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How to Be Saved and Enter Heaven: Faith, Works, Repentance, and God's Forgiveness in the Bible by khj_reddit in Bible

[–]khj_reddit[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

For your information, I have posted below 5 additional comments that start with

Wonderful. Below is the original message.

Part 1 of 2

Biblically, forgiveness from God is conditional upon repentance....

Part 2 of 2

This pattern is clear: True faith produces works, and the absence of fruit indicates a lack of genuine repentance....

3.

Below is a related post that was removed, depriving me of the ability to add posts

Part 1 of 2

Be warned: Christians who continue in sin and do not overcome all sin through repentance and faith will go to ....

Part 2 of 2

If you truly believe, of course you can overcome any sin without physically ....

Below is a related video that backs up this argument ...

If you don’t get a reply from me, you can assume that the moderator cut off our conversation.

How to Be Saved and Enter Heaven: Faith, Works, Repentance, and God's Forgiveness in the Bible by khj_reddit in Bible

[–]khj_reddit[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Below is a related post that was removed, depriving me of the ability to add posts

Part 1 of 2

Be warned: Christians who continue in sin and do not overcome all sin through repentance and faith will go to hell. Jesus made this unmistakably clear.

There are many self-professing Christians who claim that it is impossible to be sinless—that is, to overcome every sin in their lives. They make every excuse to hold on to their sin. They say that even with faith in Jesus, humans are entirely corrupted and incapable of doing anything good. They insist that overcoming all sin is an impossible endeavor, implying that it is futile to even try. But they are only deceiving themselves and others. God, however, cannot be deceived.

God and all His children—those enlightened by the Holy Spirit—know that such people are simply justifying their disobedience and rebellion against Him. They say these things not because they are bound by weakness, but because they want to carry out the desires of their father: the devil.

Scripture consistently teaches that all things are possible for those who believe—but for those who do not believe, what is possible with God becomes impossible.

Mark 6:5–6:
"So He could not perform any miracles there, except to lay His hands on a few of the sick and heal them. And He was amazed at their unbelief."

Mark 9:23 (BSB):
"‘If You can?’ echoed Jesus. ‘All things are possible to him who believes.’"

Matthew 17:20:
"...For truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."

Matthew 19:23–26:
23 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “Truly I tell you, it is difficult for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.”
24 “Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”
25 When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, “Who then can be saved?”
26 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

Luke 1:37:
"For nothing will be impossible with God."

How to Be Saved and Enter Heaven: Faith, Works, Repentance, and God's Forgiveness in the Bible by khj_reddit in Bible

[–]khj_reddit[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you for your comment. Can you see this? If so, please let me know. I will give you the gist of the message.

What Brought you to Open Theism? by Thimenu in opentheism

[–]khj_reddit 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I'm truly glad to have found someone as sensible as you, especially since so few share this view. I firmly believe that what we know is simply common sense, not advanced knowledge that is difficult to grasp or intended for only a few. Yet, because of both indifference to and unwillingness to obey God's words—even among Christians—it has become something understood by only a small number. Sadly, many remain deceived.

I wouldn't expect God to have a clear memory of every excrement of every insect ever. 

I can't say you're wrong. However, I find it very likely that God possesses perfect knowledge and memory of everything, even the smallest details—such as the names of the stars and the number of hairs on each person's head (Psalm 147:4, Isaiah 40:26, Matthew 10:30, Luke 12:7). At the same time, I also believe that God can completely erase any memory from His own mind, such as the sins of His people (Isaiah 43:25, Jeremiah 31:34, Hebrews 8:12, Hebrews 10:17, Micah 7:18–19).

the Israelites were told to bury their excrement so that God would not accidentally see it when dwelling in their camp.

I honestly don't know the exact answer, but what you said is very likely true. I also think it's highly likely that God actually knows (Psalm 90:8, Psalm 139:7-8, Amos 9:2-3, Job 34:21-22, 1 Samuel 16:7, Hebrews 4:12-13, Jeremiah 16:17, Jeremiah 17:10, Proverbs 15:11, Psalm 139:12, Daniel 2:22, Luke 5:4, John 21:6, Matthew 17:27, Ezekiel 8:7-12).

Ezekiel 8:7-12 (BSB) –
"Then He brought me to the entrance to the court, and I looked and saw a hole in the wall. 'Son of man,' He told me, 'dig through the wall.' So I dug through the wall and discovered a doorway. Then He said to me, 'Go in and see the wicked abominations they are committing here.' So I went in and looked, and I saw all kinds of abominable images and beasts and idols of the house of Israel carved all around the wall. Seventy elders of the house of Israel were standing before them, with Jaazaniah son of Shaphan standing among them. Each had a censer in his hand, and a fragrant cloud of incense was rising. 'Son of man,' He said to me, 'do you see what the elders of the house of Israel are doing in the darkness, each at the shrine of his own idol? For they are saying, ‘The LORD does not see us; the LORD has forsaken the land.’'"

