BIBLE STUDY MANUALS - WHAT IS SALVATION UNTO ETERNAL LIFE

"For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that [salvation] is not of yourself, it is the gift of God and not by works so that no one can boast.

There is only one step to salvation unto eternal life - in a moment of faith in Jesus Christ, His payment for sins - one possesses IMMEDIATELY - salvation unto eternal life with ongoing present results, i.e., forever because the perfect tense:"you have been saved" demands it! And eternal life is after all eternal! There is no room for doing anything to satisfy God's plan of salvation because He inspired Paul and the rest of Scripture to include nothing else BUT THAT MOMENT OF FAITH ALONE IN CHRIST ALONE.

biblestudymanuals.net"

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

We do not deny that we are saved by grace through faith, as Ephesians 2:8-9 states, and not by works. We acknowledge that a person can't earn enough "points" to get into heaven by doing the works prescribed in the law of Moses. We don't earn heaven, and anyone who thinks they "deserve" heaven because they've done enough good deeds is mistaken. But we believe that saving faith is not a faith that Jesus died as a substitute for our sins, but a faith that He is omnipotent and that he can replace our stony hearts with hearts of flesh if we strive to obey His commandments. "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven" (Matthew 7:21). We believe that you cannot really have faith unless you shun evils and choose to follow God, that faith necessarily involves life. Salvation is a free gift from God but the way we accept that free gift is by following His word. Does it make sense that this is completely different from trying to "earn" salvation by adding up our good deeds or following the Old Testament rituals?

So, while we are in agreement about that, I don't see anything in the Bible that indicates salvation is immediate.

It all depends on what you mean by "saved." I believe the Lord wants to save us from doing evil. Has He saved me from doing evil? Yes, many times. Can I say when I am actually doing evil that the Lord has saved me from doing evil? Not honestly.

There is no question that once a person is saved they remain saved to eternity, if by saved you mean brought into heaven. The question is whether salvation means a) changing one's heart and life, or b) getting a promise that one's heart and life will be magically changed in the future because of one's faith without love in the present. Tied to this is a question of whether this process takes a moment or years. From an eternal perspective, a lifetime is a blink of an eye, and it makes little difference whether the process takes 30 years.

I am constantly amazed how often the Word speaks of love along with faith, and how the passages which people use to bolster faith alone actually speak against it. Jesus didn't tell the Jews who accosted him that they were not His sheep because they did not believe, but that they did not believe because they were not His sheep. (John 10:26). In this case, verse 27 is very clear about who the sheep are: The ones who hear the Lord's voice and follow Him. That means listening to His command to love one another and then doing it. Following Him means going through self-denial and temptation: "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me." (Matthew 16:24) Following him also means fleeing from evil, as the same passage indicates: "Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers." (John 10:5). The sheep are those who show love for other people; the goats who do not are condemned (Matthew 25:31-46).

Jesus said there would be lots of people who think they are saved but aren't: "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name'' And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!'" (Matthew 7:21-23).

Again and again, the Bible advises steadfastness and endurance if we wish to gain the promise of heaven.

"In your patience you will possess your souls." (Luke 21:19)
"Whoever endures to the end shall be saved." (Matthew 10:22)
God will give eternal life to those who seek it "by patient continuance in doing good." (Romans 2:7)
"It is good that one should hope and wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord." (Lamentations 3:26,27)
"Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass." (Psalm 37:5,7)

Rob

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________r
ROBERT EVANS OF BIBLESTUDYMANUAL.NET - HIS ANSWER TO ROB ANDREWS OF NEWCHURCH.ORG
_______________________________________________________________________

To: Robert Evans
biblestudymanuals.net

[newchurch.org]: Hi Robert, thanks for writing in.

We do not deny that we are saved by grace through faith, as Ephesians 2:8-9 states, and not by works.

We acknowledge that a person can't earn enough "points" to get into heaven by doing the works prescribed in the law of Moses.

[BIBLESTUDYMANUALS: Eph 2:8-9 is not limited to the works prescribed in the Law of Moses," but to any human doing simply because no such limitation is stipulated or implied in this passage: salvation unto eternal life is not of oneself, not by works, a gift wherein no one can boast about anything that indicates he even proves out that he is saved.]

[newchurch.org]: We don't earn heaven, and anyone who thinks they "deserve" heaven because they've done enough good deeds is mistaken.

[BIBLESTUDYMANUALS: Agreed, but then you refute your own words by adding that eternal life is attained by "striving to obey God's commandments." But salvation unto eternal life is NOT by oneself, NOT of human doing, NOT by works; it is a free gift; so that no one could boast about earning it or even demonstrate that he is saved! For Eph 2:8-9 stipulates that salvation unto eternal life - a heavenly destiny, (ref. Eph 2:4) - "is not of yourself, it is the gift of God and not by works so that no one can boast," four statements that verify that salvation unto eternal life is not of works of any kind - not of any human doing - not of oneself, a gift for which there is no contribution or action required; it is free!]

