Difficulty Reconciling

[GracePeace]

I have difficulty reconciling some verses in John.
How do you all reconcile the following verses?

1. On one hand, it seems like all we need to do to have eternal life is to believe in Jesus.

John 3:16For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
John 6:29Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent. ... 35Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst. 36“But I said to you that you have seen Me, and yet do not believe. ... 40For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day.”
68Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life.

2a. On the other hand, it seems like mere belief is not enough, but, at bare minimum, one must deny oneself/not indulge in sin to the point of confessing faith in Christ (by adding "confession" to "faith", the "faith" required cannot be defined as "faith alone", but "faith... plus...")....

John 12:42Nevertheless many even of the rulers believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they were not confessing Him, for fear that they would be put out of the synagogue; 43for they loved the approval of men rather than the approval of God.

2b. In the same chapter that seems to define "drinking" and "eating" as "believing" (to have eternal life), He defines the eating and drinking as "doing the works of the One Who sent you".

John 4:32But He told them, “I have food to eat that you know nothing about.” ... 34Jesus explained, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to finish His work.
6:56Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood remains in Me, and I in him. 57Just as the living Father sent Me and I live because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on Me will live because of Me.

2c. There are other passages that seem to teach the same (have to keep God's commands--both speaking and acting as He commands--to have eternal life) : here, eternal life, the Spirit, God's love, is only for those who keep Jesus's commands (both "believe" and "love one another").
John 12:49For I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father who sent me has himself given me a commandment—what to say and what to speak. 50 And I know that his commandment is eternal life. What I say, therefore, I say as the Father has told me.
John 13:17 If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.
John 14:21Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.
John 15:10If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love... 12This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you. 13Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends. 14You are My friends if you do what I command you. 15No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you. 16You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you. 17This I command you, that you love one another.
1 John 3:23This is His commandment, that we believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as He commanded us. 24The one who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. We know by this that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.

 

[amigo de christo]

I have difficulty reconciling some verses in John.

1. On one hand, it seems like all we need to do to have eternal life is to believe in Jesus.

John 3:16For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
John 6:29Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent. ... 35Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst. 36“But I said to you that you have seen Me, and yet do not believe. ... 40For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day.”

2a. On the other hand, it seems like mere belief is not enough, but, at bare minimum, one must deny oneself/not indulge in sin to the point of confessing faith in Christ (by adding "confession" to "faith", the "faith" required cannot be defined as "faith alone", but "faith... plus...")....

John 12:42Nevertheless many even of the rulers believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they were not confessing Him, for fear that they would be put out of the synagogue; 43for they loved the approval of men rather than the approval of God.

2b. Moreover, it seems that we have to keep God's commands--both speaking and acting as He commands--to have eternal life. Here, eternal life, the Spirit, God's love, is only for those who keep Jesus's commands (both "believe" and "love one another").

John 12:49For I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father who sent me has himself given me a commandment—what to say and what to speak. 50 And I know that his commandment is eternal life. What I say, therefore, I say as the Father has told me.
John 13:17 If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.
John 14:21Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.
John 15:10If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love... 12This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you. 13Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends. 14You are My friends if you do what I command you. 15No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you. 16You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you. 17This I command you, that you love one another.
1 John 3:23This is His commandment, that we believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as He commanded us. 24The one who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. We know by this that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.

JOHN didnt contradict paul or james . ITS DIRE WE BELIEVE JESUS IS THE CHRIST .
HOWEVER just cause one lips his name dont necessarily mean they are HIS .
YOU SEE the PROOF is seen in BOTH THEIR LIPS and THEIR DEEDS . deeds alone saves none
just as lip alone means naught . Do remember interfaith is of satan of anti christ .
THE TRUTH IS a true lamb DOES BELIEVE JESUS IS THE CHRIST , DOES HAVE THE SPIRIT
by which He loves truth not wickedness and lies . From the root to the fruit either a tree is corrupt
or its good . YE will not discern the tree by its size or many green leaves .
TO KNOW if the TREE BE GOOD , ITS THE FRUIT IT PRODUCES friend .
Lambs love ALL THINGS JESUS said and the apostels taught too . TRUTH is the love of a lamb
its LOVE shed by the HOLY GHOST has come FROM GOD . IT LOVETH and REJOICES IN TRUTH and not lies and inquity .
Charity rejoices not in inquity , BUT IN TRUTH . ye shall know what version of love they follow
whether it be of the world or of GOD by what it loveth and rejoices in my friend . THE lambs rejoice IN TRUTH
the wicked tree rejoices in TWISTED DOCTRINES that fit and please their own lustful hearts desire . HAVE A GOOD DAY FRIEND .

