Is it Okay to Condemn Sinners?

[Rad]

This is a salvation issue. You said none of us can be saved through our actions, and then you said the actions that show love and compassion “will be a determinant in the granting of Gods Grace, Forgiveness and Mercy.” Those two things cannot both be true. If God uses our works to decide whether to give grace, forgiveness, and mercy, then a man is not saved by grace through faith. He is saved by faith plus whatever amount of compassion God is measuring.

Let me try to explain better, none of us can be saved but through Gods Grace, Mercy and Forgiveness, for we are wretched sinners , ALL of us, but through the numerous quotes i gave from Christs teachings it seems to me that for each of ustheres a certain level of achievement we need to reach for Gods Grace to be granted. We must build our lives on the firm rock of Christs truth and that means following his teachings and doing what he asks of us, Matthew 7: 24-27, Luke 6:46. And for each of us, that Level of Achievement is different, and judged by God alone, for as Christ said, "From whom much is given, much will be expected" Luke 12:48. None of us are saved by our actions, but they are a prerequisite to the granting of Gods saving grace. And one of us can boast of our works, for even the best of us fall so far short of what we should be,

“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” ~Ephesians 2:8-9. “And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace.” ~Romans 11:6. “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us.” ~Titus 3:5. “Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.” ~Romans 4:4-5. If you earn it, it is wages. If God gives it freely, it is grace.

But then the question is "What constitutes belief", its not just a proclamation of Faith in Christ but a following of his teachings and commandments. Faith constitutes both belief and works, so even belief has an element of works in it and thus Grace, if determinant on belief, also has an element of works in it.

That is the gospel. God justifies the ungodly who believe. He does not wait to see if our compassion is enough and then grant mercy. If he does, grace is no more grace, and we have something to boast in.

We have nothing to boast in for we will always remain wretched sinners. but as in Matthew 16 vs 27 " For the Son of man shall come in the Glory of his Father with his Angels and shall reward every man according to his works" and the "Sheep and the Goats" where Christ divides people on the basis of their response to those in need, our actions play an essential role in whether we are saved or condemned. We cannot earn our Salvation through our actions alone but those actions of love and compassion must be there for Gods Grace to be bestowed upon us.

You ask what constitutes belief, and how we know we have it, because the people in Matt 7 thought they belonged to him. Scripture tells us what belief is. “He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.” ~John 5:24. “These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life.” ~1 John 5:13. What Matt 7 actually says is that they called him Lord, Lord and pointed to works done in his name, and he answered “I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” ~Matthew 7:22-23. That is his verdict. The text does not say they had the faith John wrote about. It says he never knew them.

But the important point is that they thought they were in fact saved, they believed in Christ, did many good works in his name, prophesied and cast out devils, they thought that Salvation was theirs, but Christ says, "I know you not", so how do we KNOW we are not numbered amongst the "many" that profess belief and doing what they believe to be Gods work but will share this condemnation?.

Yes a living faith obeys. “And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.” ~1 John 2:3. The sheep in Matt 25 show what they already are. They inherit a kingdom “prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” ~Matthew 25:34. That is not God granting grace because they finally did enough.

My point is exactly that, what does keeping Christs commandments mean, and how far can any of us, being the wretched sinners that we are, deviate from those commandments before Christ says to us, "I know you not", even though we still have belief in him and still profess his name and still believe we are doing what he requires of us. At what point do we enter into Gods grace or at what point do we enter into condemnation.

If our works help God decide to forgive us, we are not resting on Christ. We are resting on ourselves. That is why this matters.

But if we are "resting on Christ", if we are professing our belief in him, then we will do as he commands of us, Luke 6:46 and Matthew 7: 21-27, its not that we act because we want to be saved, we act because we Love, both God and our fellow man, we act because the Lord and Saviour we profess to follow calls us so to do, it is not a scramble for Salvation but the expression of Christs love in our lives for all to see.

But i would be interested in your views on the subject of the incompatibility of Riches and Salvation, for i believe it to be an issue of such importance to those of us living comparatively rich and comfortable lives, while the mass of humanity suffer and die in a morass of poverty and desperation

Heres my opening text. "
In Matthew 6:19-21 Christ says " 19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.", the way i read that is Christ saying "Do not store up Treasure on Earth", and not, "storing up Treasure on Earth may be dangerous", he then goes on to say in verse 21, "For where your Treasure is your heart will be also", and not, "your heart may be with your Treasure". If we store up Treasure on Earth then that is where our heart is. There is no differentiation between our treasure and our attitude to it, if we store up Treasure on Earth, if we are Rich, then our Heart is with that Treasure and as Christ says in verse 24, "you cannot serve two masters..... you cannot serve God and Mammon".

It seems to me that this is reiterated many times by Christ, for example in the story of the rich Ruler where Christ says the words" It will be easier for a Camel to pass through the eye of a needle than a Rich man enter Heaven", now to us that is an impossibility, but as Christ says "with God ALL things are possible", and that perhaps is why Joseph of Ariathaea was saved, if indeed he was, as we know no more about him, because even though he was rich and condemned according to Christs teaching, God has the prerogative, should he choose to ,to save or condemn anyone, for he is God and not bound by our notions of salvation or condemnation."