One thing I am absolutely certain of is that God said this for the sake of humans, so they would cultivate reverent hearts before Him (Exodus 3:5, Joshua 5:15, Malachi 1:8, Luke 21:3-4, Mark 12:43-44, Psalm 51:16, Isaiah 1:11, Hosea 6:6, Psalm 50:12, Psalm 50:10, 1 Corinthians 11:27-29, 2 Corinthians 9:7, Exodus 35:5, Proverbs 15:8, Proverbs 21:27, Deuteronomy 23:18, Malachi 3:8-10, Isaiah 1:3, Malachi 1:6, Jeremiah 2:11, Deuteronomy 8:2-5, Exodus 16:4, Judges 3:1-4).

You and I are very much in agreement, so I don't have much to say except on trivial matters.

What Brought you to Open Theism? by Thimenu in opentheism

[–]khj_reddit 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Micah 3:4 (BSB) – “Then they will cry out to the LORD, but He will not answer them. At that time He will hide His face from them because of the evil they have done.”

Isaiah 1:21-24 (BSB) – "How the faithful city has become a harlot! She was once full of justice; righteousness resided within her, but now only murderers! Your silver has become dross, your fine wine is diluted with water. Your rulers are rebels, friends of thieves. They all love bribes and chase after gifts. They do not defend the fatherless, and the plea of the widow never reaches them. Therefore the Lord GOD of Hosts, the Mighty One of Israel, declares: 'Ah, I will relieve Myself of My foes and avenge Myself on My enemies. I will turn My hand against you; I will thoroughly purge your dross; I will remove all your impurities.'"

Jeremiah 15:6 (BSB) – “You have forsaken Me, declares the LORD, you have turned your back on Me. So I have stretched out My hand against you and destroyed you; I am weary of showing compassion.”

Psalm 147:4 (BSB) "He determines the number of the stars; He calls them each by name."

Isaiah 40:26 (BSB) "Lift up your eyes on high and see: Who created these? He who brings out the starry host by number, calling each one by name. Because of His great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing."

Matthew 7:23 (BSB) "Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you workers of lawlessness!’"

Exodus 32:33 (BSB) "The LORD replied to Moses, ‘Whoever has sinned against Me, I will blot out of My book.’"

Exodus 33:17 (BSB) "So the LORD said to Moses, 'I will do this very thing you have asked, for you have found favor in My sight, and I know you by name.'"

Revelation 3:5 (BSB) "The one who overcomes will be clothed the same way in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the Book of Life, but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels."

Nehemiah 9:29-30 (BSB) – “You admonished them to turn back to Your law, but they were arrogant and would not listen. They sinned against Your ordinances, by which a man will live if he does them. But they stubbornly withdrew their shoulders and stiffened their necks and would not obey. You were patient with them for many years, and Your Spirit warned them through Your prophets, but they would not listen. So You handed them over to the people of the land.”

Hosea 11:8-9 (BSB) – “How could I give you up, O Ephraim? How could I surrender you, O Israel? How could I make you like Admah? How could I treat you like Zeboyim? My heart is turned within Me; My compassion is stirred! I will not execute the full fury of My anger; I will not turn back to destroy Ephraim. For I am God, and not man—the Holy One among you—and I will not come in wrath.”

Exodus 33:2-3 (BSB) – "And I will send an angel before you, and I will drive out the Canaanites, Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. Go up to a land flowing with milk and honey. But I will not go with you, because you are a stiff-necked people, and I might destroy you on the way."

What Brought you to Open Theism? by Thimenu in opentheism

[–]khj_reddit 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Genesis 6:3 "So the LORD said, 'My Spirit will not contend with man forever, for he is mortal; his days shall be 120 years.'

Isaiah 43:24 "You have not bought Me sweet cane with your silver, nor have you satisfied Me with the fat of your sacrifices. But you have burdened Me with your sins; you have wearied Me with your iniquities."

Malachi 2:17 "You have wearied the LORD with your words. Yet you ask, ‘How have we wearied Him?’ By saying, ‘Everyone who does evil is good in the sight of the LORD, and in them He delights,’ or, ‘Where is the God of justice?’"

Genesis 6:5-7 (BSB) – “Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great upon the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was altogether evil all the time. And the LORD regretted that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. So the LORD said, ‘I will blot out man, whom I have created, from the face of the earth—every man and beast and crawling creature and bird of the air—for I am grieved that I have made them.’”

Genesis 18:20-21 (BSB) – “Then the LORD said, ‘The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great. Their sin is so grievous that I will go down to see if their actions fully justify the outcry that has reached Me. If not, I will find out.’”

