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If God Is All-Loving...
Look_unto_Jesus
Level 10
  #125 (permalink) Default 06-27-2008
 
Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 26


Works don't save us period. We are not saved by works, or by faith and works together, but simply faith alone in Jesus Christ(see Romans 4:5). There is Biblical evidence for the other parts I mentioned about degrees of rewards and punishments, but I did not give the references and for that I apolegize.

Here is for degrees of punisments in Hell; Scriptures that show us evidence of different degrees of punishment:

See Luke 10:13-14, Matthew 23:14(notice how Christ says "the greater damnation"), and Revelation 20:13(notice that they are judged according to their works. We are not judged by our works to get to Heaven and to be saved because our works are not good enough to save us, in fact, works cannot save us--see Romans 4:5 and Ephesians 2:8-9, so then what are they judged according to their works for? Perhaps degrees of punishment in the lake of fire?).

Also, notice how Revelation 21:8 says "their part" after listing the types of sinners, such as liars. Each person has their own part in the lake of fire.

As for degrees of rewards in Heaven for Christians, there will be different crowns rewarded to Christians:

See I Corinthians 9:24-27, I Thessolonians 2:19-20, James 1:12, Revelation 2:10, II Timothy 4:8, and I Peter 5:2-4.

These crowns mentioned in the Scriptures above are for Christians as rewards for serving Christ, not to get us saved and into Heaven, but they are simply rewards that await some of us Christians in Heaven depending on how we serve God from the moment He saves us on forward. How we get to Heaven and how we get to Hell is not determined on our works, but simply by rather or not we believe on Jesus Christ(meaning whether or not we rely upon Him to save us from our sins). We are justified by grace through faith alone in the blood of Jesus Christ, apart from any of our works. Simply believing on Jesus saves us and gets us into Heaven. However, once we are saved, how we live for Him determines our position in Heaven and our treasures there.
 
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