Our salvation is all of GOD and not any of us. It is a gift of GOD that He chooses whom He chooses.
Regarding salvation, God's kind intention is to have mercy on all:
Romans 11:32 (KJV) 32 For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.
Salvation is granted by God to all through the Gospel, and is by faith evidenced by following Lord Jesus - being His disciples:
Matthew 28:19-20 (NIV) 19 Therefore go and
make disciples [
followers] of all nations,
baptizing them [
disciples] in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and
teaching them [
disciples]
to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.
Salvation is all God's Work in those who believe, which always includes repentance:
1 Corinthians 1:21 (WEB) 21 For seeing that in the wisdom of God, the world through its wisdom didn’t know God, it was
God’s good pleasure through the foolishness of the preaching to
save those who believe.
2 Corinthians 7:10 (WEB) For godly sorrow produces
repentance to salvation, which brings no regret.
Luke 24:44-47 (WEB) 46 He said to them, “Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, 47 and that
repentance and
remission of sins should be
preached in his name to
all the nations,
beginning at Jerusalem.”
Acts 17:30 The times of ignorance therefore God overlooked. But now
he commands that
all people
everywhere should
repent, 31 because he has appointed a day in which he will judge the world in righteousness by the man whom he has ordained; of which he has given assurance to all men, in that he has raised him from the dead.
Acts 20:20-21 (NIV) 20 You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to you but have
taught you publicly and
from house to house. 21 I have
declared to both Jews and Greeks that
they must turn to God [
conversion] in
repentance [
change of mind and purpose]
and have
faith in our Lord Jesus.
John 10:27-28 (WEB) 27
My sheep listen my voice, and I know
them, and
they {{
follow me}}. 28 I give
eternal life to
them.
Faith is not part of salvation; rather, by believing in Lord Jesus, God wills and elects to save us. Salvation is by faith:
John 3:16 (WEB) 16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, so that
whoever believes in him should not perish, but
have eternal life. [
Eternal Life is the New Birth of the Spirit dwelling in us.]
Galatians 3:13-14 (WEB) 13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us. For it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree,” [Deuteronomy 21:23] 14 that the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, that we might receive the
promise of the Spirit through faith.
Regeneration is Eternal Life given by the indwelling Spirit and is by faith manifested by sowing to the Spirit:
John 5:24 (WEB) 24 “Most certainly I tell you, he who
hears [listens] my word and
believes him who sent me
has eternal life, and doesn’t come into judgment, but has
passed out of death into life.
John 7:37-38 (WEB) 37 Now on the last and greatest day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink! 38
He who believes in me,
as the Scripture has said, from
within him will flow rivers of living water.” 39 But he said this about
the Spirit, which
those believing in him
were to receive.
Galatians 6:7-9 (WEB)
Do not be deceived.
God is not mocked, for whatever a man sows, that he will also
reap. 8 For
he who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh
reap corruption. But
he who sows to the Spirit will {{{
from the Spirit}}}
reap eternal life. 9 {{{
Let us}}} not be weary in doing good, for {{{
we}}} will
reap in due season, {{{
if we}}} {{{
do not give up}}}.
Galatians 5:25 (EWEB) 25 If
we live by the Spirit,
let us also keep in step with the Spirit.
Faith itself is never part of salvation in any of the Scriptures; rather, by faith, we are redeemed (
John 3:16), sanctified (
Romans 6:19:23), justified and saved (
Romans 5:1-2), adopted (
Galatians 3:7), regenerated (
John 5:24), made alive (
Galatians 3:21-24).
Faith in Lord Jesus, by which God loves us and saves us is evidenced by following Lord Jesus.
John 15:10 (WEB) 10
If you keep my commandments,
you will
remain in my love;
even as I {{have kept my Father’s commandments, and
remain in his love}}.
If your doctrine of salvation contradicts any of these Scriptures, then you are taking Scriptures out of the Gospel context as we see plainly and fully revealed in the NT.
Here's what Jesus said, and I love the simplicity.
