There is no question there are many motivations to Christian. For example, the joy set before us is a powerful motivation to sanctification. “No chastening for the present see nevertheless, AFTERWARD it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who are exercised by it.
I would have to say though that no warning of eternal punishment is intended for God’s believing people. These warnings are written to professing believers, but true believers will never experience the dire consequences they envision. The warnings, then, are not given as incentives to work harder in sanctification, but as exhortations to examine ourselves to see if we are truly believers or not. If one continues to produce the works of the flesh, he will not inherit the kingdom. But, the reason he will not inherit the kingdom is not that he isn’t working hard enough in the sanctification process, but that he has never been vitally united to Christ in saving faith. The exhortation is not, “stop practicing the works of the flesh and start producing the fruit of the Spirit.” A person who doesn’t have the Spirit can’t do that.
Additionally, I can’t find a single exhortation to self examination in the NT Scriptures that is written to believers who were walking uprightly and in line with the gospel.
paulspassingthoughts said, on October 5, 2011 at 4:39 PM
Anon,
“Additionally, I can’t find a single exhortation to self examination in the NT Scriptures that is written to believers who were walking uprightly and in line with the gospel.” You sure about that?
Can you think of one? 2 Corinthians gives one example, Galatians another, Hebrews another. All these people were in danger either of apostasy or were seriously questioning apostolic authority. Who that was walking uprightly was commanded to examine themselves?
“Additionally, I can’t find a single exhortation to self examination in the NT Scriptures that is written to believers who were walking uprightly and in line with the gospel.”
The first one that popped into my head:
1 “To the angel[a] of the church in Ephesus write:
These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands. 2 I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked people, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. 3 You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary.
4 Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first. 5 Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. 6 But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.
7 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.
“Essentially what the grace boys preach is this: sanctification by realization. Realize what Christ has done for you; realize His great love; realize His costly sacrifice; realize His gracious gift of salvation; realize your adoption and your security in Christ; realize the ongoing gift of the Spirit of Christ and His power for sanctification; realize all this and you will have all the motive you need to enter and sustain the Christian life.”
This is it in a nutshell. And it brings us this: we are sinners (not sinning less?) saved by grace. Oh they are human…they sin (speaking of long time believers)
Here is the verse that woke me up from my stupor. It hit me a few years back that something was seriously amiss because I was surrounded by evil “Christians”. Long time ones! Ones that make their living in ministry!! Ones on big stages all over the US preaching to adoring fans. I was backstage thinking…if only they knew…
Here is the passage that was my wake up call about cheap grace:
26For(A) if we go on sinning deliberately(B) after receiving the knowledge of the truth,(C) there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, 27(D) but a fearful expectation of judgment, and(E) a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries. 28(F) Anyone who has set aside the law of Moses dies without mercy(G) on the evidence of two or three witnesses. 29How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one(H) who has spurned the Son of God, and has profaned(I) the blood of the covenant(J) by which he was sanctified, and has(K) outraged the Spirit of grace? 30For we know him who said,(L) “Vengeance is mine; I will repay.” And again,(M) “The Lord will judge his people.” 31(N) It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
“Additionally, I can’t find a single exhortation to self examination in the NT Scriptures that is written to believers who were walking uprightly and in line with the gospel.”
Hmmm…I thought there were no “pure” Christians? The above sounds close to “pure” if one is walking uprightly…as in walking in the light?
Great job by Terry Johnson again. He sees the target and hits the nail on the head. Terry sees what lawyers call a “FALSE DILEMMA.” New Calvinism presents an either or choice of preaching: Grace or Nothing.
Here’s another way to look at the “FALSE DILEMMA,” the either or choice of New Calvinism:
A. EVANGELICALISM: Trusting in Christ Alone for your Salvation.
OR
B. ROMAN CATHOLICISM: Trusting in doing what Christ says for your Salvation.
It seems to me Jesus said to them that they had left their first love [“forsaken the love you had at the first”]. That doesn’t sound too pure to me. They are to remember “HOW FAR THEY HAVE FALLEN.” Sounds to me as if they had some problems, don’t you think? You have made my point.
paulspassingthoughts said, on October 6, 2011 at 10:06 AM
Been checking in from time to time, but I can tell you that whoever needs this argument: “And Lydia, just so you know, you still sin too” is not on the winning side of the argument. I do have a question: does not 1John settle the whole law/gospel issue?
Is no one going to challenge Bill’s statement re: the “FALSE DILEMA” of choosing between Trusting in Christ Alone for your Salvation or Trusting in doing what Christ says for your Salvation? They first is the gospel; the second is a false gospel that falls under the curse of Gal. 1:8. It is an either/or choice.
paulspassingthoughts said, on October 6, 2011 at 10:43 AM
Pretty simple: the law is the standard for righteousness that we follow and we ask for forgiveness when we fall short of it. This is an endeavor that is completely separate from the justification issue. It is the fruits of being born again and having His seed within us. It’s a warfare, not a “festival of joyous freedom.” Sanctification is the new birth on display, not the display of a onetime legal declaration.
