Quote:
Originally Posted by Raptor
Eternal salvation is a free gift and cannot be lost; ruling in the Kingdom is earned and conditional.
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Eternal salvation is a gift given by grace through faith (Eph 2:8). But some of the definition of faith is lost in translation to English.
Paul quotes Habbukuk 2:4 three times in the NT: "The righteous shall live by faith" in Romans 1:17, Galatians 3:11 and Hebrews 10:38 (assuming he is the author of Hebrews which he may not be).
If you do a Hebrew word study on Habbukuk 2:4, the Hebrew word for faith "emunah" used in the verse actually means much more than "faith" in English. According to Strong's (
https://www.studylight.org/lexicons/...brew/0530.html) emunah is "firmness, fidelity, steadfastness, steadiness".
Fidelity means "faithfulness" just like in the context of a marriage relationship. So faith is like faithfulness within a marriage. And a Greek word study on "pistis" would be consistent with this view:
https://thelogosofagape.wordpress.co...ek-word-study/
When evangelicals say that Christianity is more than a religion but a "personal relationship" with Jesus they are perhaps more correct than they know. Jesus said in John 17:13 "
And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent."
Someone who is practicing sin cannot be in relationship with Jesus, because Jesus would be instructing them to turn away from sin. This is also what the Apostle John wrote in:
1 John 3:6
No one who abides in him keeps on sinning;
no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him.
Someone who does not know Jesus personally does not have eternal life. Someone who knows Jesus personally will not continue in sin.
1 John 3:7-8
Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous.
Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil...