Posted by CB on May 22, 2011 at 11:26:59
In Reply to: Re: Romans 2 and the epistle of James belongs for every believer posted by Farmer on May 22, 2011 at 08:30:38:
Many good and decent people can't acknowledge the source of their goodness and decency has anything to do with the Christian faith tradition codified in New Testament scripture.
Perhaps they have rejected the "real" Jesus, if that means they've chosen to believe that the historical person found in the gospel testimony is a man-made-god rather than God-made-man. It's a reasonable conclusion to draw after being exposed to a soul-destroying religious group that claims to represent Jesus. God has shown mercy on me for greater offenses than that. I do not believe that rejecting the God of Christian tradition is an unforgivable offense against the Holy Spirit.
To me, the "real" Jesus Christ is the One who brings Light to your path and Life to your inner being. By our fruits the truth is revealted about who that One is, whether we can name it or not as incarnate in Christ. There are plenty of people who claim to be "washed in the blood" and forgiven of sin who show little evidence of having the Light in them. As you've noted, confession of faith alone is not sufficient.
I'm not saying "saved by works." I'm saying God saves whom He pleases and works his purpose in mysterious and unexpected ways. It's not my place to judge who is or is not saved from the second death due to the wages of sin. In my mind, salvation is about a relationship with the Lord of Light and Life. Who or What is that ineffable Holy Spirit? I choose to call it God revealed through faith in Jesus Christ, while atheists deny that it even exists. They will tell you I'm presumptuous to say that I see any Light or Life in them. It is just as offensive to them (as it no doubt is to many Christians) to put my faith in this claim: The Spirit bears witness unto Itself. Good fruit does not fall from a bad tree.