We got an interesting email from Oregon and we all thought it was best to answer it here to edify saints all over the world.
See the email below with my words in *****blue
****************************************************
Hello!
First of all, thank you for your website and teachings! Your information has been most helpful as I am a new babe in Christ and am learning as much as I can, spending quite an amount of time discerning the truth among all of the false teachings awash in the world.
*******You are welcome and all to the glory of the Lord. We are nothing without Him!
Which brings me to a question that I hope you can shed some light on and clarify as it is bringing me great distress.
*** I will do my best to rightly divide it for you
My husband and I have been having discussions with a family friend regarding bible passages and we are stumbled on Romans 6:7.
***** One good thing to remember is to always read the chapters around a verse to get the correct meaning. I suggest you read Romans 1 up to chapter 6 then read to chapter 8. It is critical we always have verses supported by others verses because cherry picked/stand alone theology is VERY VERY dangerous and not a good bible study habit at all.
Our friend says that when Judgment Day comes we are not judged on what we did before we died because he says that, as Romans 6:7 states, we will be basically aquitted of our sins and that all people who are resurrected come to life with a "clean slate" so to speak.
****** In love, tell your friend that scripture does NOT support his theology. Romans 6:7 does not say that. Lets be clear if we have sinned before faith in Christ (we all did) and even while we knew Him we sinned, if we confess them/repent leave them, He is faithful and just to forgive us. (1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.)
But scripture is clear we will be judged / rewarded by what we have done, our deeds as well. Rev 22:12 And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.
Where your friend is very wrong is NOT everyone gets a clean slate. We must come to God via the gospel which is faith in Christs works, repenting (changing the mind /leaving sin) being born again by the spirit, the fruit is holiness and obedience and we endure till the end. Those people alone who have these traits will have a clean slate due to grace/Christ's blood then; rewards waiting if they have labored for the Kingdom as Jesus commanded we do. It is NOT for all of mankind.
Our friend thinks that the new scrolls that will be opened will represent God's further requirements to live forever in a heavenly paradise and we will have to obey God's new commandments at that time.
*****There are no scriptures that support new requirements that I am aware of so I would reject this type of guess work and man made theology as it is very dangerous and not wise at all.
So, I find this upsetting to think that some horrid individuals, like Adolph Hitler, have had their sins washed away at death and can come back to a new resurrected life! Both my husband and I are a bit confused by this.
***** Good discernment as you should be horrified as this is nothing more then heretical universalism an age old heresy that God's Word teaches nowhere at all! It is the teaching that all men will come to salvation in God and it makes Jesus as liar as He said FEW will make it. (See Matt 7)
Lets be clear, God told Adam and Paul echoes the fact that the wages of sin is death (see Genesis 2;17 and Romans 6:23)
If we have sin on our record with no mediator, no blood, we are doomed before a Holy God. (no faith, no blood means no sacrifice for sin / Heb 9:22)
When I read Romans 6:7 I read "For he who has died has been freed from sin" meaning that once you have died you can no longer sin, well, because you are dead.
****** Here is where we can get to the meat of your question. The answer to your dilemma on Romans 6:7 is in knowing how to properly study God's Word. There are various principles that are a KEY to rightly divide the truth. Here is one of them: it is called study in CONTEXT. Simply put; it means to seek and understand what is being said, to who, where, when and what is the immediate topic around the said verse. All or some of that info will help you get to the truth on a text of scripture. If we do this simple exercise we can refute your friends ill theology and get right to the truth Paul gave us. Lets look at these verses:
Verse 7 For he that is dead is freed from sin.
If we read this verse alone with no context and no surrounding support, we can do the same with many verses and create a whole new false religion as many do just that to their demise. No, we must be guided by the spirit and He will teach us all truth via the Word. (see John 14:26)
If we read the previous verses the context of verse 7 is made very clear: Verses 2-6
Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
The DEATH Paul is speaking of is the OLD man crucified with Christ as our conversion. It is not physical death at all. Because of Jesus we are dead to living in sin and can be FREE to live for Him. He came to set the captives free amen? (See John 8:32)
Contextual study here shows us the death is of our old man and we can leave sin by the power of Gods spirit.
