Posts by Vanderhoven7

36

Are YOU saved?

by JW Answers in

sadly today, many churches and religious organisations teach their followers that they are saved based on something the bible does not record.

many people are following a lie, and are heading to a lost eternity and do not know it.. my question here is... are you saved?

it's vitally important to know!.

Vanderhoven7

Hi TBK

You make salvation sound so easy.

The sanctification process is usually quite painful.

It starts with repentance.

And that repentance is ongoing death to self repentance.

The cross is an invitation to die....to yield to the indwelling Holy Spirit and let Him transform us into Christ's image marred by the fall.

As Christians we need to continually judge ourselves against the scriptures. If we fail to judge ourselves God will judge us...because we are His children.

1 Corinthians 11:31-32 kjv

For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.

Easy believism has no place in the life of a Christian. We are constantly on death row. How else would we be crowned?

36

Are YOU saved?

by JW Answers in

sadly today, many churches and religious organisations teach their followers that they are saved based on something the bible does not record.

many people are following a lie, and are heading to a lost eternity and do not know it.. my question here is... are you saved?

it's vitally important to know!.

Vanderhoven7

Hi Wozza,

I don't like to add to the word of God but I will share my personal views which i believe correspond to the scriptures.

It is clear from the Bible that there is no other name given unto mankind whereby we may be saved, i.e. justified.

All non-Christians will be raised from the dead in the second resurrection for judgment. Judgment with God is not just sentencing. Judgment begins with the house of God. So the church is being judged in this life; the world in the next. Non-Christians will be raised to judgment followed by punishment administered based both on what they knew and what they did in their lives.

I believe the power of the cross extends beyond the grave and that many sins even against the Son of God will be forgiven...with the exception of the sin against the Holy Spirit for which there is no forgiveness either in this age or the age to come.

This is where I see the millennial reign of Christ fits in. All faithful Christians will be granted to rule with Christ over the nations with a disciplinary rod of iron. When the thousand years is ended a final judgment will be rendered, the wicked destroyed eternally and the new heaven and new earth established, where death and suffering are a thing of the past.

Hope this helps.

Edit: that Christians are being judged and disciplined in this life is confirmed in

1 Corinthians 11:32 KJV — But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.

36

Are YOU saved?

by JW Answers in

sadly today, many churches and religious organisations teach their followers that they are saved based on something the bible does not record.

many people are following a lie, and are heading to a lost eternity and do not know it.. my question here is... are you saved?

it's vitally important to know!.

Vanderhoven7

And the answer should be:

Saved from sins penalty now, sins power now and ultimately sins presence, i.e., justification, sanctification and finally glorification at the coming of the Lord.

36

Are YOU saved?

by JW Answers in

sadly today, many churches and religious organisations teach their followers that they are saved based on something the bible does not record.

many people are following a lie, and are heading to a lost eternity and do not know it.. my question here is... are you saved?

it's vitally important to know!.

Vanderhoven7

Hi TBK and Wozza

Watchtower always brings up James to demonstrate that they are the only ones doing good works worthy of salvation. TBK, you are right that Watchtower objects to justification by faith alone, in Christ alone, in His blood alone by grace alone....because they are self-righteous and very proud of it...as were the Pharisees and Sadducees. Let's look at James for a moment.

James 2:20 - 26 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? 22 Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? 23 And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God. 24 Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.

This passage serves as a needed correction. Many people say they have faith, which their works deny. James concludes that dead or fake faith cannot save anyone and that genuine faith always leads to good fruit/works. He is right. But what about the apparent disconnect between Paul and James on the subject of Abraham's justification.

Comparing James with Paul on justification

James writes: Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? James 2:21

Paul writes: What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found? 2. For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God. 3. For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. Rom. 4:1-3

How can we harmonize James and Paul on the subject of justification?

It is critical to note that Abraham was justified by faith before God not only prior to the giving of the law but also prior to offering Isaac on the alter, and actually even before Isaac was conceived. Genesis. 14:6

The solution is that Paul was talking about justification before God, while James was talking about justification before men. “Show me thy faith by thy works,” says James, “let thy faith be justified in the eyes of those that behold thee by thy works;” but Paul speaks of justification in the sight of God, who justifies those that believe in Jesus, purely on account of the redemption that is in him.” Thus we see that persons are justified before God by faith, but faith is justified before men by works.

CONCLUSION: Genuine faith is invisible to all but God. Visible works alone can demonstrate to others that a person is truly justified. Works alone can attest to whether faith is genuine i.e., saving or justifying faith. However works are not the basis of salvation but rather the product of salvation.

What does it mean to be saved/justified?

The Greek scriptures talk about salvation in three tenses, past, present and future. Past and present salvation is identified by the term “justification” All Christian believers are justified.

Acts 13:39 KJV — And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.

