Yet, that's NOT my mantra. This is:
(Mark 1:15 KJV) And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.
If someone comes up to you and say repent, you would say repent from what, right? Jesus answered the question before it was asked about how to repent and that was to repent from unbelief by believing the gospel; hence believing Him.
How could Jesus be telling people to believe in the crucifixion when it hadn't yet happened? That's absurd. (Of course we haven't set terms as to what "Gospel" means.)
Nobody was saved yet when they "believed" in Him since as you say, the crucifixion had not happened yet but neither has His ascension happened yet, which was the point to Nicodemus as to when someone can be born again which was to occur after His ascension which was after His crucifixion which was why His disciples were "actually" saved at Pentecost for when the church was born. How were they born again after His ascension? Whenever any one believes in Him, but after His ascension.
John 3:7-18 KJV
Mantra 2:
(Luke 13:5 KJV) I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.
You have supplanted the command of Jesus to
Repent with the Reformation's nonsense of
Believe.
Luke 13:1There were present at that season some that told him of the Galilaeans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices.
2 And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galilaeans were sinners above all the Galilaeans, because they suffered such things?
3 I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.
4 Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem?
5 I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.
Do you believe there are worse sinners than you were before you got saved? How can you apply verse 5 when Jesus was refuting the amount of sins a sinner commits to one that they all share in; unbelief in God and His words for why they all need to repent by believing Jesus Christ & His words that by believing in Him is how one receives eternal life.
Mantra 3:
(Luke 6:46 KJV) And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?
You've pushed this command into some weird Twilight Zone state of "after salvation." It is not. Salvation is the decision to start obeying. Just what things do you think Jesus was speaking of when saying "do the things which I say" ? (What are the things that he said that you should do? Hint: It starts in verse 20.)
Brother, do read that in context since that verse is Jesus talking about those who are His disciples as what they are to do after salvation.
Luke 6:40 The disciple is not above his master: but every one that is perfect shall be as his master.
41 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but perceivest not the beam that is in thine own eye?
42 Either how canst thou say to thy brother, Brother, let me pull out the mote that is in thine eye, when thou thyself beholdest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, cast out first the beam out of thine own eye, and then shalt thou see clearly to pull out the mote that is in thy brother's eye.
43 For a good tree bringeth not forth corrupt fruit; neither doth a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
44 For every tree is known by his own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes.
45 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.
46 And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?
47 Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like:
48 He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock.
49 But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth; against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great.
So once again, discipleship follows salvation. The running of that race does not start until the sinner is saved for Jesus Christ to be in them so they can run that race looking to the author & finisher of our faith to lay aside every weight & sin daily.
Mantra 4:
(John 15:14 KJV) Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.
That verse taken out of context as again, this is about abiding in Him as His disciples in bearing fruit so that our joy may be full. Do note you have to be saved first since we cannot do anything without Him.
John 15:1 I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.
2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away:
and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.
3 Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.
4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit:
for without me ye can do nothing.
You have to be saved to be part of the vine. You have to be part of the vine to bear fruit. You have to be pruned to bear even more fruit. It is resisting the pruning is when a disciple stops abiding in Him as His disciple.
6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.
7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.
9 As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.
10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.
11 These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.
12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.
13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
14 Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.
15 Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.
16 Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.
17 These things I command you, that ye love one another.
This is about discipleship; in running that race to avoid being excommunicated from the Marriage Supper in Heaven at the rapture event but not from the Kingdom of Heaven nor out of His hand for why those left behind are still His.
By His grace & by His help, He has addressed your 4 mantras.
Mantra #1 is refuted by Jesus explaining how one can repent and that is by believing in Him.
Mantra #2 is refuted because Jesus was refuting the excuse of the amount of sins a sinner has committed as if worse sinners will be punished more severely BUT every sinner must repent from unbelief by believing in Him to be saved.
That means the worse sinner than you ever been, can still be saved by simply believing in Jesus Christ. They do not need to despair about being a far worse sinner than you, because Jesus will save all those that believe in Him.
So sinners that think they are not as bad as someone else, need to wake up and recognize that they need Jesus Christ to save them as much as the worse sinner does and for Him to save them is to believe in Him & His words that by believing in Him is how they are saved... every one of them. God is rich towards all who call upon Him to be saved.
Mantra #3 & # 4 is refuted because it is clearly about discipleship; which is after salvation; and not before salvation.
en.wikipedia.org
