AMAZING GRACE

      "Then he said, 'I beg you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father's house, For I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, LEST THEY ALSO COME TO THIS PLACE OF TORMENT. Abraham said to him, 'They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.' And he said, 'No, father Abraham; but if one goes to them from the dead, they will REPENT,'" Lk 16:27-30.

      This passage and context plainly teach that if one will not repent he will go to hell. Is that correct, or not? Likewise the passage and context also teach that if one will repent they will not go to hell. Is that correct, or not?
      If it were not correct we would not teach it. When we say someone was "saved," we mean he or she was saved "from" something that was undesirable.
      For instance: the small child slipped and would have fallen a great distance, but its father grabbed it just in time and saved it "from" falling.
      Again: the blind man would have walked into the path of a speeding car, but his seeing eye dog warned him and saved him "from" serious, perhaps fatal injury.

      "Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: 'The Lord knows those who are His,' and, 'Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity.' But IN A GREAT HOUSE there are NOT ONLY vessels of gold and silver, BUT ALSO of wood and clay, some for honor and some for dishonor. THEREFORE IF anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work," II Tim 2:19-21.

      In God's overall household (this is not the church) there are not only vessels of "honor" but also vessels of "dishonor." The passage teaches that the vessels of honor are those who depart from iniquity and purge themselves from such (these are the faithful saved), while the vessels of "dishonor" are saved people who do not do so (these are the unfaithful saved).
      In the church we are to depart from iniquity and purge ourselves and also the church from iniquity, I Cor 5. The passage quoted above (II Tim 2:19-21) is not talking about the local church, but God's overall household which will include His firstborn sons who are the faithful saved and also the other sons who are the unfaithful saved.

      "Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own SALVATION with fear and trembling," Phil 2:12.

      "And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end shall be SAVED," Mt 24:12-13.

      "Well said. Because of unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by faith. Do not be haughty, but fear. For if God did not spare the natural branches, He may not spare you either. Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, IF you continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off," Rom 11:20-22.

      "Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will SAVE both yourself and those who hear you," I Tim 4:16.

      "Then He said to them all, 'If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. For whoever desires to SAVE his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will SAVE it. For what advantage is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and is himself destroyed or lost? For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, of him the Son of Man will be ashamed when He comes in His own glory, and in His Father's, and of the holy angels," Lk 9:23-26.

      The Bible is replete with verses like these. The salvation of the life is in addition to salvation from hell, and the number of passages establishing this bold fact is too numerous and obvious for anyone of experience in the Bible to be unaware of them.
      The truth is that many brethren are afraid of being branded with dirty names and cut off from fellowship with the rest of the Lord's people. As a result they bow down and obsequiously go along with the crowd, disregarding the displeasure of the Lord at their betrayal of His Word. The only righteous thing they can do is reverse this pattern, suffer the consequences now, and reap the glorious and eternal benefits in the resurrection and forever thereafter.
      Salvation from hell is settled without any "work out" of that salvation to be done. This is clear from many passages. However, we must work out the salvation of our lives with fear and trembling. Observe again what the next verse in the same context says.

      "For it is God who WORKS in you both TO BE WILLING and TO BE DOING of His good pleasure," Phil 2:13.

      These "works" are NOT man's works. They are not our works. They are not the works of the Law which are flesh works. These are GOD'S "WORKS." They are the "works" of the Holy Spirit within us. They are the "works of faith,"and are therefore the "works of grace."
      When we work out the salvation of our lives, it is God using our minds "to be willing" and our bodies "to be doing" His own good pleasure. By faith Paul "labored" more abundantly than all the apostles, yet it was not Paul but the Holy Spirit working in and through Paul. Paul's "labors" were by faith and were therefore by grace through faith. They were the works of God by the Holy Spirit in and through us.