 

[amigo de christo]

TO KNOW the TREE its the FRUIT it produces .
THE FRUIT of the SPIRIT is in all goodness , righteousnes and TRUTH
proving what is acceptable to GOD .
AND A BIG OL BROAD PATH IS NOT ACCEPTABLE TO GOD , nor is sin .
MANY follow the love of the fruit of the wicked and though they use the name of CHRIST
Only decieve others and themselves . TRUTH .
TWO commandments .
TO LOVE GOD above all
Which means TO LOVE CHRIST above all , above wife , mama , papa or any
THEN to love your neighbor as yourself .
AND HATE AINT LOVE .
YE shall not hate your neigbor in your heart you SHALL in any way rebuke him correct him and not allow SIN upon him .
A LIE IS SIN as sin is sin . THEM other relgions DO NOT LOVE GOD and are in sin and darkness .
LET us not be as the finding common ground intefaith and embrace the lie . watch out for many do the work
of interfaith finding common ground and its end will be the second death .

 

[GracePeace]

JOHN didnt contradict paul...

LOL That assumes we fully understand Paul.

Lambs love ALL THINGS JESUS said and the apostels taught too

Yes, lambs love Truth... but what about when "Truth" is uncertain?

Charity rejoices not in inquity , BUT IN TRUTH

Yes, but if unbelief is iniquity, and it is not clear what it is we are to believe, how can we rejoice in truth, and depart from iniquity?

 

[amigo de christo]

LOL That assumes we fully understand Paul.

Yes, lambs love Truth... but what about when "Truth" is uncertain?

Yes, but if unbelief is iniquity, and it is not clear what it is we are to believe, how can we rejoice in truth, and depart from iniquity?

you as pilate ask what is truth .
How come by grace i know the simple truth . I mean i aint no better than you or anyone .
WHEN i say that paul , james , john , peter did not contradict each other and that not a one thing they wrote contradicted
Christ . I SAY THE TRUTH .
NOW its true at first we do lack understanding . So somtimes folks THINK they see contradictions .
But beleive me , YOU KEEP that NOSE IN THE BIBLE and in time a lamb will learn and see
THAT was not a contradiction , in fact there are no contradictions , I WAS JUST not learned i was just not understanding .
IN OTHER WORDS , you say you believe , and i do believe you beleive ,
SO ALLOW Me to introduce you to the BOOK GOD PUT ME INTO and has KEPT ME IN JUST that BOOK for me .
THE BIBLE . keep reading and keep praying and keep learing and beware for many leaders TWIST STUFF to fit
thier own misunderstandings .

 

[Behold]

I have difficulty reconciling some verses in John.

1. On one hand, it seems like all we need to do to have eternal life is to believe in Jesus.

Jesus said that if you BELIEVE IN HIM>..........Then He Gives you eternal life.

How does He do that?

A.) God forgives all your sin.... and joins you to Himself, which places you "IN Christ".

So, why does that give you eternal life.

John teaches this as "Eternal life is IN God's Son".

In other words....>JESUS is Eternal life, and when you are "In Christ' and "Christ in you, the Hope of Glory"....then you have become the "temple of the Holy Spirit".....so then..... you HAVE Eternal Life.

Eternal Life is not a period of time that never ends.

Eternal Life is the Life of God, its Christ's very existence that is Eternal LIFE.
So, to be joined to Him, is to have Eternal Life.