[newchurch.org]: But we believe that saving faith is not a faith that Jesus died as a substitute for our sins,

[BIBLESTUDYMANUALS: If this were true it would negate dozens of passages that clearly define saving faith as a moment of believing that Jesus Christ died for the sins of the whole world which includes everyone who ever lived; whereupon one who believes in the Son of God being given for mankind's sins - ones own sins - immediately has present tense possession of eternal life forever because eternal life is eternal once received, (ref. Jn 1:12-14; 3:16, 36; Eph 1:13-14; 2:8-9, Ro 3:21-31; 4:1-16; et. al ). So to totally exclude faith / belief that Jesus died as a substitute for our sins is to totally negate the entire Bible whose foundation is based on Christ's substutionary atonement for the sins of the whole world, (1 Jn 2:2)]

[newchurch.org]: But we believe that saving faith is not a faith that Jesus died as a substitute for our sins, but a faith that He is omnipotent

[BIBLESTUDYMANUALS: Although it is true that Jesus Christ is God, the Son of God, and is therefore omnipotent which is information which is good for a believer to learn about once he has become a believer and has possession of eternal life in order to move on into the Christian life to advance toward discipleship; not a single passage that clearly defines saving faith unto eternal life stipulates that you are to believe in Christ's omnipotency as part of what one must believe in order to have eternal life]

[newchurch.org]: and that he can replace our stony hearts with hearts of flesh if we strive to obey His commandments.

[BIBLESTUDYMANUALS: There is no passage that stipulates that one must strive to obey God's commandments in order to have eternal life. Unbelievers cannot strive to do anything godly. Once one is a believe, one cannot have a moment of sinless perfection in his mortal body, hence one cannot effectively strive to obey God's commandments either, (1 Jn 1:8-10).

Furthermore, the words "replace our stony hearts with hearts of flesh" refer to the New Covenant which will be made and fulfilled exclusively with the House of Israel and the House of Judah at the precise time when all of a generation of Israel believes in Jesus Christ when He comes again in His Second Coming . All Israel's salvation will not be as a result of striving to obey God's commandments, but only through a moment of faith alone in Christ alone. Salvation by works such as striving to obey God's commandments rule out salvation unto eternal life which is "not of oneself, it is a gift of God and not by works, lest anyone should boast."]

[newchurch.org]: "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven" (Matthew 7:21).

[BIBLESTUDYMANUALS: A careful reading of Mt 7:21-23 indicates that in view are people who would appear before Jesus at Judgment who would declare Jesus as LORD in the sense of declaring that He was Master of their lives. They would repeatedly declare, "LORD, LORD," (Mt 7:21, 22). And they would declare to the LORD their many works done in His name - a number of them miraculous, (but not their faith in Him to save them from their sins), in order to prove that they were qualified for eternal life and admission into the eternal Kingdom of Heaven. In fact, in order to provide a much stronger testimony of their works, they included the witness of Jesus' Himself of their works by asking Him if He had not observed them Himself, ("Didn't we prophesy in Your name, drive out demons in Your name, and do many miracles in Your name," (Mt 7:22). And Jesus' answer implied that they indeed did perform these works, ("And then I will acknowledge to them, that - I never knew you, depart from Me [you] who are working lawlessness," [Mt 7:23]). So this established that they were in fact telling the truth about their works; and were not misrepresenting their record of deeds as some contend. Despite their acknowledgment of Jesus as LORD and their great record of works in Jesus' name, these individuals were disqualified from entrance into the Kingdom of Heaven. In the final analysis, Jesus made it clear that declaring Him to be LORD in the sense of declaring that He was Master of one's life would not provide one with eternal life. Nor would declaring Him to be LORD plus persevering in works such as prophesying in His name, or driving out demons in His name, or doing many miracles in His name.

In fact, if eternal life did require acknowledgment of Jesus as LORD in the sense of being Master of their life plus perseverance in godly works, (as the scribes' and Pharisees' self-proclamations), then the average individual whose works would not be so great in kind or quantity would have no chance to make it to Heaven's shores.

Since Jesus concluded that doing works in order to gain eternal life was "working lawlessness," then it is evident that due to man's flawed nature that any works man performs would be generated from man's flawed motivation, resulting in lawlessness. So no works can be done in order to gain an eternal relationship with the LORD.