Paul's Passing Thoughts 
There is no question there are many motivations to Christian. For example, the joy set before us is a powerful motivation to sanctification. “No chastening for the present see nevertheless, AFTERWARD it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who are exercised by it.
I would have to say though that no warning of eternal punishment is intended for God’s believing people. These warnings are written to professing believers, but true believers will never experience the dire consequences they envision. The warnings, then, are not given as incentives to work harder in sanctification, but as exhortations to examine ourselves to see if we are truly believers or not. If one continues to produce the works of the flesh, he will not inherit the kingdom. But, the reason he will not inherit the kingdom is not that he isn’t working hard enough in the sanctification process, but that he has never been vitally united to Christ in saving faith. The exhortation is not, “stop practicing the works of the flesh and start producing the fruit of the Spirit.” A person who doesn’t have the Spirit can’t do that.
Additionally, I can’t find a single exhortation to self examination in the NT Scriptures that is written to believers who were walking uprightly and in line with the gospel.
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Anon,
“Additionally, I can’t find a single exhortation to self examination in the NT Scriptures that is written to believers who were walking uprightly and in line with the gospel.” You sure about that?
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Can you think of one? 2 Corinthians gives one example, Galatians another, Hebrews another. All these people were in danger either of apostasy or were seriously questioning apostolic authority. Who that was walking uprightly was commanded to examine themselves?
LikeLike
“Additionally, I can’t find a single exhortation to self examination in the NT Scriptures that is written to believers who were walking uprightly and in line with the gospel.”
The first one that popped into my head:
1 “To the angel[a] of the church in Ephesus write:
These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands. 2 I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked people, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. 3 You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary.
4 Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first. 5 Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. 6 But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.
7 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.
LikeLike
From the article:
“Essentially what the grace boys preach is this: sanctification by realization. Realize what Christ has done for you; realize His great love; realize His costly sacrifice; realize His gracious gift of salvation; realize your adoption and your security in Christ; realize the ongoing gift of the Spirit of Christ and His power for sanctification; realize all this and you will have all the motive you need to enter and sustain the Christian life.”
This is it in a nutshell. And it brings us this: we are sinners (not sinning less?) saved by grace. Oh they are human…they sin (speaking of long time believers)
Here is the verse that woke me up from my stupor. It hit me a few years back that something was seriously amiss because I was surrounded by evil “Christians”. Long time ones! Ones that make their living in ministry!! Ones on big stages all over the US preaching to adoring fans. I was backstage thinking…if only they knew…
Here is the passage that was my wake up call about cheap grace:
26For(A) if we go on sinning deliberately(B) after receiving the knowledge of the truth,(C) there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, 27(D) but a fearful expectation of judgment, and(E) a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries. 28(F) Anyone who has set aside the law of Moses dies without mercy(G) on the evidence of two or three witnesses. 29How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one(H) who has spurned the Son of God, and has profaned(I) the blood of the covenant(J) by which he was sanctified, and has(K) outraged the Spirit of grace? 30For we know him who said,(L) “Vengeance is mine; I will repay.” And again,(M) “The Lord will judge his people.” 31(N) It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
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“Additionally, I can’t find a single exhortation to self examination in the NT Scriptures that is written to believers who were walking uprightly and in line with the gospel.”
Hmmm…I thought there were no “pure” Christians? The above sounds close to “pure” if one is walking uprightly…as in walking in the light?
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Wow, good word there Lydia, clear enough.
Great job by Terry Johnson again. He sees the target and hits the nail on the head. Terry sees what lawyers call a “FALSE DILEMMA.” New Calvinism presents an either or choice of preaching: Grace or Nothing.
Here’s another way to look at the “FALSE DILEMMA,” the either or choice of New Calvinism:
A. EVANGELICALISM: Trusting in Christ Alone for your Salvation.
OR
B. ROMAN CATHOLICISM: Trusting in doing what Christ says for your Salvation.
Arkansas Bill
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It seems to me Jesus said to them that they had left their first love [“forsaken the love you had at the first”]. That doesn’t sound too pure to me. They are to remember “HOW FAR THEY HAVE FALLEN.” Sounds to me as if they had some problems, don’t you think? You have made my point.
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And Lydia, just so you know, you still sin too.
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Been checking in from time to time, but I can tell you that whoever needs this argument: “And Lydia, just so you know, you still sin too” is not on the winning side of the argument. I do have a question: does not 1John settle the whole law/gospel issue?
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Is no one going to challenge Bill’s statement re: the “FALSE DILEMA” of choosing between Trusting in Christ Alone for your Salvation or Trusting in doing what Christ says for your Salvation? They first is the gospel; the second is a false gospel that falls under the curse of Gal. 1:8. It is an either/or choice.
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Let me think on that one for a minute: No.
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How do you think 1 John settles the whole law/gospel issue?
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Pretty simple: the law is the standard for righteousness that we follow and we ask for forgiveness when we fall short of it. This is an endeavor that is completely separate from the justification issue. It is the fruits of being born again and having His seed within us. It’s a warfare, not a “festival of joyous freedom.” Sanctification is the new birth on display, not the display of a onetime legal declaration.
LikeLike