Romans 5:1 KJV — Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:

1 Corinthians 6:11 KJV — And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.

The gospel which Paul preached is the gospel by which we are saved. (I Cor.15:2)

So there are three aspects of spiritual salvation in the New Testament (The 3 P's)

Salvation from:

sins penalty – Ro.6:23, 5:16 - Justification (past, complete and so is not progressive)

sins power – I Cor.1:30, 6:11, Heb13:12 - Sanctification (past and progressive process)

sins presence – Ro. 8:30, I Pe. 5:4 - Glorification (future) I Pe.1:3-4, Col.1:3-5

Biblically, when a person repents and believes the gospel, he is justified (just as if I'd never sinned) and he receives the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit and becomes an adopted and sanctified son of God. Salvation/justification is a free gift; we cannot earn forgiveness nor the imputation of Christ's righteousness.(not by our works of righteousness anyway Titus 3:5, Eph 2:8 )

Salvation is always the gift of God.

36

Are YOU saved?

by JW Answers in

sadly today, many churches and religious organisations teach their followers that they are saved based on something the bible does not record.

many people are following a lie, and are heading to a lost eternity and do not know it.. my question here is... are you saved?

it's vitally important to know!.

Vanderhoven7

@Rivergang

Early on, I lived in a district which featured a large number of Brethren, Pentecostals, and some who were a mix of both. “Are you saved?” was a common question. I am sure they believed it to be a loaded question to throw at the JWs.

Actually, "Are you saved?" is an excellent "loaded" question because it forces JWs to pit their organizations' word against the word of God. The Bible clearly teaches that All believers in Christ are saved/justified.

Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

II Timothy 1:9 God has saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,

Acts 10:43 To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.

Acts 13:38-39 38 Therefore let it be known to you, men and brothers, that through this one forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. 39. And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.

Romans 3:21-26 21 But now God has shown us His righteousness; the law and the prophets tell us about it...God's righteousness comes to all who believe, just by their believing in Jesus Christ. There is no distinction. All have sinned and are without God's glory. They become righteous by a gift of His love, by the ransom Christ Jesus paid to free them. God set Him up publicly to pour out His blood before God to take away sin through faith, to show His righteousness...Now He wanted to show His righteousness, to be righteous Himself and make righteous anyone who believes in Jesus. (Beck)

Roman's 5:18 Therefore by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.

Notice that Romans 5:18 does not say: Therefore by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon ~~all men~~ 144, 000 unto justification of life.

36

Are YOU saved?

by JW Answers in

sadly today, many churches and religious organisations teach their followers that they are saved based on something the bible does not record.

many people are following a lie, and are heading to a lost eternity and do not know it.. my question here is... are you saved?

it's vitally important to know!.

Vanderhoven7

Hi Stan,

Biblical salvation is justification. This includes forgiveness of sin and imputation of Christ's righteousness

Colossians 2:13 KJV — And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;

Romans 4:23¶Now it was not written for Abraham alone, that righteousness was imputed to him;

24But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; 25 Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.

So believers are saved from sin and eternal death.

36

Are YOU saved?

by JW Answers in

sadly today, many churches and religious organisations teach their followers that they are saved based on something the bible does not record.

many people are following a lie, and are heading to a lost eternity and do not know it.. my question here is... are you saved?

it's vitally important to know!.

Vanderhoven7

8.5 million JWs do not claim to be saved, but they hope that their works and loyalty to god's organization will be enough to enable them to survive Armageddon into the new system where they will faithfully work for 1000 to acquire perfection and eternal life on paradise earth.

Salvation then is defined as survival through Armageddon. He who endures faithful to the end will survive Armageddon is the promise of the Faithful Slave.

15

Next time a jw says "the end is sooo close now"

by nowwhat? in

say this.

with what's going on the world does it look like they are going to proclaim peace and security anytime soon?!

or was the organization wrong again about the end times?.

Vanderhoven7

@ Ghost,

A JW might take you up on your offer and plan to sell his house to family members and squander the money from the sales in year four when he realizes the organization is wrong as it always is.

Then you are left holding the bag unless, of course, your contract prohibits the gifting, selling or remortgaging of his house.

21

I never had a happy birthday this year 5/7

by smiddy3 in

jw
friends

my wife had a hip replacement on june the 17th and while the op itself was apparently succesful ,she has had a reaction to the anesthetic ?

and has suffered delirium and is still in hospital with no apparent improvement.. its been very distressing for me to say the least.

sorry if i sound a bit morbid but i just had to share,.

Vanderhoven7

Great news Smiddy!

15

Do you believe in ultimate justice?

by Fisherman in

ultimate justice means that conduct is not inconsequential.

.

Vanderhoven7

That's deep Tonus. I am reminded that Solomon was a product of an illicit affair. That God can bring good out of evil is best exemplified by the cross.