It is entirely John 3:16

Antinomiamism and Salvation ^ | 1/15/2011 | Gart O'Toole

[Benchim]

And this [salvation] is not of yourselves [of your own doing, it came not through your own striving], but it is the gift of God;(Ephesians 8)Christ himself says this in Mark 3:28. Do you think he meant it? 28'I tell you the truth, all the sins and blasphemies of men will be forgiven them." Notice the future tense. At the time he spoke these words, all men were condemned by imputed sin of Adam just as they are now but not condemned by imputed righteous for those who accept HIM. He is reported again as saying the same thing in Matthew. Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men”. 12:31 “Blasphemy” is a level of absolute belief in the reality of God and a rejection of Him in fact. And what is the condition for this absolute forgiveness? And what must we do to reach "imputed righteousness"? Very simple. John 3:16

[Benchim]

While Christ was on Earth he was quoted as saying in Matthew 5: 20 and after ... 20 For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 21 "You have heard that it was said to the men of old, 'You shall not kill; and whoever kills shall be liable to judgment.' 22 But I say to you that every one who is angry with his brother shall be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother shall be liable to the council, and whoever says, 'You fool!' shall be liable to the hell of fire. 23” That was true because we could not reach "righteousness" prior to His sacrifice and atonement on the cross.

[American Constitutionalist]

" While Christ was on Earth he was quoted as saying in Matthew 5: 20:
and after ... 20 For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
21 "You have heard that it was said to the men of old, 'You shall not kill; and whoever kills shall be liable to judgment.'
22 But I say to you that every one who is angry with his brother shall be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother shall be liable to the council, and whoever says, 'You fool!' shall be liable to the hell of fire. 23” That was true because we could not reach "righteousness" prior to His sacrifice and atonement on the cross. "

Many self righteous religious folk and those who think their works, their own merits ( it's all called walking in the flesh and not in the spirit ) will gain them entrance into heaven must not understand that Jesus was setting the bar so high that it's beyond any man/woman ability to obtain that righteousness that GOD demands, it's only gotten in Jesus Christ.

[Benchim]

Exactly. I heard this taught in church as “the way we should live” You can’t make that up. I was so offended that I fled ,never to return. This “high Bar” drives of many noobies and is of the devil.

[G Larry]

Some seem take comfort in the term “Salvation” with no apparent understanding of it’s meaning.
We can do nothing to reverse the effects of Original Sin.
Christ’s sacrifice provided Salvation, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not from you; it is the gift of God.”
As humans we are quite capable of rejecting this gift!
“faith without love is nothing”
“if you love me, keep my commandments”
“if you wish to enter into life, keep my commandments”
AND, Heb 10:26-30
“If we sin deliberately after receiving knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains sacrifice for sins but a fearful prospect of judgement and a flaming fire that is going to consume the adversaries.
Anyone who rejects the law of Moses is put to death without pity on the testimony of two or three witnesses. Do you not think that a much worse punishment is due the one who has contempt for the Son of God, considers unclean the covenant-blood by which he was consecrated, and insults the spirit of grace? We know the one who said: “Vengenance is mine; I will repay,” and again: “The Lord will judge his people.”

[Finny]

... [T]hose who think their works, their own merits ( it's all called walking in the flesh and not in the spirit ) will gain them entrance into heaven must not understand that Jesus was setting the bar so high that it's beyond any man/woman ability to obtain that righteousness that GOD demands, it's only gotten in Jesus Christ.

Amen. Give thanks daily for Him.

[Zuriel]

**“faith without love is nothing”
“if you love me, keep my commandments”
“if you wish to enter into life, keep my commandments”**

So true. And it should be noted that John 3:16 is the closing statement on HOW to believe on Jesus; for he explained (vrs 3,5-8) what believing would result in: a born again experience (born of the water and the Spirit), which is taught again in Acts 2:38; “..Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.”

Paul reminded the the saints in Rome, “ But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have OBEYED from the HEART that form of doctrine which was delivered you”. Rom. 6:17

[Vegasrugrat]

It is wonderful to hear a fellow Christian who understands his salvation lies in faith in Christ, not of our own doing.

