But you just said that claiming to believe doesn't make you saved.
Claming to believe implies falsehood, so yes.
So by your interpretation of having faith (As opposed to obeying his teachings and imitating him), that would mean that you believe just by believing you're saved. Now for this "True repentance" part, how is that not a work? What does it mean to repent exactly?
That doesn't give specifics by any means. What is an 'Issue of the heart" exactly? Hebrews 10:26-27 clearly implies those who continue to sin have nothing but firy indigniation to look forward to.
I believe I already addressed that with my last post. If you need more clarification let me know.
　
The Luke warm are cast out for not having sufficient works.
Where?
Quote:
And someone who decides to do all that near the end of their life is entitled to the same grace.
Nothing in the text supports this.
Yes, it does. The thief on the cross inclined his heart towards Jesus at the end of his life, and Jesus assured him that he would be with Him.
You don't earn your ticket to heaven by a life served in works, you do it by making a choice to repent in your heart and turn to the truth of Christ.
Therefore, your actions are very much involved with your salvation. It's not just an "issue of the heart", it's very much "An issue of what you do with your body".
What did the thief do with his body other than confess his belief in and acceptance of Christ?
It was in his heart that Christ discerned the truth of his repentence.
So wouldn't having a "heart inclined towards him" and repenting of your sins mean a change of actions and a dedication?'
Yes, that's the point. But it starts with the heart. And his Spirit is the one who works that conviction out to action in us.
　
Zechariah 4
‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord Almighty.
7 "What are you, mighty mountain? Before Zerubbabel you will become level ground.
Matthew 21
21 Jesus replied, "Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done. 22 If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer."
　
Mountains are taken as things that are stumbling blocks to God's will in our life, but by faith we can speak and through His Spirit they can be removed.
We voice His will to have them removed in our life, coming into agreement with His will for us, and His Spirit makes it happen in us.
We can no more boast about the transformation that takes place in us than we can boast about moving a physical mountain.
　
What's the point of "enduring until the end" and "Winning the race"? What endurance?
What about it?
Look up all the scriptures that deal with endurance. He's talking about enduring for the sake of others, and enduring for rewards/blessings. Ie. the place to rule and reign with Him. The crowns he puts on us, which we end up casting at his feet anyway.
No where is endurance linked with the forgiveness of your sins. That would give you something to boast about then, as one who endured to earn something Christ intended to give away freely.
Endurance is something that comes out of love of what God has promised and a love of serving others for His sake. It is not so that we earn what he has already given to all as a free gift if only they are willing to recieve and appropriate it into their lifes (forgiveness of sins and restoration)
　
Romans 4
4 When people work, their wages are not a gift, but something they have earned. 5 But people are counted as righteous, not because of their work, but because of their faith in God who forgives sinners. 6 David also spoke of this when he described the happiness of those who are declared righteous without working for it:
7 "Oh, what joy for those
whose disobedience is forgiven,
whose sins are put out of sight.
8 Yes, what joy for those
whose record the Lord has cleared of sin."[
b]
16 So the promise is received by faith. It is given as a free gift. And we are all certain to receive it, whether or not we live according to the law of Moses, if we have faith like Abraham’s. For Abraham is the father of all who believe. 17 That is what the Scriptures mean when God told him, "I have made you the father of many nations."[
d] This happened because Abraham believed in the God who brings the dead back to life and who creates new things out of nothing.
　
　
That's not the context, it's about how those in the end times will have the reward as those who've heard the message from the beginning, but due to their works nonetheless.
The context is laborers who are jealous that others got the same rewards for less work.
　
8 "That evening he told the foreman to call the workers in and pay them, beginning with the last workers first. 9 When those hired at five o’clock were paid, each received a full day’s wage. 10 When those hired first came to get their pay, they assumed they would receive more. But they, too, were paid a day’s wage. 11 When they received their pay, they protested to the owner, 12 ‘Those people worked only one hour, and yet you’ve paid them just as much as you paid us who worked all day in the scorching heat.’
13 "He answered one of them, ‘Friend, I haven’t been unfair! Didn’t you agree to work all day for the usual wage? 14 Take your money and go. I wanted to pay this last worker the same as you. 15 Is it against the law for me to do what I want with my money? Should you be jealous because I am kind to others?’
　
It has to do with the fact that in the end times people will get the benefits of the rewards a lot easier than those who came before them.
　
The reason I bought it up is beacuse it seems to reflect the same spirit that drives someone to complain about the thief on the cross recieving the same forgiveness as someone who spent their whole life in service to God, like the brother who complained about the prodigal son. That person was missing he point of their service if they thought they were working for what God had already given them freely through inheritence. They merely had to recieve.
So why does he call them "Doers of Lawlessness" and say that they didn't do God's will? Do you not associate yielding to him and being obedient as obeying what he teaches to do? What's the point of even listening to Jesus's teachings if there's no other action required but to have faith in his sacrifice? Surely you don't think that's all the Gospels says Jesus teaches, right? Matthew 7 doesn't really say much about having a relationship with him per se, and the preceding context is about "bad trees bearing bad fruit", it's all about them being "lawless" and not doing God's will, and in context, doing God's will is all about good works. What is a good tree that bears good fruit? One who preaches Christ?
Look at the context as one who abides in Christ bears fruit to righteousness:
18 A good (healthy) tree cannot bear bad (worthless) fruit, nor can a bad (diseased) tree bear [
n]excellent fruit [worthy of admiration].
19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and cast into the fire.
20 Therefore, you will [
o]fully know them by their fruits.
21 Not everyone who says to Me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father Who is in heaven.
22 Many will say to Me on that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name and driven out demons in Your name and done many mighty works in Your name?
23 And then I will say to them openly (publicly), I never knew you; depart from Me, you who act wickedly [disregarding My commands].
　
He's saying that many will come to him saying they believe, and having done works, but that they never actually knew Him, they didn't have an authentic abiding relationship that bore fruit to righteousness.
Those who truly believe and repent will want to abide to bear the fruit of righteousness. The key is knowing where your righteousness comes from, abiding in Him as a gift from Him, but not by forcing yourself in the flesh to do what you think is right. That kind of striving will only beat you down and bear little fruit in relation to all the effort expended. The real fruit comes from simply abiding and recieving as a gift his righteousness in you, not anything you can boast about.
There's no point in "Striving" for the narrow gate if all you have to do is "believe with all your heart".
Why is it that 'many will be called but few will be chosen"? Will only a few believe enough with their heart?
As I already pointed out, I never used the words believe with all your heart, and your definition of believe in their heart is not the same as the way I used it.
　
　
　