On the other hand, the means by which one does gain eternal life is through a moment of repentance / faith alone in the Messiah Jesus Christ alone plus nothing else, which is evidently what Jesus was referring to when He spoke of doing the will of the Father in order to gain entrance into the Kingdom of Heaven, (Mt 7:21b). For it is the declaration of Christ Himself that such a moment of faith will gain eternal life, . Furthermore, author Matthew earlier corroborated that Jesus will save His people from their sins as well as the rest of humanity, implying a trust in Him alone for salvation unto eternal life in the Kingdom of Heaven.]

[newchurch.org]: We believe that you cannot really have faith unless you shun evils and choose to follow God, that faith necessarily involves life.

[BIBLESTUDYMANUALS: Believing / having faith in something / someone does not require any action or further mental assent such as shunning evils or choosing to follow God in order to authenticate that faith as genuine , or anything else for that matter according to Scripture - certainly nothing else from an individual. Furthermore, belief according to proper use of language, is defined according to the dictionary as the assent of the mind to the truth of what is declared by another, resting solely and implicitly on his authority and veracity; reliance on testimony - whether the information trusted in is true or not. It is not the information that one trusts in which determines whether or not one has believed in it. For example, for many years multitudes of people 'truly' believed that the earth was flat.

Finally, in Scripture, saving faith unto eternal life is established in Scripture as follows:

(v. 9) "We accept man's testimony, but God's testimony is greater because it is the testimony of God, which He has given about His Son.

[Accepting the testimony of God about His Son is presented here as an agreement that what God is saying about His Son is true - mere mental assent. The next verse then defines accepting the testimony of God as believing:

(v. 10) Anyone who believes in the Son of God has this testimony in his heart..........

["has this testimony in his heart" = in his mind . Anyone who believes that the Son will provide eternal life for him has this testimony in his heart [= mind] such that it is a part of his mental understanding that he is now saved unto eternal life]

(v. 10 cont.) .....Anyone who does not believe God has made Him out to be a liar, because he has not believed the testimony God has given about His Son.

[So to be saved one must believe in the testimony of God about His Son. The verb believe is herein defined relative to salvation unto eternal life as a mental assent, an acceptance, that what God says about His Son is true. Nothing else is required here in order to receive eternal life such as demonstrating this faith by some kind of action]

(v. 11) And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.

[He who believes in God's testimony about His Son - that the Son will provide eternal life for him if he merely believes in the Son doing this has eternal life, (v.10)]....

[To have the Son means to believe that He will provide eternal life for you. To not have the Son is to not take God at His Word that the Son alone will provide eternal life for you. So if you believe what God testifies to, then you will therefore have eternal life because God says so. God being Who He is, He will deliver.

And then John writes further that an individual can know that he is saved unto eternal life at the very moment of his mental assent]:

(v. 13) I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you many know that you have eternal life."

So, taking God at His Word about eternal life through His Son provides assurance that you do now possess the gift of life everlasting in heaven never to lose it.

So nothing in the word 'believe' relative to securing eternal life implies that any action is required beyond the simple trust - the simple mental assent stated in Jn 3:16 and numerous other passages in the Bible. Just as one would simply believe that a door is green via a simple mental assent; or that an individual who is physically incapable of vigorous movement, can still believe that exercise is good for his health, i.e., a simple mental assent, without actually performing the exercise itself; so in the same way one can trust alone in Christ alone as one's Personal Savior unto eternal life - without doing anything beyond the simple mental assent. Consider that this is true especially since God has completed all that is necessary for any individual's salvation, (Eph 1:3-2:9). And consider this in the light that all men are totally depraved and incapable of contributing a single acceptable thing toward anyone's salvation, (Ro 3:23; 8:8; Isa 64:6; Ps 14:1-3; 58:3; Jer 17:9)]

[newchurch.org]: Salvation is a free gift from God but the way we accept that free gift is by following His word.

[BIBLESTUDYMANUALS: Absolutely NOT. Free means no strings attached, i.e., no conditions. This disqualifies the condition of having to follow God's Word in order to have eternal life - that's a condition. Free means unconditional as in God's unconditional agape love for mankind. Furthermore, one following God's Word in order to be given eternal life is impossible with mankind in his mortal life, (1 Jn 1:8-10 ). So for one to attempt to follow God's Word in order to have eternal life would be to take away from him the free gift of eternal life which is solely via a moment of faith alone in Christ alone by the grace of God. For this would rule out God's grace, (Ro 11:6): Salvation then becomes conditional upon the faithfulness / faithful works of an individual; and this condition cancels God's grace in providing salvation because following God's Word demands human doing, i.e., works - and that must be done perfectly. Furthermore, for how long and to what degree must one follow God's Word in order to have eternal life? Answer: Eternal life can only be earned by perfectly following God's word 24/7 continuously throughout ones entire lifetime - something that is impossible with man and which contradicts God's grace, thus canceling the means by which God provides eternal life to an individual. For 1 Jn 1:8-10 indicates that no believer can claim to have not sinned or to have no sin, i.e., to have followed God's Word faithfully. So no believer can claim to perfectly follow God's Word at any time - putting eternal life completely out of reach for anyone]

[newchurch.org]: Does it make sense that this is completely different from trying to "earn" salvation by adding up our good deeds or following the Old Testament rituals?

