| Subject: Re: Salvation free Gift? |
Author:
4Him
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Date Posted: 07:58:32 04/24/06 Mon
In reply to:
dattaswami
's message, "Salvation free Gift?" on 01:50:23 04/06/06 Thu
Friend,
Again I must correct a few statements made in ignorance against faith in Christ, which could be avoided with a proper knowledge of the Bible. Ephesians 2:8-9 states:
"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith, and this not of yourselves, but the gift of God, NOT BY WORKS, lest any man should boast."
Belief and repentence has always been the foundation for salvation. Paul spends a good deal of Romans 3 and 4 explaining that salvation never came through the law, but by belief, and he quotes the Old Testament as confirmation:
Romans 4:1 "For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something of which to boast, BUT NOT BEFORE GOD. For what does the Scriptures say? 'Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness (taken from Genesis 15:6).'"
Jesus Himself said in John 5:24, "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgement, but has passed from death to life."
Acknowledging who God is by believing in Him inevitably leads to repentence and salvation. Romans 10:9 says "that if you confess with your mouth, Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved..."
I think you were attempting to illustrate that God does not award salvation to those who do not deserve it. In reality, none of us deserve it! Any gift of salvation is by grace alone...nothing we can do can give us worthiness. However, it may be important to note that in a good portion of James chapter 2, we are told again and again faith without deeds is dead. In other words, salvation is by grace, but good works imperitively follow this faith. So to the "Christian fathers" you mention, who roam around preaching for the faith, you conclude "If salvation is a free gift why should they work?" The answer lies in James 2, and in John 15 when Jesus explains that those truely converted in Him, will bear much fruit. When one is touched by Christ's saving grace, only in apostasy will they not share it for joy! Also, Christ commands us to share: Matthew 28:18-20. Not to complete our salvation, but to show others the way to it.
I might also add, in response to your statement:
"He [Jesus] also praised and prayed the Lord but never asked anything for himself"
Jesus did pray for Himself in John 17 that the Father would glorify Him.
Romans 10:17 "Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God." A healthy knowledge of the Scriptures can debunk many of the common myths surrounding Christianity.
2 Timothy 3:16 "All Scripture is God-breathed and useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in all righteousness..."
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