[Luke]

I see this question come up almost weekly. I don't know the answer, but maybe I should find out!

[stephanos]

Originally Posted by Luke

I see this question come up almost weekly. I don't know the answer, but maybe I should find out!

Yeah, I'm curious too. What I don't understand is how anyone could keep His commandments. If they did manage to keep His commandments what sort of condition would there heart be left in? Is this passage talking about sinless perfection? Because if it's not, then anyone that eats of that fruit will be forever in that sinful state, no matter how many commandments they keep! Of course that's my "theory". I can't really substantiate what most say is the reason God stopped Adam and Eve from eating from the Tree of Life. The only passage I know of that deals with eating of this Tree in the state that Adam and Eve were in is:

And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever: (Genesis 3:22 KJV)

Peace and Love,
Stephen

[chette777]

it is a rhetorical response from Christ concerning the necessity of Thomas needing to see him that he had risen from the dead, not for his salvation

Paul teaches we walk by faith not by sight.

Now placing that in the current age faith alone is proper. Winman has indeed brought up an interesting idea of sight playing a role in ones belief. but it would not be for eternal life (which we see as salvation) in Rev 22 context but only for entering into the city to eat of the tree of life.

the idea here is that sin may be done away with but the natural man is still in play. So a natural man is not a spiritual man, so works would be needed.


Gray areas are fun to bounce around. we should consider what type of salvation would be available to a natural man in eternity, possibly a modification of the everlasting gospel, Fear God, and give glory to him; worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters. or would it be like ADAM? a man untested must choose to keep his commandments (they would need be different from any now or in the past) or not to. in the case of the later he would just eventually go to the lake of fire for there would be no death. a natural man with no sin would eventually desire the City and his only way in is keeping the commandments.