Posted on 08/03/2018 11:20:26 AM PDT by ebb tide
>>“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life. John 5:24 NASB<<
Man, I can’t wait to read your very best understanding of the full meaning of the cited Scripture!
If you believe the Father sent His only Begotten Son to die for the sins of the world, and have faith in Him [Christ], then you have eternal life.
That person will not come into judgment.
The Greek word for "has", ἔχει, is a present, indicative, active verb.
The indicative is usually used to present an assertion as a non-contingent statement (Wallace, Greek Grammar Beyond the Basics, p449).
The present tense conveys the idea that the action is completed at the moment of speaking.
Jesus is saying the person who hears and believes has eternal life. It's a done deal.
The Greek word for "has passed", μεταβέβηκεν, is a perfect, indicative, active. Wallace classifies the meaning of the perfect is one of a gnomic perfect. That is, it has a distributive value, something that is envisioned on many occasions or for many individuals (Wallace, p580).
The perfect tense is used for "indicating not the past action as such, but the present 'state of affairs' resulting from the past action (Wallace p573) from the perspective of the speaker/writer.
The other key word, πιστεύων, is a present, participle, active. The meaning behind the participle is that of on-going action....which describes the life of the believer....and on-going faith.
To sum up:
The person hearing and believing the Gospel has eternal life [eternal security] and does not incur judgment. It is a promise of Christ that John has recorded.
This message of eternal security is a theme in John and the New Testament.
>> This message of eternal security is a theme in John and the New Testament.<<
Your interpretation of the Scriptures is universally known as the doctrine of “cheap grace” also known as “salvation on the cheap”. It has been rejected as such for over two millennia by the vast majority of the followers of Jesus Christ, including Catholics, Orthodox, and Protestants. Moreover, literally hundreds of theologians have written treatises explaining why and how this bogus doctrine is heretical. But hey, if it makes you feel assured that you will not have to answer for your many sins past, present, and future, fine with me!
Hardly.
To follow Christ means a lot. It is denial of self to follow Him.
It is to serve others in the course of His kingdom.
It is about following Him.
If you think that's "cheap grace" I cannot help that.
What I've provided is a study of the verse in question using the Greek of the NT.
The promises of Christ are clear based on the Greek.
If we have to "do something" to earn our salvation....then the gift is no longer the gift and our salvation becomes dependent upon what we do.....not His sacrifice on the Cross.
If you're counting on your good works to save you, then you are going to be disappointed.
The NT is clear....we are to have faith in Him and only Him for our salvation.
I'll leave you with this verse from Colossians:
8See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ. 9For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form, 10and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over all rule and authority; 11and in Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in the removal of the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ;
12having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.
13When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions,
14having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.
Colossians 2:8-14 NASB
If the pope is the “Vicar of Christ” on earth, he must know what he is doing.
You said...”If the pope is the “Vicar of Christ” on earth, he must know what he is doing.”.....
Just because the Vatican officially teaches that the substitute for Christ Jesus is the Pope does not make it so.
There is a direct connection between the redemption of Christ and the ministry of the Holy Spirit, it is a soul damning error to mistake the work of the Holy Spirit as Vicar of Christ with the position or work of ANY man.
We place our faith in the one Lord Jesus Christ and His one true Vicar the divine Holy Spirit....
I'd like to have access to the dictionary that is inside of your head; as it seems to have quite different meanings of words that most humans use.
You see; it's not that Prots 'complain' about criticism of your pope; but that Prots point out the HYPOCRACY of you Catholics failing to follow your own rules.
And yes; there IS a dearth of Catholics calling out other Catholics for disrespecting the pope.
(at least where all can see it: perhaps you guys do, in your private replies.)
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.