 

[GracePeace]

you as pilate ask what is truth .
How come by grace i know the simple truth . I mean i aint no better than you or anyone .
WHEN i say that paul , james , john , peter did not contradict each other and that not a one thing they wrote contradicted
Christ . I SAY THE TRUTH .
NOW its true at first we do lack understanding . So somtimes folks THINK they see contradictions .
But beleive me , YOU KEEP that NOSE IN THE BIBLE and in time a lamb will learn and see
THAT was not a contradiction , in fact there are no contradictions , I WAS JUST not learned i was just not understanding .
IN OTHER WORDS , you say you believe , and i do believe you beleive ,
SO ALLOW Me to introduce you to the BOOK GOD PUT ME INTO and has KEPT ME IN JUST that BOOK for me .
THE BIBLE . keep reading and keep praying and keep learing and beware for many leaders TWIST STUFF to fit
thier own misunderstandings .

I'm not saying "I have found contradictions", I'm asking, "How do you all reconcile these things?"

 

[GracePeace]

Jesus said that if you BELIEVE IN HIM>..........Then He Gives you eternal life.

How does He do that?

A.) God forgives all your sin.... and joins you to Himself, which places you "IN Christ".

So, why does that give you eternal life.

John teaches this as "Eternal life is IN God's Son".

In other words....>JESUS is Eternal life, and when you are "In Christ' and "Christ in you, the Hope of Glory"....then you have become the "temple of the Holy Spirit".....so then..... you HAVE Eternal Life.

Eternal Life is not a period of time that never ends.

Eternal Life is the Life of God, its Christ's very existence that is Eternal.
So, to be joined to Him, is to have Eternal Life.

Yes, I'm aware of your belief that is based on a single line of Scripture; still, my question hasn't been answered : how do you reconcile that one line of Scripture with all the rest of the things written in John? For instance, did the leaders who believed, but loved sin, and, therefore, wouldn't confess Christ, have eternal life just because they believed?

 

[amigo de christo]

LOL That assumes we fully understand Paul.

Yes, lambs love Truth... but what about when "Truth" is uncertain?

Yes, but if unbelief is iniquity, and it is not clear what it is we are to believe, how can we rejoice in truth, and depart from iniquity?

a lack of understanding is not inquity .
for the moment the understanding cometh YOU WILL BELIEVE IT .
just cause one might not know or understand all things he reads , DOES NOT mean its inquity .
ITS just called being unlearned . You stay encouraged my friend .
Open and love that bible my friend .
By the grace of GOD on may thirtieth of two thousand and SIX
he called me out of darkness and put a love for truth upon my heart
and into the BIBLE to learn and to grow . In that book i do stay and have always been refreshed daily
every day . READ it for YOU . dont read it through the lens of some leader , BUT FOR YOU .
Watch what happens . That was over EIGHTEEN years ago .
NOW aks yaself , how come i STILL LOVE READING IT EVERY DAY for me . IT NEVER gets old
in fact that TRUTH always refreshes my soul .
NOW ask me why on earth i have such joy and peace in the bible
and YET naught but anguish in most of what i see men and leaders teaching the church .
REMEMBER GOD puts a LOVE FOR TRUTH upon our hearts . NOT a love for lies .
The churches are being decieved my friend and many seem to love to have it so .
But there are still a few who do stand upon the truth . But reader beware , THEY ARE VERY VERY VERY vERY VERY FEW .
most all are now the decieved who lead the decieved into the ultimate end time strong delusion to believe a lie .
THE LIE OF INTERFAITH and its finding common ground which will damn every last soul on that train .
ITS why i warn and warn often . SEEING i desire the death of none but rather they repent .

 

[GracePeace]

NOW ask me why on earth i have such joy and peace in the bible

I was wrangling with trying to understand these things for so long, then, yesterday, I had a thought that I should love God (even though it is "a work of the Law", in a sense), and, then, I felt God's love, and a supernatural peace--and it made sense that we would do, easily, what this "love" would want us to do, because it is in us, and we are in it--but it didn't last, and I have anguish now. How do I keep that love and peace?

