The Vestibule (returning soon)

I liked the article Mike. I think it made the point well that Christians have to be careful not to make accepting God's salvation, as the author put it, "trite." Even Jim Bakker (imagine that) this morning was going off on the meaningless recitation of asking Jesus into your heart. Unfortunately, he began tying other things that we need to do into getting salvation. Salvation is a free gift for believing that Jesus died for our sins and rose from the grave for our salvation. We are saved by God's grace and his grace alone. Nothing we can do on our own will earn or buy our salvation.
We must be careful as children Of God not to trivialize how we get salvation.

Once saved always saved?
I believe this a very good set of verses confirming this idea. King James translation)
1Co 1:4  I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ;
1Co 1:5  That in every thing ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge;
1Co 1:6  Even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you:
1Co 1:7  So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ:
1Co 1:8  Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.

I don't believe this is a licence to do anything we want. It is God telling us that He loves us in spite of our sins. He tells us that if we accept His gift of grace by believing in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ as our Savior we are saved. NO STRINGS ATTACHED. If strings were attached, then it would also be things we do that ensure our salvation. There is nothing we can do except believe for our salvation.

An interesting article indeed. (SHAMELESS PLUG FOR OUR MONDAY NIGHT STUDY COMING...) This was one of the many topics we discuss in this class. Probably not the most important one, but it can be misunderstood if all we tell people is that they need to ask Jesus into their heart.

It is most important to know why we are asking. If we don't talk about the fact that we are all sinners and only the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus can change that, asking Him into our is... as the article stated... vacuous, meaningless. While asking Him into your heart is symbolic of a personal relationship with the Creator, it isn't enough. It's just a head knowledge an not a real, meaningful understanding of what Jesus did and why He did it.

Great discussion guys.

Mike I thought you might smile when mainstream teachers say some things that we have discussed in our class;even Les Feldick believes in other dimensions according to his show today (11/27/15)
Ephesians 3:16-18a
"That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend ..."

What's the difference between knowledge and comprehending? Nothing, except maybe putting it into action. But if you have knowledge, you can comprehend. And when you comprehend you have knowledge. Let's read on.

Ephesians 3:18b
"... with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; "

Now if I'm not mistaken this was something that Einstein was the first to promote and the world didn't know what he was talking about. He was talking about a fourth dimension. We always live in three. But when Einstein talked about a fourth dimension and his so-called formulas and so forth, the world didn't know what he was thinking. But this is what the Bible says that we are to enjoy. We are to enjoy a knowledge that goes into the fourth dimension.
http://www.lesfeldick.org/lesbk29.html
BOOK 29 / LESSON THREE * PART IV / RESURRECTED INTO THE KINGDOM / I CORINTHIANS 15:24-34

Quote from Les Feldick. TV program 12/4/15, Book 30 - Lesson 2 - Part 1
Rings so true as we study our Bibles. We should always keep an open mind as we study the Word.
Now it stands to reason if you all understand religion. I'm running into it even from our television audience where people's eyes are opened after being steeped in one religion or another. And it's not easy; I'm the first one to empathize with that situation. When they've had something drilled into them ever since they've been old enough to listen, then all of a sudden have someone like myself perhaps come along and show from the Scriptures that they've been taught totally wrong for so long, then it's not an easy situation. We've had people call and say, "Les this is the toughest thing I've ever had to do, but I can see that you're right on from the Scriptures."