The thinking our friend has seems along the lines of "once saved always saved" which I do not believe.
**** In love these are the kind of friends you will need to let go of if he wont come into the truth as OSAS is another age old heresy that will damn his soul. Paul said bad company corrupts in 1 Cor 15:33 and this man will surely do that to you. If he believes OSAS I promise you he walks in MUCH sin and is leaven to be around of you seek to obey God unto life.
See many articles that refute that here:
My question to our friend was "Well, then what's the point of living a good and pleasing life for our Saviour and living biblically based lives if it won't really matter in the end anyway?"
******You ask a great question as NOT living obedient and holy goes against God's Word in Many places. John 14:15, John 15:15, Heb 5:9, 1 Peter 1;15. 1 John 1:7, Matthew 7, Mathew 18 and on and on. This will help also:
If we read verse 1 of Chapter 6 in Romans
What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?
It helps us refute the idea that we can just live in sin and be fine before God. No, Jesus saves us OUT of sin, never IN our sin.
As we study the Word, we see the purpose He saves us for. It is NOT just t go to heaven but it is to CONFORM to be like him NOT this world (see Romans 12:2) and that brings God glory. What glory is there in a people who claim your name that live in willful sin against you? That is demonic and not of God! (like OSAS calvinism by the way...it is demonic)
Like, both my husband and I are working hard at changing our lives inside and out (I have changed to wearing long skirts, we have turned off the TV, stopped listening to secular music, we read the bible each evening, changing the way we think and behave, etc.,).
**** We are so glad this is your goal as if God's spirit is in you it will quicken you to repent, change, be holy, obey and come out of the world. You are dying to your sin nature/old man. Jesus says this John 10:27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
How can we claim to follow Him and live in and of the world is sin and worldliness? Man made denominations can fill buildings up with that swill but it is NOT of God.
Our friend's response was along the line of "well, you want to please your Lord naturally so you shouldn't stop doing that"
****** He is very wrong. You see we do NOT want to please God in our fallen nature. We all would go serve ourselves and sin amen? It is the spirit in us that convicts, teaches and comforts us to follow Christ. Without that spirit we would be lost with no homing device to heaven. He is the earnest (see Eph 1:14) given to us to mark us for eternal life to come IF we endure in it all. (see 1 Cor 15:2)
and he also thinks that if Armageddon were to happen during our lifetime and we are alive at its coming, and we are not living lives pleasing to our heavenly father, at that time we would be judged on our deeds as we would still have been alive, not dead. Uh, yeah.....
***** More man made theology that is not in scripture. If you are not made new/striving to daily be obeying God you are not even eligible for His grace. Ask yourself, Noah had faith right and we righteous before God correct? What if he said: God, I am not building an ark and he did not obey God? Would he have been saved from the flood waters? Of course NOT! Faith and works go to together just ask James. (see James 2:18) Also tell your friend to go read Revelation 2 and 3. Jesus warns the bodies to repent of the little sin they had or He would remove them. IN love, your friend has no clue what he is saying or he is a deceiver, you folks decide?
Sorry about my little ramble, but we are both scratching our heads on this one and I was hoping by reaching out to you that your solid research could bring this to light. Thank you both for everything you do!
******You are welcome and we hope this email answered has helped you both into the light of God's Word? Please be careful with whom you associate with as new believers. Get in the Word, do not get your theology off the internet and do not be around those who claim Christ but are f man made denominations, keep sinful worldly ways and preach a accusered gospel / false doctrine. God deserves so much better in our lives and verses like Romans 16:17 tell us what to do with such people: Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.
________ from Oregon :)
********Let us know how we can help you in truth from here?
Love in Christ.....
Brother Jim and sister debbie
dontperish.com
****Hold fast, Christ is on the way!