 

[amigo de christo]

I'm not saying "I have found contradictions", I'm asking, "How do you all reconcile these things?"

Its easy . just cause john wrote shorter letters and didnt include the sayings of james or paul
DONT MEAN his letter contradicted them . IN fact
just cause james mainly focused on dead faith verses truth faith , DID NOT MEAN He beleived
works without faith saved anyone . He was targeting what was going on in his church .
paul was targeting what was going on with the jews who were trying to get them back under the law .
BUT if you read what paul writes in other letters you would see he agrees with james .
An example . Do you want an example .
watch this . james had said that faith without works is dead .
Now watch paul to hisletter to timothy
HE who does not provide for his own, that is a work , HAS DENIED THE FAITH . they both taught the truth .
see .
you can reconcile it real easy , SPECIALLY when you have learned the scrips well . ask me what you like .
If by grace i have the answer i will give it to you .

 

[Behold]

Yes, I'm aware of your belief that is based on a single line of Scripture;

You are referring to the verse where John says that "you can know that you have eternal life'. because Jesus said.. "if you believe in me, i give unto you Eternal life"?, and John teaches that "Eternal life is in God's Son"..

Is this what you are referring to?
Then yes, that is true.

 

[amigo de christo]

I was wrangling with trying to understand these things for so long, then, yesterday, I had a thought that I should love God (even though it is "a work of the Law", in a sense), and, then, I felt God's love, and a supernatural peace--and it made sense that we would do, easily, what this "love" would want us to do, because it is in us, and we are in it--but it didn't last, and I have anguish now. How do I keep that love and peace?

To LOVE GOD the way HE DESIRES
to worship HIM the way HE desires
IN SPIRIT and in TRUTH . TIS WHY WE NEED JESUS THE CHRIST .
HE puts that LOVE into our hearts . see without HIM we all would fall short
Dont over think it my friend . just rest and learn . just trust in the LORD .
WHEN it says we are saved by grace , MY FRIEND THAT IS TOTAL TRUTH .
now let us be thankful unto HE who has saved us and changes us and has given us a new heart
wherein we now have the desire to serve and to love HIM as HE ALWAYS desired .
I will make a new covenant with them
I WILL write my laws , NOT ON THE STONES as he DID with moses , BUT UPON THEIR HEARTS .
YOU SEE what the flesh could not attain , due to it is weak , JESUS DID and now
by our faith IN HIM and the SUPPLY of THE SPIRIT we can do that which pleases GOD .
Be encouraged my friend . WHEN i say that i can do nothing without CHRIST BUT FAIL , I MEAN IT .
THERE is nothing good in my flesh , BUT HIS SPIRIT , OH THANK GOD FOR THE SPIRIT
given me that DO LEAD ME , that does unction me and keeps me safe .

 

[GracePeace]

Its easy . just cause john wrote shorter letters and didnt include the sayings of james or paul
DONT MEAN his letter contradicted them . IN fact
just cause james mainly focused on dead faith verses truth faith , DID NOT MEAN He beleived
works without faith saved anyone . He was targeting what was going on in his church .
paul was targeting what was going on with the jews who were trying to get them back under the law .
BUT if you read what paul writes in other letters you would see he agrees with james .
An example . Do you want an example .
watch this . james had said that faith without works is dead .
Now watch paul to hisletter to timothy
HE who does not provide for his own, that is a work , HAS DENIED THE FAITH . they both taught the truth .
see .
you can reconcile it real easy , SPECIALLY when you have learned the scrips well . ask me what you like .
If by grace i have the answer i will give it to you .

I could just as easily have asserted, "There's no contradiction," but, then, I wouldn't have asked, in the "Bible Study" section of this website, how others have reconciled these things.

 

[GracePeace]

You are referring to the verse where John says that "you can know that you have eternal life'. because Jesus said.. "if you believe in me, i give unto you Eternal life"?, and John teaches that "Eternal life is in God's Son"..