[BIBLESTUDYMANUALS: No, it makes NO SENSE according to what Scripture says. Both are efforts / works which an individual must continuously perform over ones entire mortal lifetime perfectly in order to attain / maintain the level of the Righteousness of God which is impossible with mortal sinful man. Works destroy the basis of our salvation by grace through faith, because our salvation is not of ourselves - at any time - it is the gift of God, not by works lest one should boast. For our salvation is by grace, it is not on the basis of works in the sense of any human participation, otherwise grace is no longer grace, (Ro 11:6).]

[newchurch.org]: So, while we are in agreement about that, I don't see anything in the Bible that indicates salvation is immediate.

[BIBLESTUDYMANUALS: We are not in agreement at all! Check the verb tenses in salvation unto eternal life passages. They always indicate that the possession of eternal life is immediate upon the first moment of faith alone in Christ alone (ref. Jn 1:12-14; 3:16, 36; Eph 1:13-14; 2:8-9, Ro 3:21-31; 4:1-16; et. al ).

[BIBLESTUDYMANUALS: Eph 2:6, 8-9 refers to a salvation unto eternal life, i.e., a heavenly destiny according to Eph 2:6 - that's the subject - the only subject of my email to you. There are other meanings for the words rendered "salvation," "saved," etc.]

[BIBLESTUDYMANUALS: Of course the Lord wants to save us from doing evil. But this is another kind of salvation which kind is outside of the context of attaining salvation unto eternal life. In order for an individual to be saved from doing evil: first and foremost one must exercise a moment of faith alone in Christ alone unto eternal life in order to immediately possess eternal life, (Eph 2:8-9 ), whereupon begins the Christian life immediately at the point of faith wherein the now indwelling Holy Spirit within the now alive human spirit of that individual must do many things in order to get the now born again believer to resist doing evil, not the least of which is to study Scripture, confess sins, (1 Jn 1:9) with the understanding that only at the resurrection unto a perfect resurrection body will a believer be saved from doing evil - not before. For everything a believer does before resurrection contains some evil, (1 Jn 1:8-10)]

[newchurch.org]: Has He saved me from doing evil? Yes, many times. Can I say when I am actually doing evil that the Lord has saved me from doing evil? Not honestly.

[BIBLESTUDYMANUALS: This is another context outside of the context of attaining salvation unto eternal life. No one can claim to not have sinned, or have no sin for even a short period of time in this mortal life, of which both are ways of saying that one cannot say in this mortal life that God saved me from doing evil in this temporal life. So no one can say that God saved him from doing evil because in this mortal body even believers continually do evil, (1 Jn 1:8-10 ).]

[newchurch.org]: There is no question that once a person is saved they remain saved to eternity, if by saved you mean brought into heaven.

[BIBLESTUDYMANUALS: Agreed - that is after all the subject of this discussion as in accordance with what Eph 2:8-9 and hundreds of other passages stipulate]

[BIBLESTUDYMANUALS: No. Neither a change of ones life nor a change of ones heart [=mind] is a requirement or even a reliable indicator of salvation unto eternal life in heaven. For Scripture, especially the New Testament letters exhort believers to be faithful implying that there are no guarantees that a believer will automatically be faithful or have a change of heart from not believing and being sinful to having believed and being faithful all the time or even part of the time. All that is required of hundreds of verses for immediately receiving eternal life is a moment of faith alone in Christ alone plus nothing, (ref. Jn 1:12-14; 3:16, 36; Eph 1:13-14; 2:8-9, Ro 3:21-31; 4:1-16; et. al ). The heart in the context of receiving eternal life is equated to the activity of the mind . So the only change of heart / mind relative to eternal life is a repentance in the sense of a mental change from not believing to believing in Christ as Savior - and no other kind of repentance.

Relative to a change of life as it applies to the reception of eternal life, there is no requirement in any salvation unto eternal life passage that there be any change of life in order to have eternal life. For salvation unto eternal life is "not of oneself," and "not by works." Any human doing destroys the grace basis / the unmerited favor basis for the reception of eternal life which stipulates that the reception is by faith alone in Christ alone plus nothing else, (Eph 2:8-9; Ro 11:6). On the other hand, all believers are commanded to be faithful and endeavor to change their lives from unfaithfulness to faithfulness which is an ongoing endeavor to study the Scriptures, apply what one has learned to ones life under the guidance of the indwelling Holy Spirit; and expecially to confess ones sins in order to restore fellowship with God ones Father wherein the fellowship which has been restored with that confession to further opportunity to study and apply God's Word to oneself with the aid of the indwelling Holy Spirit in order to move on toward further changes of life that are godly ones. Note that the confession of known sins per 1 Jn 1:9 results in God purifying one from all unrighteousness tantamount to being declared for the mount righteous until one sins again which is always momentarily imminent.

