From: swarren@convex.com (Steve Warren)
Subject: Re: Humanism (personal experience)
Date: Mon, 21 Dec 1992 18:32:36 GMT
Organization: Engineering, CONVEX Computer Corp., Richardson, Tx., USA
X-Disclaimer: This message was written by a user at CONVEX Computer
              Corp. The opinions expressed are those of the user and
              not necessarily those of CONVEX.

In article <1992Dec19.001101.47679@watson.ibm.com> strom@Watson.Ibm.Com (Rob Strom) writes:
>But many evangelical Christians preach exactly the message
>"Believe and be saved".  Kenneth Hendrickson on this newsgroup
>has posted that someone's misunderstanding of the trinity
>is putting his soul in jeopardy.
>
>Lutherans preach that our works are worthless (and repentance
>is included in works), and only the grace of God, and our
>willingness to believe in and accept this gift saves us.

This is confusing you because reconciling salvation by "grace alone"
with a salvation that requires repentance is not accomplished in the
"natural" (that is, New Testament salvation is not a matter only of
mentally comprehending something and doing it).

If you do not believe, then naturally a salvation that is "by grace"
appears to be a license for lawlessness.  This is because, being an
unbeliever, you will of course refuse to acknowledge that the nature
of the salvation we are talking about is intrinsically and essentially
a supernatural event that changes the nature of the one who is saved.

New Testament scripture teaches that repentance that leads to
salvation (repentance always precedes salvation in the New Testament)
is itself a gift from God.  That is, when anyone repents, they only
repented as a result of God's grace.  This is the beginning of the
changed nature that I spoke of.  It happens as a result of God's
power, not because of the goodness of the individual who repented.
New Testament repentance is supernatural.

This is confirmed by many scriptures, most of which can be discovered
by simply looking up the word "repentance" in any concordance of the
New Testament:

"Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no
regret, but worldly sorrow brings death."  (2 Corinthians 7:10)

"Or do you show contempt for the riches of His kindness, not realising
that God's kindness leads you toward repentance?" (Romans 2:4)

"When they heard this, they had no further objections and praised God,
saying, 'So then, God has even granted the Gentiles repentance unto
life.'"  (Acts 11:18)

One who is saved with a New Testament salvation receives in himself
the nature of God by the indwelling Holy Spirit.  This new nature will
immediately go to work doing good deeds for the glory of God.  This
new nature upholds the Law of God, but yet this is all by grace.  This
new nature is especially manifested in a new attitude of love and
graciousness toward other people, particularly the unlovely or
unloveable.

Because this new nature is from God, this nature honors God's Law.
This is why the salvation taught in the New Testament is not a license
to sin.  Anyone who is living in sin cannot claim to have the new
nature, because the new nature abhores sin and exherts power from God
toward righteousness.  This power is manifested by its ability to
affect (for righteousness) the motives and actions of the believer who
is subject to it.

As the Apostle John stated: "No one who continues to sin has either
seen Him or known Him."  (1 John 3:6) This is referring to someone who
claims to be a Christian but lives like a sinner (it is not referring
to the occassional failure but to a lifestyle of living in sin).

Here are a series of quotes from 1 John that define exactly who is
justified in claiming that they are Christians (the terms "know Him,"
"in the light," "born of Him," and "in Him" may all be understood to
be referring to genuine Christianity.  If it says you don't "know
Him," or you are not "in the light," or you are not "in Him," then it
is saying that you are not a Christian):

"We know that we have come to know Him if we obey His commands." (2:3)

"The man who says 'I know Him,' but does not do what He commands is a
liar, and the truth is not in him." (2:4)

"Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still
in darkness." (2:9)

"Do not love the world or anything in the world.  If anyone loves the
world, the love of the Father is not in him." (2:15)
(Note - this scripture in context is referring to the corrupt systems
in this world of gaining success and approval in society through
covetousness, greed, lying, cheating, ambition, lust, corruption,
violence, etc.  Verses 16 and 17 confirm this interpretation.)

"If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone who does
what is right is born of Him." (2:29)

"No one who lives in Him keeps on sinning." (3:6)

"Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray.  He who does what
is right is righteous, just as He is righteous.  He who does what is
sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the
beginning.  The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the
devil's work.  No one who is born of God will continue to sin because
God's seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has
been born of God.  This is how we know who the children of God are and
who the children of the devil are:  Anyone who does not do what is
right is not a child of God; neither is anyone who does not love his
brother." (3:7-10)
(Note - this scripture explains that salvation is supernatural and
that the power of this event causes the saved one to avoid sin as a
result.  Thus you can recognise those who have been saved by their
avoidance of sin.  Those who are not concerned about avoiding sin have
not received this supernatural salvation.)

"We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our
brothers.  Anyone who does not love remains in death." (3:14)

"If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but
has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?" (3:17)

"If anyone says, 'I love God,' yet hates his brother, he is a liar.
For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot
love God, whom he has not seen.  And He has given us this command:
Whoever loves God must also love his brother." (4:20-21)

"Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and
everyone who loves the Father loves His child as well.  This is how we
know that we love the children of God:  by loving God and carrying out
His commands.  And His commands are not burdensome, for everyone born
of God overcomes the world.  This is the victory that has overcome the
world, even our faith.  Who is it that overcomes the world?  Only he
who believes that Jesus is the Son of God." (5:1-5)

-- 
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