>>Unfortunately for Christians, it’s not that simple, RR. The Bible gives conflicting advice about the path to salvation. In one place you’re told that faith is not enough, that you must give away all of your possessions: “l everything you have and give to the poor.” (Luke 18:22) Do you plan to do that, or have you done it already, RR?<<
Blind men always take things out of context.
Luke 18:19-27
19 "Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good-except God alone. 20 You know the commandments: 'Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother.'"
21 "All these I have kept since I was a boy," he said.
22 When Jesus heard this, he said to him, "You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."
23 When he heard this, he became very sad, because he was a man of great wealth. 24 Jesus looked at him and said, "How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! 25 Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."
26 Those who heard this asked, "Who then can be saved?"
27 Jesus replied, "What is impossible with men is possible with God."
Please read verse 27. That is the truth. That is the conclusion of the point of the context regarding this particular rich man. No man, regardless of what he does, can save himself. It is impossible.
>>In another place you’re told that in addition to faith, you must `Love your neighbor as yourself.' …. "Do this and you will live.” (Luke 10:25-28)<<
Those chosen would by nature do this.
>>By the way, this is Jesus talking, the same Jesus Pom thinks was and is the “Jesus YHWH” who ordered the slaying of the Amalekites and the murder of the suckling babes in 1 Samuel 15:3.<<
Jesus is revelaing his disciples would do this as they would naturally do as chosen ones. Jesus as a man would also follow his own counsel while existing as a man. But, in his glorified state of God, he read minds and hearts and can destroy wicked ones such as the Amalekites, which Joseph seems to have a loving hankering for.
See the glorified Jesus Christ now Joseph and what he has to say:
Rev 2:20-23
21 I have given her time to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling. 22 So I will cast her on a bed of suffering, and I will make those who commit adultery with her suffer intensely, unless they repent of her ways. 23 I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am he who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds.
>>In yet another place, you’re told that besides faith, you must do good works, “What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds?” (James 2:14)<<
Taken out of context again Joseph. You way is getting old.
Works of mercy and works of sacrifice are two different works. As Jesus himself reveals to you Joseph:
Matt 9:12-13
13 But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy (works), not sacrifice (works).'
Could these merciful WORKS be the WORKS that are talked about in James, works of mercy?? What example of these works does James give??
James 2:14-17
14 What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? 15 Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. 16 If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? 17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
The merciful works would be filling your needy brothers stomach and clothing his body and giving him place to live. WORKS OF MERCY, which works along with FAITH. If one has true faith, the works of mercy COME NATURAL. One cannot have faith without WORKS OF MERCY. They are like a left and right or head and body to each other.
John 6:28-29
28 Then they asked him, "What must we do to do the works God requires?"
29 Jesus answered, "The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent."
Sacrificial works don't cut it anymore. Merciful works are a fruit of Love that comes from the believing in God. Even faith in God does not come from within, it comes from above. He gives us faith to believe in him.
>>And, finally, it doesn’t matter whether you have faith or not, do good works or not, because your salvation, or its absence, was decided before you were born, so no matter WHAT you do, your fate--good or bad--was long ago sealed. “For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5 he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will Lord Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 1:3-6)<<
You are half right here Mr. Joseph. But it DOES matter what you do:
Gal 5:13-14
13 You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love.
1 Peter 2:16-17
16 Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God.
>>Now, are you still so sure about how you might be saved?<<
Yup. You?