[newchurch.org]: The question is whether salvation means

a) changing one's heart and life, or
b) getting a promise that one's heart
and life will be magically changed in the future
because of one's faith without love in the present.

[BIBLESTUDYMANUALS]: No. Neither believing in having been given a promise is salvation on the basis of believing in a promise that one's heart and life would be magically changed in the future because of one's faith without love[???] is not according to Scripture. Neither is it a requirement or even a reliable indicator of salvation unto eternal life in heaven. For Scripture, especially the New Testament letters exhort believers to be faithful implying that there are no guarantees that a believer will automatically be faithful or have a change of heart from not believing and being sinful to having believed and being faithful all the time. All that is required by hundreds of verses for immediately receiving eternal life is a moment of faith alone in Christ alone plus nothing else, (ref. Jn 1:12-14; 3:16, 36; Eph 1:13-14; 2:8-9, Ro 3:21-31; 4:1-16; et. al ). As a matter of fact if anything else is added in order for one to have eternal life, then that will negate being forgiven of ones sins unto eternal life because that is the only requirement and anything else will negate the result because any human doing cancels out the grace - unmerited favor - of salvation unto eternal life. On the other hand, the growing believer has an opportunity to learn more details about God's promise of being resurrected unto a perfect and sinless resurrection body unto eternal life.

Relative to a change of life as it applies to the reception of eternal life, there is no requirement in any salvation unto eternal life passage that there be any change of life in the sense of doing something that is different / a change in order to have eternal life. For salvation unto eternal life is "not of oneself," and "not by works." Any human doing destroys the grace basis for the reception of eternal life which stipulates that the reception is by faith alone in Christ alone plus nothing else, (Eph 2:8-9; Ro 11:6). On the other hand, all believers are commanded to be faithful and endeavor to change their lives from unfaithfulness to faithfulness which is an ongoing endeavor through study of the Scriptures, applying what you have learned to ones life and to confess ones sins in order to restore fellowship with God ones Father; wherein the fellowship which has been restored with that confession provides further opportunity to study and apply God's Word to oneself with the aid of the indwelling Holy Spirit in order to move on toward further godly changes in life.

[newchurch.org]: Tied to this is a question of whether this process takes a moment or years. From an eternal perspective, a lifetime is a blink of an eye, and it makes little difference whether the process takes 30 years.

[BIBLESTUDYMANUALS]: One begins to have present tense / immediate possession of eternal life at the moment of faith alone in Christ alone plus nothing else which that eternal life becomes an intrinsic part of the individual as physical life does . There are a number of things that occur within the individual immediately upon that moment of faith alone in Christ alone which totally secures that salvation unto eternal life, no matter how one conducts ones life.

[BIBLESTUDYMANUALS]: Salvation unto eternal life is not conditional upon the individual expressing love. All that is required by hundreds of verses for immediately receiving eternal life is a moment of faith alone in Christ alone plus nothing else, (ref. Jn 1:12-14; 3:16, 36; Eph 1:13-14; 2:8-9, Ro 3:21-31; 4:1-16; et. al ). As a matter of fact if anything else is added in order for one to have eternal life, then that will negate being forgiven of ones sins unto eternal life because that is the only requirement and anything else will negate the result because any human doing cancels out the grace - unmerited favor - of salvation unto eternal life. This is not to say that after one has received possession of eternal life through a moment of faith alone in Christ alone that one is to move on as a born again unto eternal life individual in the Christian faith via a study and endeavor to obey Scripture which includes expressing agape love toward others. But that is another subject.

[newchurch.org]: Jesus didn't tell the Jews who accosted him that they were not His sheep because they did not believe, but that they did not believe because they were not His sheep. (John 10:26). In this case, verse 27 is very clear about who the sheep are: The ones who hear the Lord's voice and follow Him. That means listening to His command to love one another and then doing it. Following Him means going through self-denial and temptation: "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me." (Matthew 16:24) Following him also means fleeing from evil, as the same passage indicates: "Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers." (John 10:5). The sheep are those who show love for other people; the goats who do not are condemned (Matthew 25:31-46).

(v. 24) The Jews gathered around Him saying, 'How long will you keep us in suspense? If your are the Christ [Messiah], tell us plainly.'

