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   From: cdumont@telusplanet.net   
      
   "old man joe"  wrote in message   
   news:0vtfi4p5b1tlidd7h1cuv0dngk6me82m9j@4ax.com...   
   >   
   > " Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, or of me   
   > His prisoner; but join with [me] in suffering for the gospel according   
   > to the power of God,   
   >   
   > who has saved us, and called us with a holy calling, not according to   
   > our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was   
   > granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity... "   
   >   
   > **************************************************************   
   *************************   
   >   
   >  the difference between the gospel preached by the Holy Spirit in His   
   > Holy Scriptures and that preached today where one is offered a   
   > commitment to Christ on the basis of decision making or some   
   > denominational correctness is put to the test by the Word God uses to   
   > describe His purpose in election.   
   >   
   >  consistently, He uses the term of ' work ' on the part of man as not   
   > being the cause of his salvation, but rather, places the credit for   
   > the doing in God alone... " not according to our works. "   
   >   
   >  the word ' work ' in the Better Covenant means " performance; work;   
   > deed; something done in order to accomplish an end. "   
   >   
   >  when asked of Jesus... " What shall we do, that we may work the   
   > works of God? " ( Jn. 6:28 ) His reply is " This is the work of God,   
   > that you believe in Him whom He has sent." ( Jn. 6:29 )  it is   
   > apparent that believing in Jesus is God's work and not man's since   
   > there is not a single soul recorded in Holy Scripture who's " made a   
   > decision for Christ " nor " accepted Jesus as his Lord and Savior "   
   > nor was made alive in Christ through some performance which moved God   
   > to elect him unto life eternal.   
   >   
   >  that " by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His   
   > sight "  is not the means to salvation because... " through the Law   
   > [comes] the knowledge of sin. "  ( Ro. 3:20 )  those claiming   
   > salvation by Law keeping are made unaware that they but false   
   > witnesses against God in Christ who, in and of Himself, is the One who   
   > works the work of believing in man.  Jn. 6:29;  Acts 13:48.   
   >   
   >  in the plainest of terms, willingness on the part of man to be saved   
   > is not the cause of salvation.  ( Jn. 1:12,13 )  since by nature of   
   > his being he is " of his father the devil " ( Jn. 8:43,44 )  " not   
   > seeking after God " ( Ro. 3:10-28 ) and " dead in trespasses   
   > and sins. " Eph. 2: 1-3.   
   >   
   >  personal achievement on the part of man in claiming salvation by   
   > some work or works he says he's done is nothing more than an attempt   
   > to grab away the glory from Christ and rest it on the boast of his   
   > flesh.   
   > all of the glory goes to the One who raises spiritually dead men from   
   > among the spiritually dead of this world giving them life and faith...   
   > as He says,  salvation is " according to His own purpose and grace   
   > which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity. "   
   >   
   >  because God saves whom He wills apart from the works of man   
   > according to His Holy Scriptures, His grace is " freely bestowed "   
   > upon those " who sought Him not " ( Ro. 10:20 ) making election to   
   > eternal life unconditional, as proven by Jacob, David, Jeremiah and   
   > John the Baptist who were all recorded to be saved while yet fetuses.   
   >   
   >  the truly elect " make their calling and election sure " by naming   
   > God in Christ as their Savior and not themselves as they perform the   
   > good works predestined that they will work by God who works all things   
   > after the counsel of His own will. Eph. 2:10   
      
     Saved by Grace simply means we are all sinners and God did not have to   
   save us, but those who believe Christ died for our sins and pray for   
   gorgivenes and repent will be saved, that does not mean they saved   
   themselves, they give Christ all the glory.   
     You keep quoting from Romans and Eph. , those two books were written to   
   the saints, and since you do not understand that means you are not a saint.   
     There are two types of people on earth today, the elects who were   
   justified in the first world age and the freewill people who have to choose   
   life or death in this life.   
     There are millions of elects on earth today and they are here to stand   
   against satan again when he comes and to preach the good news to the   
   freewill.   
     You say there is no good news, even if you accept Christ and repent you   
   still go to hell, Jesus said if you call someone fool you are in danger of   
   hell fire, that means if you tell someone that he CANNOT BE SAVED EVEN IF HE   
   REPENTS, YOU MAY NOT BE FORGIVEN. I have told you this before and you keep   
   on doing it, you are in danger of hellfire.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)