Salvation is Through Faith Alone In Christ Alone; Not by your Works (Gospels, Epistles)
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If I get drunk once a year, and do it every year, am I an occasional drunk (and therefore safe) or am I a habitual one (in danger of hell)?
Even if it was only once a year, but you dedicate a specific day in a year when you will get drunk, then I'd say you are doing it willingly and deliberately, and there is a problem. It is not a "slip", but planned and deliberate violation.
It's like the difference between premeditated murder and unintentional manslaughter.
I think "habitual" is pretty clear. It means you do something out of habit, like on ongoing drug use with no attempt or will to change it.
I don't think we are in complete disagreement here. Works done by a believer who is out of fellowship through sin could be compared by works done by an unbeliever. No?
Bottom line: good works alone will not lead to salvation.
Now someone tell that to the Pope.
Good works will not lead to salvation period. It is faith alone in Christ alone that saves a person. It is simply trusting in the work of Christ on the Cross that saves you. God wants us to realize that the work of salvation was performed by Christ and to depend on that for our salvation. If you think that you must perform any works of your own for salvation, then you are not depending on Christ, and therefore you are not saved.
Works, spiritual production AFTER salvation are the result of spiritual growth, and never the means of PRODUCING spiritual growth. And spiritual production of the believer is rewardable in eternity.
Many people can't seem to distinquish between the moment of salvation through faith in Christ, and the spiritual life of the believer after salvation.
Every disciple of Christ is a believer, but not every believer is a disciple. The difference between the two will be reflected in their eternal rewards, decorations, and privileges. But every believer has eternal security and will live in the presence of God forever.
Every disciple of Christ is a believer, but not every believer is a disciple. The difference between the two will be reflected in their eternal rewards, decorations, and privileges. But every believer has eternal security and will live in the presence of God forever.
Well put.
God will save me from damnation, but who's going to save me from this cold snap? I live in Miami and it's in the 30s here. The iguanas outside are turning into popsicles and falling off the trees. Brrrr....
God will save me from damnation, but who's going to save me from this cold snap? I live in Miami and it's in the 30s here. The iguanas outside are turning into popsicles and falling off the trees. Brrrr....
The Word of God does not contradict itself. And God is serious about His holiness...
Here we go again, the op and devotees (with respect for his right to do so) once again using arm of flesh understandings and arbitrary scholarly interpretions of the bible to make very simple things complex and hard to the understanding.
For me, God the Father is the literal Parent of the immortal spirit made in His image and likeness that inhabits my physical body. My relationship to Him is similar to that of children in traditional earthly families with good parents wanting to grow up and become like them.
As I see it, if you can set aside the complex arm of flesh opinions and dictates of scholars and professional clergy that are so often taught in organized religion and are appealing only to the intellect, deep down you can come to know absolutely that each of us is literally a son or daughter of God. With that knowing we can individually relate to our Heavenly Father in a manner quite similar to that of our earthly parents when we were children: talk with Him, love Him and our siblings, seek His counsel and abide in it, enduring to the end in righteous living.
Along the way we will come to know and to appreciate the vital work of our elder brother Jesus Christ without whose atoning sacrifice none of us could ever return to live with God in the celestial realms where we lived before it became our turn for a one-time 'growing up' mortal experience...
I posted this on another thread but I will post it here as well.
This is an outline of the book of Galatians from the Scofield Reference Bible which concerns the Apostle Pauls argument against those who were saying that you must work for your salvation.
quote
At the time Paul was writing, the Galatian churches were facing a double threat, involving purity of doctrine and purity of conduct. Certain individuals had come into the area who ''would pervert the gospel of Christ'' (1:7; 5:10). They insisted that, while salvation was of Christ, works were also necessary for salvation. To this Judaizing, i.e. legalistic error, the Galatians were already beginning to yield (1:6; 3:1), thus returning to a bondage of observing days, months, years, times, etc. (4:10). Paul overwhelmingly destroys all arguments in favor of mixing the law with faith by pointing out that Abraham was justified by faith alone 430 years before the giving of the Mosaic law. The apostle answers the complementary error--that a believer is made spiritually mature by keeping the law--by setting forth the truth of the sanctifying power of the Holy Spirit, and the richness of life available when He rules the Christian whom He indwells.
The Epistle may be divided as follows: Introduction, 1:1-5. I. Occasion of the Epistle; the Galatians' Departure from the True Gospel, 1:6-9. II. Paul's defense of His Apostolic Ministry, 1:10-2:21. III. Justification Is Wholly by Faith, Apart from the Law, 3:1-24. IV. The rule of the Believer's Life Is Gracious, Not Legal, 3:25-5:1. V. Characteristics Displayed in the Life of a Christian Justified by Faith Alone, 5:2-26. VI.The outworking of the New Life in Christ Jesus, 6:1-16. Conclusion, 6:17-18.
unquote
(New Scofield Reference Edition. Outline of book of Galatians. p. 1264.)
The Apostle Paul had had more Church-age doctrine revealed to him by God, then did any of the other Apostles. He made it absolutely clear that salvation is by faith alone. And NOT by works.
How is it then, that there remain those who would ignore what he says? It is recorded in the word of God that salvation is by grace, and not by works.
If you believe that you must add works to your faith in order to be saved, then YOU ARE NOT SAVED. You either trust completely in the work of Christ for your salvation, or you trust in your own efforts. And if you are trusting in ANYTHING that YOU do for salvation, you are going to spend eternity in the lake of fire. Revelation 20:11-15
Last edited by Michael Way; 01-11-2010 at 12:20 PM..
I'm in agreement with you Freedom.....salvation is not cheap, free or easy....we are to live in obedience to God. Jesus was crystal clear in his parables that salvation can be LOST if one does not produce fruit and those who teach otherwise do so to the detriment and destruction of those they teach.
Good point... the apostle John spoke of two classes of people. The children of God and the children of the devil.
Those who commit sin (any willful sin) are children of the devil.
1 John 3:8 He that committeth sin is of the devil;
There is no third class who commit sin occasionally.
1Jn 3:10 In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God,
That's a common question, but I'd like for you to define the kind of disobedience that will result in the gift of eternal life being 'returned', whatever that means.
Since everyone sins, including believers, who then can enter heaven?
Few!
Whosoever is born of God doth NOT commit sin"
What is difficult to understand about the word NOT?
Even if it was only once a year, but you dedicate a specific day in a year when you will get drunk, then I'd say you are doing it willingly and deliberately, and there is a problem. It is not a "slip", but planned and deliberate violation.
It's like the difference between premeditated murder and unintentional manslaughter.
Yes, all sin is transgression of the law but God distinguishes between sins of ignorance (unintentional) sin and presumptuous (willful) sin.
There was never a sacrifice for willful sin.
SINS OF IGNORANCE (These were forgiven)
Numbers 15:27 And if any soul sin through IGNORANCE, then he shall bring a she goat of the first year for a sin offering.
15:28 An the priest shall make an atonement for the soul that SINNETH IGNORANTLY, when he sinneth by ignorance before the Lord, to make an atonement for him; and it shall be forgiven him.
SINS OF PRESUMPTION (Not forgiven)
Numbers 15:30 BUT the soul that doeth aught PRESUMPTUOUSLY, whether he be born in the land, or a stranger, the same reproacheth [blasphemeth] the Lord; and that soul shall be cut off from among his people.
15:31 Because he hath despised the word of the Lord, and hath broken his commandment, that soul shall be utterly cut off; his iniquity shall be upon him."
People may choose to ignore this distinction but God does not.
HK
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