Eternal life through works only?

Lifestyle Religion, Spiritualism & Philosophy
1

Fellow Christians, I have a question. How do you reconcile John 5:28-29, John 3:16 with Revelation 20:11-15?

The Roman Catholic Church has always maintained that salvation is by faith through grace and works (John 5:28-29). Then the Reformers came and insisted that salvation is by faith through grace alone (John 3:16). My question is whether there will be unbelievers listed in the Book of Life based on the good works they did while on earth as seen in Revelation 20:11-15.

Chronologically, Revelation 20 is taking place after the rapture, 1000 year millenium and Satan’s judgement. The souls mentioned in the latter aspect of Rev 20 have long missed the rapture, first resurrection and millenium. What’s confusing to me in Rev 20 is that there are people still receiving eternal life after the second resurrection during the judgment of unbelievers!

[SIZE=6]The Judgment of the Dead [/SIZE]
Rev 20:11 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from his presence, and there was no place for them.

12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books.

13 The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done.

14 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death.

15 Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.

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There is no contradiction in those key chapters. The bible tells us who will inherit the kingdom of God and who will not…
[SIZE=7]1 Corinthians 6:9-11 [/SIZE]

  1. Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men.

  2. nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.

  3. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

3

put it this way

  1. access to Heaven is FREE! FREE! FREE! you need not do anything because Christ has done it already. no works at all are necessary and there is nothing on this planet that you can do that will make you any less an entrant into Heaven. once you have repented and believed, you are already in eternal life. THERE IS NO WORKS REQUIRED AT ALL!

  2. the issue of works is what determines you Heavenly reward. remember, you will already be in, and the works you did as a son of God, will determine your reward. Not all people who enter Heaven will be at the same rank. There will be hierarchies just as we have here. A born again delinquent will not receive the same reward as a born again helper of children or whatever. they’ll both be in, but not at the same level.

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Both works and grace.

5

Nothing is quite as murky as a barrel of alive monkeys discussing abstract affairs of Hades realm.

6

do what?

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Salvation is all about man playing his role according to Gods instructions… Faith can only be demonstrated through actions.Therefore By the grace of God we are saved if we continue to believe and follow his commandments, likewise those who stop doing so are said to have gone back to their previous carnal mind.

8

John Calvin mislead many people. I once believed in the doctrine but it is very awkward to accept the explanation of God passing others while picking others unconditional and randomly. Imagine two people drawning then someone jumps in the water grabs one and leaves the other drawning never bothering at all about him. That’s is the picture painted by Calvin. Imagine instead someone offers to rescue both by giving them something to hold on but one refuses to do so this is what Jacobus Armenia stood for. God offers salvation to all however the choice is for each individual. If you choose(action) not you perish if you choose(action) the path of faith you are saved.

9

nope! never! salvation is not a process. it is a one-off event. Salvation is not playing a role, it is accepting the role Christ played. there is NOTHING more that salvation is. Everything else that comes after is the work of the Holy Spirit living in you. you can never “go back” unless you denounce Christ. NEVER!

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and this is the burden that many Christians are facing right now. they find salvation “difficult” yet it is the easiest thing in the entire planet. they burden themselves with do this, don’t do that and they fight with their old nature.

Paul tells us that no man should ever separate us from the simplicity that is in Christ. anything that makes salvation burdensome is a work. and if it is a work, it is no more of grace. and the 2 can never mix.

11

I once believed so. Read the gospels extensively… You see people being warned of losing their salvation if they don’t keep walking in light.

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If there is no works at all, then explain the following: “Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice 29 and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.

Also note in Revelation 20 that this is the white throne judgment. Everything has transpired and now the saints are seated with Christ getting ready to judge the unbelievers when the book of life and book of works are opened. The only thing unbelievers will be judged on is works, because they rejected grace already. Why is there a consideration for eternal life in the opening of the book of life?

What do you make of this parable? Matthew 25:34-46? Those who did good works are earning eternal life on the basis of feeding the hungry.

34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. 36 I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’
37 “Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? 39 When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?’
40 “And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters,[c] you were doing it to me!’
41 “Then the King will turn to those on the left and say, ‘Away with you, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his demons.[d]42 For I was hungry, and you didn’t feed me. I was thirsty, and you didn’t give me a drink. 43 I was a stranger, and you didn’t invite me into your home. I was naked, and you didn’t give me clothing. I was sick and in prison, and you didn’t visit me.’
44 “Then they will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and not help you?’
45 “And he will answer, ‘I tell you the truth, when you refused to help the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help me.’
46 “And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous will go into eternal life.”

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Firstly, get rid of this translation. Get a good KJV 1611 and read it. these translations have changed and altered the Word to the extent that it is no longer God’s Word.

Secondly, look at the last verse. It says “[SIZE=3]Mat 25:46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.[/SIZE]” Does righteousness come from the law or by grace through faith? It is your repentance (change of mind) and your absolute trust if the finished work of Christ (salvation) that get’s you into heaven. Regarding the whole verse, Jesus tells them “[SIZE=3]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[/SIZE]”. The Kingdom of God is not based on works, it is based on the Will of The Father. And what is His Will? See this from the Gospel of John, "
[SIZE=3]Joh 6:28-29 Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.[/SIZE]"
Let us also not forget the thief on the cross.
[SIZE=3]Luk 23:39 And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=3]I Luk 23:40 But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? [/I]
I Luk 23:41 And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss. [/I]
I Luk 23:42 And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. [/I][/SIZE]
SIZE=3 Luk 23:43 And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.[/SIZE]

All this man did, was to repent (changed his mind about his eternity, and recognised that he is a sinner in need of salvation) and believed (trusted Christ for his salvation). No works there. The only work is to repent and believe.

Works, good deeds, nice action etc and grace CANNOT mix. Those good works are a testimony of your faith and NOT a precursor or a maintainer of the same. If there’s one thing I would like you to keep in mind, it is this

“Do not confuse the root of salvation, with the fruit of salvation”. Christ has done the work. It is finished. Rest in His Sabbath. :slight_smile:

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they will lose their reward but they will not lose their salvation. Jesus says that He that the Father brings to me I will in no wise cast out. Jesus is about saving, not dismissing.