Sadly many "Christians" believe salvation relies on their own works and deeds, which of course puts an impossible burden to follow God's Law, for which we hopelessly realize we cannot do.

Bless you for spreading the word of John 3:16

[Benchim]

God Bless you.

[American Constitutionalist]

Didn't Jesus say that it's the sick who need the doctor, he didn't call the righteous ( many misinterpret it, but, what was it that he meant “ the righteous ? “ I do believe he meant the religious Pharisees ) but, he came for sinners.
Perhaps what Jesus was saying, is ? there are those who are so self righteous that they think they are not sinners ( the story of the 2 men in the temple , one self righteious, and the other could not even look up to GOD ) and think that by their own self righteousness that GOD should some how allow then into heaven by their way of life or living.

[American Constitutionalist]

“If we sin deliberately after receiving knowledge of the truth "

Well ? what about this ? ( note, the word Cleanse, present and future tense ).

I John I:9

( If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. ) ....

And ? what about the verse before it ?

Any Christian who says they have no sin or any indwelling sin is a liar.

I John I:8 :
( if we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. ) .....


Must read the whole book of Hebrews to get and understand the context of the whole message of the book of Hebrews.
If you read the first part of the chapter, Paul is talking about how ineffective the blood of bulls and goats was, because ? if it really cleansed people from there sins, they would not have to had come every year.
Paul was talking about how much greater and sufficient the blood of Jesus Christ is to take away people's sins, and Jesus Christ had to only do it one time.
A greater and better blood covenant was on it's way, and Jesus Christ was and is that iniciator of that NEW Covenant.
Paul was writing to Christian Hebrews, and in some aspect, Apostle John was writing about the Judisers in his letters.
1 John 2:19
John said " that they went out among us, but, were not apart of us "
So ? what was John saying there ?
John was saying either they were never really regenerated, or that they were anti-Christs, who reject the blood of Christ.
Those Judisers was secretly spying ( yes, Paul said there were those who were spying on our liberty in Christ ) and infiltrating the church and in Pauls letter to the Galations, Paul rebuked those Christians who were being lead astray FROM THE FAITH by these Judisers.
These Judisers had some Christians fooled and were told that they still had to keep the law to be saved.
They were having some to reject and renounce the power and the blood of Christ and go back to Judisim ( note that Paul makes mention of the blood of bulls and goats in Hebrews ).
If you go on and continue to reject the truth, Jesus Christ is TRUTH, and the truth of the Gospel message and the salvation that GOD offers in his son Jesus Christ ALONE, then ? there is no hope for anyone, except judgment from GOD.
It is SIN in God's eyes to reject his son Jesus Christ, it is a SIN to deny the power and the all sufficiency of the blood of Christ, it is a SIN to offend the Spirit of Grace, the HOLY SPIRIT, it is a SIN to trample underfoot the blood of Christ, and denying the power thereof and considering it as common, considering it as the same as the blood of bulls and goats.
The law was giving to man to show man how sinful he really is, the law was to show man kind how guilty he really is in front of a HOLY GOD, the law convicts and condemns, but, the blood of Jesus Christ gives life, the spirit of Christ gives life, the grace of GOD gives life.

Knowledge of the truth ? read the book of Galatians.

[American Constitutionalist]

" Paul reminded the the saints in Rome, “ But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have OBEYED from the HEART that form of doctrine which was delivered you”. Rom. 6:17 "


What doctrine would that be ?

Was it the Pharisaical doctrine of the law ?
Or ? the message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ ? .

Paul goes on in those chapter in Roman's had not he had the knowledge of the law, he would not have had knowledge of his sins and trespasses.
People need to study all of the book of Romans as a whole to get the right context of the message of Romans.
The first part of Romans Paul talks about the natural state of man kind in his sinfulness and how man kind has no excuse to deny GOD.
Yes, Paul talks about the law in the 6th chapter, that now since we have Grace, should be bountifully sin more ?
of course NOT !
God forbid !