(v. 25) Jesus answered, 'I did tell you, but you do not believe. The miracles I do in My Father's name speak for Me,

Notice that verse 26 indicates that those who do not believe in Jesus Christ being their Messiah (unto eternal life is implied) are then classified as not being the sheep of our Lord. So whether or not an individual accepts Jesus Christ as their Messiah by faith alone in Him alone is in view and not whether one has a life style which is obedient to Him, as some maintain.

The concept of following our Lord can signify a simple act of trusting in Him or an actual physical movement from one place to another. The language permits that. Due to the context and clearer passages on the matter the latter is ruled out in favor of 'following' signifying a simple moment of faith alone in Christ alone.

So in verse 27, when our Lord indicates that His sheep listen to His voice, He knows them and they follow Him, the passage has not done a contradictory turn around, changing the context to obedience in lifestyle rather than faith in Christ as Savior. The interpretation of verse 27 is one of an image of becoming one of His sheep by listening to and then following Him via a simple act of faith as opposed to the Jews who did not follow Him by believing, (vv. 25-26).

Verse 27 thus must be picturing a simple act of listening and believing in Christ as Savior because of what is in view in the context of this passage, (faith, not an obedient lifestyle, vv. 25-26), and by other clear passages on salvation which stipulate faith alone in Christ alone unto eternal life:

(v. 8) "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this [salvation] is not of yourselves [ruling out the following in obedience of actions concept], it is the gift of God

(v. 9) not by works [ruling out obedience of lifestyle again] so that no one can boast."

If an obedient lifestyle were indeed required, one might ask why our Lord did not explain this to the crowd and His disciples when He had the chance:

(v. 27) "[Jesus said] 'Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. On Him God the Father has placed His seal of approval.

(v. 28) Then they asked Him, 'What must we do to do the works God requires?'

(v. 29) Jesus answered, 'The work of God is this [to gain eternal life]: to believe in the One He has sent."

(v. 8) "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this [salvation] is not of yourselves [ruling out the following in obedience of actions concept], it is the gift of God

(v. 9) not by works [ruling out obedience of lifestyle again] so that no one can boast."

[Bob Wilkin states, (Grace In Focus Newsletter, April, 1990 issue, ‘Is Following Christ a Condition of Eternal Life? John 10:27-30'):

"What, then, did Jesus mean when He spoke of His sheep following Him? When He said that His sheep follow Him, Jesus did not mean that all believers always live godly, obedient lives. Nor did He mean that all believers live fairly good lives much of the time. He wasn't talking about lifestyle issues at all.

The reference to following Him, like the reference to sheep, is a figure of speech. He was not talking about literal sheep which physically follow a literal shepherd. Instead He was illustrating salvation by picturing Himself as the Good Shepherd and believers as His sheep. Following Him is a figure of speech which signifies our response of believing in Him. This is evident from the preceding context. In verse 26 Jesus rebuked His Jewish audience for their unbelief: "But you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep, as I said to you." His very next words were "My sheep hear My voice and ... follow Me." The unbelief of His Jewish audience is set in contrast to His sheep following (i.e., believing in) Him.

The picture of sheep hearing their shepherd's voice and following him is a picture of childlike faith. In his book The Gospel Under Siege Zane Hodges says concerning that illustration, "That is to say, they [the sheep] commit their safety and well-being to the Shepherd who has summoned them to do so" (p. 44). He goes on to say that this is clearly an act of faith, not discipleship.

Hodges points out two other points which further prove that the figure refers to faith in Christ: the sequence of the coordinate clauses and the analogy of John 5:24.

"The verses in question have five clauses [in the Greek] joined by the word and" [=Gr., 'kai']:

"A definite progression is evident. The sequence of the clauses shows that 'following Him' is the condition--not the consequence--of eternal life. Jesus did not say, 'I give them eternal life and they follow Me.' Instead He said, 'They follow Me and I give them eternal life.' Since faith in Christ is the sole condition of salvation in Scripture and in John's Gospel, 'following Him' must be a figure for faith in Christ.

"I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life"

"Both [verses: Jn 5:24 & 10:27] refer to hearing, believing, the giving of eternal life, the guarantee against eternal judgment, and the promise of the permanence of the relationship. The only difference between the two verses is that in John 10:27 believing is expressed by means of the figure of sheep following a shepherd."

[newchurch.org]: Jesus said there would be lots of people who think they are saved but aren't: "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name'' And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!'" (Matthew 7:21-23).

[newchurch.org]: Again and again, the Bible advises steadfastness and endurance if we wish to gain the promise of heaven.

[BIBLESTUDYMANUALS]: Jesus was speaking here of salvation as entering into the kingdom alive (cf. Mt 10:22; 24:9-13 & Lk 21:19). To "save yourselves" by "standing firm," or "in your patience you will possess your souls" mean that believers show that they are members of the believing community in opposition to those who turn away from the faith during times of persecution (Matt. 24:10; Lk 21:19). The ones who are saved are those who are preserved by God's sovereign power (cf. Matt. 24:22) in the sense of preserving their physical lives - from a premature end, NOT in the sense of having eternal life. These words of the Lord have an application beyond His own lifetime. What was proclaimed here was more fully demonstrated in the apostles' lives after the day of Pentecost (Acts 2) in the spread of the gospel in the church (e.g., Acts 4:1-13; 5:17-18, 40; 7:54-60). But these words will find their fullest manifestation in the days of the Tribulation when the gospel will be carried throughout the entire world before Jesus Christ returns in power and glory to establish His kingdom on the earth (Mt. 10:22; 24:14).

Compare other passages which deal with the subject of the physical death of a believer, of not "enduring to the end" of one's appointed years on earth due to a sinful lifestyle. The following passages indicate the consequences to a believer for a persistently sinful lifestyle, a life without much divine good production:

A Christian perishes, (dies), due to a weak conscience and his consequent sin

A believer dies physically because he violates the sharing in the Lord's supper with serious mental attitude sin.

Aaron's sons Nadab & Abihu die immediately of their sin before the altar of the Lord.

Although immediate death of believers due to sin is not the norm, Scripture warns that sin will cut a life short:

The soul that sins shall (physically) die, ("nephesh" = soul, the invisible & immaterial life principle of a living being. Cp Gen 2:7.

The fear of the Lord adds length to life, but the years of the wicked are cut short.

but he who pursues evil, [whether believer or unbeliever] goes to his [physical] death" [before his time].

The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, to turn one away from the snares of death,"

[snares of death d those traps, i.e. lures, which tempt a believer to sin and thus hasten one toward physical death].

The believer who enables another believer who is sinning as a matter of course in his life to turn his life around will save that sinful believer's soul, i.e. save his physical life.

There is much to be said for the value of the inner peace and joy which obedience to God's word brings. This inner peace and joy provides a longer life of better quality than the life-shortening-depreciating value of turmoil, guilt, bitterness, anger, etc which disobedience to God's word brings.

Finally, let's ask the question if any of this benefit to longer life can apply to unbelievers or even to salvation unto eternal life in heaven. Is James speaking to unbelievers in his letter? Is James speaking about eternal life? All of the exhortation James does to his readers to repent and clean up their lives cannot apply to unbelievers. Unbelievers cannot accomplish this because they cannot please God, they are slaves to sin and do not have the capacity to repent and clean up their lives, (compare Ro 8:5-8). Therefore James' appeal must be to fellow brethren believers. Furthermore, since the destiny of every believer is eternal life in heaven no matter what, (Jn 5:24, 6:47; Ro 8:1; Jas 1:18; Eph 4:30 and I Jn 5:9-13), then James cannot be referring to eternal damnation-death in hell. He is not therefore referring to salvation to eternal life but to saving oneself from physical death.

The believers of the tribulation period who are faithful - who endure in their walk with God to the end - will physically survive the tribulation ordeal and will continue to remain physically alive in their natural bodies and begin life in the millennium period under Christ's rule. Not so for unfaithful believers who will not physically survive but go home to be with the Lord prematurely, suffering a tremendous loss of eternal rewards in heaven. Also, those believers whom God has chosen to be martyrs will also not physically survive until the end, but will receive the tremendous crown of rewards for giving up their life for the Lord and all that that entails in eternity. Finally, at the end of the tribulation, physically surviving unbelievers will be put to death by our Lord and then cast into the Lake of Fire for eternal condemnation.

(Ro 2:7) To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, He will give eternal life"

THOSE WHO HAVE NEVER CHOSEN TO BELIEVE IN CHRIST TO RECEIVE A RIGHTEOUSNESS FROM GOD UNTO ETERNAL LIFE, HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY BY HUMAN DOING - BY PERSISTENCE IN DOING GOOD WHERE SIN IS ABSENT, SEEKING GLORY, HONOR AND IMMORTALITY TO RECEIVE ETERNAL LIFE. BUT THIS IS IMPOSSIBLE WITH MAN

So long as moral unbelievers remain stubborn and unrepentant relative to continued unbelief in God, they "are storing up wrath against themselves for the day of God's wrath, when His righteous judgment toward them will be revealed," despite their relatively moral behavior, (Ro 1:18-2:6) (Ro 2:5). The phrase 'day of God's wrath' refers to a future time of God's judgment, when God's righteous judgment of those in view in this passage, i.e., unbelievers, will be revealed - portending to be an expression of the wrath that they have stored up against themselves by their stubbornness and unrepentant hearts. This particular judgment of God will be exercised toward them according to what each has done - with eternal consequences at stake, (Ro 2:6). Unbelievers not believers are in view, (Ro 1:18-2:6), because believers have already been judged by God to be justified unto eternal life when they expressed a moment of faith alone in Christ alone to obtain a perfect righteousness from God to be given only as a gift, (Ro 1:2-4, 16-17). Since all individuals in this judgment are unbelievers, then God has not credited them with His righteousness, so they have an opportunity to provide their own, by being absolutely persistent in doing godly good, seeking godly glory, honor and immortality - a persistent godly lifestyle wherein sin is absent in order to receive eternal life. Since this is impossible with man, then all unbelievers will be judged to receive eternal wrath.

