May 8, 2012

Dear Brother Greg:

Thank you for your kind remarks concerning the May 3 post.  As to your concern, let me say the following:

Salvation is the FREE gift of God.  It comes without any help on our part.  It comes ONLY by the merit of the Son of God and we can do absolutely nothing to either get it or keep it.  Our only participation is to receive the gift and it is a forever thing.  It is received by faith alone, without any works on our part at all.  Nothing we do in life can do one thing toward earning our salvation.  It is free.  It is administered by the Holy Spirit upon our profession of FAITH.  No one can fool the Holy Spirit.  He knows who to save and who not to.  So, many “easy believism” people were never truly saved just because they went forward in some service.  The test of salvation is our desire to follow and OBEY the commandments of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Our works, on the other hand, are the exhibition of our faith.  “Faith without works is dead, being alone”, aid the Apostle James.  Our works build a house, but our works have absolutely nothing to do with the foundation.  That is Christ Jesus Himself.  (I Cor 3:15ff)  Thus, our salvation is eternally secure because nothing can harm the FOUNDATION.  We have absolutely no good thing in us to earn the foundation.

If we are to be part of the Bride of Christ, then we must relinquish the world and live for Him, who called us into His glorious light.  Many who have genuinely accepted Jesus, but who have lived without concern for His commandments will NEVER BE IN THE BRIDE.  They are like the 5 virgins with oil (the Holy Spirit) who get to heaven o. k., but are not worthy to enter the Bride’s chamber.

Any Christian, who, though saved by the skin of his teeth is not obedient in his life’s walk with the Lord, will find himself EXCLUDED from the Bride.  That is a terrible price to pay for disobedience, although, he, himself, will be saved, even (through) the fire of the eyes of Jesus Christ, the judge of the Bema. (I Cor 15ff).

You may agree or disagree, but I hope this helps to clarify what I believe.

In Christian love,

Gerry Almond