Originally Posted by
dberrie2000
Hi Hogan:
Is God extending His Blood to those who walk in the light working for something? Is that Blood unmerited favor, if it is conditional upon one walking in the light?
1 John 1:7---King James Version (KJV)
7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
Did Paul misundertand the doctrine of "unmerited favor" when it came to God's grace?
2 Thessalonians 1:7-9---King James Version (KJV)
7 And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels,
8 In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:
9 Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;
Galatians 5:19-21--King James Version (KJV)
19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
Romans 2:5-11--King James Version (KJV)
5 But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God;
6 Who will render to every man according to his deeds:
7 To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life:
8 But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath,
9 Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile;
10 But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile:
11 For there is no respect of persons with God.
Hogan--how do you collate all those scriptures with Ephesians2:8-9?
As I have stated before--the LDS, and some scholars--now believe when Paul used the term "works", "works of the Law", "the Law", etc--that was a reference to certain rituals under the Mosaic Law--not obedience to the gospel of Jesus Christ.(See the New Perspective on Paul)
How do you collate them? Taking one scripture and pitting it against the rest not only does not make one's point--it renders the Bible an unreliable source of truth.