Quote:
Originally Posted by PeterG
Of course I don't want to distort this forum. But may I add another thing from WN on this matter:
"The Bible tells us of a very serious truth. Although someone may have eternal life, he may still be rejected from the kingdom of the heavens. One verse that speaks of this is Matthew 7:21: “Not every one who says to Me, Lord, Lord, will enter into the kingdom of the heavens, but he who does the will of My Father who is in the heavens.” The persons in this verse all address the Lord as “Lord.” The Lord will make a distinction between those disciples who can enter into the kingdom of the heavens and those who cannot. The Lord clearly shows us here that the condition for entering the kingdom of the heavens is doing the will of God. Although some have been saved and have called Him Lord, and although they have also done some works, without doing the will of God they nevertheless cannot enter into the kingdom of the heavens. The reward of the kingdom of the heavens is based on the obedience of man. If one is not faithful while living on the earth, though he will not lose eternal life, he will lose the kingdom of the heavens. When the time comes for the heavens to rule, that is, when the Lord Jesus comes the second time, some will not be able to enter the kingdom, but will lose it instead."
(WN, Special Grace and Reserve Grace, 1950)
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After coming out of the LCs and meeting with other believers it was a shock to me that many did not view salvation the same way as Watchman Nee did and how we were taught in the LCs. I used to think all Christians believed like we did.
From studying church history, I can’t find any record of this view of salvation until Robert Govett in the 19th century. If someone can truly be saved and still be a worker of lawlessness why do you think God hid this revelation in church history until 1800 years after Christ?
Early church writings do not support this view. Here is a quote from Polycarp, disciple of the Apostle John in his epistle to the Philippians chapter 2:
https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0136.htm
Quote:
Polycarp (c. 110 AD) - Epistle to the Philippians 2:3
But He who raised Him up from the dead will raise us up also, if we do His will, and walk in His commandments, and love what He loved, keeping ourselves from all unrighteousness, covetousness, love of money, evil speaking, false witness; not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing,
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Yet, in the same letter, Polycarp emphasizes that we are saved by grace because good works are the result of saving faith.
Quote:
Epistle to the Phillippians 1
In whom, though now you see Him not, you believe, and believing, rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory; 1 Peter 1:8 into which joy many desire to enter, knowing that by grace you are saved, not of works, Ephesians 2:8-9 but by the will of God through Jesus Christ.
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