Originally Posted by
Veretax
I think you are misunderstanding me. I am not saying that we should not confess, and should not strive for what is right and Good, I am saying that the purpose of such after we have come to the faith, is NOT to maintain salvation.
When we are saved we are a new creature, Christ is the cornerstone and foundation upon which we must build. The reason we must be careful of our actions, and try to keep a short account with God, is not to maintain the foundation, but so that what we build upon it is strong and will endure through future testing.
1 Corinthians 3:11-15
11 For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, 13 each one's work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one's work, of what sort it is. 14 If anyone's work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone's work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.
It also is clear that if we build in error, if we build with those things that are temporary, earthly, or perishable, we shall suffer loss, yet we shall be saved as through Fire. There is a principle in scripture, particularly the NT about rewards. Christ Said as much:
Matthew 16:24-28
24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. 25 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. 26 For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? 27 For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works. 28 Assuredly, I say to you, there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom."
Paul reminds us that each one's labor is unique and each will be rewarded accordingly.
1 Corinthians 3:5-10
5 Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers through whom you believed, as the Lord gave to each one? 6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. 7 So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase. 8 Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor. 9 For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, you are God's building. 10 According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it.
Paul also warned us to not let anyone cheat us of our rewards. Why? Because some will come to deceive us and will try to lead us astray.
Colossians 2:16-19
16 So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, 17 which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ. 18 Let no one cheat you of your reward, taking delight in false humility and worship of angels, intruding into those things which he has not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, 19 and not holding fast to the Head, from whom all the body, nourished and knit together by joints and ligaments, grows with the increase that is from God.
So we need to do our service for the Lord, and be careful that its not for men as seen below:
Colssians 3:22-25
22 Bondservants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh, not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but in sincerity of heart, fearing God. 23 And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, 24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ. 25 But he who does wrong will be repaid for what he has done, and there is no partiality.
We are to do these things for God, not for eye service as men-pleasers, but with sincerity Fearing God.
In Hebrews we are warned about neglecting our salvation:
Heb 2:1-4
Hebrews 2:1-4
1 Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away. 2 For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward, 3 how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him, 4 God also bearing witness both with signs and wonders, with various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to His own will?
Clearly, there is a reward/Consequence for good and also sinful behavior, but for Believers, this does not remove salvation, it will be a suffered Loss.
Hebrews 10:32-39
32 But recall the former days in which, after you were illuminated, you endured a great struggle with sufferings: 33 partly while you were made a spectacle both by reproaches and tribulations, and partly while you became companions of those who were so treated; 34 for you had compassion on me in my chains, and joyfully accepted the plundering of your goods, knowing that you have a better and an enduring possession for yourselves in heaven. 35 Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward. 36 For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise: 37 "For yet a little while, And He who is coming will come and will not tarry. 38 Now the just shall live by faith; But if anyone draws back, My soul has no pleasure in him." 39 But we are not of those who draw back to perdition, but of those who believe to the saving of the soul.
Again here, those who draw back the Lord has no Pleasure in, but clearly, there is some reward for believers.
John Also warned about losing our rewards
2 John 1:7-9
7 For many deceivers have gone out into the world who do not confess Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist. 8 Look to yourselves, that we do not lose those things we worked for, but that we may receive a full reward. 9 Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son.
Clearly continuing in Sin after Faith is not what the Lord intends for us to do.
Romans is a great discourse on this subject of rewards:
Romans 6:1-5
1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? 3 Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? 4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection,
Clearly, we who are baptized into Christ Jesus will be raised in the likeness of his resurrection. We as believers have been made like him, by being rendered dead unto sin and alive unto righteousness... For as we will see here our old man was crucified with him, that the body of sin might be done away with. We who are believers are no longer Slaves of Sin.
Rom 6:6-10
6 knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. 7 For he who has died has been freed from sin. 8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, 9 knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. 10 For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God.
Wow, the death taht He (Christ) died, he died to sin once for all, bu the life that He Lives He Lives to God. Wow powerful verse there. Clearly Christ died for sin Once for all. There can be no doubt of this, once for all time.
Rom 6:11-14
11 Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. 12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. 13 And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. 14 For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.
Because we are free from sin we should not let it reign in our mortal bodies. We do not have to obey it where before we were slaves unto sin. Sin does not have dominion over us anymore, we are no longer under the law, but now we are under grace.
Rom 6:15-23
15 What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not! 16 Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one's slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness? 17 But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. 18 And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. 19 I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves of uncleanness, and of lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves of righteousness for holiness. 20 For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. 21 What fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. 22 But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Now that we are set free from Sin, we have the fruit to Holineess, and the end, everlasting life. Clearly, Believers are who Paul is talking about. Salvation once accepted is not a gift that can be lost. That doesn't mean we have excuse or license to sin, far from it, but This is clear from the bible
Let us not forget what Peter also reminded us.
1 Peter 1:6-9
6 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, 8 whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, 9 receiving the end of your faith--the salvation of your souls.
Rejoice, for we who believe have been Freed from sin, and now we can go about the labors Christ has set before us with Joy, knowing that we shall inherit the rewards for our actions.
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