(Ro 3:12) All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.'

(Ro 3:20) Therefore no one will be declared righteous in His sight by observing the Law; rather through the Law we become conscious of sin."

Relative to human doing, no one can be declared perfectly righteous in God's sight - a perfect righteousness being implied. Hence no one can "by persistence in doing good, seek glory, honor and immortality," (Ro 2:7) and thereby receive eternal life.

[newchurch.org]: "It is good that one should hope and wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord." (Lamentations 3:26,27)

Lamentations 3:1-27 (NKJV)
1 I am the man who has seen affliction by the rod of His wrath.
2 He has led me and made me walk In darkness and not in light.
3 Surely He has turned His hand against me Time and time again throughout the day.
4 He has aged my flesh and my skin, And broken my bones.
5 He has besieged me And surrounded me with bitterness and woe.
6 He has set me in dark places Like the dead of long ago.
7 He has hedged me in so that I cannot get out; He has made my chain heavy.
8 Even when I cry and shout, He shuts out my prayer.
9 He has blocked my ways with hewn stone; He has made my paths crooked.
10 He has been to me a bear lying in wait, Like a lion in ambush.
11 He has turned aside my ways and torn me in pieces; He has made me desolate.
12 He has bent His bow And set me up as a target for the arrow.
13 He has caused the arrows of His quiver To pierce my loins.
14 I have become the ridicule of all my people - Their taunting song all the day.
15 He has filled me with bitterness, He has made me drink wormwood.
16 He has also broken my teeth with gravel, And covered me with ashes.
17 You have moved my soul far from peace; I have forgotten prosperity.
18 And I said, "My strength and my hope Have perished from the LORD."
19 Remember my affliction and roaming, The wormwood and the gall.
20 My soul still remembers And sinks within me.
21 This I recall to my mind, Therefore I have hope.
22 Through the LORD'S mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not.
23 They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.
24 "The LORD is my portion," says my soul, "Therefore I hope in Him!"
25 The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, To the soul who seeks Him.
26 It is good that one should hope and wait quietly For the salvation of the LORD.
27 It is good for a man to bear The yoke in his youth.

(1) Affliction should be endured with hope in God's temporal salvation - in the sense of ones ultimate restoration in his mortal life (Lam. 3:25-30). So the salvation here is NOT unto eternal life, but a temporal restoration once the afflication is endured.

(2) Affliction is only temporary and is tempered by God's compassion and love (vv. 31-32).

(4) If affliction comes because of injustice, God sees it and does not approve of it (vv. 34-36).

(5) Affliction is always in relationship to God's sovereignty (vv. 37-38; cf. Job 2:10).

(7) Affliction should accomplish the greater good of turning God's people back to Him (v. 40).

[newchurch.org]: "Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass." (Psalm 37:5,7)

6) He will bring forth your righteousness as the light And your judgment as the noonday.

7) Rest in the LORD and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who carries out wicked schemes."

Since all of the clear passages that stipulate what an individual must do to have eternal life, namely a moment of faith alone in Christ alone plus nothing else, or words to that precise effect, (ref. Jn 1:12-14; 3:16, 36; Eph 1:13-14; 2:8-9, Ro 3:21-31; 4:1-16; et. al ), then Ps 37:5-7 must be addressing already born again believers as they grow into becoming faithful disciples. Each step of the way for a believer to become a faithful disciple is a committment and a trust and a patient rest in the LORD, that He will do it, bring forth in the sense of purify by His grace the believer unto the righteousness of the Light of God Whose Light is like the light of the noonday. And the diligent believer is not to fret because of those who prosper in the evil, the wicked schemes that he does, . Only after one has trusted alone in Christ alone plus nothing else unto eternal life is one enabled via the indwelling Holy Spirit and the reception of spiritual gifts to commit ones way to the LORD as a disciple of His through the study of Scripture, confession of known sins; and thereafter to trust in Him for whatever one is prompted by the Spirit to do in ones temporal life as a believer aspiring to become a disciple. Whereupon God, by His grace, will bring forth that believer's righteousness in the sense of purify that believer's deeds unto godliness / righteousness. So the believer is to rest in the LORD and wait patiently for Him to operate through him. The believer is not to fret because of those who prosper in ungodly ways, i.e., because those who prosper carry out wicked schemes.