Is this what you are referring to?
Then yes, that is true.

Why inquire as to what I refer when I've already supplied you with what I refer to in my initial post?

 

[amigo de christo]

You are referring to the verse where John says that "you can know that you have eternal life'. because Jesus said.. "if you believe in me, i give unto you Eternal life"?, and John teaches that "Eternal life is in God's Son"..

Is this what you are referring to?
Then yes, that is true.

The TRUTH is I KNOW I HAVE ETERNAL LIFE .
cause by grace i BELIEVE IN HE WHO ALONE GIVETH ETERNAL LIFE .
TRUSTING IN HE ALONE , loving HIS WORDS and the words of TRUTH and of the apostles who I KNOW KNEW HIM
and did write truth .
THE TRUTH IS , if a man tells you , NOW HEED THIS FRIEND , that you cannot KNOW that you have eternal life
TILL the day of judgement , THEN THAT MAN AINT TRUSTING IN JESUS . that too be a fact .
NOW remember INTERFAITH IS OF SATAN .
i know , i know i keep saying it . BUT SAY IT I WILL till it sinks so deep into the heart of man
that if a doctor viewed their brain and heart , ON IT WOULD BE ETCHED , INTERFAITH IS of satan of anti christ
WELL , of course i mean IF THAT was possible . I know and know by grace A LIE WHEN I SEE ONE
SO keep that in mind friend .

 

[GracePeace]

INTERFAITH

What is "interfaith"?

 

[Behold]

How do I keep that love and peace?

Reader..

Do you have a time, a date, a day, in your past,..... that you can clearly remember that you understood that you needed to be forgiven for all your sin, and you turned to Jesus and received Him as your Savior in your heart?
Do you have that MOMENT in your past?
So, that has to be there......or no peace with God has occurred , because no salvation has been given to you yet.

Now, if you have that SALVATiON Moment..........and are born again, then the way you stay out of condemnation is very simple.

Paul teaches that "there is now (NOW) (right now) (today and everyday) . no condemnation to those who are (Christians) in Christ"

What does that mean......

It means something astounding, and wonderful, and eternal.
It literally means that What Jesus has completed for you, on The Cross, that is your "Gift of Salvation' from God... always keeps God in perfect peace with His Born again.

That means that God is always kept in perfect relationship, with His Born again Sons/Daughters, ONLY because of The Cross of Christ.

What does that do for you once you realize it, as the Revelation of "the Gift of Salvation""?

it takes the heavy weight of self effort to try to please God off of your BACK..... It takes all the guilt that would try to dominate your mind, out of your mind.

See, once you understand that God's Salvation, = always Keeps God in perfect relationship with you , in perfect peace with you, then you stop trying to EARN IT.......by behavior.
And that is the moment when you finally find God's GRACE as your JOY of Salvation that is your power.
That is the moment that you understand God's Grace.

 

[GracePeace]

BUT if you read what paul writes in other letters you would see he agrees with james .
An example . Do you want an example .
watch this . james had said that faith without works is dead .
Now watch paul to hisletter to timothy
HE who does not provide for his own, that is a work , HAS DENIED THE FAITH . they both taught the truth .
see .

Yeah, that's basically how I think about it, but, before, when I would do everything I believed the Holy Spirit would tell me to do, afterward, one time, when I went to pray, God told me I was trying to save myself. I said, "Yeah, what's wrong with that? I have to do works to save myself." He said I was trying to repay Him for my sins, and it's just Jesus. So, I wondered how I would serve Him without fearing hell, and He said "love". I guess I just don't completely don't understand that there is a message that solely instills love, and not fear--because I perceive, when I read, all manner of threats--but, I guess, like I said before, I am starting to get how someone could do things pleasing to Him out of love and peace.

 

[Dan Clarkston]

Having eternal life is ONLY applicable to those that abide in Christ that bear fruit.

Red what Jesus teaches in John 15... and don't come back claiming Jesus is a liar!