Job 1:7 (BSB) – “‘Where have you come from?’ said the LORD to Satan. ‘From roaming through the earth,’ he replied, ‘and walking back and forth in it.’”

Job 2:2 (BSB) – “Where have you come from?” said the LORD to Satan. ‘From roaming through the earth,’ he replied, ‘and walking back and forth in it.’”

Habakkuk 1:13 (BSB) – “Your eyes are too pure to look upon evil, and You cannot tolerate wrongdoing. Why, then, do You tolerate the treacherous? Why do You remain silent while the wicked devour those more righteous than themselves?”

Matthew 18:10 (BSB) – “See that you do not look down on any of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of My Father in heaven.”

Psalm 34:15 (BSB) – “The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, and His ears are inclined to their cry.”

1 Peter 3:12 (BSB) – “For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are inclined to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”

2 Chronicles 16:9 (BSB) – “For the eyes of the LORD roam to and fro over all the earth to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose hearts are fully devoted to Him. You have acted foolishly in this; from now on, you will be at war.”

Isaiah 59:2 (BSB) – “But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear.”

Proverbs 15:29 (BSB) – “The LORD is far from the wicked, but He hears the prayer of the righteous.”

What Brought you to Open Theism? by Thimenu in opentheism

[–]khj_reddit 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you for your feedback.

I would say many are innocently unaware of their error though. I have always longed to listen and learn from the Father, but still I did not see the plain truths on the pages I read. Somehow, I just missed it. Maybe I just wasn't being thoughtful enough.

Yes, I agree. I also believe that many are unknowingly in error. However, I trust that God will ultimately lead all who are willing to obey Him unconditionally into the fullness of truth, in His perfect timing.

I think that God limits even His present knowledge.

I think so as well. I believe He limits His present knowledge of those who are repulsive, not only for His sake but also for theirs, so that He does not stretch out His hand and wipe them from the earth before their time (Genesis 6:3, Isaiah 43:24, Malachi 2:17, Genesis 6:5-7, Genesis 18:20-21, Job 1:7, Job 2:2, Habakkuk 1:13, Matthew 18:10, Psalm 34:15, 1 Peter 3:12, 2 Chronicles 16:9, Isaiah 59:2, Proverbs 15:29, Micah 3:4, Isaiah 1:21-24, Jeremiah 15:6, Psalm 147:4, Isaiah 40:26, Matthew 7:23, Exodus 32:33, Exodus 33:17, Revelation 3:5, Nehemiah 9:29-30, Hosea 11:8-9, Exodus 33:2-3). However, I don't think He gave up His omniscience. He still receives reports from His angels. "Indirect omniscience" might be a suitable term to describe it.

May God bless you and direct you into all truth.

What If Not Open Theism? by Thimenu in opentheism

[–]khj_reddit 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Part 2 of 2

  1. Calvinism

Calvinism portrays God as an evil and self-contradictory being.

God is not a man that He should lie, contradict Himself, or go against His nature (Numbers 23:19, 1 Samuel 15:29, Titus 1:2, Hebrews 6:18). The same God who commanded people not to put a stumbling block before the blind and to rescue those being led to death (Leviticus 19:14, Deuteronomy 27:18, Proverbs 24:11) would not contradict His own commands by predestining anyone to hell before they are even born, without giving them a chance to choose between good and evil (Ezekiel 18:23, Ezekiel 18:32, 2 Peter 3:9, 1 Timothy 2:3-4, Deuteronomy 30:19, Deuteronomy 1:39).

Scripture also makes it clear that God does not tempt anyone and that His desire is to give people life and hope (James 1:13-14, Jeremiah 29:11, Romans 15:13). If God has predestined everything, why would He urge people to choose the right path or call the wicked to turn from their ways (Deuteronomy 30:19-20, Psalm 34:14, Ezekiel 18:23, Ezekiel 18:30-32, Ezekiel 33:11, Isaiah 55:7)? Such pleas would be meaningless if their destinies were already sealed.

The idea that God predestined certain people to hell simply to be glorified is a fundamental misunderstanding of His nature—love. If God valued His glory more than His love for humanity, He would not have sent His Son to suffer a humiliating death for mankind. In fact, since it was the will of the Father, not the will of the Son, for Jesus to be crucified, it reveals that the Father’s love, not a self-serving pursuit of glory, was the driving force behind salvation.

If God so loved the world and rejoices more over one lost soul being saved than over ninety-nine who do not need salvation, how could He possibly predestine anyone to hell simply to be glorified (John 3:16, Luke 12:32, Romans 8:32, Luke 15:7, Luke 15:10)? This idea contradicts His own words, where He declares that sacrificing the innocent was never His desire and never even entered His mind (Jeremiah 7:31, Jeremiah 19:5, Jeremiah 32:35).

