The miracle of salvation

[RV]

Thanks Steve.

What are your thoughts on what Homer shared?

5. There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah. His wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6. And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.

Here we are told of Zacharias and Elizabeth who lived blameless lives. They were Jews, not Christians. They did not have the indwelling Holy Spirit, yet lived their lives, if we are to believe the testimony of scripture, at least as well as RV's "Uncle Tom". And if two Jews were able to accomplish this 2000 years ago, who's to say Jews can not do the same today? Or Mormons? Or unbelievers? There are atheists who are good, decent people.

[steve]

I think that it was never impossible for people to keep the law, if they desired to do so. To be "blameless' (Luke 1:6) in this area was a matter of external compliance—so that even the fierce hothead, Saul of Tarsus, was capable of meeting these standards (Phil.3:6), as did the young ruler, who ultimately rejected discipleship, though he had kept the whole law (Mark 10:19-20).

What I said about the Gospel, though, can also be said (to a lesser extant) of the law. It, too, was miraculous and divine in origin, so that it seemed to have supernatural effects upon those who embraced it. It brought "light" (Ps. 119:130), so as to "convert the soul" (Ps. 19:7), to enlighten the eyes" (Ps. 19:8) to "cleanse" a young man's ways (Ps.119:9), and to confer upon him wisdom above that of his enemies, his elders and his teachers (Ps.119:98-100).

This would easily explain cases such as Elizabeth and Zacharias.

[RV]

What do you think about those in our day, "outside" of the kingdom like mormons and JW's that seem to have conviction very simular to those inside the kingdom.

[steve]

I believe that they, like the rest of us, need to know Jesus and follow Him. I will let God be the judge of which of them know Him and which do not. However, everybody I know, including myself, needs to grow in grace and knowledge of God.

[RV]

Yeah... at the end of the day, what else matters. That you for that Steve, it makes a lot of sense.

RV