However ????


Paul in chapter 7 is honest with himself, and to us, that he had some sin he was struggling with, some indwelling sin , and later in chapter 7 he cries out, :


** 24. O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?

25. I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin. **


This is the Apostle Paul we are talking about here, the one who wrote 3/4s of the New Testament,
When before ? in chapter 6, he said shall we sin more ?
GOD FORBID !
But, here ? he is crying out to GOD for help from indwelling sin.
Then ?
We have Romans chapter 8
The chapter of victory


Verse 1 :

1. There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

2. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.


And not to be confused by some people's misinterpretation of that verse, were Paul says ( walking in the flesh ) Paul is not talking about walking in the flesh as in walking in sin, for Paul explains it in the next verse :

3. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:

The law was weak in the flesh, because it was MAN's efforts, mans ability, man trying to measure up to GOD's HOLY standards.
That is what Paul is talking about in " Walking in the FLESH " the arm of the flesh, or, man's efforts, in man's strength.
But, man kind failed to keep God's standards, so GOD had to step in and save man kind for man, and from himself.


Galatians 2:16

Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.

[American Constitutionalist]

" While Christ was on Earth he was quoted as saying in Matthew 5: 20:
and after ...
( ** 20. For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
21. "You have heard that it was said to the men of old, 'You shall not kill; and whoever kills shall be liable to judgment.'
22. But I say to you that every one who is angry with his brother shall be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother shall be liable to the council, and whoever says, 'You fool!' shall be liable to the hell of fire. 23” That was true because we could not reach "righteousness" prior to His sacrifice and atonement on the cross. " ...

" Exactly. I heard this taught in church as “the way we should live” You can’t make that up. I was so offended that I fled ,never to return. This “high Bar” drives of many noobies and is of the devil. "

Yeah, the preacher who preached this that day could have had someone while driving cut him off and cursed the guy and had hatred in his heart.... ohh well, judged by his preaching, this preacher is going to hell, you live by the law, you will be judged by the law.

As for me ? I have already been judged by GOD in the person of Jesus Christ.
I will be judged by GRACE !!

What Jesus was saying, that as mankind's efforts of righteousness is concerned, there was no greater righteiousness than the Jewish Pharises, but, Jesus was saying, still ? judged to God's standards ? compared to God's perfect standards ? it was not good enough, it does not measure up at all, it still falls short.
What Jesus was saying, if you reject him as the Messiah, the Saviour, and trust in your own self righteousness and works and merits, your going to be judged by GOD and go to hell.
Jesus was basically saying, no man is capable of living a sinless life and measure up to GOD's standards apart from Christ.

It is pride and arrogance that causes those who are offended when they hear that even " Good People " go to hell apart from trusting in Christ.

[American Constitutionalist]

" Exactly. I heard this taught in church as “the way we should live” You can’t make that up. I was so offended that I fled ,never to return. This “high Bar” drives of many noobies and is of the devil. "

This " High Bar " condemnation preaching is what causes new ones in Christ to try in their own efforts and fail miserably.
The disciple Peter had to learn the hard way that it was not in his strength in the arm of the flesh, in his own self confidence, but, the work ( not works, merits, but, the work of GOD of his faith ) in him will be done all alone by GOD in Christ.

[American Constitutionalist]

I call those who ?

Who trust in their own flesh,
their own efforts,
their own arm of the flesh,
their own works,
their own merits ,
their own self confidence who think they are saved by keeping their works of the flesh,
walking in the flesh,
who think ? somehow ? that GOD should allow them into heaven at the last day:

Blood of Christ deniers,
Anti-Christs,
Faith deniers,
Grace deniers
Faith departers,
High Bar preachers who think even their righteousness is greater that the Jewish Pharisees.


As far as GOD is concerned, being " GOOD " is not good enough, Salvation is in Jesus Christ alone.