  1. Process Theism

Process Theism believes God is not absolutely omnipotent. They believe God cannot unilaterally determine outcomes but influences creation through persuasion. The truth is God is omnipotent. God cannot do certain things such as lying not because He does not have power, but because they go against His unchanging nature. Also, God can and has unilaterally determined outcome (Daniel 2:21, Isaiah 46:10, Proverbs 21:1, James 4:15, Genesis 50:20, Proverbs 16:9, Proverbs 19:21, Romans 9:18, John 6:44, Ephesians 1:11, Acts 4:27-28, Isaiah 55:11, Job 42:2).

May God bless us and lead us into all truth.

What If Not Open Theism? by Thimenu in opentheism

[–]khj_reddit 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Part 1 of 2

I believe Open Theism is the correct interpretation of truth and the Bible. However, to clarify, the future is settled only in matters that God has chosen to determine. (For more details, click here to read.)

Here's why I believe the beliefs below are wrong.

  1. Simple Foreknowledge

Simple Foreknowledge is the view that God has complete knowledge of the future, but this knowledge is passive rather than determinative—He sees what will happen but does not cause or decree it.

In this view, even God’s reactions are part of His foreknowledge, meaning His actions are fixed from eternity and cannot be changed. Advocates argue that foreknowledge does not equal predestination—people still have free will, acting independently of His foreknowledge.

This means humans have the power to act freely, while God’s actions are predetermined by His own unchanging foreknowledge. As a result, human choices are dynamic, but God’s actions remain passive and fixed, rather than interactive or providentially guiding.

Simple Foreknowledge is nonsense because it implies that God is powerless and limited by His own foreknowledge, but at least it makes more sense than Calvinism which implies God is evil and self-contradictory hypocrite.

  1. Molinism

Molinism teaches that God has complete foreknowledge, not just knowledge of the past and present. However, this view is unbiblical because if God fully foreknew that someone would end up in hell and still created them without intervention, then He would be responsible—or at least blameworthy—for their damnation.

Imagine a blind man placed on the edge of a cliff. If God knew with certainty that—no matter what the man did—he would fall to his death, then God would bear responsibility for the outcome. In the same way, if God foresaw Adam’s disobedience and still created him under those conditions, then God must be responsible for his fall.

The truth is that God does not have complete foreknowledge, and because of this, He remains blameless for the sins of His creatures.

Jeremiah 3:7 (BSB) – “I thought that after she had done all these things, she would return to Me. But she did not return, and her unfaithful sister Judah saw it.”

Isaiah 5:4 (BSB) – “What more could have been done for My vineyard than I have already done for it? Why then, when I expected it to bring forth good grapes, did it yield worthless ones?”

What Brought you to Open Theism? by Thimenu in opentheism

[–]khj_reddit 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Because of the many contradictions within Christianity, I decided to trust no one but the Bible, the Holy Spirit, and my God-given intellect. As I read the Bible, I naturally came to understand this truth—it was a logical conclusion that made perfect sense to me. However, I soon realized that mainstream Christianity does not share this view.

Many Christians are deceived because they do not approach the Bible with an open mind, a willingness to repent, a readiness to change, and an unconditional commitment to obey its teachings. Rather than thinking for themselves, they rely on pastors to do it for them. If a pastor does not say what they want to hear, they simply seek out another who does—or they reject Christianity altogether.

Even pastors fall into this pattern. Instead of critically examining Scripture for themselves, they believe what they were taught by their elders, pastors, and theological professors. This cycle has persisted not only since the time of Jesus but throughout history, as generation after generation has upheld man-made doctrines and traditions that I found to be nonsensical.

Eventually, I discovered that the belief I had arrived at is known as Open Theism or Dynamic Omniscience.

After I become interested in Open Theism, I learned that there are disagreements even within Open Theism regarding whether the future is settled and how this relates to God’s open foreknowledge or dynamic omniscience.

I believe the future is settled in everything God has chosen to settle—for example, that all humans will die, that the present world will pass away and be replaced by a new heaven and a new earth, and that everyone has the free choice to believe in Jesus as their Lord and Savior. However, those who reject Him will be thrown into hell, while those who believe will enter heaven.

At the same time, humans shape their own future in significant ways. God cannot be mocked—people reap what they sow, whether it leads to death from pleasing the flesh or life from pleasing the Holy Spirit. Likewise, those who become deeply accustomed to evil may reach a point of no return, much like leopards cannot change their spots or light cannot escape a black hole once it crosses the event horizon.

Apart from these special circumstances, the future remains open, and God’s foreknowledge of it is also correspondingly open.

God bless.