- Mar 2, 2016
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I'm reposting @ToBeLoved's (excellent) question since there were 159 posts in between it and the original comment I made.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. (John 3:16-18, 1984 NIV)
You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder. (James 2:19, 1984 NIV)
1. What is different between these two kinds of belief?
2. What is the event (or events) that are required for a human to be saved? (A change of heart would be an event.)
3. Do the event(s) affect our legal standing with God or his heart for us (or both)?
4. What is it exactly that happens (at the point one accepts God's unmerited gift of salvation) that makes a person change from unsaved to saved?
5. Would it be true for a Christian to tell a non-Christian that his or her sins have been forgiven?
This is basically the case, except that it should be explained more like: because of God's grace, he sent his son to die for us, and as a result he has has forgiven everyone their sins. That's the Good News. Those who believe that and as a result yield to God's lordship are those that end up receiving the benefit of God's grace.
Has God forgiven a person their sins before they are saved?I'm not sure this is correct. I think Jesus paid the penalty for all sin, overcame sin, but only those who accept God's free unmerited gift of salvation are forgiven.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. (John 3:16-18, 1984 NIV)
You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder. (James 2:19, 1984 NIV)
1. What is different between these two kinds of belief?
2. What is the event (or events) that are required for a human to be saved? (A change of heart would be an event.)
3. Do the event(s) affect our legal standing with God or his heart for us (or both)?
4. What is it exactly that happens (at the point one accepts God's unmerited gift of salvation) that makes a person change from unsaved to saved?
5. Would it be true for a Christian to tell a non-Christian that his or her sins have been forgiven?