture
without the counsel of the Holy Spirit.
You are defeated... shown to be adrift without the truth, Who is LORD
Jesus Christ:
http://groups.google.com/group/sci.med.cardiology/msg/eb42672896d36d4b?
This victory belongs to GOD, Whom I love with all my heart, soul, mind,
and strength:
http://groups.google.com/group/sci.med.cardiology/msg/175b5dc947a0781f?
Your consolation prize is eternal life if you choose to surrender to
HIM:
http://groups.google.com/group/sci.med.cardiology/msg/fcb058da12bb3f3d?
May GOD in HIS infinite grace and mercy keep your heart beating to give
you extra time to understand and act on this, dear neighbor Donna whom
Kurt Gavin
> Donna Kupp wrote:
>> Andrew, in the Holy Spirit, boldly wrote:
>>
>> "Those who have
>> placed their faith in LORD Jesus Christ, have received
>> GOD's love into their hearts, and now possess eternal life:"
>>
>> <link snipped by Donna Kupp in an act of cowardice>
>
> Link restored:
<snip>
Link clipped!!! Laus Deo!!!!