[American Constitutionalist]

How about when those High Bar preachers respond with:

“ Jesus said, if you love me, you will keep my commandments “


Jesus also asked the rich young ruler if he had kept the commandments, and he said yes, he has, but, Jesus said for him to go and sell everything he has and give to the poor and the rich young ruler went away.

Once again, Jesus set the bar so high that no man can measure up.
You live by the law, you shall be judged by the law.

The bible also says that no man shall be justified by the law.
If everyone was honest, can they actually say that they have meet and kept GOD's law perfectly ?
for that's the standard GOD demands of man kind.

Those who trust in their own efforts, their own merits, their own self confidence and do not put their trust and hope and faith in Jesus Christ and in his sacrificial blood sacrifice are in danger of hell and damnation.
Instead of doing it GOD's way in Jesus Christ, they chose to do their own way in their flesh, their own self righteousness and chose to risk to be judged by GOD.
It does not have to be that way, but, in their stubbornness, their pride, their arrogance, they won't put their hope, trust, and faith in the saving Grace of Jesus Christ.
In their pride, stubbornness, arrogance, they refuse to humble themselves, admit their sin of pride, and place their life at the mercy of GOD, the Grace of GOD to save them.
It does not have to be that way.
That is what is meant when it is said " Repent and be saved " ,,,, repent from a heart of stubborn pride, the sin of pride, to have a change of mind.

[Benchim]

Hi . Good point. Jesus came to save us from our sins,not to let us save ourselves with works. Why does the institutional church distort it ?

[Benchim]

excellent comments. I appreciate your thoughts and conclusion. Well studied!!

[Benchim]

That is awesome. I love your post.

[Benchim]

Good post. I appreciate your insight. I question the “follow the commandments” If you are saying that has anything to do with salvation. Jesus had very few commandment anyway and he said that before God sacrificed him. I think “belief” is all you have to do.Repentance is easy after that and if you repent and backslide ,you are still saved. Thanks for your comments—.

[Zuriel]

**What doctrine would that be ?
Was it the Pharisaical doctrine of the law ?
Or ? the message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ ?**

While Paul was indeed a Pharisee, and I suppose he could be said to have had a “Pharisaical doctrine” of the law, I don’t believe he was being condecending to all that kept the Law, for some did so and were praised and blessed by God, because they did so from the heart (such were many heros of faith in the OT).

Many that proclaim Christianity today, hear of the works of the Law, and immediately think of the Pharisees, and the rebukes the Lord gave many of them. Note, that there were some honest hearts, such as the Pharisee, Nicodemas. Who was told.......he ‘MUST be born again’.

Back to that question:
**What doctrine would that be ?**

Let’s answer that with the intro of the epistle. Paul is greeting fellow believers of Jesus Christ,”By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for OBEDIENCE to the faith among all nations, for his name: Among whom are ye ALSO the called of Jesus Christ: To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ”. Rom. 1:5-7

Paul rolls right on into an address concerning the works of the flesh, Abraham’s faithful obedience to God’s call, and then the works of the Law. Paul DOES allude from time to time of the transformation that results from faith in Jesus Christ.

For instance, you mention Chp. 6:1,2....

**Yes, Paul talks about the law in the 6th chapter, that now since we have Grace, should be bountifully sin more ?
of course NOT !
God forbid !**

Let’s continue with verse 3-5, where Paul ‘reminds’ them of their changed life: “Know ye not, that as many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection”.

Sound familiar? Paul reminded the Colossians of the same experience; “In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.” Col. 2:11,12

**We have Romans chapter 8 The chapter of victory**

Yes, the Spirit is life. Peter said, “And we are witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that OBEY him.” Acts 5:32

Paul also rebuked those “..that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ..”. 2Thess. 1:8

I have no argument with your futher comments and scriptures in Romans. My point is that being born again, as the Lord commanded, is done with faithful obedience to his words, as he said, “Ye must be born again”.

Paul mentioned “leaving the PRINCIPLES of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on to perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, Of the doctrine of baprisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgement. And this we will do, if God permit.” Heb. 6:1-3

I have more to point out, but must turn in.

Lord bless